Friday, August 01, 2003 12:46 PM
John Paul II and Vassula: Impressing Parallelism
The following item is taken from the Brazilian “True Life in God” newsletter – # 2 of July 2002.
JOHN PAUL II AND VASSULA: IMPRESSIVE PARALLELISM
It is extremely reinvigorating, to those who follow Jesus’ messages to Vassula Ryden, to verify their parallelism with the teachings of our supreme Pastor, the Pope John Paul II. Fr. Michael O’Carroll, who was Vassula’s spiritual guide, strove to demonstrate some aspects of this parallelism in his book ?Vassula of the Sacred Heart’s Passion?. But there are many other almost identical expressions gathered from Vassula’s books and from the Pope’s documents that we will be publishing in following issues of our Newsletter.
Today we address the topic about the unity among Christians, an appeal constantly repeated by The Lord in ?True Life in God?. Let’s compare:
- Vassula:
?Tell those who work for unity to look up at the skies; see how far they are from the earth? This is how far their hearts are from one another; this is how far they are apart when will they all pass a decree by unanimous vote to celebrate the feast of Easter all in one date?? (Dec. 21, 1992)
?My Heart grieves continuously to watch those in My House who lack sincerity and who do not work in My Spirit for the unification of the dates of Easter; I ask you to pray for them that My Father may give them a change of mind so that once their eyes are opened by My Holy Spirit.? (Nov. 27, 1996)
John Paul II :
?The new year just begun is a very promising time for us to bear witness together that Christ is “the way, and the truth, and the life”. We shall have the opportunity for this, and already there are hopeful signs on the horizon. In 2001, for example, all Christians will celebrate Christ’s Resurrection on the same date. This should encourage us to reach agreement on a common date for this feast.? (Jan. 25, 2001 – Homily in the Basilica of St Paul-Outside-the-Walls)
- Vassula:
?And you, House of the West, you have realized, through the Light of My Spirit, that a body needs its two lungs to breath freely, and that My Body is imperfect with one lung; pray that My vivifying Spirit will join you together, but what have I to suffer before!?
?I implore you, House of the West, to go forward and unmask the Evil one by unifying the dates of Easter as in the primitive Church.? (Nov. 27, 1996).
John Paul II:
?May the memory of the time when the Church breathed with “both lungs” spur Christians of East and West to walk together in unity of faith and with respect for legitimate diversity, accepting and sustaining each other as members of the one Body of Christ.? (Rome, Jan. 06, 2001 Apostolic Letter ? Novo Millennio Ineunte)
- Vassula:
?Listen and write: glory will shine from the Eastern bank – that is why I say to the House of the West: turn your eyes towards the East. Do not weep bitterly over the Apostasy and the destruction of your House; do not panic, for tomorrow you will eat and drink together with My shoot from the Eastern bank.? (Oct. 24, 1994)
?This will be the bridge between the West and the East. My Holy Name will bind the bridge, so that you will exchange your possessions across this bridge – they will no longer practice alone, but together, and I shall reign over them all.? (Oct. 24, 1994)
John Paul II:
?In the perspective of our renewed post-Jubilee pilgrimage, I look with great hope to the Eastern Churches, and I pray for a full return to that exchange of gifts which enriched the Church of the first millennium.? (Rome, Jan. 06, 2001 Apostolic Letter ? Novo Millennio Ineunte)
- Vassula:
?My Spirit will bring you together. Have you not heard that the East and West will be one kingdom? Have you not heard that I shall settle for one date?? (Oct. 24, 1994)
?Unity shall come from above, for now as it is, you are divided altogether and do not live according to My Divine Image, you are not obeying My Law, your division is contaminating and is spreading, your division will always remain; unless I put an end to it, it shall not be overcome.? … ?But I shall bend you all, I will unite you!? (Dec. 20, 1988)
John Paul II:
?All the same, it is not up to us to ?create unity’. Unity is the Lord’s gift. And so we must pray, as we have done during this week, that we may be given the Spirit of unity.” (Jan. 25, 2001- Homily in the Basilica of St Paul-Outside-the-Walls).
?The Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity has become an important catalyst in the movement towards full unity.
We are all however aware that the attainment of this goal cannot be the fruit of human efforts alone, vital though they are. Unity, after all, is a gift of the Holy Spirit.? (Rome, Nov. 10, 1994 ? Tertio Millennio Adveniente)
Conclusion:
From so similar, or sometimes even identical, expressions the clear conclusion is: either the Pope is familiar with Vassula’s work (and we know that he is), uses it and affirms it, or he doesn’t know it, and then we have to admit that the same Holy Spirit inspires both in the same way!
José Hipólito de Moura Faria – TLIG of Belo Horizonte – MG – Brazil
