Upon arrival to Catania
on Saturday, June 4, 2005, Vassula and I were told that
Mt. Etna had started to erupt. There is a history in
Catania of this volcano pouring lava onto this island.
Black lava formation can be seen all over Catania.
We felt that the Almighty
Holy Spirit is so powerful that even nature is affected,
reacting to the Good News that Vassula brings: His "Love
Hymn, True Life in God, for their Spiritual Renewal.
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Map of Scicily,
Catania on the East Coast
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Map of
Catania
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The lava in
Catania
We met Sister Martha
O’Daly in Rome and flew to Catania together. Father
Giorgio Balestrire, the organizer of Vassula’s
presentation, came to the airport to pick us up. Sister
Martha was a big help to Father Balestrire in promoting
this event. We also met Francis Mifsud (who translated
English to Italian) and his wife at the airport.
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The city of
Catania
Father Balestrire brought
us to stay at the La Perla Jonica in Acireale, where the
event was to be held. Everything is on the same grounds,
making things convenient. We went to see the place that
the organizers were preparing in their big hall for the
next day’s meeting. Angela Leonardi worked very hard
along with Father Balestrire to put the event together.
They asked Vassula to say a special prayer over the
organizers which Vassula did. Vassula then thanked the
organizers and invited them to the next Pilgrimage in
2007. She briefed them on the TLIG Ecumenical Pilgrimage
that had just taken place in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.
The 2005
Pilgrimage
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Vassula blessing
the organizers
After that we went for
dinner. Since Acireale is by the sea, the restaurant had
beautiful fresh fish and all of the traditional Italian
foods and fresh fruits.
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Vassula with
Father Giorgio Balestrire and the choir
members
Father Balestrire showed
his excitement about the preparations when he was
telling us that for the next day there would be about
six to eight Pullman buses arriving filled with people
from the surrounding towns. He told us that his Bishop
had given him permission to host Vassula after the
Bishop saw the CDF booklet (read about the
CDF) and the letter from Cardinal Ratzinger, now
Pope.
On Sunday, June 5,
2005, we had an extra hour in the morning because of the
time change. It gave us an opportunity to have breakfast
with Father Giorgio, as we’re now calling him, at a more
relaxed pace. Father Giorgio has been reading the
Italian translations of the True Life in God Message for
many years. When Vassula showed him the original
handwriting edition it was the first time he saw the
original handwriting of Messages. The
Handwriting
The day’s program was
full. After the Rosary, Vassula gave her talk followed
by Holy Mass, then lunch. Vassula also spoke in the
afternoon before the adoration of the Eucharist. There
were approximately 800 people in the Hall.
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The program of the
event
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Vassula preparing
to speak, Sr. Martha O'Daly (right)
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The Catania
audience
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A Holy Mass that
took place during the event
There were all kinds of
people that had come: old, young, men, women, and
couples with their children. After Vassula’s talk, she
prayed over the children. People brought others who were
physically handicapped so they, too, could share in this
special day. They lined up one by one and she prayed
over them with the crucifix that contains the relic of
the True Cross.
One of the people, a
young man who presented himself to be prayed over, had
an apparent experience of exorcism. The entire incident
is captured on video. He violently expelled a grotesque
slime from his mouth in very large quantity. Vassula
continued to pray over him for several minutes until a
priest in the audience came forward - who also happened
to be the local exorcist for the church. After being
prayed over, the peace that came over him was visible.
He reported to us later he thought someone had attempted
to put an evil or black magic on him and had given him
some sort of physically or spiritually contaminated food
to eat. The actual facts of the case are he expelled
this material while Vassula prayed over him and felt
much better afterward. If this was an actual exorcism I
cannot say, I only report what we witnessed.
Vassula explained to the
people that Jesus had said, "You shall
bless my people with this crucifix." There have
been healings and the crucifix has shed some myrrh.
Vassula does this under the command of Jesus. He gave
her a prayer for healing and deliverance that everyone
there recited.
"In the name of the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit, Amen."
"Blessed
be Your Name, O You who hear [our] prayer. Blessed are
You my Lord who removed [our] soul from the pit..."
May 29,
1995
People were holding up
photos of their loved ones who could not attend in hopes
of interceding for them also. The people in attendance
were so patient the whole day, and that really left an
impression on me. You could see they set aside this
entire day for this full program of prayer, worship,
adoration and spiritual renewal. They were not rushing
to go anywhere else!
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Vassula praying
over a child who is physically
challenged
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People lining up
for Vassula to pray over them
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Vassula praying
over the children lining up
While Vassula was praying
over the children, you could see adults trying to get in
line so they too could be prayed over. Vassula then told
them that God is a God of order, and so we must keep
order. She promised them that after lunch at the end of
her second talk, she would pray over everyone. Imagine!
All eight hundred people!
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Vassula blessing a
set of twins
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Vassula with a
Consecrated Religious who was helping with the
event
Vassula started her first
talk by introducing True Life in God. She told them how
Pope Benedict XVI is asking for Unity between the
Orthodox and the Catholics. It was Pope John II who had
started the way and prepared the path of Unity for Pope
Benedict. Vassula believes Pope Benedict XVI will do
great things for Unity. She mentioned to the audience
that she had had a meeting with him four months before
he became Pope so that she could thank him in person for
what he did to clarify her situation by sending her the
Vatican’s five questions which she had answered to the
satisfaction of the CDF, the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith of the Catholic Church. As head of
the CDF at that time, he even asked her to publish the
questions and answers in Vol. 12, and these now also
appear on the website.
Vassula explained that
she had not always been welcome to do presentations,
especially in Italy, but since Cardinal Ratzinger had
sent out the CDFs clarification, things are much easier.
She said, "Praise to the Lord!"
This was her big meeting in Italy after so many
years. She believes that this is the beginning of the
True Life in God Messages becoming known throughout
Italy, just as well as they are now known in many of the
other sixty-seven countries where she has been
invited.
Various Churches invite
Vassula since she brings a message of Unity. She went on
to name the Catholic, Armenian, Lutheran, Orthodox,
Coptic, Baptist, and other Churches and Rites who have
listened to her speak. Thousands of people know about
the True Life in God Messages since she has given, to
date, about eight hundred presentations. The Messages
have been translated into forty-two languages; enabling
many more people to read Jesus’ Love Hymn.
"Italy, it is your turn to read them,"
she invited them with joy. She instructed them to
take away her name and put in their name so they will
realize that the Lord is speaking to them directly. God
still speaks to His people and gives a charism of the
sort given to her; a charism is always for the benefit
of the Church and it is not for Vassula’s spiritual
benefit alone.
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Speaking to
Catania, Father Giorgio Balestrire
(right)
The Lord is calling
everyone to become a Living Altar for him. She told them
that she comes from the Orthodox Church, and that before
this happened, although she had been baptized, she had
never prayed nor went to church, and was just living in
her own world. Like many people out there, she used to
live for herself and her family. After her powerful
conversion she now lives for God first of all. She said
that without God, our table is empty, but with God, our
table is full. God’s word is a wealth of riches and is a
banquet and everyone is invited. The call is a call to
repentance first, and unity, forgiveness, and
reconciliation, and she said, "Repentance is so important because it
will lead us to confession and will lead us to become
one with God."
There is a new fervor in the people
and this comes from the Holy Spirit," Vassula was
explaining. "This thirst for
Jesus and the Blessed Mother is the Holy Spirit Who is
reviving you, Who is taking away the scales off of your
eyes, Who gives you light to see invisible things and
understand the invisible things that have been hidden
from you. It is the Holy Spirit’s action to renew the
Church through repentance, and to unite the Church, and
this will be for the Glory of God!"
Vassula explained how the
biggest rival to God is our ego and our will. She said
as long as we don’t die to our will and our ego, God
cannot fill us up with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit
needs space and if He finds it He will invade us and
fill us with His presence. People ask what God’s will is
for them and she answers that only through the Holy
Spirit will we know God’s Will.
"The Holy Spirit cannot come to
someone who is in debt to sin. Jesus says the first
thing we do is to REPENT. Ask to the Lord to forgive us
for the sins we are not even aware of in that we don’t
know to distinguish our left hand from our right hand.
Repentance is the gate to Heaven. Repentance brings us
tears and burns within us. We need to be sincere with
ourselves and ask the Lord to show us who we really are;
what we are to God and how He sees us, and then CONFESS.
Then the Holy Spirit will really come upon us. We will
be shining from within and without. With the light of
the Holy Spirit even our members, all of ourself will be
light and will be part of the light that is the action
of the Holy Spirit. Only then, the Lord says, can you
say, you are walking with God because you will be in the
same path with God. You will not be behind or in front.
The Lord says He is the Way, the Truth and the Light."
She continued to tell
them about the activities of TLIG such as that many
prayer groups have been established worldwide and that
TLIG is Ecumenical because it is for the Unity of the
Church. We are praying for the Unity, Reconciliation,
and for the Peace of the world and to have more Love.
The people in prayer groups are on fire with the fire of
the Holy Spirit. Vassula told them of the establishment
of the Beth Myriams, houses of charity, and how they
came about. As in Holy Scriptures it says, "Faith without works is dead."
(James 2:20; 2:17; 2:26) You can read it here for
yourselves. Beth
Myriams
We are created to serve
God, and to serve one another. Why is God speaking to us
in our times? Our Lady is appearing in different parts
of the world because these are special times in which we
are living. We have fallen into Apostasy and the Devil
is very active so God intervenes because He doesn’t want
to lose His people.
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Vassula speaking
to an audience of about 800 people
It is the time of Mercy.
Jesus has given us warnings. Read about
warnings
Jesus says our generation
is far away from God. There is lack of prayer. Many are
celebrating Christmas only as a secular Holiday; they
worship the Christmas tree much more than his Holy Name.
"I come
today and offer all mankind My Peace but very few
listen; today I come with peace-terms and a Message of
Love, but the peace I am offering is blasphemed by the
earth and the Love I am giving them is mocked and jeered
in this Eve of My Birth; mankind are celebrating these
days without My Holy Name; My Holy Name has been
abolished and they take the day of My Birth as a great
holiday of leisure, worshipping idols;" Dec 24,
1991
The Lord has given us for
a deeper conversion, a true conversion. You can define
it with a single sentence as in the First Great
Commandment: Love your God with
all your heart and all of your strength and the Second
is Love one another as I love you. (Matt.
22:37-38; Mark 12:29-30; Luke 10:27)
On Judgment day Jesus
says we will all be judged by the measure of the love we
have had on earth. Be good, holy, and loving. Love one
another. Prove your love. Be generous with one another.
Generous means being kind to one another. We can do all
this in the small things we do, day to day.
Jesus tells us how He is
disappointed that we don’t TRUST him enough.
"We should do our best
and He will do the rest." Dec 16,
1994
Vassula explained, "Unceasing prayer is your desiring
God all day long. It is when you live perpetually in God
and They (the Trinity of the Divine Persons)live
perpetually in you. When you long for God all day long,
when you thirst for God all day long, it is a prayer
without words. It is the Heart that speaks. It is the
Contemplative prayer. It is the top prayer because God
sees inside your Heart. God is calling us, all of us to
exhort us to pray for peace."
She then read them a
message, "I make my voice be heard from
above, I shout aloud so that everyone hears. Indeed my
voice has reached the ends of the world. The good for
not doing exactly My Will and for not praying in the
right way; many of them approach Me only in words; the
bad, for committing mortal sins without ceasing because
of their hardness of heart and their indifference
towards Me; but I will tell you what happens and what I
mean; Scriptures teach you all, that once the hand is
laid on the plough, no one should look back, for you
will not be fit for the Kingdom of God;" May 21,
2001
Vassula continued, "To make Peace with God is to stop
rebelling against God and to return to God’s favor and
Intimacy after a period of estrangement and rebellion
through sin and transgression. When you accept to live
God’s law, which is the law of love, putting God first
in your life, then you make peace with God. God gives us
hope, which is the Holy Spirit."
"I would
be greatly distressed were you to die now before having
understood Me; many of you are busy with your daily
chores, which please Me if they are done with love and
they are according to My Mind, but all of this would be
incomplete if you do not open to grace and acknowledge
Me in My intimacy; so come and accept My familiar
companionship and I, in My good pleasure, I will take
you into the mysteries and the hidden secrets of Our
Heart; you and We, will become inseparably united in Our
Love for ever end ever." Nov 2,
1997
May God bless the TLIG
people in Italy for having started a renewal for True
Life in God. May all of their efforts and work produce
more and more fruit. We thank all of the organizers for
doing such a spectacular job for Jesus! In
Christ, Georgia Klamson TLlG reader, New York
City, USA
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