Mark and Lea Mallett
TO be honest, I really don’t have any plans. No, really. My plans many years ago were to record my music, travel around singing, and continue to make albums until my voice croaked. But here I am, sitting in a chair, writing to people all over the world because my spiritual director told me to “go where the people are.” And here you are. Not that this is a total surprise to me, though. When I began my music ministry over a quarter century ago, the Lord gave me a word: “Music is a doorway to evangelize.” The music was never meant to be “the thing”, but a doorway.
And so, as we begin 2018, I really don’t have any plans, because the Lord might have new ones tomorrow. All I can do is wake up, pray, and say, “Speak Lord. Your servant is listening.” That—and I am listening to the Body of Christ and what you are saying regarding this ministry. That too is part of my discernment as to what I believe the Lord wants me to do. I receive letters every day like these:
Your messages have given me hope and guidance in these very troubled times. —M.B.
May the Lord Bless you, your family and your ministry brother. Never has it been more important for souls and the Church. I pray that all hear your voice crying out in the desert. —G. O.
Please know that I am led to pray for you often… and how you inspired four simple Catholic gals to begin our beautiful ministry six years ago. —K.R.
Thank you so much for having “prepared the way” for these times over the past years. Your Spirit filled words have torn down resistance to Truth as it is being revealed through the events of each day, signs of the times and most especially revelations of mystics and the Holy Word of God. I don’t want to accept on some primitive level the reality of the world condition, yet your constant fidelity to prayer in your own personal life and your obedience to the Call on your life has made it possible to have the veil lifted from my eyes and the eyes of countless others who read your Spirit filled words. —G. C.
Well, what’s good is God’s—the rest is mine. I admit that I still face The Temptation to be Normal from time to time, if you know what I mean. But when I read letters like these, it is easy to say to Our Lord or Our Lady, “Okay, what do you want to say today?” Please understand… it is your response to Jesus that has also given me fuel to continue on some 1300 writings, 7 albums, and 1 book later. I can’t help but cry as I read the letters above because, despite being a sinner like everyone else, God let’s me participate in some small way in His work to save and sanctify souls.
But as this new year has begun, our ministry has had to dip deeply into our line of credit in order to keep operating. So we looked at what’s happening and found some startling things. Hundreds of monthly donors have stopped giving since December 2016, most of them due to expired credit cards or not following up on their commitment. Despite our efforts to remind them, not much has changed. Our sales of books and CD’s fell by over $20,000 from previous years. And one-time donations have fallen to a trickle. And this while readership has increased.
Lea and I have no savings, no retirement plan. We have poured every penny into this ministry, including well over $250,000 in albums and books. We decided two years ago that we would give away as much of my music and these writings as we could. You can download for free my Rosary CD and the Divine Mercy Chaplet from CDBaby.com. And many of my songs are linked at the bottom of my writings when they are in theme. Ya, crazy eh? But then, I’m a fool for Christ. I could have written over 30 books by now, but we felt that “The Now Word” needs to be heard and readily available to as many people as possible.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. (Matt 10:8)
At the same time, St. Paul taught:
…the Lord ordered that those who preach the gospel should live by the gospel. (1 Corinthians 9:14)
Right now, even though I’ve written an album of Psalms, I cannot begin to think about making another recording. The reason is that we’ve had to let other important things slide. Some of our thirty-four year old windows don’t completely shut in our house this winter. The brickwork and parging are literally crumbling. The doors aren’t sealing properly. I’ve got to take care of these things like anybody else. That, and our inventories are getting low, our studio computer is over 10 years old, and we have unexpected bills and breakdowns like everyone else. We also have a salaried employee, Colette, who processes all our office sales, calls, and donations and all the large expenses to run this ministry.
You know I don’t appeal for help for every often—maybe twice a year at most. If this apostolate has touched you in some way, would you consider clicking the donation button below? In truth, part of my discernment to continue on is also whether I can do what Christ is calling me to do, and still keep the wolf from the door.
Thank you for your prayers, love, and support. You bless me as much as these writings apparently bless some of you.
You are loved.
Mark & Lea
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