Sunday, 14 February 2027

1st Sunday of Lent

Gospel: Mark 1:12–15

“Repent, and believe the Good News.” Mark 1:15

Liturgical colour: Purple

For grown-ups

Lent opens with a rainbow. After the flood, God promises Noah and every living creature that he will never abandon the world he made. Peter ties that story to baptism, and Mark takes Jesus into the desert for forty days, tempted but never alone, with angels close by. Lent is not meant to be gloomy. It is a season for coming back to a God who keeps his promises.

At home, forty days can feel long. We lose patience, we snap at bedtime, we slip. Jesus’ first words in Mark are simple: “Repent, and believe the Good News.” Turning around is something your children already know how to do when they say sorry and are hugged back. This week, let them hear you apologise first, and let forgiveness feel like a rainbow after a storm: a fresh start that is promised rather than earned.

Dinner-table questions

What colours are in a rainbow, and what does it remind God’s people of?
Jesus was in the desert for forty days; what is one thing you could try for Lent?
What do we say and do when we are sorry, and how does it feel when someone forgives us?

This week’s family practice: Choose one small Lenten act together, such as a coin box for the poor. At bedtime, say sorry for the day and give each other a hug of forgiveness.

This Sunday’s readings

First reading: Genesis 9:8–15
Psalm: Psalm 25 — Your ways, Lord, are faithfulness and love for those who keep your covenant.
Second reading: 1 Peter 3:18–22
Gospel: Mark 1:12–15