September 22-28, 2023

Report of the Pilgrimage

“out of the land of Egypt I brought forth prophets and saints; a blessing on the land of Egypt, may its foliage remain green and the trees that grow by the river Nile prosper and continue to produce their fruit to feed its people; a glorious throne was set in each place, where the Virgin Mary, My Mother, Joseph the Just and Myself passed by;

Egypt, We tread on your soil and incense raised in heaven as we passed by; have you not read in Scriptures:

‘Ambassadors will come from Egypt,’¹

why, did you not know that I have anointed you as well?² no less than the height of heaven over earth is the greatness of My Love for you; may your soil continue to produce food and keep you cheerful;” (True Life in God Messages, October 16, 2000)

Christ once said to Vassula in the messages of True Life in God: do your best and I shall do the rest! The preparations for the 13^th ecumenical pilgrimage to Egypt that took place from September 22^nd-September 28^th, 2023 were a difficult struggle for Vassula and the pilgrimage team to overcome; they did their best though, and God did the rest. The logistics were formidable, the negotiations were complicated. At critical moments in the planning stage, we were asked to pray for this pilgrimage to come about. God answered our prayers. Vassula explained in more detail: “I don’t have words to tell you how important this pilgrimage was this time. This is why we had so many obstacles in finding the right people (travel agencies) to work with us and we had to negotiate with them. We said then while negotiating with the travel agencies that if it happens, it will be miraculous.” 

Yes, it was a miracle, even in the timing, as, little did we know days after we left, the entire region would explode with conflict, with closed borders and crisis. The fact is that we were there at this time, praying for peace, unity and love; did God hear our prayers? Will it make a difference? Did we prevent an even bigger crisis? Our faith gives us confidence in knowing that what was accomplished did make a difference.

Friday, September 22, 2023 was arrival day. Many do not know that there are two Holy Lands – two places where Jesus stepped-foot, Egypt being one of them. With excitement, enthusiasm, and anticipation, 500+ pilgrims from 63 countries found their way to the Grand Nile Tower Hotel. The hotel was built on its own island right on the Nile River and each room afforded a Nile view.

The Coptic church (of Egypt) has in its doxology these words: „Rejoice, Oh Egypt; O, people of Egypt and all ye  Children of Egypt who live

within its borders, rejoice and lift up your hearts, for the lover of all mankind, He who has been before the beginning of ages, has come to you.”

We had to pinch our skin to make sure we were not dreaming as we watched the sunset dance with its light over the Nile, along with the small boats motoring up and down this ancient source of life for Egypt. Yes, what a blessing to be able to come to Egypt!

Vassula acknowledged that many arrivals were in transit for 14 -20 hours, making a tremendous effort to participate. Our hearts silently praised God for His blessings–we arrived!

Accompanying us were 80 Christian clergy from 22 denominations – including monks and nuns, and the good will and friendship of Muslim and Buddhist representatives. The warm, dry, comforting air that covered us after our landing would blanket us for the next six days. Surely, the Virgin Mary who protects Egypt would assist all of us in our pilgrimage journey, in a land where she is loved and revered by all Christians and Muslins alike.  

On Saturday, September 23, 2023 our day began with an opening procession to welcome the clergy-Christian, Muslim and Buddhist-in celebration to God, giving first and foremost Glory to our God, for whom we are partaking in this pilgrimage. Vassula led this procession with eighty clergy behind her, slowly walking to the front of the room, solemnly, in contemplation and prayer. Each of them introduced themselves, expressing their unity and oneness. Father Vincent called out the sixty-three countries represented and the respective pilgrims stood up accordingly.

Vassula welcomed us by bringing to mind ‘The Astiname of Muhammad.’ In the year 1516-17, this testament, after being given historical authenticity by the Islamic authorities, was taken to Istanbul for safe keeping. This charter grants protection and other privileges to the followers of Jesus, given to the Christian monks of St. Catherine’s Monastery. It is sealed with an imprint representing Muhammad’s hand.

 This document denotes that unity between the Christian and Muslim faiths is the foundation and the fabric of Egyptian culture and its traditions. Vassula alluded to the fact that God is indeed manifesting His mercy on us at this moment that the world does not deserve the mercy we receive, but that His love is unconditional.

She reminded us that His love binds us because we all come from the Father and that we are His seed. We live under the same sun, no matter where we come from. A brotherly approach pleases God. We need to remember that God chose us; we, in our sinful state did not choose Him. Our primary mission then is to love and serve Him; to Glorify Him. She concluded by reminding us that we must lower our heads entirely so He can lift us.

On January 31, 1991 Our Lady told Vassula that God is calling us. We are born for Him, to love Him, to please Him. We are called to return to Him. In unison, we must pray for peace and be zealous for peace. Prayers for peace are God’s Spring flowers. Our glory to God is not in vain.

Bishop Seraphim from Zimbabwe referenced St. Athanasios from Alexandria, saying that we are all God’s children. What is God’s Will is not our will. In following God’s Will, we do the right thing. St. Athanasios illuminated that darkness is the absence of light. With peace in our hearts, we begin the process of Metanoia. Any division among us crucifies Jesus. Jesus intends that love and justice belongs to everybody. The suffering we encounter is an indicator that we are responsible for the manifestation of a better world. We need not concern ourselves with politics, but peace through peaceful dialogue. Egypt protected Jesus’ life. The light given to us through the presence of God is always with us to protect us.

And so, with our Blessed Mother as our guide, we began our Egypt pilgrimage tour. While on our tour, many people from the streets would wave at our group of thirteen busses.

They expressed with their smiles a childlike warmth of heart that was welcoming. Most who visit this Holy land experience this connection with the local people. The poverty in Egypt is at 60%, but surprisingly enough a baby is born every 16 seconds. The population growth is so vast, that construction can be seen everywhere: the building of new high-rises and new neighborhoods.

The government is even working on building a new capital to bring all offices and workers to a new city to help alleviate the intense congestion in Cairo.

A Photo of the Virgin Mary’s Apparition in Zeitoun

The Church of Apparitions

Zeitoun Church inside

Zeitoun Church

We have faith our prayers will make a difference, despite how distant the world is towards peace. Parenthetically, the tour guide on our bus asked us to call her “mama.” She felt that all the pilgrims are her children. She had tremendous warmth, and in many ways, she imparted a love for the land, its people and its history. She explained many of the problems Egypt has in these days with the economy, population explosion and more. This brought-out for many of us an empathy for Egypt and its people, with hopes and prayers for its protection, future security and success. It brought to mind what Jesus had to say about Egypt –

 “…the land that nourished Me… the land that protected Me from death, blessed be Egypt, My people,
the land that I will always cherish in My Heart;”  (TLIG Messages, December 8, 2014)

Hearing our tour guide speak about Egypt’s history induced all of us to also cherish this place we were so blessed to be able to visit.

As we all know, the Holy Family escaped to Egypt, as Jesus’ life was threatened by Herod. We walked the Holy Family’s footsteps, getting a glimpse of their travels, a map of where they went, how long they remained at each location, and what they encountered. They traveled from the Eastern bank of the Nile to the Western bank, and then back again from the west to the east, crossing again the Nile. This journey, it is believed, took four years. The longest period of time in which the Holy family remained in any one spot was six months. Their continual movement existed to avoid detection by those who would harm Jesus. 

We then visited the Mattareya ain Shams-the Resting Site of the Holy Family under a Sycamore tree. The tree that stands there today is ancient. At this place, the Holy family stayed three months. The Sycamore produces a sweet fruit, similar to figs, and its wide branches afford shade. By this tree is a well where the Virgin Mary washed the baby Jesus. When she discarded the water, the tree sprouted-up.

The Holy Family’s Resting Place

The Sycamore Tree-The Holy Family’s Resting Place

Oil extracted from the bark of the Sycamore tree, called Holy Maryon, was used since apostolic times to bless and anoint. There are many stories handed down about this Holy tree. Millions have made pilgrimage to it for over a thousand years. It is difficult to grasp the full significance of this site, to sit where the Holy family found rest, shade, food and water; to historically consider the cost many pilgrims expended to visit this site, along with even having the grace to arrive at such a place. On this hot, sunny day, we sat under this tree with thoughts of the Holy family and their rest here. They may have encountered robbers and brigands in the wilderness, along with the heat and blazing sun…conversely, all we had to do was step off our bus! The grace to be there was beyond measure. This holy place can be remembered again and again, bringing comfort to the soul…by reminding us that no matter how difficult the struggle, inward and outward, God does provide rest, shade and nourishment. Ahh, – if we could only stay here longer, and sit quietly to contemplate the full meaning of the Holy Family and their flight to Egypt!

At our next stop, South of Old Cairo, we visited Maadi, the church of the Virgin Mary. Maadi means crossing point. The Holy Family departed from this spot to Upper Egypt, (upper Egypt is actually southern Egypt) to escape Herod’s soldiers. On March 12, 1976, a deacon found a Holy Bible on this spot floating on the water. It was salvaged and was miraculously open to Chapter 19 of Isaiah: “Blessed be Egypt, my people.”

The church portico extends right up on the bank of the Nile, affording a close view of the river, and inside the church are stairs believed to be the spot where the Holy family embarked on a boat to proceed on their journey. We ended the day with Mass at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church: a large, beautiful church that accommodated all 500+ pilgrims.

Floating Bible View

The Floating Bible

Sunday, September 24, 2023

Due to the fertility of the Nile, its temperate climate, the land around it is extremely productive. This helps to feed the people, but because of its population explosion Egypt still has to import many food stuffs. As we traveled outside Cairo and beyond the margin of fertility around the Nile, there was endless desert. Out of this wasteland appeared the ancient wonder of the world, the Great Pyramid of Giza. 

The Great Pyramid is estimated to contain two million blocks of stone. It is enormous. Next to the Great Pyramid are two other smaller pyramids. Our tour Guide told us that each pharaoh did not want to stand higher than his father or grandfather, so each pyramid was built progressively smaller.

The Sphinx

The Pyramids

Around each of the pyramids were three other small pyramids where the wives of the pharaohs were buried. Our guide let us know that our world-wide civilization did indeed begin in Egypt, through the Egyptians.

The entire plateau has been extensively upgraded such that you can drive, walk, or ride a camel for several kilometers around the entire site. Looking off towards the horizon, past the pyramids, one sees a line of camels… this view no doubt could have been identical 2000 years ago! Did the Holy Family see it? We all enjoyed this visit, learning about ancient Egypt, and the TLIG pilgrims scrambled all over the pyramid stones, taking more selfies than can be counted!

In addition to the pyramids, we visited the Sphinx. Our guide called it “pyramid protector.” She explained that its body is that of a lion with a human head, representing a perfect, complete human, simultaneously attaining both physical and mental strength.

Egypt was blessed through our pilgrimage. The proof of this blessing is the meeting Vassula had with the Patriarch of Alexandria, Theodoros II. She met with him on Sunday September 24^th at St. George’s monastery’s cathedral. As we read in the news article about the event, what stands out is that truly, we can achieve unity, brotherhood, fellowship and peace amongst Christians and other religious faiths. God is one, and asks us to be one under His name. We gathered together as one body, each of us with our own perceptions, prayers and struggles to simply be together under Christ.

As stated by Vassula: “The highlight of the pilgrimage was meeting the Greek Orthodox Patriarch. He dropped all his schedule and travelled 3 hours to come to Cairo from Alexandria. He was more than delighted to meet all of us, tolling the bells and singing Christ is Risen.”

Patriarch Theodoros greeting

and blessing Vassula

Patriarch Theodoros blessing Vassula

Meeting Patriarch Theodoros II at St. George’s Cathedral

He gave his blessing to Vassula, which by association lends magnitude and importance to her mission and the True Life in God Messages. All for the Glory of God!

The following is what Vassula told the public at St. George’s Church:

She stated that the objective in hand is for peace, love and humility to be manifest on Earth as is God’s Will for all of us. We are here to help one another reach perfection in Christ. We are here as ambassadors to allow the Holy Spirit to work within us and through us. We need to love and care for one another, providing assistance and consolation.  St. George’s church is the only round church in Egypt. It was here where Vassula presented her talk to the public, in the presence of Patriarch Theodoros II. As a confirmation to the importance of this meeting, the Patriarch chanted the “Christos Anesti” again, Christ is Risen! as a culmination of the event.

The following is the article written about the event: Orthodoxy International Ecclesiastical News Agency
Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa.  The Patriarch of Alexandria sent a message of peace to pilgrims.

His Holiness Theodore II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, was at the Holy Patriarchal Monastery of Agios Georgios in Old Cairo on Sunday 24 September 2023. He welcomed a large group of foreign visitors who were on a pilgrimage to the Christian shrines in the Nile region, and who also visited the Holy Monastery, also known as the „Rotunda of the East”.

Addressing the visitors, His Holiness, after describing the history of the Church of Alexandria and the monastic habitat “theovadistos” („trodden down by God”), where, according to tradition, the Virgin took refuge with the infant Jesus during the „flight into Egypt”, spoke of the need for peace to prevail, saying among other things: „… From the centuries-old Monastery of Saint George, the Great Martyr of Old Cairo, we send a prayer to the God of Love and an appeal for world peace, so that we may live in peace with social solidarity and an equitable distribution of goods. We pray that the peoples of the world may live in peace, for this is God’s will. Today we feel more strongly than ever our responsibility for harmonious coexistence, while protecting immigrants, refugees, and needy children as our true brothers and sisters. We call on world leaders, political and religious, to work in this direction, to work together to put an end to all war conflicts, so that we can use natural resources, God’s gifts, to eradicate poverty and restore social order, justice, the protection of orphans and needy children and, in general, of all human beings who suffer. This is the best way to highlight the importance of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations after the suffering of the Second World War. Any war is a defeat for humanity, because it endangers the security of the entire world community. Terrible and contrary to the Divine Will is the use of weapons that kill populations, sowing sorrow, pain, tears and death, even causing disastrous environmental consequences. 

What’s more, pandemics and climate change, population displacements and general inequalities have only negative consequences for everyone.

The other one, our neighbor, is our brother, the living image of God, without separations. We need peace and active social solidarity without distinction to deal with these difficult situations. Our world, our common home, is one: it has been bequeathed to us and we must pass it on unharmed to future generations. Let us free it from war and nuclear nightmare. Let us breathe new life into the dialogue between us. An honest and sincere dialogue creates the conditions for a new creative and blessed path. So let us begin this dialogue, which is the most effective remedy for the reconciliation of peoples. Peace is always possible!

During the large group’s visit to the Holy Monastery of Agios Georgios, the Very Reverend Metropolitan of Zimbabwe, Mr. Seraphim, was also present.

Patriarch Theodoros II with Vassula at St. George Cathedral

Patriarch Theodoros II Speaking to the pilgrims

A second very important meeting took place on this same day. In addition to her visit with Patriarch Theodoros II, Vassula and the 80 clergy members met with His Holiniess Patriararch Tawdoros II, Pope of Alexandria and Head of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Cairo. Pope Tawadros introduced the listeners to the Coptic Church and provided insights into its history and tradition. Vassula acquainted the Pope to the activities and mission of True Life in God, which primarily focuses on promoting unity, peace, harmony and reconciliation among all people. Upon their departure, Pope Tawadros II gave to Vassula and all the clergy a commemorative gift: an icon of the Virgin Mary with the Holy Family; a gift that was very much appreciated.

The Visit with Pope Tawadoros II of Alexandria

and Head of the Coptic Orthodox Church

After these important events, we made our way to the Church of St. Sergius and Bacchus, located in Cairo’s old city. The church has heavy doors that served as protection during times of Christian persecution. Below this church is a cave where the Holy Family found shelter when in Cairo. All of the pilgrims descended the steps, and as we transversed the crypt containing the cave, we had precious moments of prayer in this holy spot. Above the cave, the church that was built within a fortress date back to the 5^th century AD., named after two saints– early Martyrs of the Coptic church. This church and holy site has deep historical and religious significance in the Coptic tradition.

The Hanging Church

The Hanging Church

Our next stop was ‘The Hanging Church’ known as Al Moallaqa, which is one of most beautiful churches in Cairo with an ornately decorated interior. It is a Coptic Orthodox Church and most likely the first built in a Basilican style, dating back to 690-692 AD. Its rounded wood frame structure is deliberately built this way to depict Noah’s ark, representing spiritual refuge. The Coptic churches do not have any gold within them, hence, symbolizing refuge for all people, rich and poor alike.

All in all, the Holy Family stayed at 62 places throughout Egypt in four years-time. We visited four of these places. The Virgin Mary-as the Egyptians call St. Mary-is the patron and most exalted saint in Egypt. She is considered the protector of Egypt, and is acclaimed as the most holy woman to have stepped foot on its grounds. We saw icons, images, statues, all dedicated to her honor. Jesus’s first steps, first words, first sight, first food, first encounters were all experienced in Egypt. Jesus’s presence even as an infant and a child, brought a life force to this land. Remarkably, many of the Holy icons in Egypt have a simple, folk-art quality about them that is very appealing. It was refreshing to see innocence on so many icons, reminding us that the very young Jesus consecrated these grounds.

The Christian Churches are more or less in one section of Cairo, and are always treated with respect as promised and agreed upon in the ‘Ashtiname of Muhammad.’ As we walked from one church to the next, street peddlers walked up to us trying to sell religious items and souvenirs. We would continually hear them calling out to us ‘one dollar!’ Many pilgrims bought some souvenirs.

Monday and Tuesday, September 25-26, 2023

Our thirteen buses embarked on a long bus ride that began at six AM on Monday September 25^th. We arrived at our hotels that night at around 9 PM, after stopping to celebrate the Holy Liturgy and for refreshments. This drive was an incredible opportunity to experience the Sinai, as we were able to view large expanses of the desert and transverse much of it. It is difficult to comprehend this place without seeing it up-close. It is an endless wasteland of stone, rock and sand with sparse visible life: dry as a bone, wind swept. How can one survive in such a wilderness for a day, let alone 40 years? How did the saints of the early church survive in this territory? Is this a representation of the spiritual wilderness that Jesus describes and tells us we transverse in our times? If so, this wilderness is daunting, dangerous, lifeless, endless. Without God it looks un-survivable!

These words of Christ in the messages come to life in our soul…as we think of our trip through Sinai:

“for years, I your God lived in your wilderness, finding no rest and no consolation, from a creature I had created with so much love; with great dismay I could see you slipping away from Me, I had but to say: “let this wilderness and dry land exult!” but I wanted your co-operation, I did not want to violate your liberty; to free you, beloved, I had to drag you all the way to the desert and leave you on your own; only then you came to realise how naked you were and how stained your soul was, and so with great terror you came flying at My Feet; you realised how insufficient you were on your own; I then made you understand how I had suffered in your wilderness and how you had turned My Lips dryer than parchment for thirst of love;” (TLIG Messages, March 3, 1990)

We disembarked at Sharm el Sheikh to celebrate an Orthodox Holy Liturgy at St. Mary Our Lady of Peace: a huge, beautiful, but simple church. It was a lengthy liturgy, but we praised God that we were able to sacramentally take the Eucharist and celebrate ecumenically. It was an extremely moving experience, receiving the body and blood of our Lord before continuing on our long journey.

On our way to the Sinai

Convoy of our Thirteen Busses in the desert

We stayed overnight in Dahab, with a fair number of pilgrims not sleeping at all so as to summit Mount Sinai at sunrise, the exact location where Moses received the Ten Commandments from our Father, God. This journey within our journey was exceptionally meaningful for the climbers. Those pilgrims did not sleep for a full twenty-four hours. Needless to say, our journey to Dahab was in itself a challenge. We woke the next morning, on Tuesday, September 26, at 6 AM, with just enough time to quickly dip our feet into the Red Sea, witnessing the bright, warm sunrise on the blue horizon before our transport to St. Catherine’s Monastery.

St. Catherine’s Monastery was the focal point for all pilgrims on Tuesday, September 26th. It is located at the foot of Mount Sinai; it is a Greek Orthodox Monastery, thought to be the oldest inhabited Christian monastery in the world. It was founded in 527 A.D., replacing the chapel that was previously built by Empress Helena in 337 A.D. It is located at the exact spot where Moses saw the Burning Bush. In the 10^th century, some monks claimed to have found the intact body of St. Catherine on a nearby mountain, hence renaming the monastery St. Catherine’s Monastery.

It was here, at St. Catherine’s Monastery, where we felt purely immersed in the silence of the desert, as we waited to enter the monastery. In thankfulness, some pilgrims sang the ‘Ave Maria.’ It is only through sincere prayer, a reach for God, even in our secular desert, that we find hope.

St. Catherine’s Monastery

St. Catherine’s Monastery

No words can describe the holiness within the monastery. Inside the monastery’s chapel, we knelt in front of the monastery’s alter as if compelled to our knees by the holiness of this church. Without any hesitation, we prayed to our Lord, our Holy Mother and St. Catherine.

As a gift for our visit, one of our pilgrims gave six Greek True life in God Message books to the monks so that they, in turn, can give them to the Archbishop of St Catherine’s Monastery. We walked out of the monastery’s chapel spiritually refreshed and headed towards the Burning Bush, where Moses heard our Father, God speak to him. To stand in front of the Burning Bush, in prayer, gifted us another exalted, inspiring, transformative moment that remains with us to this day. After we prayed, a dried leaf fell from the bush onto the walk, in front of our feet – and of course, we gifted it to a couple on our bus who missed seeing the bush! In return, we received from them a piece of rock from the top of Mt. Sinai, as we did not climb it! The climbers we spoke with all told us the ascent was very difficult, as they had no rest before the climb; but they also said it was worth it. Sacrifices like this one pleases God, and we have faith their prayers at Mount Sinai included all the pilgrims, the church and the entire world. 

The Bedouins with their camels

The sunrise at mount Sinai

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

On this last day, we celebrated Mass at St. Simon the Tanner’s monastery. This monastery is located near in a place called ‘garbage City’ by the locals. The 50,000 Coptic Christian people who live there, in ‘garbage city’ are garbage collectors and recyclers, and have worked in this capacity for over 70 years. The Egyptian government once offered to relocate them, but they refused. They are attached to this Holy Site. Prior to the Sunday of each week, the entire city is scrubbed clean. The monastery is actually on the far side of this ‘city.’ The inhabitants go and collect trash across Cairo, and bring it back to the city for processing. We drove through this mini-city, seeing how they packaged, collected, and processed the larger city’s trash in an industrious way. It was an eye-opening sight to see. Icons and pictures of Jesus and the Virgin Mary were on almost every door and mounted on rocks and outdoor walls. They even had a farmers’ market with mounds of cucumbers and tomatoes for the people. For this ride, we had transferred ourselves to mini buses, so as to navigate the narrow streets to reach the monastery, located on the far side of this mini-city.

St. Simon, to whom the monastery is dedicated, incited the movement the Muqattam Mountains so as to prove the strength of his Christian faith and beliefs. The monastery was built in honor of this miracle of the ‘moving mountain.’ It moved when two thousand people all prayed in unison saying, “Lord, Have Mercy.” This miracle happened in 979 A.D., and the construction of the monastery began exactly one thousand years later. The cave in which we celebrated Holy Mass was sculpted out of rock with holy images carved in rock throughout. The moving mountain story reads as follows: The Caliph Al-Muizz used to invite different religious leaders to debate in his presence. In one of those meetings in which Pope Abraam and a Jew named Yaqub (Jacob) Ibn Yusuf Ibn Killis were present; the Pope got the upper hand in the debate. Plotting to take revenge, Ibn Killis quoted the verse where the Lord, Jesus Christ, said in Matthew 17:20: „If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to the mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move, nothing will be impossible for you” and demanded that the Pope proves that his religion is right by means of this.

The Caliph saw in this a unique opportunity and asked Pope Abraam to move the Mokattam Mountain. If they proved unable to do so, it would be the proof that the religion of the Christians was wrong and the Caliph would be done away with them completely.

They recruited a tanner who worked repairing shoes in the local market. He was known for his extreme humility. One time he deliberately looked at the ankles of a young girl and his repentant feelings were so great he plucked out one of his eyes. Just like the bible says to do. 

And so, after three days of prayers and fasting by the Copts throughout Egypt, Pope Abraam was directed by the Holy Virgin Mary (in an apparition of her to him) to choose St. Simon to mediate for moving the Mokattam Mountain. On the set day, as the people, with St. Simon the Tanner among them, were saying Kyrie eleison (Lord have mercy), the mountain was thrusting up and down, and the sun could be seen from under it. After the miracle was performed in the presence of the Caliph, the Pope turned left and right looking for St. Simon the Tanner, but he had disappeared and no one could find him (a sign of the saint’s deep humility).

The Caliph, shaking with fear, embraced the Pope warmly and this marked the beginning of a long friendship between the two. The Caliph asked the Pope to name his reward. After some hesitation, the Pope asked for permission to rebuild or renovate some churches, particularly that of St. Mercurius in Babylon. That church, which was partly destroyed, was being used as a sugar warehouse. The Caliph offered funds from the state treasury for the reconstruction of the church but Abraam turned him down. „He whose Church we are building does not need the money of this world and is capable of helping us until we finish the job,” Abraam said. https://orthodoxwiki.org/Simon_the_Shoemaker)

Vassula talking with local women

in the Crypt of St Simon’s Monastery

After Mass, the pilgrims celebrated the closure of our pilgrimage with songs and dances on a Nile boat ride. This lunch on the Nile included a buffet meal, live music, and a floor show of sufi like dancing by a very entertaining comedian. He knows how to greet in every language on earth. Enjoying the company of our pilgrim friends, new and old, felt like a light-hearted blessing, a thankfulness from God for partaking in this contemplative, transformative, educational, and above all, Holy Spirit-filled journey.

The day ended, as did our pilgrimage journey at our hotel’s dining room with concluding thoughts, prayers and insights. In his presentation, a Muslim sheik enlightened us to the fact that the authorities today are opposed to religion. If needed, God will punish us so that we in turn avoid Earthly pleasures. Earthly pleasures will lead to God’s punishment. Faith is what makes a human-being civilized.

Bishop Riah-Nassar from Nazareth expressed that True Life in God has brought us together to experience a greater unity. Through the mercy of God, we find the unity to exult Him. He stated, “From the land of the Holy One ‘Peace Be with you’.” Our creation is groaning, and the world is on fire, with no justice, no peace. God is waiting for us to find Him in our own being. Our calling from God, as depicted in Bishop Riah’s good Samaritan story, is to have compassion, forgive and forget, so we love as God Loves us.

Mufti-Mustafa Rashfed indicated that it was Egypt that welcomed Jesus/Mary, so it is a blessed land. Today we need to pray for protection from earthquakes, volcanoes, and nuclear weapons. We must pray for fighting to stop and follow the logic of our minds. We must pray for a solution to the Palestinian and Israeli conflict. How prescient indeed were his remarks.

Archbishop Felix Toppo thanked Vassula for allowing three religious traditions to unite in communion worship. He said that practicing mercy is central to our shared devotion to God. Compassion itself is limitless, so we ask for forgiveness by repenting of our sins. The Buddhist believe in compassion of self and others, beyond dogma and rituals. All faiths believe in reconciliation and kindness to one another. Faith brings moral and ethical standards, even if the dogmatic beliefs may be different. God’s Mercy is a source of human mercy; and it is unbound. The kindness shown by Christians throughout history is Jesus’ ultimate manifestation of God’s mercy. In the Islamic faith, God, Allah’s benevolence was limitless for believers and non-believers alike. Hence, compassion is a human trait. Faith in-itself is a higher power, a way to live a harmonious life, and the wellspring of faith is mercy. This mercy binds us to worship, and grace brings all good things together. God’s Grace changes human hearts. By praising God, people can grow closer to one another.

The kindness shown by Christians throughout history is Jesus’ ultimate manifestation of God’s mercy. In the Islamic faith, God, Allah’s benevolence was limitless for believers and non-believers alike. Hence, compassion is a human trait. Faith in-itself is a higher power, a way to live a harmonious life, and the wellspring of faith is mercy. This mercy binds us to worship, and grace brings all good things together. God’s Grace changes human hearts. By praising God, people can grow closer to one another.

Vassula gave Glory to our merciful God. With God, our table is always full. We need to be of service to God and others, and be the example of compassion and charity. We all come from God. We are the sons and daughters of the most-high. We belong to Heaven. God clothes us with His splendor, and we are an echo of God when we spread peace and unity. We are of royal decent, as He is the king of Kings. Our thoughts are to be pure and noble. If we repent, God will favor us with a period of peace, and we will give an account to God on the day of judgment. We must love and forgive as our entry key to God’s Kingdom. Christ Himself will reveal within us an illumination of consciousness. On ‘the Day of the Lord,’ God’s light will be shone in the darkness of our soul. It will bring us to repent. When we worship Christ, He gives us more of Him, effacing ourselves. The scales of our eyes will drop. On September 25,1997, the Lord told Vassula that the flame in His heart is our purification.

 “…a rebirth, blessed by My Holy Spirit, as never seen before in history; My Flame within My Heart will be your purification, creation, and this will be executing My judgement;” (TLIG Messages, September 25, 1997)

When He removes our veil, He executes an act of Love, and He wins us to Himself. We will then live in the Truth. Christ’s love is ardent, and he wants to perfect our love to delight in the truth. We will be judged according to the love we had here on earth. Putting God’s word into practice is sharper than a double-edged sword. When we remain in Him, we proclaim one Lord, one faith, one baptism. We become the perfect icon of unity, and God’s ambassadors. True Life in God plays an important role, and it is an obligation that through our efforts we bring about the peace that is desired. God wants to hide you in His Heart like a child. Your name is written in His Heart. You are His treasure. Vassula concluded her farewell talk by thanking all the people who came from afar to the Holy Land of Egypt.

Vassula’s farewell speech

the last day of our pilgrimage in Egypt

***Please find and read all the speeches, along with ‘The Ashtiname of Muhammad’ presented at this pilgrimage on the True Life in God website. (tlig.org)

Nine days after the pilgrimage ended was the beginning of the current trouble in the Holy Land. When reflecting on this, we can acknowledge that the pilgrimage could not have taken place later than it did. We know God’s timing is perfect. All readers of True life in God and those who were able to participate in this pilgrimage must cherish the idea and the reality that peace, love, and unity is possible. A sacramental deed of Unity was performed in Egypt that we hope shines out a beacon of hope; and with Christ the destination of mankind will one day manifest God’s Will: ‘On earth as in Heaven.’

A few days after the end of the pilgrimage, Vassula sent out the below letter:

Dear participants of the Pilgrimage in Egypt,

I give glory to God for making it possible for us to have this pilgrimage despite the difficulties we were facing constantly while preparing it. The preparation of this pilgrimage was done in 5 months’ time which is unthinkable! Usually, we work for such a big pilgrimage 2 years ahead of it. Those pilgrims who prepared the previous pilgrimages did not sleep at times, for a full twenty-four hours, and still we struggled in those 2 years; so, imagine, that in such a short time we ‘rose from the ashes’ such a pilgrimage. To gather around 80 clergy from 22 church denominations, including our brothers the Muslim clergy and Buddhist, was also unbelievable. But for God, everything is possible; only the will, our will He wants and the rest He does.

We’ve taken nice pictures and videos as well and in due time you will see them.

I want to thank the TLIG lay people for helping bring their clergy too. Also, I thank the clergy who, some of them, postponed their programs to come and join us. Pope Tawadros II, who was selected as the 118th pope on November 18, 2012, met all of our clergy, greeting them warmly, each one of them. I thank Bishop Damian who made it possible for us to have this meeting with his Beatitude, and the same thanks to the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Seraphim Kykkotis of Zimbabwe who phoned the current primate of the Greek Church of Alexandria Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa, to come meet us, informing him of our group and our intention for being in Egypt. His Beatitude left all his program to travel from Alexandria to meet us in old Cairo at St. George’s Church with enthusiasm, giving us a warm welcome, asking his priest nearby to toll the bells, and that we all sing “Christ is Risen” in Greek.

I hope all of you enjoyed it and that you received from our Lord Jesus His blessings and graces. Until next time.

In Christ
Vassula