About Vassula
Vassula Rydén, is Greek, born in Egypt and she belongs to the Greek Orthodox Church. Her husband’s professional obligations meant that she had to live most of her life in third world countries. She could never have imagined that God would unexpectedly reveal Himself to her on the 28th of November 1985, while she was living with her family in Bangladesh. This was the beginning of a mystical communication, which continues to this very day. It is God that dictates, inspires and reveals to her His words of Wisdom to pass them on to His people so that they know His Will.
The grace to receive God’s Word in such a way is called Prophecy. God the Father and Jesus Christ called Vassula even though she had never received any catechetical instruction or theological formation, to teach her everything she should know to become a true apostle who would be sent around the world calling out for repentance and conversion.
God said once to her: ‘I have chosen you as a blank canvas to fill it up only with My Work which I will name: ‘True Life in God.’ (December 26, 1987) Therefore, the ‘True Life in God’ divine messages are an urgent call to repentance, to conversion, to prayer and to offer great amendments for our so evil times … They are leading the soul to make peace with God. The Church is especially called to reconciliation, love and unity, navigating the Church out of their division and rigidity into unity in diversity the way Christ desires it to be.
These messages are also a calling to our real foundations and a reminder of God’s Word and of His existence. As God Himself told Vassula:
“Tell them that this message is not given to them to draw sensation, but to make them realize the urgency of their conversion, the gravity of the condition of their soul, the importance of changing their life and live holy.” (May 18, 1991)
“Be like a loud book, a book written by the Most High,” God told Vassula once in the beginning. He foretold her, reassuring her, back in 1986 that His message, with His help, will go around the world and so it did. He said to Vassula, that Cain this time will be unable to slaughter Able because He will be standing between them. Cain will have to face Him, instead of Able. Symbolically meaning that this time, no one will be able to harm and kill His messages, because God will be there to defend it every time Cain raises his knife.
Since 1988 Vassula has been invited to speak in more than 85 countries and has given over 1500 presentations. In all of this apostolic work, Vassula receives no personal royalties, fees, or benefits for her efforts. So far, the books have been translated by volunteers into more than 42 languages.
Several renowned theologians and priests, with great enthusiasm have studied the messages and consider them not only to be in harmony with the Scriptures and the Tradition of the Church but also said that they have given them a better insight of the Scriptures and of the essence of God. They have confirmed their authenticity and divine origin by writing books and analyzing the unique case of Vassula.
Prophecy
Through all these years, Our Lord has tried and is still trying to awaken a true understanding in all of us by repeatedly giving us reminders: recalling what was said in the past through Scriptures, by the Holy Prophets and His own Commandments; God will not allow us forever to offend His Holy Name and so, repeatedly He has been warning us that the world, living without Him, is self-destroying itself in its apostasy and provoking His Holy Justice to fall on them. Prophecies such as the destruction of the Twin Towers, the Tsunami of 2004, the fall of communism in Russia and other prophecies, were foretold to Vassula and have all come true. If the world, will not repent and the churches will continue to be deaf to His callings for reconciliation and unity, a unity in diversity, a great chastisement of fire will be sent to the world.
“Those who have ears let them hear, those who do not want to hear let them not hear”, this is what God said to Vassula to tell this generation and to all the Churches.
Our world today, in its apostasy, desperately needs salvation, and no one has the right then to interfere to muffle God’s Voice or our Blessed Mother’s Voice and go over Heaven’s own salvific intentions they have for the whole world. These messages have produced incredible and instantaneous conversions that last. People from all over the world have shared their heartfelt stories of how their lives have been changed – forever – by the Messages. This shows that such an incredible grace can only come from one source, and that is: Heaven. Therefore, this is what we call: supernatural.
Feeding the Poor
In Scriptures it is written that faith without good works is quite dead. After experiencing our Lady in a vision, Vassula was asked by our Holy Mother to reach out to the needy and feed the poor as well, for spiritual food was not enough. Since then, many houses called ‘Beth Myriam’ (house of Mary) started to function by volunteers who were touched by the messages, to feed the poor. Some of those houses have also developed into schools to help provide education for poor children. There are now many Beth Myriams worldwide and will continue growing with the help of our Blessed Mother.
How it began
Vassula’s life changed in 1985 during the first initiation that was undertaken by her Guardian Angel Daniel. While preparing a shopping list, Vassula experienced a light electrical feeling in her right hand. At the same time, an invisible presence guided her to write the words: “I am your Guardian Angel and my name is Daniel” in handwriting quite distinct from her own.
Vassula receives these prophetic messages through locutions and interior visions, where she hears God’s voice interiorly and then writes His Words down. Or, she receives the Words of God through a light of understanding in her intellect without hearing any speech.
She was put through a purification, where she saw her sins the way that God saw them and how they had offended Him. It was a very painful interior experience and she cried for three weeks. The most severe reproaches concerned the rejection of God’s gifts.
It was only after this purification and a serious repentance and spiritual growth that the Father approached her. Vassula receives messages from the Holy Trinity—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—our Blessed Mother, St. Michael the Archangel and various saints.
Scientific and Theological Analysis
The phenomenon of the dictation and distinctive handwriting, through which Vassula receives the messages, has been investigated and analyzed by a range of professionals—graphologists, scientists, exorcist priests and theologians—including: graphologist Mr. J.A. Munier (Court of Appeals, Paris), graphologist and exorcist priest Fr. Christian Curty (Dioceses of Avignon and Marseille), scientist and neurologist Dr. Philippe Loron (Paris), world-renowned Mariologist theologian and consultant on supernatural phenomena Fr. René Laurentin (France), scientist and author Jacques Neirynck (Switzerland), author and theologian Fr. Edward D. O’Connor (Notre Dame University, USA), author and theologian Fr. P. Ferdinand Umaña Moñtoya (Colombia) and eminent author and theologian and Member of the Pontifical Marian Academy the late Fr. Michael O’Carroll (Ireland).
In unusual manifestations (mystical or pathological) three possibilities are open for discernment—a diabolical origin, a psychic origin or a supernatural origin. The findings of these investigations of Vassula’s case—documented in books and articles—systematically rule out the first two possibilities and conclude that the messages are a phenomenon of supernatural origin.
Regarding the distinctive writing, Fr. Moñtoya states in his book Vassula – An Ecumenical Charism for our Times (Vassula – Un Charisme Oecumenique Pour Notre Temps):
It is what is called ‘hieratic’ or ‘sacred’ writing. It is not automatic writing. This particular element of the writing under dictation raises questions concerning the phenomenon of automatic writing, whose origin, as is very well known, may be subconscious or even evil. There is nothing of the sort with Vassula. She remains conscious, independent and free. […] Order, clarity, restraint and refinement are evidence of its origin. It has no rigidity, no hardness, none of the disorder, chaos or confusion indicative of automatic writing
Other investigations of Vassula’s works include that of Fr. Laurentin, who has called Vassula “the most authentic mystic living in the world today.” He conducted an investigative study of Vassula’s case in accordance with the Criteria of Discernment as laid down by Rome. He carried out a number of interviews and meetings with her and made an analytical study of her messages. He examined all aspects of her case including the following: origin of her messages, doctrine, value and credibility of the witness, signs and miracles, analysis of principal themes of the True Life in God messages, spiritual insights and spiritual fruits. He documented his experience and findings in the two books he wrote about Vassula’s case: Qui Est Vassula? (Who is Vassula?) and When God Gives a Sign, and in numerous articles. Fr. Laurentin is particularly interested and concerned with the fruits and charisms that develop in cases which manifest spiritual phenomena. In his book When God Gives a Sign, he writes about Vassula: “I attach a great value to the conversions that the Lord has brought about through the faithful instrument that she has become.” He later remarks: “According to Christ, the principal criterion for discernment is the fruits. It so happens that it was precisely the fruits that first interested me in Vassula.” He concludes: “At each stage since my first contacts in 1989, the development of Vassula has simply provided new signs that favour her authenticity. I am even more sure today that this is a grace for her, for the Church and for unity.”
Fr. O’Carroll investigated Vassula’s case and closely followed the evolution of her mission. He documented his study of Vassula and her messages in two books he wrote about her case: Vassula of the Sacred Heart’s Passion and Bearer of the Light – Vassula, “Mediatrix of Divided Christians.” In the latter, he mentions the impact of the True Life in God messages on those who read them, highlighting the fact that Vassula’s messages have “led to very many conversions,” along with the fact that a woman “with no theological instruction whatever, has profoundly impressed theologians of repute in different countries.” He notes: “The theological analysis of her writings brings into relief themes like: devotion to the Holy Spirit, the Alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Christian unity, the conversion of Russia, devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the spreading apostasy.” Fr. O’Carroll also referenced Vassula and her mission in a number of his other publications. In John Paul II – A Dictionary of His Life and Teachings, he states: “Vassula exemplifies God’s frequent choice of converts to convert the world.”
Fr. O’Connor states about Vassula: “For a lay person, with no theological training, without even any serious catechetical instruction, to write so many volumes about some of the profoundest spiritual matters, and never make a mis-step, is an extraordinary achievement. It is a powerful confirmation that it is indeed the Lord himself who is the source of these writings.”
A scientific analysis undertaken by Dr. Loron investigated Vassula’s experience and the content of the messages she receives. As part of this study he was present to observe and to perform scientific tests, while Vassula was receiving and recording a message. He reports on his experience and documents the findings in his book J’ai vu écrire Vassula – analyse scientifique de la Vraie Vie en Dieu (I saw Vassula Write – a scientific analysis of True Life in God). He investigates the personality and background of Vassula, the emergence and evolution of her experience and explores and analyses the content and coherence of the messages she has taken down. He examines and analyses the two scripts found in the True Life in God books: Vassula’s own personal, ordinary handwriting and the distinctive writing in which the messages are written. Dr. Loron explores many elements including: cognitive function/ consciousness/ ecstasy/ logic/ creativity/ neuropsychological function/ role of left and right hemispheres of the brain/ image/ symbol/ analogy/ language/ meditation and prayer. He reports on an “extraordinary coherence throughout the writings of Vassula.” He also comments on the striking coherence of the psychological, historical, theological, biblical and mystical elements, which he critically examines in his analysis.
Handwriting Analysis
Many adults, including Vassula herself, have asked whether this is Jesus’ actual handwriting. Jesus’ answer was that it was not His handwriting, otherwise it would be perfect. But He always says, “Vassula allow Me to use your hand,” or “listen and write……” Like many sacred mysteries, it is not easy to grasp this one fully, but it might be helpful to many if we share some of the observations that Vassula and Fr. O’Carroll have made at various times.
Vassula takes down the Lord’s message as it comes to her in one of two different ways. One way is that she hears and writes down His exact words. At other times, He gives her a ‘light’ or understanding of a thought He wishes to convey. This she takes down as best as she can express it.
In both cases, her hand is guided to write slowly and majestically as Jesus prefers. She says she has been shown that she could take the messages writing quickly in her own handwriting but that Jesus prefers this way in which His presence is manifested. He is directly involved in the writing besides being the Author of the message.
Father O’Carroll makes this observation:… “Others, like Maria Conception de Armida, Adrienne von Speyr and, St. Bridget (Birgitta) of Sweden have taken dictation from the Lord. Vassula’s case is singular in that the handwriting is directly controlled. We have the transcription of an intensely personal experience of Jesus Christ with the assurance that He was involved down to the physical element of putting the words on paper.” Vassula also describes it as, having her hand ‘enraptured’ as when a visionary is in a state of whole-body rapture or ecstasy. The person is aware but uninterested in the immediate surroundings because the entire focus is on the sacred presence of God or the Blessed Mother. Vassula believes that just as her handwriting under the Lord’s dictation is affected by His presence, similarly whenever we are in and aware of God’s holiness, everything about us is lifted up to a higher plane than we could attain on our own. In this way, Jesus is giving us a further visual aid to His teaching that whenever we allow Him to use us and we practice His presence, the results will be far greater than by our own poor powers. He tells us: “I am the vine and you are the branches.”
This video below illustrates the special handwriting of Vassula when she receives the True Life in God messages. The video clip includes footage of Vassula actually receiving a message from the Lord. This particular event is recorded in the messages themselves on October 16, 2000.
All the messages can be viewed in their original handwritten form HERE.
Explore what experts and graphologists have said about the handwriting
