November 3-8, 2022
Through the miraculous grace of our Lord, Vassula was asked to once again bring together the friends of True Life in God for a retreat. It was held on the island of Aegina: a one-hour’s ferryboat ride from Piraeus. The island houses 8,000 residents, is 9 kilometers long and was a revolutionary hub in the Greek independence war of 1821. It now embodies 300 churches, both Greek Orthodox and Catholic. Vassula visited the island in preparation for the retreat and received a confirmation: The eyes on a silver icon of St. Nektarios opened when she looked at it. Hence, our TLIG Greece team diligently prepared for the event. It took place at the Hotel Danae from November 3rd to November 8th. One hundred and nine people (pilgrims) attended, from twenty-one countries, including six clergy: three Catholic priests, one Orthodox priest, and two Protestant pastors. The twenty-one countries are as follows:
1) Greece 2) Cyprus 3) England 4) USA 5) Latvia 6) Netherlands 7) Ireland 8) Scotland 9) Kenya 10) Germany 11) Malta
12) Lebanon 13) Italy 14) Czech Republic 15) Israel 16) Switzerland 17) Denmark 18) Canada 19) North Macedonia 20) Dubai
21) Brazil
Aegina |
Aegina Landscape |
Little do we know how much Christ has His eye on us, knowing what our souls need to live in His Heart. We could only give a sincere, emotional “Thank You” to God for the opportunity to participate in this gathering to worship, pray, and more fully understand what it means to glorify God. We began the weekend activities with a few bus trips. After our first stop at the ancient Temple of Aphaia, we headed to the Agia Marina Beach. On this sunny, warm, refreshing stop, we enjoyed the company and fellowship of our brothers and sisters in Christ. With a fresh-squeezed glass of orange juice or a cup of coffee, we relaxed, chatted with old friends, and met new ones. Jesus had said in a Message, “include Me in your activities, in your discussions and in your thoughts; respect My Presence”, (TLIG Message, October 24, 1988). Unfortunately, some friends had family members who had recently suffered and died. We heard stories about how the Holy Spirit manifested Himself through their thoughts, words, and actions before their passing. After our café gathering, we headed to the Church of “Faneromeni”, our next and final stop on this day. There we heard the story of the miraculous icon of our Panagia in Aegina. The icon, depicting the Virgin Mary in prayer, was found underground and dates back to the 17th century. It is unique in its appearance, as our Holy Mother’s hands are seen in silver and upright, in front of her chest; together, they look like the shape of two doves. It appears as if she is holding the Holy Spirit, represented by the two doves that call one’s attention to the union of the two Hearts of Jesus and of Our Mother Mary.
The True Life in God Retreat Banner with The Virgin Mary Faneromenoi, St. Nektarios, St. Aikaterini and St. Athanasia of Aegina
Back at the Hotel, Vassula welcomed us to the weekend’s theme: “Glorifying God”. She stated: “To glorify Him, God invites everyone to be one with Him. This deified union will allow His Kingdom on earth to be identical to the Kingdom in Heaven. Our thoughts, our speech, the manner we see things and our acts will be divine, and they will be glorifying Him. The key to this glorification of God comes through Love. We are asked to Love. The soul lives in God’s Love, in humility and meekness of the Holy Spirit. The more our Love is ardent for God, the more our prayers are ardent, the more our lives are holy. The more profound our Love is for God, the more profoundly our soul penetrates God; hence, we need to revolve our lives only around God, around Divine Love. This truly glorifies Him.”
Vassula’s Welcome Talk
Father Petr, who spoke after Vassula, explained that God is indeed more human than we are because of the Love and emotional attachment he has for us. When we sin, we don’t obey His laws. We ignore Him. Hence, we forget His fatherhood. His Love, however, saves us from sin’s captivity. He speaks to us in the True Life in God Messages, so by hearing Him, reading the messages, and recognizing Him, we are glorifying Him.
Father V then told us in his talk that glory is the phenomenon God brings to our senses: the awakening of our sensibilities; so, we are ‘touched’ by something we see. Through our senses, by making visible through an event that is otherwise invisible, God manifests His presence. When we see with the eyes of faith or interiorly feel a manifestation of God’s presence, this, in turn, elicits from us, a joyful proclamation in which we acknowledge God as true and worthy of glory. This rendering to God the glory that He deserves obtains for mankind abundant graces and fosters unity among believers. And when believers unite they accomplish the unification of Christian churches.
On November 5th, the next day, Father Tibi spoke about our relationship with God. He stated ten guidelines that will enable us to glorify God: Faith, Love, Humility, Obedience, Total Abandonment, Prayer-Contemplative Adoration, Evangelization, Unity, Honoring our Holy Mother and Patience. With hearts full of compassion, the Holy Spirit may enliven us all.
Our daily schedules included praying the Holy Rosary, celebrating Mass, and Adoration. Along with our sacramental observance, we sang the Our Father in Aramaic and a special Hymn to the Virgin Mary, Αγνη Παρθενε Δεσποινα, with words written by St. Nektarios. Our hearts praised God throughout each day. We learned that after celebrating Mass (the Eucharist) our observance of Christ’s presence must be held sacred through prayerful Adoration.
Each morning, before the start of the day’s events, and during our breaks, we had time to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Aegina is majestically beautiful, surrounded by a clear, calm sea. Simply watching the sunrise and glistening water, the birds flying, smelling the flowers and trees, and admiring the rocky cliffs leading into the clear water inspired us to thank God for his creation. God’s Love exists in all that lives and breathes. We glorify Him by recognizing and thanking Him; in our own way, giving back to Him this Love that He has given to us. Our excursions took us to St. Nektarios’ Monastery, which included a visit to his tomb, his home and church, and then to St. Catherine’s Monastery. St. Nektarios, born Anastasios Cephalas, became a monk at the age of 30. He became a deacon three years later, taking the name Nektarios. Those who knew him claimed that the name Nektarios fit him because every word he spoke was as sweet as nectar. He wrote many books, pamphlets, and Bible commentaries as a student at the University of Athens. He became the Bishop of Pentapolis, then the Bishop of Cairo. He was unjustly removed from this post as a result of vile slander. Hence, his return to Greece, where he obtained a directorship at an ecclesiastical school for priests. During his directorship, he wrote numerous books. His life ended while living in Aegina as a monk, and while helping to construct the monastery in which he and the nuns were housed. St. Nektarios’ intercessions have cured illnesses, and cancer and even healed a paralyzed man who happened to be sharing a hospital room with him before he died. In today’s world, filled with sickness and tragedy, we rely on St. Nektarios’ intercessions.
We ended the day by watching a very powerful, spiritually uplifting movie about St. Nektarios, entitled “Man of God”. Amazingly, the movie vivified the stories we had heard about the saint. His humility shone in the face of those who belittled him, insulted him, and downright expelled him from his episcopal duties within the church. The church establishment shunned him, but his love, humility, and steadfastness enabled him to fulfill his life’s mission. We clearly saw through the representation of this saint what it means to bear insult and persecution. It’s a road of suffering, yet also a road that can only be traveled through an unshakeable reliance on God’s Love. This road led him to holiness and sainthood.
St Nektarios
During the remaining two days, November 6th and 7th, along with our prayers, songs, Eucharistic services, adoration, confessions, and a healing prayer event, the two Kenyan Pastors Matthew and Frances, each presented a talk, as did Father Rolf and Vassula. The two pastors who came all the way from Kenya were full of excitement to be in Greece, learning about the Greek Orthodox Church and meeting Vassula for the first time. Their meeting with us confirmed for them the authenticity of True Life in God. Both pastors gave inspiring testimonies. They each shared their journey of conversion. Pastor Frances even admitted that he was not a good person at all before Jesus led him to repentance and love. Pastor Matthew shared details of physical healing from the Holy Spirit who played a key role in his call to serve God. Through Pastor Matthew’s story we heard how the Holy Spirit works to guide us safely, to heal us in miraculous ways, and to lead us to glorify God. He told us that we glorify God through love, devotion, service, and support – that everything we do should revolve around God. Pastor Matthew emphatically added that we sleep and work eight hours a day, but what do we do during the remaining eight hours? Our responsibilities take us away from Christ. We need to create time for Him for He is a jealous God. Pastor Frances focused on the glory of God in our lives. He said that anything good that exists or has existed in our lives comes from God’s Glory. God uses times of sickness as well for His Glory. We can magnify His Glory when we help the oppressed, the poor, and the downtrodden, as well as show kindness and love even our enemies, and preaching peace furthers God’s Glory.
Vassula spoke again telling us that having God in our lives means having love in our hearts and peace in our souls. We cannot understand God solely through our intellect. Our perfect union with God comes when we shatter our impurities so that His Spirit can augment in us. The Holy Spirit needs space; our sins do not leave space for the Holy Spirit. If we do not breathe in the Holy Spirit, we are like fish out of water. The light of the Holy Spirit will enable one to know and understand God. If we do not allow the trials we endure to strengthen our endurance, the graces that derive therefrom will not penetrate our well-being. We are asked to seek only His interests; to sanctify our body so as to honor Him. Vassula ended with Jesus’s words, “peace, pray and praise Me; we, us?” (TLIG Message, May 20, 1993).
Vassula Speaking to the Audience
Father Rolf spoke about the Virgin Mary. As she is the shadow of God, we have to love Her. As God’s masterpiece, we can learn from Her. He shared many stories about how our Blessed Virgin Mary protected the orphanages he is connected to within Kiev. Father Rolf added that God has created us to Love Him. He shows His Great Mercy to the most wretched. What is important to know and remember is that God has placed His spiritual food right into our mouths. If we are not babies before God, connected intimately to Him, we are nothing. We are God’s flowers and so in His Will, we live only for His interests and His Glory. We need to accept with joy all that He gives us.
Intermittently, a few retreatants were called to present their testimony. One of them who took the baptismal name ‘Nektarios’ told us that by saying ‘yes’ to God, He is glorified. Our smallest act every day, with God in mind, embodies a ‘yes’. Vassula’s ‘Yes’ inspired him to have the blessing of becoming baptized by her. Vassula told him that indeed St. Nektarios opens doors to True Life in God.
Another retreatant Yiannis from Rhodes had a spiritual encounter with the Holy Spirit that inspired him to more fervently live the True Life in God Messages. A weight was lifted from him by a big white dove at St. Benedict’s monastery in Italy. Yet another retreatant Dimitri told us that in reading the TLIG Messages he has come to feel relieved and remedied. He thanked Vassula for bringing God to our hearts and souls. Alister was born into a Christian family but was seduced by the world. A friend spoke to him about the TLIG Messages, a bit at a time; by God’s grace, Alistar had a thirst to learn and absorb more of them. He realized that the TLIG Messages are from God and that he can obtain an intimate relationship with Jesus through the Messages. Thanasi, who attends the Greek Orthodox Church, did a very careful study of the TLIG Messages. When he began reading the True Life in God Messages, he profoundly felt that they are from Christ Himself. He heard Christ’s voice through the TLIG Messages, but he wanted to be absolutely certain that they were in harmony with the Greek Orthodox Church’s teachings. This process led him to a deeper faith in Christ. He has since been able to worship in church with a much more powerful zeal, spiritual depth, and commitment. Finally, Irini was in a very depressed psychological state with nowhere to turn. The True Life in God Messages enlivened her, and gave her meaning and a purpose in life. She enjoys and finds spiritual intimacy when translating the TLIG Messages from English to Greek.
Vassula spoke one more time, sharing with us her closing thoughts. We are called to be a living altar of God, she stated, adorned with Holy Wisdom. A soul becomes free when living in a higher degree of contemplation. Our first step towards God is to fear Him; our second step is intimacy. We must allow the Holy Spirit to teach us to know God. When we love someone, we get to know Him; we can feel Him as our Father. So as to not lose Him, we live for Him and with Him. We do this by obeying the principles of His Heart, so as to taste His Joy. Rest in God alone, for He is the source of all Hope.
Our retreat ended, but its fruits were only the beginning of a new, heightened understanding of God’s Glory. We (the pilgrims) left Hotel Danae on the final morning with greater peace in our souls and spiritual quickening. We had a sense that as a holy obligation, the spiritual seeds planted in our souls during this retreat have to be nourished.
True Life in God Aegina Retreat Banner
Written by: TLIG volunteers-Magdalini and Nektarios
