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PRAYER FOR THE WEEK
Jesus, help me trust that you'll see me through any move, little or big! Amen.

Jesus heard people talking about how beautiful their temple was. "Someday, it will be torn down," He told them. "When?" they asked. "When the end of the world comes," Jesus said; "when there will be wars, earthquakes, sickness and starving people everywhere. Some of you will even be arrested for believing in me. But don't worry - I'll be there to take care of you."

Moving can be scary, whether it's your family getting a new house or just changing classrooms at school. You get used to things being a certain way, and then they change. Your routine is different; you don't know where things are. Until you get used to the new place and the new way of doing things, you're a little unsettled.

Everything changes. You might be going to a different school than the one you went to when you were younger; you're definitely in a different classroom. Your family might have a different house or go to a different church. In this week's Gospel (Luke 21:5-19), Jesus points out that the whole world changes over time, too.

When Jesus overhears people talking about the temple, their church, He remarks that even that big, solid building won't exist someday. Everyone seems surprised at the idea. They'd never thought about the world they know changing.

At first, it sounds like Jesus is trying to scare them. He says that someday, things will really change: The end of the world will bring wars, sickness and other terrible problems.

That might be how you feel about moving. Whether you're changing classrooms, schools, houses or churches, the move might seem like a terrible, scary thing - almost like the end of the world.

But, in the Gospel story, the next thing Jesus says is, "Don't worry. I'll be there. I'll take care of you." The end of the world is probably not coming anytime soon - but whenever it does, Jesus reassured us that He'll be with us. He's always by our side to take care of us, making sure a change at home or in school really isn't the end of the world.[[In-content Ad]]

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