Monday, December 10, 2001 4:36 PM

Thank you Jesus for True Life in God

This testimony from Sweden was written in December 1999:

My new life began in the summer of 1986. I was 40 years old, I had been drinking and taking drugs for 25 years and I was what you call a hopeless case. During my sober periods I was an active member of the communist Party. Through a twelvestep-program I quit the drugs and became sober (obviously this was the work of Jesus but I didn’t know it at the time). My sponsor on this program was a Christian, and slowly I too came to believe. I had several spiritual experiences during the first years – I started to visit the Swedish Protestant Church, since I was baptised there, it was not a deliberate choice. In 1992 I learned contemplation from a Carmelite monk. In 1994 I was summoned to paint icons. My teacher was an Orthodox Christian.

In September 1995 I saw a poster announcing that Vassula Ryden would speak in a church in our town – I was very sceptical but the word ‘mystic’ – lured me, so I went. After having seen and listened to her for a few minutes I knew this was an honest person who had been through what she talked about. I could then relax and listen with an open mind.

Vassula radiated peace and joy. After the meeting I bought Book 1 (of the Messages). I was fascinated by it but it still felt too strange. After a year Vassula came back to the same church and I went there again. She made the same deep impression. When I think back it seems strange that I never doubted the truth in the Messages since I heard her. I am normally a pragmatic and sceptical man.

A year later I learned that there was a small group that gathered once a week to say the Rosary and read the messages True Life in God. This was my first meeting with the Rosary and I was amazed. I’ve always found oral prayer difficult but this was different. While we prayed the Rosary and I watched the icon of Mary it was palpable how I sank deeper and deeper into prayer. Next to the icon of Mary was an icon of Jesus’ face in the shroud. He smiled so beautifully and looked gentle and powerful. I felt a deep peace afterwards.

When I started to read the messages regularly I noticed that my faith was deepened. But although I said the Rosary a couple of times a week and sometimes another prayer for Mary, I felt no contact or presence from her as I had sometimes with Jesus.

In autumn of 1997 I heard about a True Life in God meeting in Jerusalem. I immediately signed up although I didn’t have any money. Two months before departure I still didn’t have enough money, then a priest came up to me and offered to pay for half the travelling expenses and I hadn’t even asked or implied that I needed help. Thank you Jesus and Mary!

The entire retreat in Jerusalem felt so blessed. We were about 190 people from all over the world, including 22 priests from the three largest Churches and Vassula. Before mass the first day I went up to a statue of Mary in the church and I stood there for a long time and looked at her Face. Suddenly the air started to vibrate as if it was electric and waves of love streamed down over me from my Mother. I felt how much she loved me and I was able to love her! When I witnessed to this the last day in Jerusalem a Japanese woman came up to me and told me she’d had the same experience.

During Holy Communion I saw that many people knelt when they were given the body and blood of Jesus and I did the same for the first time. When I had accepted Jesus I felt I should go aside. I stood behind a big column and suddenly tears started to stream down my face, I cried and cried and I still don’t know why. Perhaps I was overwhelmed with joy. When I sat down I felt the deep peace which is “beyond all feeling”. When we left the church I felt like I was floating above the ground.

Another event that I would like to share is the visit to the church of the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor. But before that I must tell you about my meeting with Father O’Connor. He gave a sermon during a mass and said something that affected me deeply and personally. The next day we were going on the pilgrim tour and Father O’Conner asked me if he could sit down next to me on the bus – he could of course and as he did he said some kind words. I must have been given some grace again because the tears started streaming and I wasn’t able to answer. Father O’Connor gave me a look and then put his hand on my shoulder and prayed. Soon the deep peace came over me again. We sat together on the bus the entire week during the pilgrim tour. We didn’t say much but I felt blessed, it was enough just to be around him.

Now I will tell you about the Mount Tabor. On the way up I asked some Catholics if you could ask a Catholic priest for the Blessing. “Of course” they said. When I was on my way out of the church of Transfiguration after mass I saw Father O’Connor standing outside in the sunshine. I asked him if he would bless me. He looked pleased that I asked and he put both hands on my head and said the blessing. A great light went through my head, light and warmth – I was giddy, amazed and happy when we left the mountain.

During the trip I asked Vassula and Father O’Connor separately about conversion. Independently from each other they both gave the same answer: “you have to ask Jesus from your heart about His will for you.” Naturally I took this advice.

A few weeks after my homecoming I saw the parish priest from the Catholic Church at an ecumenical service in our town. I walked up to him, knelt and asked him to bless me. When he put his hand on my head and said the Blessing, the light and warmth went through my head again. After that I decided to convert to the Catholic faith. And so I did on Holy Saturday 1999.

Finally I want to tell you about what’s happened to my prayer life. Before the journey to Jerusalem I had practised inner prayer regularly for 5-6 years. When I came home from Israel I was surprised that my contemplation had become so much, much deeper. I have also read the Old Testament now, which I hadn’t done before.

Before I went to Jerusalem I prayed that I would meet Jesus and Mary there, and I did. I met Mary in a statue and Jesus in Fr. O’Connor

Thank you Jesus for True Life in God.