Sun Myung Moon
January 1, 1980
New York, NY
Loving Father, the moment has just passed which ended the year of 1979 and the decade of the 1970's. On this solemn new day of commencement for the 1980's, we are offering our praise and gratitude to You, Father.
Loving Father, out of many nations of the world You remembered the miserable nation of Korea. Out of all the Korean people You summoned this son from such humble surroundings. I remember Your historical efforts to raise this son. From childhood through my teens and twenties, although I was immature and did not quite know Your Will, You were behind me, hoping and caring about my future. As I became more mature, You made me realize what the Will of God is and that You, the center of Heaven and master of the universe are the Father of all mankind. I thank You today that in the midst of my toil You worked so hard to teach me so many things.
In my struggling historical path, I appreciate Your giving me the period of upheaval and tears during the time of my youth as I approached the age of 20. Father, from my twenties and thirties You worried about the fate of Korea and the future tragedy of her people, while I solemnly prayed to You that Korea could have the happiness of liberation. When I recall those days it seems like yesterday. With Korea's liberation, Your Will to lift high Asia's new light was realized in this land with this unworthy son. You were always concerned about my confrontation with difficult circumstances. On October 14, 1950, in a situation of life and death, You gave me the grace of love to receive the joyful gift of life.
After that, I reflect on my coming to South Korea, the land of regret and sorrow. After a ten-year course of blood and sweat, I could have the day of holy matrimony in 1960. Once again, I look back upon those days of treading the thorny path of history. At the holy wedding only a small handful of lonely people gathered together in one small place in Chung pa-dong, humbly kneeling and appealing to You. Then we proclaimed the three seven-year courses, which was the beginning of a new era of history. At that time we were very lonely. Many people worried and doubted whether God's will could be accomplished and historical victory could be attained so soon. It seems like yesterday when we recall those days.
During the first seven-year course, we paved the way for Mother and indemnified Children's Day, Day of All Things and the regrettable path of Adam and Eve. In 1968 we proclaimed God's Day: the true day when we can attend God and rejoice with Him. Those days seem like yesterday when I recall them.
In 1970, during the second seven-year course, I had to drive all the blessed couples out in order to consecrate the family offering for the sake of the nation and world. Those days are a heartbreaking, painful memory for me. I did not want that to happen, but because the church and nation did not fulfill their responsibilities, we had to bear such a heavy burden.
Father, You desired Christianity to raise the flag of victory in God's providence and sound the victorious trumpet for the Kingdom of Heaven. For that cause, numerous people were prepared by You and sent through lonely and tearful circumstances where they were supposed to inherit Heaven's will to blow the victorious trumpet, inaugurating the eternal blessed Kingdom of Heaven and praising the day of glory for the family, church, nation and world.
All of them, however, fell into the dungeon of historical regret without fulfilling man's five percent portion of responsibility. Whenever they fell into the way of death, Heaven always suffered and heaved a lonely sigh of despair. Once again the depth of Your aching heart is reflected to me at this moment.
Because I know that the way of Heaven is such that many people sent by You have always been opposed and persecuted, this unworthy son of yours has never felt any pain in that situation.
But I know how painful You were to look at those situations and how much historical regret has been accumulated. It seems like yesterday that, thinking those things, I appealed to You in tears.
The established churches which You had prepared for 6000 years fell into the bosom of Satan, and Your lonely children, harboring Heaven's will, had to risk life and death and go the lonely path of suffering. They had to shed tears for the established church and nation and bear the family cross in lonely situations, even though they were supposed to take care of their own children and spouse. I am recalling the three-year period before 1971.
After completing the family and tribal offerings for the nation, I had to leave Korea to begin the worldwide course and to prepare for the third seven-year course. Once again, I reflect on those years: 1971, 72 and 73. It seems to be only yesterday that I blew the trumpet to march forward in the foreign land of the USA, the center of the democratic world. Already seven years have passed since then, however, and numerous things have happened.
We have been in difficult circumstances, engaged in a difficult battle, but You have always been guiding me to victory. This glorious victory does not belong to the Unification Church or to me. It is only Your victory. Once again we praise Your victory Father.
Now the lamentable struggling years of the third seven-year course have passed. Father, I sincerely express my deepest gratitude for Your grace which brought the decade of the 1970's to a beautiful completion. The decade of the 1970's was filled with tears, persecution, suffering and unfairness. We know that the decade of the 1980's will be filled with hope and glory. The Unification Church has to lift its face and receive with praise the light and happiness, proclaiming that before Heaven and earth.
Father, on this first day of the year, I pray that You will govern this country and the free world and achieve the realm of victory for the resurrection of life by trampling down death. May Your glory be enhanced and Your 6000-year accumulation of lament and sorrow be soothed and comforted. I pray that the holy and sacrificial mission which Christianity has had for the past 2000 years will be fulfilled and that all the regrets and grief of the Unification Church will be soothed. May Your compassion be on Your children of five different races who are kneeling before You.
We pray that our minds will be governed by You, not by ourselves. In the 1980's we would not be shameful children, but we would become Your glorious children by unmasking all shamefulness and by completing all immaturity of the 1970's and by fulfilling our responsibilities in the 1980's.
Yesterday we heard about the right path of Abel. Since we know our path very clearly, we will march forward gloriously, with new determination in the 1980's. I pray that in the decade of the 1980's, Your blessing will be upon the Unification Church to become a proud church extending all over the world.
Now we are greeting the new year of 1980 and the new decade of the 1980's. I beseech You that Your blessing be upon all of us. Father, the motto of this year is "Home Church Is the Base of the Kingdom of Heaven." I pray that each one of us will be determined to establish his own base for the Kingdom of Heaven and make his own place to find peace. We know clearly that the foundation which the Unification Church will establish after the ten years of this decade will depend on our willingness to invest our effort and determination in bloody strife to expand our heartistic foundation. Therefore I beseech You, Father, that we never complain but always thankfully invest our utmost effort, that we present ourselves with gratitude as living offerings before You, and that we never be hesitant or cowardly, but bold and strong.
Father, please bless this day. May Your eternal love and grace be with us. Father, numerous children in Korea, Japan, the United States and all over the world celebrate and remember this day. May Your hand of blessing be upon each of them. In the name of the True Parents. Amen.