It was a real surprise and a joy to receive word that Vassula had a slot in her busy September 2005 Programme which would allow her travel to Dublin to speak! She last visited Ireland some years before, with meetings in Belfast in 1997 and Dublin in 1996. To ensure that the maximum number of people would have the privilege and opportunity to listen to the Message of True Life in God, we booked the National Basketball Arena in Dublin.
Our small and enthusiastic team, which had never attempted the organization of such a large meeting before, got to work right away. We were determined to do our best, knowing that Jesus would do the rest! While a few of us had experience of being part of the organizing team for smaller TLIG events, none of us had experience of planning a TLIG Meeting at such a large venue from scratch! We know this would be a challenge and lots of hard work! We entrusted the whole event to Jesus and our Blessed Mother and enwrapped it in prayer...trusting Jesus to fill where we lack. Over and over again, He showed us and reminded us that this visit of His chosen instrument to our island was His work and that He would take care of it in every detail... all was taken care of in peace and order...His Presence was palpable every step of the way... We recalled Jesus words given in Belfast in 1991: "My Own will recognize My Voice, I will call them and they shall come;"
Flyers and posters were organized - may the TLIG Graphics people be blessed for their expertise and patient help! Large shipments of books were ordered from England and the Netherlands and we drove to Belfast to collect TLIG books from Chris Lynch (who first printed the typeset TLIG messages in English). As ever, Jesus provided extra helpers as needed! A young guy we met on the street, who had been studying at the Rabbinical School in Budapest, was interested in the upcoming meeting and volunteered to help. En route to Belfast we realized that it was to be a historic day for Ireland, as on that very day, July 28th 2005, the IRA (Irish Republican Army) declared a unilateral ceasefire - formally announcing an end to their armed campaign, pledging to use non-violent means to achieve their goals... a major step to end the 'War' in Northern Ireland... In light of this historic declaration, we sat in awe at Chris Lynch's house in Belfast, reading again the Messages which Jesus gave specifically for Ireland:
Ref: TLIG Messages: November 14th 1991 and March 10th 1991.
We were so happy that Vassula was soon to return to the Island of Ireland...
Crossing the now completely open Border between the North and South of the country, (TLIG Nov. 14th 1991: "your land is parcelled by a measuring line but so is your heart Ireland My daughter,") which is now no longer monitored by the Military as a checkpoint, brought to mind to the time we had driven in the same car across the Israeli/Jordanian border, bringing books for Vassula's first Meeting in Amman, Jordan (Oct. 2000) from Tel Aviv - on the very weekend that the second Intifada erupted! In ensuring that His Message is spread to the ends of the earth, Jesus leads us safely through many amazing times/events/places...No border, no war zone situation can stop His Holy Spirit of Grace and Light from reaching those who are spiritually hungry and waiting to hear His Voice. We praise and thank God for the newfound dawn of peace that Ireland now experiences.
We advertised the meeting far and wide via: Newspaper Adverts/Press Releases/Local Radio/Noticeboards/Word of mouth/Flyer distribution at Traffic Junctions-On the streets-Shopping Malls-Café's-Pubs-Clubs/Event Guides/ Bulletins/Newsletters/Letterbox drops etc...We remembered what Vassula said in Jordan (Oct. 2000) - That it is Jesus who calls the people ...so we knew that Jesus already had a name for every single seat in the Basketball Arena and that we simply had to let people know that Vassula was coming to Dublin with His Message, in order that the people would hear Jesus' Call. It was as if Jesus was constantly reminding us that this was His work...We somehow we felt a great sense of Peace as we prepared this large meeting. We felt guided every step of the way and were happy to abandon ourselves to His plan for the preparation of this meeting. Usually, if planning a large social event or similar there would always be some 'knee shaking moments' wondering as to the numbers coming/logistics/possible obstacles/cancellations etc ...However, in His great Love for us and being aware of our team being so few, it was as if Heaven lifted all and any anxieties from us...Reminding us of the message of March 26th 1989: "So please Me in this way by abandoning yourself into My Hands, be confident; come, delight Me and praise Me; My Mother who is your Mother too is shielding you, guiding you, helping you," Unrelenting hard work was needed 24-7 but everything went beautifully smoothly...Jesus was levelling the path for His Prophet to return to us in Ireland...In fact Ireland has been blessed from very early on with regard to the TLIG message... the late Fr. Michael O'Carroll first invited Vassula here in 1991 and the TLIG messages were first printed in Belfast in the early nineties. It is very moving to read the Messages which Jesus has given specifically for Ireland / for those gathered at Vassula's meetings here during her visits to Ireland at different times over the years. Ref. TLIG Messages dated: March 10th & 12th 1991/ November 14th,18th & 22nd 1991.
Having completed a very widespread distribution of the TLIG 'Clarifications' booklets to hierarchy, clergy and religious in the preceding months, we followed up on that distribution with further personal visits to hierarchy, clergy and religious of the different denominations, inviting them to attend Vassula's meeting here and giving them a copy of the current TLIG dossier which gives a comprehensive overview of the TLIG worldwide apostolate. We were very pleased to be encouraged and supported in our efforts to organize this large meeting by the local hierarchy and clergy with whom we met and were in contact including the Papal Nuncio, local Bishops and other clergy and religious. Clergy and lay people of all denominations were invited, as were the spiritual leaders of other faiths and their congregations. We were inundated with phone calls from people, who, having seen the adverts/flyers etc, wanted to know more about True Life in God. A large number of books and DVDs were bought via telephone before the meeting by people who wanted to know more about TLIG.
Vassula's Arrival
Vassula and Mark arrived on schedule on September 14th and shared with us how the England / Scotland Meetings had gone. Dinner with a small number of TLIG helpers followed. Our Dominican Sister friends and Fr. Colm, a Servite Priest, also joined us.
Spontaneous Address to Local Church
On September 15th we had an early start with Mass at 9.30am at the Church of the local Bishop's Vicar Forane - Fr. Liam Lacey. As the local Bishop - Bishop Walsh - was not free on the day of the meeting to meet with Vassula, he very kindly suggested we meet with his VF. It was a joy to attend Mass in the Church of St. Martin de Porres, where Fr. Lacey is the Parish Priest. He announced to his small, early morning congregation that Vassula would be speaking nearby at the National Basketball Arena that night. At the end of the Mass, he spontaneously invited Vassula to the altar to speak a little about her mission and the upcoming meeting. We enjoyed an informal friendly chat over coffee at the Church with Fr. Lacey, his curate Fr. Farrell and the Dominican Parish Sister - Sr. Teresa. Vassula shared with us many interesting stories of her time spent living in various countries and of course spoke of the TLIG message and her mission.
Meeting with Russian Orthodox
Our next meeting was at Ireland's only Russian Orthodox Church, The Church of St. Peter and Paul, under the Moscow Patriarchate. Fr. Zavershinsky was expecting us. He had heard already about True Life in God and Vassula's mission and was looking forward to receiving her at his Church. He graciously showed us around his Church. We were joined there by Fr. Tom Stack, Catholic Parish Priest and journalist and Anglican Canon Desmond Sinnamon. While Fr. Stack and Canon Sinnamon already knew each other, they were meeting Fr. Zavershinsky for the first time. A lively, animated discussion took place, the main theme of which was Unity. Vassula spoke of Jesus' great desire for the Unity of His Church - and of the need to make some real progress on that - Strikingly she said: "If Jesus Christ were standing here right in front of you, what would you say to Him about the blocks that exist to Unity?" The meeting of Pope John Paul II and Patriarch Theoctist at Iasi, Romania 1999 came up in the conversation - Fr. Stack had been present there, as had Vassula.
Fr. Tom Stack, Fr. Zavershinsky, Vassula and Rev. Desmond Sinnamon
We returned to the Hotel to allow Vassula some rest time before the meeting.
There followed some difficulties that afternoon at the hotel as the whole Telephone System//Internet Connection at the Hotel crashed. On top of this the mobile phones of a couple of the main organizers were also inexplicable totally dead! (despite having been fully charged for this important day! - as calls were coming in non-stop from people wishing to attend the meeting and final details needed to be confirmed with the Management at the Basketball Arena etc.) Despite the problems that this caused, all proceeded pretty much on schedule.
At the Basketball Arena the TLIG bookstands were in place and the TLIG Information Display and Photomontage was set up in the large lobby - included there was information on the Worldwide TLIG Meetings/ Beth Myriams / TLIG Pilgrimages / TLIG Bibliography / Testimonies/ Beth Myriam collection Basket etc.
The Big Event
At 7pm the doors of the Basketball Arena opened. All those souls who heard and answered Jesus' Call began to flow into the Arena . People of all ages came to listen - babes in arms/ some children/ teenagers/young people/ middle aged people and even some of our senior citizens well into their 80's! People of many nationalities attended - reflecting Ireland's changing demography. People from all walks of life came to listen - many of the people who are benefitting hugely from Ireland's booming Celtic Tiger Economy came to listen, along with people from some of the extremely socially and economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods not far from the Basketball Arena. Just like when Jesus was here on earth and preaching in Galillee, people from all sectors of society were drawn to listen to Him.
A large number of teachers came to listen...many of whom teach religion at elementary or high school level....and strikingly, Vassula explained very beautifully how Jesus teaches. While people came mostly from the Dublin area, many travelled long distances to attend the meeting. Many of the people who came to listen were not Church goers and had never before been to any kind of religious event before. A large number of those present were hearing about the Message of True Life in God for the first time.
Vassula arrived and met with Fr. Rory Brady, the young priest who would introduce her. Fr. Rory first heard Vassula speak on Irish National Radio in 1996 and came along to her 1996 Dublin meeting. At that time he was a 2nd year Seminarian. At 7.30 pm the people were still pouring into the Arena ... Approximately 1,600 -1,700 people came to listen. Later, many people asked us HOW we managed to get such a large crowd to come to the Arena, as they realized our budget was not very big. A number of other events at the Arena, in the weeks before our event, which had large advertising budgets did not draw anything like the crowd that the TLIG Meeting drew...We simply explained to them that it is a Call, and that it is Jesus Who brings the people to TLIG Meetings... It was a joy to see the Basketball Arena full...a real triumph for Jesus!
And we remembered His words:
"My Own will recognize My Voice, I will call them and they shall come;"
The meeting opened with music and hymns... A short excerpt was read from the encouraging letter of support which we received from the Papal Nuncio, who encouraged us in our efforts for Unity - and who assured us that while unable to attend the meeting (due to a prior engagement in his capacity as Dean of the Diplomatic Corps) that he would be with us in spirit. Fr. Rory gave a short introduction giving Vassula's background and led all present in a prayer to our Guardian Angels. He asked the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and souls to what we were about to hear...
People then listened expectantly as Vassula began to speak...she opened the Meeting by praying the 'Our Father' in Aramaic and continued by sharing how this charism began - the early dawn of TLIG in Bangladesh - before moving on to speak about the Messages and the main themes therein. She also spoke of the review of the apostolate of True Life in God by the CDF (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) Office at the Vatican. Vassula prayed the Prayer for Healing and Deliverance and blessed all present at the end of the Meeting- it was a powerful and moving experience...
People sat and listened attentively through the Meeting - many in awe of what they were hearing...some with tears rolling down their faces, being deeply touched by God's Love as revealed to us in His Message of True Life in God. Many people remarked later that they simply did not feel the time passing at all (one and a half hours!), captivated as they were by what they were hearing and experiencing.
The transcript of Vassula's talk in Dublin 2005 is available from as is the DVD of the Dublin Meeting. We will be happy to send (free of charge) a Transcript and/or DVD of the Dublin Meeting to anyone who wishes to have a copy.
Approx. 30 clergy attended the meeting. Archimandrite Serge Keleher (Eastern Rite Catholic) came along and had an interesting talk with Vassula during the Meeting Interval....Some young seminarians also attended as did the young guy studying at the Rabbinical School in Budapest (whom we met out on the streets some weeks before). Nuns of many orders also attended in significant numbers.
The bookstands were extremely busy both before and after the Meeting - people wanted to read and to learn more - and to share books/DVDs with family and friends.
Jesus tells us in the Messages of True Life in God that He is "Faithful and True" and reminds us that this is His work and that He will take care of it... He showed us this in an amazingly powerful way as we organized this meeting - He called the people and they came to listen. Then, when it came to the practicality of covering the cost of hiring the Basketball Arena - which of course was expensive! - we learned how perfectly things unfold when we trust Jesus and do our best...allowing Him 'to do the rest'. We wanted to hire the Arena for the Friday but it was not free - the Thursday evening option was offered to us and we really got a good deal as the offer was to hire from just 4pm till 11pm. Even with the reduced price the cost was still significant as it included the sound system/lighting/building a stage /Insurance etc. Admission to the meeting was of course free and amazingly, the donations which came in covered the cost of the Basketball Arena hire almost exactly - we were just short 10 Euros! This totally amazed us... Then, after the meeting, while dropping home to pick up e mail - as the Hotel's system was 'down' and we were expecting emails from Switzerland, where Vassula would speak on Sept. 17th) we were surprised to discover a 'late donation' of Euro10 which had been dropped in the letterbox by a neighbour! So the cost of the Arena hire was covered to the very last Euro - we were speechless!
We thank God for the blessing it was to have Vassula return to Ireland and we end this report with a message given for Ireland:
Nov. 22nd1991
"beloved children, I give you My Peace; the world is falling into decay,
but I have not forgotten you;
I am visiting you in your distress to help each one of you reach your Room in Heaven;
you are Mine and you are all very precious to Me;
I am the Light of the world,
So do not fear, I ask you to pray for those who have hardened their heart and do not believe in the Truth;
never cease your prayers;
I, the Lord, have passed through your cities, Ireland, and although at the moment you do not know the plans I have designed for you;
remain in My Divine Love and you shall feel strong,
remain in My Sacred Heart and you shall prosper,
remain in My favour by your constancy and faith,
remain in Me and you shall live;
I, the Lord, bless each one of you leaving the Sigh of My Love on your forehead;
Ευαγγελισμός
Η ηχώ της Ηχούς... Συγκεντρώσεις μαρτυρίας και μια πρόσκληση του Ιησού για επανευαγγελισμό
Foundation
Summary of what the Foundation for True Life in God is all about, the reason for its creation, the mission it has been entrusted with and formalities of importance
