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PRAYER FOR THE WEEK
Jesus, help me pay extra attention to the people I love as Christmastime comes! Amen.

John the Baptist was in jail for talking about God's coming. When he heard about Jesus' teachings, he sent people to ask Jesus if He was the Messiah, the one sent by God to save the world. "Tell John what you see," Jesus told them: "The blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the dead live, and the poor hear the Good News."

Deciding on Christmas presents for people can be tough. Would your mother rather have something you make or something you bought at the Christmas fair at school? Should you give candy to your brother that he'll enjoy right away, or something he can keep for a long time?

The best way to choose what to give is to pay attention to people. When you watch what they say and do, you'll get a better idea of whether they like homemade things, whether candy is what your brother would really like or whether that bird ornament would be perfect for your mom. Often, the answers are right in front of you!

This week's Gospel (Matthew 11:2-11) is about paying attention to what's right in front of you. Jesus has started teaching people about God; and John, who has been telling everyone a teacher is coming, is wondering whether Jesus is the person he's been talking about. Is Jesus really the Son of God?

Jesus' answer is perfect: "Pay attention to what's right in front of you." Jesus has been healing people who can't see, hear or speak and even bringing people back from the dead. He's been sharing the Good News that everyone can be close to God in a whole new way that's changing people's lives. Could someone who isn't the Son of God do all that?

Paying attention to what people like can help you pick out Christmas gifts for them. Christmas isn't the only time when it's good to pay attention, though. If more people had taken notice of what Jesus was saying, He could have taught even more of them all about God![[In-content Ad]]

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