VASSULA’S MISSION IN ASIA – January 1998

PART 3

Soon, all these hardships were forgotten as we finally reached India. This vast land of people and religions, of varieties and cultures; a land with nearly two thousand languages with a population of 900 million of which about 3% are Christians. A land richly blessed by the Lord with a remarkable beauty of nature and warm climate. A country where in different parts people seem to live together in harmony and peace, because of their tolerance and respect for their differences. It so pleased the Most high to allow His servant to step on India’s soil in the city of Madras, breaking the barrier of Satan. This was the place, where once St. Thomas preached the Good News and where today his remains are still venerated in a Catholic Basilica. Being fully aware now that Satan must be fuming, Vassula was careful to time the taxi taking us into town to the hotel, so as to make sure, when we return to the airport the following morning, that we arrive in time for our plane.

Satan did not give up, because, although we left the hotel well ahead of time, the hotel had provided us with a taxi which had no brakes! Accordingly, we drove in heavy traffic with cows on the road to the airport to catch our plane to Cochin. The taxi driver drove like a snail. Every vehicle was passing us… a little bit more and the cows themselves would have passed us by! Time was running short and we urged the taxi man to hurry. He did not, instead he was blowing the horn constantly to give us the impression that he was speeding. Nevertheless, we did arrive on time to catch our plane to Cochin, a city in the southern province of Kerala with a tropical, hot and very humid climate.

Kerala rejoices in a vast Christian population and is known for their involvement in the charismatic renewal since the early 70’s. Vassula and her companions received a warm welcome by the organising committee headed by Mr. John Thomas Kottukappally who drove us in two hours time to Palai, our final destination and residence for three days. Hardly had we arrived, without much rest, when Vassula was expected to address a crowd of five thousand at St. Alfons College where many priests, countless nuns and leaders of different charismatic groups eagerly listened to the inspired presentation of Vassula. My companion and I started to realise the demands of such a mission and how Vassula has hardly any time to breathe.

Wednesday, January 21st:

Still enjoying the “ban being lifted”, Vassula’s first morning in Palai began by addressing about 30 family members of the Syrian Catholic organisers. She stressed the importance to fully decide for God, thus enabling us by his grace to discern His will and to fulfil it for His glory. Vassula also shared with them the early dawn of TLIG, when her guardian angel began to prepare her to meet God. How one purification followed another, one evil attack after the other, being tested like Jesus in the desert before his public ministry and of how by becoming God’s servant for a special mission, one will go through many hardships as Satan always tries to destroy God’s work before it has time to grow and threaten him. He attacks the chosen souls who are about to serve the most high.

The next program about an hours drive away took place in Kottoyam. A crowd of about 5000 was addressed in the People of Lourdes Parish Hall. The hall was packed and more people followed the program outdoors via loudspeakers. Again in the peak of the heat around 35C and as in all of the previous meetings, many Priests and Nuns of different orders with the laity listened with rapt attention to the message of God’s love hymn from the mouth of it’s carrier, who glowed radiantly being enveloped in a visible divine veil, according to certain witnesses, resounding the exact words that God had given to her. In the brief introductory speech by Fr. “X” the audience was reminded that God appointed in the Church the Prophets to be second in rank after the Apostles (1Cor.1:28), and that the gift of prophecy had always been in the history of God’s salvation plan.

Vassula explained why God is manifesting himself so powerfully in our days; “it is not just to say hello, but because things in this world are very grave. When God speaks to us today it is not to draw us into sensation, but to make us realise the urgency of our conversion; the gravity of the condition of our soul and the importance of changing our lives and live holy”. Vassula said that God wishes us to practice all the virtues, especially love, since the whole law is summarised in one single command – “Love”. No one can claim that he loves God when he hates his neighbour, since, “the least we do to our neighbour we do to Christ”. She spoke of the importance of reconciling with our family members, friends and neighbours for in doing so we reconcile with Christ. She stressed how important it is to repent from our hearts, confessing our sins and feeling true contrition for them, for the fruit of repentance is love.

Many people testified to having seen Christ’s face in place of Vassula’s and were surprised to look into the holy countenance of our loving Saviour. Vassula concluded this inspired talk, as in all the other meetings, by raising her cross which contains a relic from the true cross on which Jesus was crucified, praying a prayer for healing and deliverance, invoking the Holy Spirit to bestow his gifts on the assembly and finally blessed them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. This time during her talk, Vassula inspired by the Holy Spirit spoke especially of prayer groups which are sometimes in conflict with each other, through competing. They should she said, prove their holiness by reconciling and uniting. Afterwards we were told by the Priest, this apparently was the case in that area and later on we heard, some reconciliation’s were being made.

Right after this meeting, about seven journalists from local newspapers had already gathered in the same building for a press conference. Their interest was focused on the end of times. Vassula, clearly said that it was not the end of the world and explained in detail the coming events associated with these end times. The period of mercy that we are living in now will suddenly come to an end and everyone living on the earth will experience a general purification, where we will see our sins with the eyes of God and be filled with remorse. Many who never confessed their sins and lived a Godless life, might not survive this event which will be like a small judgement. This cleansing fire will uproot all evil from the face of the earth. Vassula mentioned the prophecies of Akita in Japan, which are similar to the True Life in God Prophecies, in respect to what our Lady foretold of a chastisement by fire that will take place in our lifetime. Then the Holy Spirit will renew the earth by overflowing it through a Second Pentecost: the Hope of our times.

As soon as the press conference was over, the rector of the St. Thomas Pontifical Seminary, who was present in the meeting, wished that Vassula, that same evening, after her press conference would address his seminarians, Priests and theologians for 1/2 hour. So Vassula had a completely unscheduled on the spot meeting at St. Thomas’s Pontifical Seminary in Kottayam. She addressed 450 seminarians, 40 Priests and the faculty, who, received in twenty minutes, a perfectly summarised presentation of the contents of the messages coming from the Sacred Heart. This unexpected invitation, extended by the Rector of the seminary came obviously from Heaven. Had it been announced beforehand, Satan would have tried to send his adepts to forbid it. The Rector expressed his great joy at being privileged to have God’s chosen messenger visit their house and hearing about the importance of the Holy Spirit, especially in the year dedicated to the Holy Spirit. These are the surprising ways of our Lord. With the Rector’s consent the seminarians are now free to read and buy the True life in God message books, which were available after the meeting due to the efforts of the local organisers who carried them in heaps into the premises!

There was great joy in the hearts of the people of Kerala, especially the Priests, when Vassula accepted the proposal to hold three more meetings at the end of her Indian program, extending her stay for two more days. Certainly an inspiration from Jesus who expressed His love for this vast nation in a message given to Vassula on January 22, with these words: “…since you are so precious in My sight, India, I have sent to you too, my seeds (Jesus means the True Life in God messages) so that you sow them in your ground and the harvest will be rich and plentiful were you to set your heart to work the soil; …and your earth will respond to the grain; then everyone will know of My love and will respond to My call…”.

A few days later in Vassula’s mission to Goa, Jesus blessed India another time with a message: “…be united to Me, and be rooted in Me, then no one and nothing in this world will come between you and Me; My great return is imminent and I have come all the way to you with My heart in My Hand, take it, India and place My Heart in your heart…come and consecrate yourselves and your families to Me and to the Immaculate Heart of your Mother; I Jesus, intend to remain in your country and sanctify it, for this, I ask you all to consecrate your country to Our Two Hearts “

On Thursday January 22, a rough two hours drive on bumpy and curvy roads took us to Muringoor, where Vassula spoke to about 7000 people at the Divine Retreat Center. People from all over India gather in this place to attend charismatic retreats. As in all her Kerala meetings so also this time, Rev Dr. Kurian Mattam, Principal of St. Thomas College in Palai, who invited Vassula to his province, translated magnificently and thus God’s message was able to more readily reach the hearts of the large crowd. Vassula’s speech varied from meeting to meeting according to the needs of the listeners. This alone proves the guidance and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit who knows every heart and teaches accordingly. At the Divine Retreat Center she called strongly to unity. Unity in family, between friends and prayer groups; unity in the Church; that there should be no competition and differentiation in Jesus’ name.

She taught them about the prayer of the heart, which is a conversation between the soul and God and that prayer is unveiling God. True Life in God teaches us the unceasing prayer. This is, to have God always in our minds; she told them to meditate and use the words “we” and “us”, for God is always present. He likes to share every single moment with us, even if it seems we are doing things of little importance. When done with love, our small duties become great in his eyes. Vassula said that in order to reach this meditative way of life, one has to become intimate with God, for this we need to approach him and open ourselves to him so that He may reveal himself to us. In this way we get to know him and learn to love Him. Once we are enwrapped in God, we will desire God alone, thirst for him all day long; God will become our bounce, our joy, our smile, our Holy Companion and our everything. This is the prayer without ceasing. In the same way we will be observing the greatest commandment of all: to love God with all our mind and heart, with all our soul and entire being which will open the way to love our neighbour as God wishes us to love them.

Vassula stressed the fact that what she is able to give the audience in a 90 minute presentation is just like a drop in the ocean, therefore it is very important to read the messages if one wishes to grow spiritually and know God, for they are anointed and they save. She said: “if you truly believe it is God who speaks, wouldn’t you be interested to know what He has to say in our days? If we truly say we love God and believe in him, wouldn’t we desire to read all that he gives to us out of his boundless mercy?” Vassula concluded the meeting with a general benediction of Yahweh’s blessing to his people: “May Yahweh bless you and keep you, may Yahweh let his face shine on you and be gracious to you, may Yahweh show his face and bring you peace”. Thus ended the first part of Vassula’s visit to Kerala.

January 23rd,1998

Early in the morning began another journey to yet another airport, boarding yet another plane to a new destination, Goa, so that Jesus’ Love Hymn could reach other parts of this vast nation. After 20 kilometers of our two hour drive to Cochin airport Vassula’s car was flagged down on the road by family members of the driver. They too wished to receive a blessing from his chosen one. In no time she was surrounded by people and blessed pictures of Jesus and our Lady were given to them. As in every authentic mission for Christ’s glory, hardships and suffering is part of the ‘daily bread’; “This will contribute to your encouragement and your salvation”; St. Paul writes (2 Cor.1:6) in telling us of the hardships he underwent in Asia. So too Vassula’s mission had its portion of these, manifesting in even the smallest events. She was held for over 20 minutes at the check-in counter at Cochin, due to confusion and technical problems with computers, whereas her companions received their boarding pass in no time.

In Goa we were kindly received by the True Life in God committee, who immediately rushed Vassula from the airport to the first scheduled program. There was a press conference attended by 4 journalists from local newspapers and writers from different magazines. The welcome in Goa had a bitter taste, due to the evil one who was in full action using man’s passions and weaknesses to destroy Christ’s message and thus prevent many souls from being converted. An anonymous person who publicised himself as a “well wisher” from Austria, had heard of Vassula’s journey to India and sent the notification of October ’95 which was then published in a local newspaper with the attempt to prevent people from attending Vassula’s meetings. Alarmed clergy responded by warning people not to attend. But again, this did not disrupt Priests, Nuns and laity from coming. The organisers faced the first tempests that arose. The opposition in fact, made the organisers even more fervent and united and many new positive articles were immediately published in various newspapers. In spite of all the problems, India and the Philippines are a model of perfect organisation. They did not allow themselves to be shaken but instead became even more determined doing everything to make Jesus’ messages known. Once more we experienced God’s powerful hand.

The Following morning January 24, at 11:30 am a TV recording was planned at the Headquarters of the National Indian Television station, in Panaji,Goa, by Prof. Agnel Crasto, Director of the Institute of Personality Development. This 30 minute recording was broadcast three days later in a nation where many different creeds would be able to hear of the intervention by God through his prophet. Again after a brief summary of the beginning of True Life in God, the main focus was on unity and how to bring lasting peace to this world. Not only in the Church but amongst all peoples, nations, creeds and races. Vassula led by the spirit, gave a very inspired explanation of how to bring this about. In our modern rationalistic era, people tend to believe that all can be done by them, by their own strength, becoming little gods. Therefore they tend to believe that God in his Trinitarian Holiness is no more needed. This sin leads to self-destruction and that is why our world is filled with disasters, wars, disunity, famine and spiritual drought. The world thus is destroying itself. For as our Lady said in a message: “…all that comes from the earth returns to the earth and it is not God who brings disasters and destruction, but evil draws evil…”

Vassula continued that we have to realise, man ca