Hope you received your copy of the MM Newsletter this week.  God does provide!  Through your generosity, we received enough stamps to cover all the postage!  When we did the first mailing, we had enough stamps for all the postage except for $1.83.  Then, a few newsletters were returned because the addresses were incorrect.  Just as we went to mail them again, another book of stamps arrived in the mail box.  It covered that $1.83, and the stamps for the additional newsletters.  We keep saying we operate on a “wing and a prayer” around here.  This proves it!

               The audience at Cure’ of Ars last Sunday numbered 53.  Afterward, one guy said, “You hit the nail on the head—and you did it without fire and brimstone.”  I told him I would consider that a compliment.  He said that was how it was intended.

                It was also nice to meet more of you from this online group who finally had a chance to attend.    One humorous thing happened.  Just as I was to the part about “stop nagging, and preaching, and arguing with your children—they aren’t listening anyhow…” a gentleman raised his hand and in a loud voice asked, “Could you wait a minute?  I want to go home and get my wife!”  I said, no, I couldn’t do that…but I told him I did have the talk on a CD and Bob had some back at the table.  Several people got CDs afterward.  The members of the MM group who were there teased me afterward about having him planted in the audience to help move the CDs.  Hmmm.  Not a bad idea.  Anyone want to volunteer to play that part at the next Silent Strength presentation?

    Please, if you attend a SS presentation, come up and say Hi! I want to see you--if we've met before, to say hello again--if we've never met, I'd love to make a new friend!  Stop by!

               On a more serious note, I would direct you to the prayer intention for Tom who recently died.  His sister says he had not been a practicing Catholic, but the Catholic Chaplain had visited him every day in the hospital.  This was, no doubt, his sister’s prayer answered. 

               For all of us who pray for a prodigal loved one,  there is a lesson to be found in a beautiful pamphlet written by Fr. Benedcit Groeschel, CFR titled “Divine Mercy in Time of Tragedy”,  in which he talks about the depth of the mercy of God in light of the 911 nightmare at the World Trade Center.  He talks about Jesus being there in the “millionth of a millionth of a second between life and death, when time stops for the soul.”  Fr. Groeschel goes on to say, “Jesus Himself can certainly be His own apostle.  He calls even to the despairing and hopeless soul….Jesus comes as his own apostle of Divine Mercy.  He comes and offers “final grace” to the souls of those who are unprepared to die.”  May it be our prayer and our trusting belief that He will be there for each of us when that “millionth of a millionth of a second” comes for us and for our loved ones.

Peace,

When I am lifted up, I will draw all things to Myself.  ~John 12:32

SILENT STRENGTH PRESENTATION

     “Silent Strength:  Has Someone You Love Left the Church” talks are scheduled for February 12 at St. John LaLande Parish in Blue Springs, MO (this event originally planned for a parents group and is now a parish Lenten event.)

February 20 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Shawnee.  (Two people from that parish have already made plans to form a prayer group to pray for prodigals.  If you are interested, email me an I will put you in touch with them.

March 16^th  at Holy Cross Parish in Overland Park, KS.  (This is an expanded event.  Along with the Silent Strength talk, I will be speaking on the power of the rosary when praying for Prodigals)

Need more information? Please check the schedule on the web site for more information,

http://www.marianmantle.com/schedule.htm

or contact MaryAnn by email maryann@marianmantle.com or phone at 913-526-8977.

     If you would like help in getting this talk scheduled in your parish, please email  maryann@marianmantle.com

PRAYER GROUPS

Please continue to pray for those who are working to form a new Silent Strength prayer group in Shawnee, KS. 

NEWSLETTER

    What action are you taking to bring your prodigal back home?  We welcome your input.  It will help the rest of us in our own prayers.  Please tell us about it.  We also need articles of 200-500 words for the next issue.  Please email editor@marianmantle.com  Meanwhile, please keep praying.  If you would be interested in helping with the newsletter in some way, please let us know by email or phone.  At Marian Mantle we can always use some help somewhere.

PLEASE SHARE YOUR STORY**

--If you are seeing prayers answered, we want to hear about it.**

--Do you have a question you would like to ask the group to answer?**

**Please email maryann@marianmantle.com or phone 913-526-8977.  If no one

answers, please leave your name and phone number and a good time to return

your call and MaryAnn will call you back as soon possible.