Children’s Liturgy of the Word/6th Sunday in Ordinary Time/ Year B Mark 1:40-45 11th February 2024

Mark 1:40-45 40 And a leper came to him beseeching him, and kneeling said to him, "If you will, you can make me clean. 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, "I will; be clean." 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 And he sternly charged him, and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, "See that you say nothing to any one; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to the people." 45 But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter. Family Prayer Today’s Gospel invites us to think about the choices we make as individuals and as a family. Jesus was faced with a choice in today’s Gospel. By choosing to heal the man with leprosy, Jesus showed God’s compassion for the sick and the outcast. The man knew that Jesus had a choice and that Jesus could reject his request. He may have expected that Jesus would not help him. The social taboos regarding leprosy certainly gave him little on which to base his hope. In the person of the man with leprosy, we see an image of all those in need. The sick and the outcast of our world are watching us, to see if we as Christians will choose to extend ourselves to others in need of healing and compassion. Gather with your family and talk about some of the choices you have made as a family. (where to go on holiday, what activities to do together, how to spend our evenings, and so on) How does your family go about making these decisions? What do your choices communicate to others about your family’s values? In today’s Gospel, Jesus was faced with a choice. Read today’s Gospel, Mark 1:40-45. In choosing to heal the man with leprosy, Jesus chose to show God’s compassion and mercy. All our choices reflect our faith, and others are watching. Conclude in prayer together, asking God to help your family show compassion to others in your family decisions. Pray together today’s Psalm, Psalm 32, or pray the Prayer for Vocations. #catholicprayer #visiodivina #childrensliturgy #prayerandart #visiodivina #scriptureandart #childrensliturgy #sundaygospelreflection #catholicprayer #catholicfamilyprayer Gospel Reflection for Catholic Families through Paintings and Prayer. A time to pray and reflect together on the Sunday Gospel before Mass . The aim to encourage children and their parents to engage with the Gospel in a prayerful way, building a bridge between the Gospel and their lives today and hopefully bringing the family closer to Jesus. John gives testimony that he is preaching and baptizing in order to prepare for the coming of another.