Sun Myung Moon
January 2, 2008
FFWPU International
Sun Myung Moon February 3, 2011
25th Day of Victory of Love and the 7th Anniversary of the Coronation Ceremony for the Kingship of God and Celebration of Jesus' Birthday
The commemorative service for the Day of Victory of Love began from 8:00 am, on January 2, 2008 at Cheon Jeong Gung. 1,500 members were present that day.
The ceremony was led by Rev. Hwang. Hoon-sook nim and Shin-cheol nim came up to light the candles. They then offered a bow before the offering table and were followed by the members of the True Family.
All participants then offered a bow and recited the Family Pledge. Rev. Dow Soon Lym offered the representative prayer. Rev. Kwak delivered the commemorative address.
Summary of Rev. Kwak's address:
We are here today with the True Parents and the members of the True Children both in the spirit world and the physical world to celebrate the 25th Day of Victory of Love. True Parents proclaimed the Day of Victory of Love at 4:00 am on January 3, 1984 at the Belvedere Training Center in America. This day is to commemorate the victory of God's love and True Parents' love based on Heung-jin nim's sacrifice. Originally this day was commemorated on the third of January but after the fourth anniversary True Father gave instructions for this day to be commemorated together in memory of Heung-jin nim's ascension on the second day of January.
Rev. Kwak then gave a more detailed explanation of the significance of the Day of Victory of Love and then read the letter Heung-jin nim sent to True Parents in 2005. After Rev. Kwak's address, Rev. Hwang led the participants in the singing of a Holy Song. True Father then came up to address the participants.
Summary of True Father's address:
The fact that the name 'True Parents of Heaven and Earth,' could be left behind on earth, and that we are living on that foundation, shall be recorded in history both in the spiritual world and on the physical world. The members of the Unification Church are standing at an important crossroad of deciding how they are going to clear away their past life of how they were unable to go beyond the realm of religion and instead swept away within that sphere.
Are the things we say the truth or not? Doesn't this question sound like a conundrum? What conclusion shall you reach?
The position that you are currently in is not the world of our original hometown, that can be likened to the blossom of that place envisioned in heaven; you have not reached that ideal place of freedom and peace.
The members of the Unification Church today have spoken frequently about "true love" and have worked hard in many ways in the hopes of fulfilling the purpose of providence. Instead of the doors being opened to propitious events, difficulties have gradually surrounded you, with layers of walls being built around you. I was left alone in that environment. The fact that you might have personal hopes for your own self, creates such bitterness, lamentation and resentment; in that light, you must consider how I had to pass through a sorrowful place that is icier than the bottom of hell.
Today you call yourselves 'blessed families' and think that your families should receive fortunes or that your son should receive blessings and fortunes but that is not enough. No matter how long you may love one another centering on these hopes, how much indeed do you measure up in the presence of heaven that still is unable to resolve the results of the fall, and in the presence of the reality of the spirit world that has yet to resolve the root of the fall?!
The reason why I make people give testimonies is so that you can listen to these testimonies and mark it as something you can remember anew. Those who never witnessed would not know if there is a God, nor would they know His character. You should go out to witness people, going to each city though you may feel lonely, shouldering any difficulties in that city, and staying there despite any persecution that you may face. If you can break through that opposition and go beyond that environment you will be able to clearly understand and grasp the situation of that area. That's how it works. This great providence is now spreading its influence across the globe. Yet, you cannot freely traverse across this area. You don't know how much I even the young people who are in their twenties. I miss those years. I remember the past during those youthful years how I explored the hidden worlds of faith as I went to the mountains, to the field or to places where no man has gone before.
Father continued to talk about true love, a life of a true family and the mission of the members of the Unification Church. He then asked a number of members to sing songs.)
Rev. Chang Shik Yang led all participants in four cheers of eog-mansei thus concluding the commemorative service.
After True Parents left the hall, Rev. Hwang asked all the "younger generation" to offer a full bow to the elderly members who were seventy and older in line with the Korean tradition of offering one's respect to the elders in the first day of the year.
Rev. Hwang also announced that the ceremony to commemorate the 7th Anniversary of the Coronation Ceremony for the Kingship of God and Celebration of Jesus' Birthday that was to be held the next day would instead be held at 7:00 pm in the evening that day according to True Father's instructions.
7th Anniversary of the Coronation Ceremony for the Kingship of God and Celebration of Jesus' Birthday
7:00 pm, January 2, 2008 – 1,500 members from Korea, Japan and other countries gathered at Cheon Jeong Gung to celebrate the 7th Anniversary of the Coronation Ceremony for the Kingship of God and Celebration of Jesus' Birthday. This was the first time celebrating this ceremony a day before the actual ceremony.
At 6:56 pm, True Parents entered the hall in casual wear.
After lighting the candles, they found their seats. Just as Rev. Kwak was about to start the ceremony True Father asked Rev. Hwang to first give a report. Rev. Hwang talked about the special instructions Father gave him that morning and emphasized that we should understand the significance of the times we live in and how we should work hard to allow the Abel UN to take root in this world.
After Rev. Hwang's report True Father emphasized that the participants should look deep into their hearts and check each moment of their lives during this time. True Father emphasized that we should have absolute faith in God and that we should strive to live a life that is 180 degrees from our past life.
After this Rev. Kwak gave a brief report for twenty minutes. Participants then offered a bow to True Parents. Father then gave instructions to have the participants pull lots and accordingly distribute the fruits on the offering table. A flower bouquet was presented to Ms. Jung Soon Chang and Jesus. Rev. Jong Kwan Yoo led all participants in three cheers of eog-mansei.
After this, True Father had Rev. Kwak, Rev. Hwang, Rev. Jung Ok Yu, and Rev. Chang Shik Yang to give a testimony of how they joined the church, about their current mission and what they should do from now. The event which began at 7:00 pm ended about a half an hour after midnight.