Sunday, March 23, 2003 9:29 PM
Throw out all the writings
A couple of weeks ago, a testimony titled, ‘Priceless Treasure’ was forwarded to this list. Here is another testimony from the same writer who lives in Australia.
16th August, 1999
Last year, I attended a one-day retreat, which was being run in the parish where I attend Mass. This retreat was held at a Franciscon Friary and, as a special treat, we were told that one of the Franciscans was going to give us a surprise talk during that day.
Anyway, the talk was on the Church, and the Sacraments, as well as our faith in general. Then, somehow, his speech took the direction of prophets and how we must be careful about what we read, and which path we take. Then came the feeling over me, I knew he was going to mention Vassula’s writings and I prepared myself to hear something negative about her even though I did not want him to put her writings down.
Sure enough, Vassula’s name was next on his list and he said that her writings had been “thrown out” by the Holy See and we are not to read them. I can’t explain how I felt then; it was like a blow in the stomach, or like wanting to speak but not being able to. I raised my head up to speak, but time was running short and his speech was winding up.
He then announced he would be hearing confessions. At this point I was confused and decided to go to confession to him. In confession, I told him that TLIG was instrumental in my conversion, and so how can these writings be wrong if they have been so fruitful in my life? He replied by saying that God draws good even from evil and that because I was far away from church, I would not pick up the so called “doctrinal errors” and now that I was back in the church I have everything I need via the Sacraments. He also explicitly told me to throw out all the writings, not to promote them or give away any of the books and to pray for Vassula. Then he absolved me from my sins.
I was disturbed for the rest of the day and wondering what I should do. I felt bound to obey this priest. I did not consult anyone except GOD and our Blessed Mother in Prayer. In prayer I told them that I knew in my heart that these messages are truly from Our Lord, no matter what anyone says. I also prayed saying; “Lord, I know you value obedience, I’m trying hard to discern what your will is here.” I started to cry, then I thought of how Abraham trusted God so much, that he was even prepared to sacrifice his only son, Isaac at God’s command. So I, with tears, said “Lord, please understand, I’m going to do this out of obedience, and not because I doubt that these messages are from You.” After I said this, I did feel peace in my heart and that God and Our Blessed Lady understood my motives. So, I cut out Jesus’ picture from the cover of every volume, (all 10 of them) packaged up the books, put them in the bin and I kept the pictures of Jesus. I didn’t even put them in for recycling, just in case someone else would pick them up and read them and I was told not to hand them out to anyone.
A few days later, I received some correspondence and a video from the TLIG distributor in Sydney. Feeling I was still bound to obey that Fransiscan priest, I returned those items back to Suzy. She rang me up wanting to know why I had returned them. I was reluctant to tell her at first, but then I related the whole story to her. She was very helpful and explained to me how the notification from the Holy See was not signed. And she posted me some information, which she downloaded for me from the Internet, which included a picture of Our Holy Father Pope John receiving volume 10, and his message blessing the TLIG group, which were present at his audience.
Suzy prayed for me a lot and she told me to read the ‘Touched by the Holy Spirit of God” series 1&2. She then called me back a few days later saying that she had been speaking to a priest in Melbourne who acknowledges the messages as divine revelations and he said that I was not bound to obey this priest. She gave me his phone number, I called him and had a good talk with him.
Anyway, as time passed, I still found myself thinking a lot about Our Lord’s words contained in His messages or love Hymn (as He lovingly puts it) and every time a close friend of mine (who has also read the messages) would ring up and was spiritually down, I would remind her of what Jesus would say in His messages. One day she said something like; “You truly venerate those messages, don’t you?” The fact is that I do. The things that Our Lord says to us have really penetrated deep into my soul. I know that we have Holy Scriptures, which are good and priceless, however in TLIG Our Lord speaks to us with such tenderness and intimacy, on a personal basis. He speaks the Truth with such simplicity and Love. His teaching (which, as He says, is really a reminder of what we have been taught) is well planned, and if one reads the messages in order, commencing from Vol. 1, then Our Lord progresses us gradually, taking us deeper into Himself one step at a time, which is how He does things really. (Praise God for His Eternal Wisdom!)
I knew that I was no longer bound to refrain from the TLIG messages, but I held off on re-purchasing the volumes, because I felt God was trying to teach me to completely trust in Him and abandon myself to Him fully and to get me to listen to His voice from within, so that whenever I feel doubtful or lost or abandoned, to remain in His Peace, pray and listen to His voice from within me rather than frantically read and re-read His messages in order to re-assure myself, which is what I had been doing in the past. See! God really does draw good from everything and always knows what’s best!..
As more time passed, I was missing having His written messages, not so much because I needed to refer to them in moments of anxiety, but because they were His Words, they came from Our Lords Sacred Heart and because having the books in my possession would be like having something tangible from Him. I still did not re-purchase the volumes yet.
Latter on, I was notified by mail that there was an up-coming conference of TLIG in Sydney. I decided to go. I had a dream that I was holding all the volumes in my arms again and I was holding them like one holds a treasure. In my dream, I was carrying the books reverently, and then placed them down carefully in a place of honour in my home.
In my heart, I wanted to re-purchase the books, but only if it was God’s will. I told my husband that if it was all right with him, I was going to buy some books at the conference, and he said “that’s OK!” (my husband does not know what I had been through). On the night I spent $150.00 on re-purchasing all the volumes and buying two of the latest videos. I felt guilty about spending so much money in one go, and because I know the Lord values honesty, that night, I told my husband how much I had spent. Surprisingly, he was very understanding. The next day, he told my dad, (who was with me at the conference) “Well, she doesn’t go out, she doesn’t drink or smoke so I don’t mind that she bought those books. “I took this positive reaction from my husband that it was OK with Our lord that I re-purchase the books.
Since then, I have begun to re-read the messages slowly from Volume 1. From the events that happened to me, God has drawn good. He has drawn good. He has taught me to trust in Him completely, to listen to Him speaking to me from within and to meditate and pray in all things. I’m not saying I’ve reached perfection in all this, I have still a long way to go, but I know I’m in God’s hands and he will eventually complete His work in me and everyone else who allows Him to.
As for the messages and the yearnings I had to have the volumes back into my possession, and the veneration I hold for His word; well, this proves to me that, “man truly does not live by bread alone, but by every word which comes from the mouth of God”. (Luke 4: 4)
Rita