Defending Vassula and True Life in God

Why does Jesus need to edit what He Himself has written down?

Reply to fr. Mitch Pacwa’s objection:

Objection : Perhaps this is the most telling statement of all: “Let Me edit what I wrote. It is I, Jesus.” Why does Jesus need to edit what He Himself has written down? Does he not trust her? or himself? This is true, despite his claim on the same page, “I gave you this charisma so that you learn directly from My lips.” “Jesus’” need to edit is inconsistent with Vassula’s adamant insistence that God is the sole author of these writings. In fact, the notebooks are indeed edited. Words are changed and pages are blanked out, removing embarrassing, wrong doctrines. Comparing later editions with the first edition proves this.

REPLY TO OBJECTION

Thiis statement: “Let Me edit what I wrote. It is I, Jesus” can be seen from the original handwritten text [a copy of which I have in front of me] is not used in the manner in which we usually use the word - meaning change, take out or correct. In fact Jesus has simply added a text due to an interruption consisting of a knock on the door - He has simply commented on the interruption itself by affirming that it was truly His Presence that Vassula sensed and that He was sitting on the corner of her bed. The original text does not have quotation marks which have been added by those who prepared the text for the printers to facilitate reading. Both the page on which the messages is written and the surrounding pages have no omissions or blank lines or extra writing between the written text: everything follows smoothly without any ‘editing‘. The context:

TLIG Messages March 8, 1987

I will give you the Strength you need; come let us work; let us continue; I am your Teacher; fill Me with joy and do not forget My Presence. Vassula, you felt my Presence, indeed, I was sitting at the corner of your bed, let Me edit what I wrote: "it is I, Jesus, I am sitting now, but at this very instant I will arise since you too will arise."

He hardly finished writing when the door knocked urgently and I jumped up, I stood there quite perplexed. Jesus was emphasizing His Presence to me that evening very much. It was so much (like some other times that I took a piece of paper to check) and he wrote the above paragraph. (At the door was my bearer telling me something.)

Vassula has written in the explanation after writing Jesus’ words. There is nothing in the words of Jesus that correct anything as can be seen.

While it is true that Vassula did feel she should blank out some passages and some of the pages she was so criticised for this that she put in the front of Volume IV [Notebooks 65-71]* a full explanation of why some individual words are changed and the why some passages of text were deleted. These are given with full references and quotes so that everything is clearly revealed. One of the main reasons is that just as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit spoke and the text itself did not indicate which one was speaking although Vassula knew so also the text for some messages was addressed to others and herself and only she knew which words were for her and which concerned another [usually Pope John Paul II] but sometimes there were messages to individuals - so she blanked out these texts. The aforementioned volume lists them all.

By way of interest, the forward of the Diary of Saint Faustina explains that she made changes and omissions to her text in the same way. It lists these changes both before and after alteration. Once again the changes have a reason explained by Mystical Theology: namely, if the message comes as a locution, direct hearing, it is easy to write it down, but if it comes as a light of understanding in the intellect, meaning a message without utterance of speech, one has to struggle and write it down, as perfectly as possible.

Vassula wrote:

November 7, 1989

My Lord, do let me understand why there are spelling mistakes?

Vassula, these are your own, not Mine; I have chosen you because you are imperfect and with many weaknesses, I, God, choose My instruments weak because My Power is at its best in weakness;

Yet, You do now and then give me new words unknown to me.

I do, when the need comes; I have you under dictation and it is wrong to believe that this is My handwriting;

why then the difference of writing Lord?

I like it this way; I use My instruments as they are with all their imperfections and all their weaknesses to dictate to them My Knowledge and to feed them and others My Word; I know how many of them take My Words which many a time are symbolic, to the word, but this again is reflecting their weakness, their obedience and their child-like-faith to Me and their desire to please Me;

February 25, 1991

(I suddenly was thinking of the spelling and grammar mistakes now and then in these texts, and what He had said about it to another mystic who is dead now, when she had the same problem.)

yes, you are obliging Me to reduce Myself to your level of grammar to reach you, and your limited knowledge of words, oh yes! you are most imperfect as an instrument,

The subjection of a revelation to the abilities of the person who receives it fulfils a basic principle of Saint Thomas Aquinas in regard to the prophetic charisms: That which is received is received according to the mode of the receiver. English is not Vassula’s first language. Sometimes she felt that when she re-read the text at a later date that it was not clear enough and changed it to become clearer for the readers but never in such a way as to alter the meaning.

Sister Jacqueline Boyce

(*) End of Paragraph note. The explanation will be reproduced at the end of this Apologetic in the Appendix.

Since people come or are sent to me for discernment on occasion, I felt the need to study the writings as I was often asked about them. I wrote to her spiritual director Fr Michael O’ Caroll complaining about these omissions as one cannot look for the error that betrays the diabolical if sentences are missing which may contain those heretical parts. I received no answer possibly because I wrote to him at the address of the publisher of his latest book about which I had an inquiry. So this Volume IV was very reassuring. One can see that consternation about omissions is a most natural response.