The Banner of the Retreat in Nea Makri

We had really been longing for this meeting of reflection. We all needed this retreat from the world, despite knowing that we would be staying at a modest hotel, perhaps with few amenities but with a King and a Queen of Heaven and St. Ephraim, whose Feast Day it was, as our hosts. We arrived at the seaside hotel Nireus, in Nea Makri. A beautiful garden welcomed us and the sea view promised peace to our souls.

People kept arriving until there were about 110 of us. In the meantime, preparations continued in the conference hall, making it all the more beautiful. Father John Abberton was sitting in the garden in silent prayer.

 No better way to start than Holy Mass in the now ready hall, which came to life with our presence, and father Abberton preparing what is required for the sacred duty, with  Eva helping him. In the afternoon we had coffee with friends from abroad and others that we had not seen for a long time and some new ones that we gladly welcomed.

Welcome and speech by Vassula

The following day, Vassula welcomed us all and asked us to chant the Our Father in Aramaic and the Hymn to the Virgin Mary by St. Nectarios. Vassula read out the words of Our Lady from her message of 15 May 1990, which prepares us to meet the Lord by taking care of our spiritual growth. “Pray so that everybody will be ready; pray, My little children, fervently for those souls who refuse to hear and refuse to see, pray to your Father who is in Heaven in this way: Father all Merciful, let those who hear and hear again yet never understand, hear Your Voice this time and understand that it is You, the Holy of Holies. (…) Ask the Father to forgive the stubborn souls who refuse to hear and see; the Father is all Merciful and He will look on all His children. Yes, little ones, you are the incense to God when you pray for the salvation of your brothers. (…) Children of Mine, pray with Me; I need your prayers; pray and I shall offer them to God. I assure you that I am with you wherever you go; I never leave you, you who are My children; I bless you all.”

Speech by Fr.Theodoros Kontidis

Speech by Fr. John Abberton

Fr. John Abberton kept his humour alive, saying “what can I say now, father Theodore has said it all”. He then spoke about a pilgrimage he had organized in Wales, on the topic of Our Lady and Motherhood. Three years ago he had lost his mother and worked a lot on this pilgrimage, recognizing the Gift of Motherhood as a means of understanding God. God had all of us in His plan before we were conceived. He is our Father. We are never orphaned! We shall never lose our Parent. We have all been called by our name. Our Mother calls us by our name. She never abandons Her children.

Fr. John went on to tell us the story of the Queen of Heaven, to Whom we showed our devotion at this retreat. A Russian woman had dreamt that an icon of Our Lady lay in the basement of a small church in the village of Kolomna. No one believed her. Thanks to her great persistence, the icon was found at the spot shown her in her dream. Our Lady was depicted in a red royal robe, with its colour becoming darker after it had been revealed, a sign warning of the tribulations that the Russian people would face, while Our Lady of Kazan, dedicated to Moscow, and that of St. Petersburg were lost. Later on, the icon was found in the World Trade Fair and placed in Fatima. Pope John Paul II returned the icon and consecrated Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Our Lady, as She had asked. Our Lady, the Mother of all humanity, is the Sign of the New Pentecost. Jesus will soon walk among us, and all prophecies will be fulfilled.

We then listened, with great interest, to the testimonies of Ervin, Jonathan-Nectarios, who had been christened by Vassula, and Marianna-Panayiota. Their testimonies warmed our hearts so that they would remember the saving moment of God’s grace, who called us with His blessed Message.

Vassula, holding God’s message on His Mother (20 March 1996), spoke about the day when God used her son Fabian to confirm that Our Lady, Mother Mary, is the Mother of God. In addition, in the first calls from Jesus in her early years, the Blessed Mother ensured that Vassula would be a beautiful bride for Her Son, tending to her wedding dress and her hair. Our Lady wants us to be spiritually ready for Her Son, she prepares us, this is Her role. She strives for our salvation, even if she has to take us to Heaven from the back door, Vassula said laughing, hinting at a joke.

She then read out the message of Jesus where He describes His Mother, honouring Her. The following is an extract from it: “O Masterpiece of My Father! O Sublime Masterpiece of Yahweh! Spouse to My Holy Spirit! My Radiant Tabernacle! Your Heart, Beloved of the Beloved, is One with Ours! Your Heart is My enclosed garden, a sealed fountain; your Heart is a Fountain that makes the gardens fertile; your Heart, Adorable One, is My Throne, on which I have been honoured; Heart of the Heart, whom I crowned in Our presence and in the presence of all My celestial court, how can any of My creatures deny Your Heart?”

We should learn to love the Mother of the Lord. To those who refuse to do so and interpret scripture by the letter and not by the Spirit, we should respond by citing the points where Our Lady is revealed as Mary Full of Grace, Mother of the Lord, the Annunciation of Gabriel to  the Virgin Mary and Her visitation to Elizabeth.

Vassula pointed out God’s humour on certain occasions. Once, when she was hungry, the Lord asked her: “Are you hungry for My Word?” On another occasion, when she was hungry again, and the Lord knew that, He asked her: “Are you hungry for My Bread? “Jesus, I was talking about earthly bread…” “Which would you prefer to have?” “Both, Jesus.”  “Yes, but anyone who eats from My Bread will live eternally”.

Speech by Fr. Vincent

 It was Fr. Vincent’s turn to speak. He discussed the symbolic significance of the word “heart,” which is mentioned 1000 times in the Holy Bible, and the importance of knowing God with our heart, not with our mind. He discussed extensively 12 symbolisms which unfolded the role of the heart, the site of remembrance of the Word of God, the heart and feelings of love, joy, pain, bitterness and gratitude; God can approach you only in the heart. Mary Full of Grace says “yes” to God from Her Heart. It is important to become inwardly beautiful, dedicating ourselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Her Immaculate Heart. The Holy Spirit, by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, joyfully rushes to us. Our Lady says: “Grow in My Immaculate Heart and I will remedy all the wounds of your soul.”  The Holy Rosary is a shield of protection at every battle. Fr. Vincent’s words helped us delve into the calls of Her Heart. After confession and Holy Mass, it was time for dinner, followed by the Holy Rosary.

Divine Liturgy at the Monastery of St. Ephraim in Nea Makri

 On Sunday morning, we went to the Monastery of the Annunciation of Our Lady and St. Ephraim, where we attended Mass and venerated the holy relic of the Saint who was martyred, tortured with great cruelty for eight months for the sake of Jesus, until they hanged him upside down from a mulberry tree and pierced him with a big lit stick in his stomach. It was God’s will for this pilgrimage to take place on his Feast Day, as He indicated to Vassula.

We returned from St. Ephraim to the hotel’s conference hall, and after chanting the hymn “Christ is Risen from the dead” and the Hymn to Our Lady, Vassula went on reading the May 20, 2996 Message on the Immaculate Heart of Our Lady, Whose daily sustenance was the Will of the Father. Our Lady is the Wondrous Sign revealed as a Column of Fire, as the Sun and the Throne of God. Vassula asked us to pray for those who do not respect Her. It is only with love and sacrifice that we can grow.

She then asked Fr. Vincent to say a few words about the message. He was very touched as he spoke about the words of Jesus on the admirable beauty of her Heart. The Will of God is the sustenance of Her Heart, along with Her Obedience to it. He cited the example of St. Francis, who preferred persecution to disobeying God. The work of priests is priceless and difficult. It is “obedience to God’s Will, and thank you for praying for priests.”

Fr. John described the adventure of his ordination, which he owes to Our Lady’s grace. Our Lady is his help and is on his mind every day. “Our Lady, I love you”, he concluded.

Coffee in the garden of the monastery after the Divine Liturgy

It was time for the testimonies of Despo and Vassilia, who described what had happened before and after their conversion. We had lunch, followed by the Glorious Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. After invoking the Holy Spirit, the Prayer of Healing began, with the healing touch of the cross of Vassula, Fr. John and Fr. Vincent. Everyone was touched by the powerful Presence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, Fr. Vincent stressed, is joy, it is the sustenance of the soul, morning, noon and evening.

The lottery that followed added a light note. We had all won the rich Gifts of God, God’s Love, which changed our lives, and His living Gift, Vassula. “We, us?”, “Yes, Lord”, “We, us?”, “Yes, St. Mary”‘

 “Come! My Vassula, your zeal sometimes becomes a spur to those as well, those who are still unprepared to comprehend that I have sent you to them as a gift.” (30 May 2017)

Vassula concluded the retreat with blessings from the grace of God and with the promise of a new meeting, probably in six months, wherever the Lord takes her. 

I can still hear Fr. Vincent’s voice singing “Que sera que sera que sera, que sera de mi vida que sera”. Only God knows! And the song Vassula asked me to sing said: “Time passes by, time does not wait, and even though all may turn into smoke, love alone remains!”

Glory to God, beloved ones!

Thalia Argyriou