Children’s liturgy

First Sunday of Lent (Year B)Family Fast Day

Preparing the worship space

Colour: Purple

Props: A jar of dry beans, a plate, some vegetables.

Welcome:Today we are going to hear about how Jesus spent 40 days in the desert. Deserts aredry lands where it is hard to grow food and people may get hungry and thirsty. How do you feel when you are hungry? Let’s think a bit more about that today.

Song suggestion:Be not afraid, Bob Dufford SJ (964, Laudate);

Opening prayer: God of life, your Son Jesus went out into the desert to talk to you in prayer. Help usto talk to you and get closer to you this Lent, in our prayers and in our actions. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

First reading (optional): Genesis 9:8-15

Psalm: Ps 24:4-9 or 10

Gospel acclamation: the children stand and say/sing the acclamation together. For Lent we use an acclamation that doesn’t use the word ‘Alleluia’. We suggest:Praise to you O Christ, king of eternal glory.

Gospel: Mark 1:12-15

Gospel reflection: What do you remember about that reading?

Jesus goes out into the wilderness, or desert, for 40 days. He had hardly any food to eat or water to drink. The UK is so green and rainy. What do you think it would be like to live in a very dry land? How do you think Jesus felt?

There are many people in dry countries around the world who find it hard to grow enough food to eat. Often there is no rain to help their crops grow well.

In Zimbabwe, a country in Africa, a lot of the people are very poor and sometimes don’t have enough to eat. A boy called Svondo lives there, and his mummy Marian used to find it really hard to grow enough food to feed her children. She tells the story of how sad she felt when the children were so hungry they got sick.

“My heart would feel pain,” she says. “My children were tired and unhappy. They stopped playing. I was so worried about finding the next meal.”

Can you imagine feeling so hungry that you didn’t even want to play anymore?

Have the children pour some beans onto the plate. Ask them to imagine they had to share that out round the family – would it be tasty?Then, imagine they could plant the beans and many other seeds and a whole vegetable garden would grow. Show them the other vegetables. Now is there tasty food for the family?

An organisation called CAFOD came and helped Marian start a vegetable garden. They gave her big sacks of seeds to grow food for her children. Near the garden there is a pump for getting water. Now she grows tomatoes, spinach, watermelon and lots of other tasty fruit and veggies.

“My children are healthier now,” she says, “A healthy child always plays.”Now Svondo, who is 7 years old,is growing strong on his good diet.

If you have time, you can share more of the story of Marian and her children at this point by showing a short video. See “Activity suggestions” below for more details.

Today is the first Sunday of Lent. What is Lent? How long does it last?

Jesus teaches us to help other people, especially those who are poor or hungry.This is an important part of being a Christian. In Lent we try to pray more, do extra kind things for other people, and give treats up as we prepare for Easter. What sort of things do you think people give up?

Can you give something up? You could choose a treat, give it up and donate the money you save to help families like Svondo’s. You could do something amazing – turn biscuits into beans! £1 saved by giving up biscuits could help a family grow beans for a year. Or you can turn fast food into fresh food, by giving up a burger andhelping buy seeds for a family’s vegetable garden.(See back page of illustration.)

Intercessions:As we try to be closer to God this Lent, we pray together:

We pray for world leaders: may theyhelp all their people getenough healthy food to give their families. Lord, in your mercy…

We pray for all people who do not have enough good food to eat: that with our help, their lives may change for the better. Lord, in your mercy…

We pray for our parish, family and friends: that we may make changes to our lives this Lent that will change the lives of others around the world. Lord in your mercy…

Closing prayer: We pray for those who are hungry in dry lands. Help us to share generously as one global family, to make a better world.Amen.

Activity suggestions

  • Watch the short 2.5min film about Marian and her son Svondo if you have a laptop: cafod.org.uk/primary/lent
  • Colour in the optional illustration of Marian and Svondoin their garden (available atcafod.org.uk/childrensliturgy). On the back is a “Give it up”
    sheet. Print out separately and ask the children to choose and colour in what they would like to give up, then cut out their choices and make a Lent poster together with the drawings of Marian, to take up in the offertory. This could go on display during Lent.
  • Ask the children to think about all the different kinds of food they eat during a day and to write or draw them. Ask them to think what it would be like to eat the same food every day.
  • Ask the children to write a prayer about food, talking about why it is so precious. They could use the response “God, please help all who are hungry.”
  • Ask the children to tell their family all that they have heard and thought about during the liturgy today, and whether they decided to give up a treat - to turn biscuits into beans! If they have written a prayer, ask them to say it as a family.

More children’s liturgies can be found at cafod.org.uk/childrensliturgy

CAFOD: Charity number 1160384 and a company limited by guarantee no 09387398

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