Interview with Alan Ames / Australia
by KATH.NET 10. Juli 2005, 18:38

I began to feel the love of God

Personal details: Alan Ames, born in 1953, grown up in London, since youth trapped in poverty, violence and alcohol. Member of a motorcycle-gang. Married with Kathryn, two children. Emigration to Australia, there great success with good job and in sports. Captain of the Australian National Team in Aikido during World Championships in 1992. One year later turning point: encounter with God, inner healing and healing of addictions. Under the wing of archbishop Hickey worldwide evangelisation and healing service. Renowned speaker at Catholic mega-events (WYD 2002, Eucharistic Conferences etc.). Countless talks and healing prayers in Europe, Australia, USA, but also in the Third World.

kath.net: Alan, more than 10 years ago, according to your statements, an angel and later Saint Teresa of Avila appeared to you, as well as the apostles Andrew and Mathew. How did that come to happen and what were the effects?

Alan: It began in 1993 when at first I heard a voice saying it was an angel which God had sent to tell me that God did love me and offered forgiveness to me and that God loved all people offering every other person forgiveness, too. That even the worst sinner in the world was loved by God, of course, God did not like the sin but that always He loved the person.
As at first I did not take much notice of what the angel was saying to me, God in His great wisdom decided to send some saints to appear and speak to me. The first of these was St. Theresa of Avila followed by St. Andrew, St. Matthew, St. Stephen and then many others. The saints began to teach me about God and His love for me and for all. How by living in God's love my life and the lives of all those who would live in God's way would find fullness, joy, peace and protection from evil. They showed me how living away from God had caused great pain in my life and in the lives of those I came in contact with and how, if I continued this way of life, I was destined to suffer eternally. The saints encouraged me to change reminding me that if I did try to live as God asked that heaven would be my reward as it would be for all those who would live in God's way. That even though I had sinned terribly in the past, if I repented and did my best in trying to live the way of God's love from now on and tried not to sin anymore, then I would be welcomed in heaven. The saints taught me how to pray, to read Holy Scripture, the importance of the sacraments and how it was essential to be obedient to the Catholic Church as the Church was truly the body of Christ and that in being obedient to the Church I was being obedient to God.
So I began to do as they asked and to my eternal gratitude this opened me to the grace of God in a joyful and love-filled way. Now I began to experience a new way of life, a way that I did not want ever to lose as it was greater that anything I had ever known before, now life for the first time was wonderful because now in each moment I began to feel the love of God.

kath.net: Later on, Our Lady appeared. What did she tell you?

Alan: Our Blessed Mother started appearing to me some months later. She told me she was my mother and that she loved me and all people as a mother. She asked me to call her mother so now I call her 'Mum'. From the beginning, Our Lady encouraged me to look to God and to put God first in my life. She told me that all she wanted to do for me and for others was to lead us deeper into the heart of God so that everyone could find true love and true life. Our Lady also explained to me the depth of God's love for mankind and how the depth of God's love could be seen in God's Son Jesus who, of course, is her son, too. She told me that The Lord Jesus was my brother and that all people were His brothers and sisters. That all people were part of the family of God and that people should try to live as part of God's family because in doing so, goodness would come into their lives. That God wanted only to bring happiness and love to His family but how foolishly many people deny themselves this by denying the fact that they are part of God's family.
Our Lady led me deeper into prayer showing me how to focus more on The Lord in prayer by asking the Holy Spirit to help me in prayer and also in all I did. How I should rely on God in all things and offer all I did to God in love. That even when times got difficult I should keep offering all to God and to even thank God for the crosses I carried for in doing so, I could show the depth of my love for Him.
Our Blessed Mother also helped me understand the sacraments more and with the saints encouraged me to go to the Eucharist.

kath.net: On 19th December, 1994, God the Father had a message for you. How should we understand this, or, how did you see God the Father and how was the message given?

Alan: God the Father began speaking to me about the love of God for mankind and how through prayer, mankind can be opened to His love. The Father confirmed the Holy Trinity being the one true God and that The Lord Jesus was His Son who came to earth to show mankind the way to live a good life, to find salvation and to find the way home to heaven.
The Father told me that He was the Father of all people and the creator of all. He asked me to have a father son relationship with Him, which I try to do but, of course, always keeping the respect for God. The Father is always gentle, loving and compassionate. He guides me through many struggles and helps me keep my focus on His son Jesus. He explains that if I want to please Him that I should try to imitate The Lord Jesus in all I do for that is what pleases Him. I have seen God the Father several times either sitting on a throne or standing with His arms open wide. I always fall to the ground and kiss His feet.

kath.net: Do you still have apparitions?

Alan: The visions and locutions continue each day for more than ten years and The Lord Jesus says they will continue as long as I keep living the Catholic life in the sacraments, prayer, Holy Scripture and obedience to the Catholic Church. I pray that I can persevere in living this way as I never want to deny God in my life again.

kath.net: For a good number of years, there have been many "prayer meetings with Alan Ames". What exactly happens there?

Alan: At the meetings there first is a Holy Mass as all healing comes from The Lord Jesus in the Eucharist. After Mass I speak for about 45 minutes about my conversion and about the sacraments and the faith. People are advised to have a good confession as reconciliation is essential to true healing. Then people are invited to come for healing prayers. As I pray with people I just ask that God heals them in the best way for them and leave it in His hands.

kath.net: During the praying over, there also is the so-called "resting in the Spirit". What is this and what do you tell critics who are sceptical about how to take this?

Alan: It is true that people sometimes fall down in what is referred to as 'Resting in the Spirit'. Usually a few fall down but sometimes nearly all fall down or maybe none fall down. However, it is not the falling down that is important because whether people fall down or not, the healings are always strong. What is important is that God's will be done and so if it is His will people fall down then that is good but if it is His will none fall down that is good, too. There are those who do not understand the falling down and might be afraid of it but there is nothing to fear as normally when this happens it is part of a healing and is a good experience. There are people to catch anyone who falls so none should be hurt. Some think I push the people down but I only touch very lightly each person for one or two seconds and do not push them at all, so if they fall down, it is not me forcing them down. Often those who fall down talk of wonderful experiences with God or Our Lady during this time. To those who are sceptical I say, look at the results, see the people who are healed or have good experiences through the prayers. How can I heal people, how can I make people's lives change for the better, how can I strengthen people's faith just by pushing them over for a few seconds? Try pushing people over yourself and see if it has these effects and, of course, it will not. So then, what is causing this? Surely it is a power far greater than human power, surely it is the power of Jesus in the Holy Mass and the Holy Spirit in confession and God in the prayers. Look at all the good results and why then complain over good happening, and as we know all good comes from God then surely this is where this is from.

kath.net: There are many reports of healings. Could you tell us something about that? Are physical healings being cross-checked by doctors and verified?

Alan: There have been many reports of healings by the grace of God and I thank God for them. I always ask people to see their doctors to get confirmation of their healing, which some do but most do not.
I also ask them not to stop taking any medicines until they have seen their doctor and received the doctor's approval to stop the treatment they may be taking. I have hundreds of letters about healings, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual from all over the world.
There have also been on USA TV reports about some of the healings and these have detailed doctors' confirmation of the healing of a woman in a wheel chair for 20 years, a child with a tumour, a woman who could not have children and who had a large growth in her uteris. The growth disappeared and the woman was blessed with twins.
Some healings are very obvious to all, such as blind seeing or cripples walking. In San Antonio, Texas, there were two very clearly seen healings. Last year a child who had stunted growth and was very short was brought for prayers and when he went back to the pews in front of his parents he grew to be normal size. The year before a grand mother brought her grandson who had one leg about 10cm shorter than the other. When I prayed with him God blessed him so that his leg grew so that both are the same length now.

kath.net: What is your relationship with your bishop? Does he support you?

Alan: My bishop is Archbishop B.J.Hickey. When this all began I went and spoke to him about my experiences. The Archbishop gave me permission to speak and to pray for healing and he appointed a spiritual director to investigate and watch over what was happening and to help guide me in my work for God. It has been eleven years now that I have had the continued support of Archbishop Hickey who encourages me in the work I do.

kath.net: What do you think is "your mission" for the Church and for mankind?

Alan: My mission is the same mission all Catholics have and that is to spread the love of God and to bring all people to know the fullness of God's love in Jesus Christ Our Lord and through the Catholic Church.
- This means going out to the world to speak to both Catholics and non-Catholics.
- To encourage catholics to to live their faith in obedient love of God through the Church and in the sacraments, Holy Scripture and prayer.
- To live as imitators of Jesus Christ Our Lord.
- To help non-Catholics to find the full truth of the faith that Jesus gave to mankind.
- To help non-Christians to come to know Christ Our Lord and His love for them.
- It is also to bring the healing power of God to as many people as I can.

kath.net: Today, there are many "mystics" who want to get attention. Why did you go out in public? Was this an easy step for you? Or what is the "benefit" you have from that?

Alan: I went out in public because God asked me to. How could I not go to others for once I came to know the sweetness of God's love I wanted all to share with me this greatest of all loves. It was not easy as I had to give up a well paying job and change my life completely.
I received great opposition from many people who thought I was crazy or who thought this could not be happening to me because I was not a holy person. The opposition still happens but I try not to let it disturb me and I pray for those people.
The benefit I receive is being able to serve God and to be able to make up in some way for the wrongs I have done in the past. Also the love, the peace, the joy and the healings others find through my work for God is benefit enough.

kath.net: Thank you very much for the interview.

Forthcoming talks and healing prayers with Alan Ames are scheduled for 13th - 22nd September, 2005, in Switzerland, Austria and Southern Germany. Find details in August at www.alanames.org/de