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PRAYER FOR THE WEEK
Jesus, help me change how I'm acting when adults say they don't know what to do with me! Amen.

Jesus heard the Apostles arguing. "What are you fighting about?" He asked. They were ashamed, because they'd been arguing over which one of them was the greatest. Jesus told them, "If any of you wants to be first, he has to be a servant to all."

"I don't know what to do with you!" your mother, teacher or babysitter tells you, frustrated. You know you've been whining, complaining or arguing - but you don't know what to do with yourself, either! You're bored or overwhelmed, and you can't seem to get past that.

This week's Gospel (Mark 9:30-37) is about a similar situation. The Apostles are arguing (and they're grownups!), and Jesus steps in to settle it. But then He finds out what they're arguing about: which of them is the greatest.

It's easy to imagine Jesus shaking His head and saying, "I don't know what to do with you!" He thinks He's been clear in teaching them to be humble, to love one another, to act like servants instead of masters - but He sees that they've got it all wrong.

You complain and argue when you're bored and looking for some action, or when you're stressed out and don't know how to express that. The Apostles must have been in the same boat: They were trying to understand what Jesus taught, but it was new and scary, and they were afraid they'd be hurt for following Jesus - so, they complained and argued with each other.

Once you get your feelings out, you can calm down and stop the behavior that was annoying the people around you. It's also good to get a reminder that you aren't acting like the person you want to be. The Apostles got that reminder from Jesus: He said, again, that being the greatest wasn't something to argue about. Being a servant is the way to become closer to God - just like being a kid who stops whining and complaining helps you get closer to other people![[In-content Ad]]

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