|
|
Prayers for Prodigal Catholics
THE MANTLE We Join in Prayer Under the Mantle of the Blessed Virgin Mary [Please send your prayer requests to pray@marianmantle.com or maryann@marianmantle.com]
++MESSAGE FROM THE COORDINATOR ++MESSAGE FROM THE COORDINATOR Hi, Everyone, As I waited through Bob’s knee surgery on the morning of Nov. 30, I stood looking out the window of his hospital room and watched the snow gently falling on the pine trees below. Since it was at the rear of the building, there was no traffic, no people, nothing but the snow and the trees. I stood there with rosary in hand, alternating between Hail Mary’s, Memorare’s and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. And, as I do when it is difficult to concentrate, I often slipped into reciting a mantra of “Mercy, Lord; Mercy, Lord; Mercy, Lord;” (How many times had I sat in the adoration chapel and said those words and those prayers over and over when my son’s situation seemed so futile?) After almost two hours, I realized a new prayer had begun—one I rarely pray—I heard myself saying “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…He who is mighty has done great things for me. And Holy is His name.” A prayer of praise had slipped into my psyche! I realized everything must be all right. God was allowing me to rejoice. A few minutes later the doctor walked in with a smile on his face—bringing the good news, “All is well!” It gave new meaning for me to a favorite scripture/song from Isaiah that Bob and I have loved since our days of singing it around our kitchen table with Doug and Sharon, our guitar-playing friends in South Dakota. “How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him, who brings good news. Announcing peace, proclaiming news of happiness. Our God reigns!” We who pray for our prodigals may sometimes feel we are in a perpetual Advent—always waiting for the messenger to bring good news of our loved one’s turning from the things of the world to the fullness of faith found in the sacraments. Let us hold firm in our belief that the messenger IS on his way. God HAS dispatched him. He WILL arrive at the appointed time. A light DOES shine in our darkness. We have kindled it with our faith, with our perseverance in prayer and with our unconditional love. Now, we need only to wait. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus! May God bless all of us and grant us His Peace. Peace, MaryAnn Archive Menu Top of Page PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR December 10, 2004 [Prayer intentions submitted to this group are shared only in the semi-weekly email update sent to members of the online prayer group. Please keep all of us and our prodigals in your prayers--just as we will pray for you.] Your e-mails have given me a new sense of hope, and I am more focused in my prayers for the children away from their faith. Many thanks for your service to us! ~Anonymous~
Top of Page How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad tidings, Announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation, and saying to Zion, "Your God is King!" Hark! Your watchmen raise a cry, together they shout for joy, For they see directly, before their eyes, the LORD restoring Zion. Break out together in song, O ruins of Jerusalem! For the LORD comforts his people, he redeems Jerusalem. The LORD has bared his holy arm in the sight of all the nations; All the ends of the earth will behold the salvation of our God. ~Isaiah 52: 7-10 Jim in California sent in the words to this hymn—worth repeating as we count the blessing of having our beloved prodigals in our lives and the grace to pray for both them and for ourselves.
Give thanks with a grateful heart Give thanks to the Holy One Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ His Son
And now let the weak say I am strong Let the poor say I am rich Because of what the Lord has done for us Give thanks Give thanks Give thanks SILENT STRENGTH PRESENTATION Presentations of “Silent Strength: Has Someone You Love Left the Church” are scheduled for January at Cure’ of Ars Church in Leawood, Kansas, February at a private home in St. John LaLande Parish in Blue Springs, MO and at St. Joseph’s Parish in Shawnee, KS, and in March at Holy Cross Parish in Overland Park, KS. Check the schedule on the web site for more information, http://www.marianmantle.com/schedule.htm or contact MaryAnn through email maryann@marianmantle.com or by phone at 913-526-8977. If you would like more information about getting this talk scheduled in your parish, please email maryann@marianmantle.com. There is no fee asked other than travel expenses.
PRAYER GROUPS Please pray for those who are working to form a new Silent Strength prayer group in Shawnee, KS.
NEWSLETTER Say a prayer for Susan who is attempting to work with MaryAnn and hopefully will agree to become the editor of the long-awaited print newsletter of the Marian Mantle Group. Susan has actually begun work on it. We even have one person who has graciously written an article for it. If anyone else is interested in submitting a few comments or a short article, please email Susan at editor@marianmantle.com Look for more information in the next update. 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.
Note: ++ If you want to receive a copy of the print newsletter, please email your postal address. ++Some have asked if there is something they can do for Marian Mantle. If you have a few stamps you can spare, we could use them to pay the postage for the newsletter. We will not have a bulk mail permit at this time so each will require a first class stamp. If you want to send a stamp or two, send them to Marian Mantle Group PO Box 434 Gardner, KS 66030
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
Archive Menu Top of Page
|
