22-23 April, 2023

Fr. Rolf Schonenberger, together with the organizers of this spiritual gathering, some from Basel and some from Zurich, worked hard with love and harmony for the success of the Zurich retreat. Despite the adversities and difficulties, about 400 people attended. The meeting was a great success. No one can stop God’s work…

“… My word was addressed to you to forward it; this was My Command to you; then I placed this precious treasure into your hands; Sovereign Ruler I Am and it is I who decide and counsel, therefore, no creature can come and tell Me when to till My land or not; no creature should advise Me or counsel Me whether I should pasture you Myself or not; no one of you should tell Me what to do; if I feel it is necessary to refresh My priests with rich food and see this generation in so need have their fill of My good things and restore them, I will do so freely; I do not need counsels from the dead; it is written that an unspiritual person is one who does not accept anything of My Spirit: he sees it all as nonsense; it is beyond his understanding because it can only be understood by means of the Spirit;” (TLIG Messages, May 31^st, 2003)

 Friday, April 21^st, the day before the meeting, was actually a free day for us.  On this cloudy day in Zurich, we decided to visit the Town Hall of Dietikon, in the Zurich area, where the two-day retreat would take place.

To our amazement, we encountered a wonderful surprise! The TLIG Children’s Choir from the Czech Republic was already there in preparation for the following day’s retreat. They play various instruments, they sing, and they write music to the words of Christ from the True Life in God Messages, for the Glory of the Lord. The parents of these children came to know Christ through the True Life in God Messages, and were converted from atheism, becoming apostles, hence, nurturing their children with the Word of God. Βy the grace of God, a blessed vineyard that grew and produced its fruits was formed in a former communist and still godless country.

The TLIG Children’s Czech Republic Choir has travelled to various countries several times in the past, always at their own expense, to support the TLIG mission with Vassula: (Greece, Italy, Scotland, Basel and Zurich). Their presence on the stage is God’s joy, a feast for the eyes that our soul can’t get enough of! As soon as they saw Vassula, they discreetly approached her to greet her, introducing themselves. The youngest is 5 years old and the oldest is 21 years old.  Α small boy, holding in his hand the 1st volume of the TLIG Messages approached Vassula and asked her: “Is it true that you see God?” Vassula answered him: “Yes, I see Him and He is good looking…” The boy, little Andrew, asked Vassula to sign his book and Vassula wrote: “To Andrew, God loves you.” The little lovely boy is one of Jana’s and Alistair’s children…

At the TLIG Zurich Retreat there were True Life in God newcomers who showed great interest in the event, especially when meeting with Vassula. They arrived from Spain, Italy, France and Germany, having heard that Vassula was going to give a talk in Zurich.  A group of about ten people, originally from Kerala, India, now living in Zurich, also attended.

On Saturday morning, April 22^nd, Vassula arrived at the Town Hall of Dietikon. The program started at 10:00 am with the choir song: “Kyrie Eleison.” The choir entered the Hall in a line, each child holding a rose, placed it in the vases situated in front of Christ and the Virgin Mary, and then began singing. The day had begun! The Master of ceremonies was Florian from Basel. Florian welcomed Vassula and all the attendees, and made the announcements. Cornelia, from Basel, coordinated the program via computer; Ursula was responsible for displaying the TLIG books, and Herbert was on stage with Vassula, translating her talk into German.

After we all sang the Our Father in Aramaic, Vassula greeted and thanked the audience for their presence. “I have spoken in many cities in Switzerland before, but this is the first time in Zurich”, she said, and gave a small background story about herself and the TLIG Messages for the newcomers. Never stopping her travels, generously transmitting the Messages of the Lord, Vassula has spoken about the TLIG Messages in 86 countries. This Message is for all humanity. As the Lord says, “let those who hear, hear, and those who do not want to hear let them not hear…” (TLIG Messages, October 11, ,1993) Vassula addressed the people, telling them that the Lord does not come by force to violate our liberty, but He comes out of His boundless mercy to give us the knowledge of Himself. He comes to remind us that He is our Father; He calls every soul to approach Him and get to know Him. She emphasized that the Lord and His Mother manifest themselves in our dead era. They come to revive the Church. Vassula reminded us what the Lord told her: “revive My Church, embellish My Church and unite My Church” (TLIG Messages, October 20, 1990) … also, “Your era is dead” (TLIG Messages, April 18, 1988) and in another message, “Love is missing.” (TLIG Messages, December 2, 2020)

Vassula said: “this is why there are so many manifestations and signs all over the world; and Ι wonder, why are there still so many Thomases who do not believe when God manifests Himself in our days? Why do they not want God to intervene? They have industrialized His house, as the Lord says, and He wants to revive it.” Vassula reminded us that ”these are the times in which the Holy Spirit is being poured out on all humanity with special graces. These are times when Jesus’ return is imminent; will there be no preparation before His coming? How could these Thomases not see that God is renewing His creation?”

The audience, touched at the core of their heart with her words, gave a warm applause at the end.

Vassula speaking in English and Herbert translating into German

Vassula speaking in the Town Hall Dietikon

After the break, the program reconvened with a video of Fr. Petar Ljubicic, who talked about the 40-year experience of the manifestations of the Virgin Mary at Medjugorje. After the video, the youth choir sang some beautiful prayers from the TLIG Messages in English, and then several people from the Czech Republic presented testimonies about their conversion and how they began to know and understand the TLIG Messages.

Subsequently, we watched another video: an interview with Fr. Petr, given during the Ecumenical TLIG pilgrimage to Rome, in 2011. (link of the interview) In the interview, Fr. Petr tells us how he encountered the TLIG Messages and Vassula. Fr. Petr heard about the True Life in God Messages when he was a missionary in Fribourg, and he wanted to meet Vassula when she was living in 

Lausanne, Switzerland. They met over lunch, then drove to her house to pray together before Fr. Petr’s talk in the church of Lausanne. Since then, Fr. Petr has attended several  TLIG pilgrimages and retreats because he is a staunch supporter for the Ecumenical Unity of the Church; this is Jesus’ desire, as expressed in the TLIG messages. 

Some testimonies from the Czech group:

• Petr’s testimony

My name is Petr Simara. I am a priest from the Czech Republic. I have been a priest for 20 years, and I have been reading and penetrating the TLIG Messages for 19 years. I am giving thanks to God for this great gift:  for the True Life in God Messages, and for Vassula Rydén, because God saved my priesthood through them. I asked Jesus to inspire me on what to say in this testimony, and so this morning, while I was reading the daily prayers and texts from Breviary (catholic daily prayer for the clergy,) I found a verse from the Gospel in which Jesus says: “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4) I then asked God for a word from the TLIG Messages. I opened the book to the TLIG Message from June 1991, in which God speaks about rebellion and apostasy, about the situation in the Church. I have to say that our Church is going through a great crisis and apostasy… I love the Church and I care about the Church very much. I see that the TLIG Messages bear good fruit, and I pray for all Christians to receive this grace for renewal of the Church. I am a priest and my task is to shepherd people and lead them to God. It is not an easy task in these days to approach people who do not know God. When I started to read the TLIG Messages, I experienced a great love and eagerness to go to people and take care of them, not falling into lethargy or apathy. I thank God for True Life in God. Today we heard a talk from Vassula in which she explained in such a beautiful way how much God loves us and how He longs for us. I recommend to everyone who wants to know God and to find a real relationship with God to take the TLIG books and read them daily.

Fr. Petr

Fr. Sebastian

The testimonies that followed are thus:

• Α young man, an ex-alcoholic and drug addict, met Jesus through the TLIG Messages, at a party, after a friend told him about the TLIG Messages.. The power of the TLIG Messages was so strong that it completely changed his life. Now, he is in a TLIG prayer group, as well as in the TLIG choir.

• Next, Magda disclosed her testimony: “I grew up in an atheist country, with atheist parents. I began to wonder about God. I was a very rationalistic person; I liked math. At school, I had a math teacher and I asked him if there was a God, thinking that a mathematical mind would tell me ’no’… To my surprise, the teacher replied: ”yes”, there is a God. I then wanted to be baptized in a Catholic Church. When I decided to tell my parents that I want to be baptized, my parents’ reaction was unbelievable. My mother told me that she would prefer that I would have become a prostitute rather than becoming a Christian, and my father disowned me … I was baptized and was trying to lead a Christian life, but I had no power to resist evil and temptation, and for a few years thereafter I lived a very sinful life. The life I was leading was so bad that I was sure I would end up in Hell. One evening, when I was despaired, I thought to commit suicide… After a few hours of walking at night alone in the city, crying, I came home and saw that I received a text message from a priest who knew me. It stated: “So courage, little one… I am with you … Love is near you … oh, … beloved, I am so close to you!” (TLIG Message, December 19, 1990). After the reading, my heart was suddenly filled with peace. This sentence gave me hope and encouragement in my life. Later on, the situation changed, and my parents totally reconciled with me. My father, before he died, took the book Vassula Enigma, read it and believed; and my mother, seeing love in her daughter’s (my) behavior (repay evil with love), and after meeting Vassula in Rhodes, believed! And to my surprise, my mother gave me a small cross as a gift of reconciliation.”

• Sebastian’s Smrcina, OFM testimony
• God spoke to me through the Messages of True Life in God about 20 years ago. The Messages entered my life at a point when I was far away from God and a spiritual life. I was not sure whether I would remain a priest and a Franciscan. I can say that the grace of God present in these words (TLIG Messages) led me back to live my priesthood. I felt that the power of these words can help people who have lost God and lead them back to the Church. For example, one person found the love of God and returned back to the Church through text messages with quotations from the TLIG Messages I sent her. God started to give me signs, to my big surprise, indicating to me that the TLIG Messages really help my parishioners more deeply know and understand God, and thus have a more intimate relationship with Him. But, most important,  I started to understand the Scriptures on a completely new level through the TLIG Messages, which inspires me and helps me in my homilies. I started to notice that people are touched by my homilies, inspired by the TLIG Messages; they then obtain a desire to understand Scripture and have a spiritual life. I know with certainty that this devoted influence is because I read and meditate on the TLIG Messages.

• Fr. Sebastian’s testimony was followed by Jan’s. Jan had a hard life as a child. He never felt a father’s love. He grew up in an atheistic environment, without any spiritual experience.  During his studies at the University, he started taking drugs, drinking alcohol and listening to heavy metal music. Some of his friends died because of black magic, and all that caused him terrible pain. He lived in deep darkness, in mental pain and wanted to commit suicide… finally, one day, from the window of his friend’s apartment, he heard a musician friend of his calling him. The friend had a book in his hand and said: “Jan, I have something for you; look at me” and tossed him the book. It was the first time Jan had ever seen his friend holding a book in his hands. The book was TLIG Messages. Jan disclosed: “I started reading the book and something amazing happened to me for the first time in my life. Α strong feeling of paternal love covered me. Immediately, I gave up alcohol and drugs, with no side effects. But, since I grew up in a communist country, I could not understand what the Eucharist was when Jesus spoke about it in the TLIG Messages… A catholic woman told me to go to church. I went right away. I knocked at the door of the parish house and waited. After some time, the door opened and a deacon asked me what I wanted. The way I was dressed and my manners surprised him and perhaps frightened him… ‘I want the Eucharist man! I shouted. I read about it here in this book.’ That was the beginning of my conversion.”

• Later, more testimonies followed from the TLIG Choir youth, which you can see here 
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  Youth testimonies

  Ales, 11 years old: When we arrived in Switzerland, I became ill, so I couldn’t sing. I was angry with Jesus because He was not giving me strength. My illness was getting worse. In the evening, we attended Holy Mass, and during it I felt an unusual sense of hope. When the priest gave me Holy Communion, I suddenly experienced immense sweetness and I started to cry. The next day I felt much better, so I was at least able to attend Vassula’s talk. There I understood that it is important to pray with your heart and not just wait for the outcome of the prayer…

• Rachel, 8 year old: I am happy that I could take a picture with Vassula and that I could sing.
• Joel, 9 years old: I liked that we were all together with Vassula. My friend Rachel and I even took a photo with her. We were able to play with Andrew, Catherine and Michaela. I was happy that Rachel came with her family.
• Catherine, 7 years old: I loved the whole trip to Switzerland – the singing, being with Czech friends, just everything… When Vassula prayed over me, I felt that the Holy Spirit wanted to tell me something; it was like a whispering in my ear, but I don’t remember the words .
•   Zuzana, 11 years old: When we were in Switzerland, singing, it didn’t even cross my mind to thank the Lord that I could be there. After the healing prayer, God gave me the grace to realize that I, a wretch, had the opportunity to be there and sing. Tears filled my eyes and I was thankful to be able to participate in His Great Work.
• Johanka, 14 years old: It was a healing-prayer time. We were standing up behind our microphones singing for about an hour and a half. I was feeling very tired and a bit mad at the fact that we had to keep standing and singing. I asked Jesus for help and joined the line in order to receive the prayer blessing. After the healing prayer, I felt completely new; I felt alive and thankful to be able to stand there and sing.
• Stephan, 17 years old: During the singing in Switzerland, I got angry because I thought that my microphone was muted and people did not hear me sing. I thought to myself, “what is the point of my being here.” I was sorry for feeling angry, and then suddenly realized that even if people didn’t hear me, Jesus did. That thought gave me peace, and calmed me down. I felt in my heart that this deep state of peace came from Jesus. 
• Vendula, 18 years old: With my friends we had talked about how we would like to go to the Lindt chocolate museum, but because we had to sing for almost the whole day and so, there was no time for that. While I was listening to Vassula’s speech, I gave Jesus my desire and let Him handle it. After we finished singing, the organizers gave us a lot of Lindt chocolate as a gift. More chocolate than we could have bought. I really wanted to pray, but I couldn’t remember the words of a specific prayer. I told Jesus, “Please help me and remind me of the words.” Immediately, He helped me, and since that time I know by-heart the whole prayer. 
• Dan, 14 years old: When we were taking a photo with Vassula, I sat on one of the stairs. Vassula sat next to me. My mom, being the caring person that she is, found a place for me to sit and called me over. I thought I’d get up to go next to her, but Vassula put her hand on my leg and told me stay here and sit down. I got a warm feeling, as if Jesus had caressed me. I was happy. Throughout the rest of the retreat I was with Jesus and I was happy. 

• Tereza, 16 years old: While travelling to Switzerland, I was so tired because I worried too much about the things of the world. When I saw Vassula, how she speaks and how she lives, I remembered that Jesus says that I only belong to Him, so I stopped fearing and gave myself to Him. Then I felt like Jesus is happy, that we are together again. I felt that He is near me and that He loves me. I was so happy and still am. I felt happy that someone is listening to what Jesus has to say at the retreat, that He could heal us, and that we could sing together to Him; we could praise Him. 

• Stanislav, 12 years old: I realized that our God is so loving, and always helps us when we are in trouble; to live in peace means to glorify Him and love Him; we aren’t singing to the people, we are singing to God. 

• Jan, 14 years old: When we arrived in Switzerland, I had the opportunity to sing, but something was preventing me from doing so; I felt abandoned. But then God gave me grace, and so, the next day I could sing.

Testimonies from adults

• Jirina, mother of Ivan: My son, Ivan, is a child with special needs. He is 9 years old, and he loves singing for Jesus so much that he insisted that we should go to Switzerland with the other children. Even though I had other plans, we reorganized everything and were so happy to join. When Ivan was with Vassula for the first time, she told him: “I love you,” and gave him a kiss on the head. I was touched by this moment, as I felt the sweetness of God’s Love and how much Jesus loves my son. We know that Jesus loves us all and we came to Switzerland to sing for Him. 

• Pavel: As I was looking at Vassula’s face while she was speaking, I noticed great radiance coming out from it in all directions. Her face started to change; it slowly melted/transformed into another face – it wasn’t from this world. There, in front of me, stood a beautiful being I had never seen before. I was flooded with sweetness and I started to cry from joy. Through the words coming out from Vassula’s mouth I found my home. 

• Magda: it was a great surprise for me to see how much Jesus loves us, when I saw how the Swiss organizers took care of our TLIG Czech Children’s Choir. Thanks be to God!! During the meeting, I was touched by the presence and sweetness of the Holy Spirit in Vassula’s talk and in the songs of praise. I am much happier and freer to sing to God! 

• Jan: I arrived at the meeting full of worries and fear. How will we manage to sing with children in front of so many people? As soon as Vassula arrived, I experienced an immense peace; it was like I was bathing in an ocean of Love. God took my breath away; He came in silence, without any noise, inconspicuously, and covered us all with peace, love and hope, and we were filled with joy that is not of this world. I thank you Jesus with all my heart. 

• Judita: When Vassula spoke about a transformation that God wants to achieve in every soul – detachment, dispassion and impassibility – I experienced how Our Lord longs and thirsts for each soul… 

• Katka: My husband and I got divorced ten years ago. He agreed to accompany us to the TLIG meeting with Vassula this time. We went by car and got home safely. Glory be to God. We,Us 

• Zdenka: During the healing prayer, I recalled an incident that had happened that same morning. Through that recollection, I felt how very little love I have in me. I realized love is missing, and immediately, I had a desire to change, for healing filled my heart. I wanted to know how to love more. 

• Jana: It is just amazing to me that I got to meet and touch a prophet. 

After a short break, at 15:00, Fr Rolf led the Merciful Rosary.  Right after this, Vassula read the Healing and Deliverance Prayer, and together with Fr Rolf and the other priests, prayed over all individually. The choir closed the program with the song “Doxa-Doxa,” singing in unison with the attendees.

Fr Rolf leading the Rosary of Mercy

Vassula reading the Healing and Deliverance prayer

At night, we had the blessing to attend Mass from Fr. Rolf, in a small chapel nearby. The chapel belongs to Maria, one of the Zurich organizers. Maria, for many years, has been working voluntarily to help people in need, in different countries. Next to the chapel, there is a place where she exhibits her paintings and various other crafts. She is using her God-given talents to raise money for charity…

On Sunday, April 23^rd, the program that followed was exactly the same as the previous day’s events, but with new attendees.

After the Choir’s entrance to the hall and the singing of the Our Father Prayer in Aramaic, Vassula and Herbert went on stage for her 2^nd talk. “I cannot describe what TLIG is, in a few words, Vassula said, TLIG is extremely rich in spirituality! The Lord Himself is teaching us with Wisdom. The act of surrender to God should be done with love and humility, the two key words in the TLIG Messages. If we put into action these words, they will lead the church into Unity.” She talked about the concept of hope in the TLIG Messages and about the prophetic messages she receives. Many of the prophecies have been accomplished and some have not yet been accomplished. Vassula, emphasized that the coming of the Lord is imminent! “When God speaks, the angels bow down! But today, in our days, when God speaks, most of the people are uninterested, in apathy, indifferent, because of our materialist world and its pride … The world does not repent – Love is missing…” Vassula, read a message from Yahweh:

“… I look at the earth today and wish I never did …. My Eyes see what I never wanted to see and My Ears hear what I dreaded to ever hear! My Heart as a Father sinks with grief; I fashioned man in the likeness of My Image, yet they have degraded themselves and today, so many of them have taken the likeness of the Beast!” (TLIG Messages, April 15, 1996)

Vassula, continued: “God, wants us to read and meditate on His messages. We all are called to this spiritual path. She reminded us of the 3 spiritual levels of detachment – dispassion and impassibility: the higher one. At this last level, she said, “we glorify God because we think like the angels!  God wants to fill our hearts with Himself and transform this aridity, this spiritual desert into a garden – the 1^st level, to a palace – the 2^nd level, to a heaven – the 3^rd and last level… a place where we can glorify Him.”

“…We often overlook the most significant elements of the law, which are love, mercy, and good faith.

If only people really took seriously the prophecies of True Life in God, which are God’s merciful call to prayer, all men and women would already be saints.

If we accepted and had put into practice Unity in diversity, as the Lord asks of us, we would already have hope that the prayer addressed by Jesus to the Father would be fulfilled.

If only every human being would respond to the Love of God, displayed by Him in His Message of True Life in God to each one of us, our life would be transformed into a Hymn of Love.

If people would only take seriously Christ’s warnings about Satan’s rage in these last days, he would have been already defeated and banished from the hearts of men and the world.

If all the religions of the world responded to God’s call for reconciliation, all men and women would have already recognized each other as brothers and sisters, descending from a single Source.

And if everyone realized that we are living in the End of Times, in which God is renewing everything in full power, we would never stop praising God night and day, and our hearts would become a blazing fire of zeal!”

(…) I am longing to dress you with My Name, with My very Presence; your clothing will be Me for I am everything; in My Body lives the fullness of Divinity, therefore in Me, you will find your fulfilment; I will have you hidden in Me, and in this manner, when the Time comes, I will present you to the Father;

I am your sweet fragrance, (…) and I want you to be like a bright star shining in the darkness of this generation, perfuming it with My fragrance; you will continue to shine because you would be offering the world what came from My Mouth, you would be offering everyone: the word of Life; and many would see Me in you, since I have clothed you with My Name, so that you become truly My companion;

your True God, your Lord Jesus Christ, welcomes you wholeheartedly now in His Sacred Heart: your Home … I have revealed My Dominion to you, (…) My own… My grace is with you… ic; (TLIG Messages, January 28, 1997)

Vassula closed her talk by encouraging the audience to learn to become givers rather than takers, by eliminating our ego and our will… and pleaded us to read the TLIG Messages and meditate on them. She asked us to speak to God with our heart.  She said… God wants to remind us of His sweetness, as David says in psalm 19:7 “Yahweh, is sweeter than honey…”

In Christ
Gethsemane