Sun Myung Moon
July 1, 1981
This message, along with the "Message to the Brides and Grooms," was printed in the program given to the approximately 7,000 relatives, friends and other members who attended the holy wedding ceremony of 2,075 couples from more than 70 countries on July 1, 1982, at Madison Square Garden.
This American ceremony of the Holy Wedding of 2,000 couples is a day of great joy and celebration, not only for those who are getting married, but for their families, and for God. In the Unification Church, it is the heart of our faith that God dwells with man most fully in his family; it is in the family that we learn to receive and give love, to learn to create and grow, and experience harmony and joy. Without the nurture of a family's love throughout childhood and adolescence, no man or woman would have developed the capacity to love a spouse or children. The men and women gathered here for this wedding, your sons and daughters, have dedicated themselves to the highest standards of love and service to God, to each other, and all mankind. Each of you deserves to be truly proud of the role you have played in their lives.
The rites of marriage, at the heart of any religious movement, can at best be only partially understood and appreciated by those of other faiths; but the results stand for every age to see. These couples here today are committed to a tradition of respect and reverence for their elders, unconditional and eternal love for each other, and complete responsibility for the growth and development of their children.
Take pride in your sons and daughters today and in their achievement, for I am sure God Himself is proud. They deserve great honor and respect from us all. Most of all, they are destined to become among the most important members of our society, whose moral leadership will undoubtedly have historical impact for future generations.
May God bless all of you who have come here today, whose beloved sons and daughters have already done so much -- and will do so much more -- toward bringing God's kingdom on earth.
Signed:
Sun Myung Moon