Mark 1:1-8

Mark opens his gospel by describing it as ‘the good news about Jesus Christ'. Think of the different ways in which the gospel stories have been good news for you.

John the Baptist is presented as a messenger to prepare the way for Jesus. Who have been messengers to you, preparing the way for the Lord by alerting you to ways in which you could improve your life? To whom have you been such a messenger?

John calls the people to repentance (= a change of heart), as a way to a new life. Can you recall times when you had a change of heart, and the change revitalised you?

John baptised people with water as a gesture to mark their change of heart. Sometimes we perform an action to symbolise our change of heart - write a letter, throw away our last cigarettes, etc. Can you remember a symbolic gesture with which you marked a change of heart?