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PRAYER FOR THE WEEK
Jesus, help me be nice to all kids, but choose my friends wisely! Amen.

Jesus sent out the 12 Apostles, two by two, to teach people everywhere about God. He told them not to take food, extra clothes or even money, but to depend on people along the way to help them out. The Apostles went off and taught, and cured many sick people.

How do you make new friends? It's easy to tell when some kids could become your friends: They start talking or playing with you right away, and you find out you both like scooters or Disney princesses.

Other kids are shy or even mean, and it's harder to decide whether to be friends. Should you try?

This week's Gospel (Mark 6:7-13) is about that problem. Jesus has taught His friends all about God, and now He sends them to other towns to teach people what they've learned.

Jesus' goal is for everyone to understand how much God loves them and get close to God -- but He knows not everyone will be interested in hearing it. What should the Apostles do?

When you meet new kids, you probably talk a little to see how they react. If they're friendly, you hang out more, and you may end up becoming friends.

If you meet a kid who's shy or doesn't seem friendly, sometimes it takes longer to figure out whether he or she will make a good friend. If you're friendly, the other kid may see that you're a nice person and open up.

Some people the Apostles met were mean. They were rude and treated the Apostles badly. That's why Jesus told them not to bring extra food or clothes when they traveled: If people shared with them, the Apostles would know those good people would be open to learning about God.

If a kid you meet is mean, be polite -- but you don't have to try to become best friends. Even Jesus told the Apostles that if someone wouldn't listen to them, they could "shake the dust of that house off their feet" and move on. The Apostles found plenty of other people to teach and even cure of sicknesses![[In-content Ad]]

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