Sun Myung Moon
January 1, 1979
New York, NY
God's Day
Loving Father God. We have watched the passing of 1978 and Unification members throughout the world and the whole of mankind now welcome a new year 1979. I reflect upon once again Your long suffering road since man's fall. Numerous times our ancestors failed to fulfill Your will, thus hurting Your heart and prolonging or delaying over and over again the consummation of history. In Your deep heart You have been anxiously looking forward to seeing Your day of final victory. Countless people in history have struggled to no avail on a bloody and tear-stained battlefield and finally disappeared silently into a world unknown.
From out of a multitude of people and many nations You have chosen pitiful little Korea and from that country You woke me up with Your call when I was still young, immature and unworthy. Ever since, You have tried and tested me to refine my character. Through many incredible persecutions You helped to toughen my spirit. Finally, You have elevated me to this present state of glory All these, oh Father, were gifts of loving grace and the meritorious effects of Your sacred labors. Once again, I praise and exalt You.
Father, we realize that countless ancestors in spirit world and most especially all the saints and sages of the past who served Your providential course look down upon us at this moment anticipating some momentous announcement. Father, we need Your special blessing before all mankind as we witness the approach of an hour that can be a turning point in history.
Father, since 1976 when we tried to end our wave-tossed and frustrated history, two years have passed, and we stand at the doorway of a third year. The whole world has been shooting its arrows and concentrating an all-out attack on me and the Unification Church. Yet through the special protection of heaven, our little group has been able to hold on to a small bit of ground as the foundation for a certain victory For this I humbly offer my deepest gratitude.
Father, I feel ashamed that this is not a day when I can bring all mankind before You so that we can kneel together and with uplifted hands offer a prayer of thanksgiving. However, in the timetable of dispensational history, we have reached a turning point. Even though there might be external differences of time and space, in this world of heart You have granted us entrance into a new dimension in which we can raise Your victorious standard and proclaim Your will to the whole world. For this I am truly thankful.
This morning, as we bid farewell to 1978 and welcome the new year 1979, we gather our hearts together in the name of the True Parents and pledge anew before heaven to carry on Your work with the utmost faith and loyalty. Father, upon all who follow the name of the True Parents, grant Your blessing so that their first moments in 1979 may become a pledge of faith, loyalty and red-hot fervor.
This small Unification family has to bear the burden of raising Your standard high. Centered in New York City and extending throughout America and the whole world, our mission is to unite East and West within a victorious heavenly circle in order to relieve Your age-old frustration with mankind. When I think of our great mission, what a small and powerless group we have! Nevertheless, with Your mighty name and authority, I chose New York City as the frontline for all America and the entire free world. We pledge to reopen the battle in order to dedicate this city to You. Please rest assured that beginning today, we start marching to victory
Since we have already pledged our faith and loyalty to be Your shield until victory bless us and help us fight to the end and be Your triumphant remnant.
Father, we have now begun an historic new ministry centered on the home church. Since we are beneficiaries of living in a new age, all members of our Unification family are entitled to be Your children, inheriting the reduced condition of universal indemnity for the three stages of the Old Testament, New Testament and Completed Testament. For this I am truly grateful.
Father, how long You have been waiting for this day! How long too the whole of mankind has waited for this time! When I think about these things, even though we dedicate ourselves as eternal, living sacrifices, it is not enough to thank You for the unprecedented benefits of this age. Father, I pray that You forgive men for their ignorance.
Even though we were to unite completely with Your heart and pour out our very selves into the responsibilities given us, we would still feel most unworthy. Therefore, Father, I beseech You to inspire our members and guide them to march on with unfailing loyalty and faith.
At this hour, I pray under the motto of new love, let them embrace New York City (which has been lost) with the love which God has always wanted to express for it but was as yet unable. Help them to embrace our lost nation and our lost world with Your love. May they also embrace with that same love the entire spirit world and their descendants on earth.
I beseech You, Father, that our members can march ahead with the possibility of a great future. Centered on the realization of the four-position foundation of love, and by forming a foundation for the Messiah at a tribal level, we reassert Your absolute sovereignty of goodness. We know that You are trying to realize Your ideal of one world through the union of all tribes and nations. That is our hope for the future.
As Your beloved children in Korea, Japan and America, and all those who have gone out as missionaries in Your name to 127 countries, and Your new children in those mission lands turn toward this place for a New Year's blessing, I pray, God, that You pour Your infinite love upon then and place upon each of them, far and near, Your hands of blessing. Make 1979 a year to be proud of. Bless them and manifest anew Your reality and majesty as our loving Father, resurrecting their inner life so that they may achieve a hundred victories in a hundred battles, I beseech You.
In this moment when we are entering a new year, we start a new beginning with Your love and protection. Fill everyone with Your abundant grace and make all things work together for good. May 1979 be a time when we frustrate all the plots of our enemies and exalt this authority of heaven. This I pray.
Father, I pray that Your love and grace, peace and light may dwell abundantly in all those who reside in spirit world, all of their righteous descendants and all of mankind on this earth. All these things are offered by the True Parents to You at the dawn of a new year. Amen.