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PRAYER FOR THE WEEK
Jesus, teach me to share, even when I think there isn't enough! Amen.

A woman whose people Jesus hadn't taught yet begged Jesus to save her sick little girl. "I was sent only to help the chosen ones of God," Jesus told her. "Lord, even dogs eat the leftovers from their masters' tables," she answered. Jesus saw how much faith she had, and He healed her daughter.

Adults can't stop talking about "the economy" lately. They mean that a lot of Americans have lost their jobs and the ones who haven't are worried about money, since companies are struggling to stay in business and prices on things like gas have gone up.

Even in a bad economy, if you have a pet, it's probably still eating the same amount of food. Families who worry about money will take fewer vacations or spend less on extra stuff - but they won't starve their dogs!

In this week's Gospel (Matthew 15:21-28), a woman points out something like that. She begs for Jesus' help and, at first, it seems like He's not willing to give it. He seems to think, at first, that He's only on earth to help Jewish people - and her family isn't Jewish.

The woman points out that even dogs get to eat. Like your family still takes care of your pets even when they're worried about money, the woman meant that Jesus should share His healing power - even with someone who wasn't Jewish, a person some people back then thought of as a dog.

In good times or bad, we always have a responsibility to take care of each other. Jesus remembered that and took care of the little girl, healing her. You can do that by being kind to the pets and people in your life![[In-content Ad]]

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