I Prayed for My Enemies to be Blessed

Sun Myung Moon
June 12, 1967
Tokyo Church
Excerpt from “The Boundary of God’s Heart”
Unofficial Translation

When you face painful and agonizing situations and feel like you have reached the end of your rope, you must focus on the central point -- God has never experienced real joy in His Heart. His Heart is only embracing sorrow and agony. Therefore, your question is how to comfort God’s grieving heart. It is your most important responsibility as a member of Unification Church.

When you gain a victory, you must thank God with tears of gratitude. The victory you gain today is not a victory won by your efforts alone. From the first victory, to the one-hundredth, to the ten-millionth victory, every victory is won because God’s decisive motive is behind it. Thus, you who understand this principle must always keep grateful hearts to Him, even when going through courses filled with tears. Jesus offered his gratitude to God, when he went the course of the cross. Unless the heart of gratitude had remained, even after death by crucifixion, there would not have been his resurrection.

Therefore, you must fight on and continue fighting on. After a victory, with gratitude to God, you must move on-ward to the world on the road of battle. This is where you stand in the process of restoration. Don’t ever forget that.

Excerpt from “Longing for Eden”
June 28, 1959
Former Church Headquarters, Seoul, Korea

Jesus prayed for his enemies to be blessed. He prayed for those who hammered the nails into his hands and feet and who put the crown of thorns on his head. He blessed the ignorant enemies who pierced his side with the spear. Why did he do that?

Excerpt from “Total Indemnity”
April 3, 1983
From God’s Will and the World

Jesus was born as the first begotten son possessing the love of God, as His beloved. Even though being placed in front of Satan, the fact that Jesus prayed for the people who were trying to kill him was great. It was great indeed because he really did it. If he had hatred or enmity toward his enemies when he was about to die, then the providence of God would have been overturned. However, because Jesus prevailed over his situation practicing God’s love, from this point on, Satan must begin surrendering. Thus, Jesus qualified as God's true son.

Excerpt from “The Restoration of the True God’s Homeland”

If you want to inherit God’s Will, what must be your resolution to declare to the world? You can never claim to be following the direction where the secular world loves to go. Rather, you must declare to the world that you will go the opposite direction.

The declaration is represented in the following phrase, “Love your enemy with your loving heart.” God’s Words, “love your enemy” can restore the wrong history to the right like an anchor holding a ship tossed and swayed by the sea during a hurricane. Jesus thought, “Oh Rome! You tried to conquer me with your great military might; however, I will conquer you with my love.” Because of this thought, he prayed for his enemy even though he was crucified by that enemy.

Excerpt from “God’s Fatherland”
February 21, 1980
World Mission Center, NY

In order to regain God’s Fatherland by your own hands, you must love your enemy. To love your enemy, you must love your personal enemy, then love your family’s enemy, love your tribal enemy, then your national enemy, and the world level enemy. Unless you go through these principled steps, the ideal world will never appear on earth. You must understand this.

I never condemned my enemies who opposed and persecuted me on the pathway. Some Americans were not friendly to me. However, I never uttered even one word cursing them. I never complained about it. I never took revenge nor brought accusation against them.

I learned the secret -- how sweet the persecution was. It is because when you endure the persecution with the right heart, you will gain so many like-minded brethren without fighting for them.

“Simple Principle of loving Your Enemy”
Excerpt from God’s Fatherland
February 21, 1980
World Mission Center, NY

From this one point where you love your enemies, the Kingdom of Heaven shall prosper. Rev. Moon’s philosophy is very simple. The principle is very simple. If you have the attitude to love your enemy and practice this principle, then you can overcome any situations. And no obstacle can block you.

My topic today is the “Fatherland of God.” God needs a nation – a Fatherland here on earth. We don't have the nation. God’s Fatherland begins from practicing one simple principle, “Love Your Enemies.”

Excerpt from Future of Korea, Future of the World, Chapter Seven “As a Peace-Loving Global Citizen” (Page 294)

The most important wisdom needed by humankind comes from knowing God’s heart and His ideal. For this reason, the role of religion continues to be important, especially in the twenty-first century, when science and technology seem to be replacing the role of religion in understanding how the universe operates. Religions around the world must understand the destination of the human journey and immediately cease all major and minor struggles. They should not be fighting for the purpose of protecting their own honor. Religions must pool their wisdom and combine their energies and work diligently to build the ideal world. They must forget the past struggles filled with hatred and work out peaceful solutions. No matter how much we have done for world peace, there is always more to be done. Religious people, whose mission is to lead humanity into the ideal world, must not forget for a moment that truly their only mission is to be apostles of peace.

Boundary of Heart

Sun Myung Moon
June 12, 1967
Excerpt
Unofficial Translation: Hiroshi Goto from Original Source of Loyalty and Filial Piety, Volume 1

Photo date and location unknown

When you face painful and agonizing situations and feel like you have reached the end of your rope, you must focus on the central point — God has never experienced real joy in His Heart. His Heart is only embracing sorrow and agony. Therefore, your question is how to comfort God’s grieving heart. It is our important responsibility as members of Unification Church.

When you gain a victory, you must thank God with tears of gratitude. The victory you gain today is not a victory won by your efforts alone. From the first victory, to the one-hundredth, to the ten-millionth victory, every victory is won because God’s decisive motive is behind it. Thus, those who understand this principle must always keep grateful hearts to Him, even when going through courses filled with tears.

Therefore, we must fight on and continue fighting on. After a victory, with gratitude to God, you must move on-ward to the world on the road of battle. This is where you stand in the process of restoration. Don’t forget that.

Note: “Original Source of Loyalty & Filial Piety” is several volumes of books compiled Father Moon’s speeches (many of them spoken in Japanese) from later 1960’s to early 1980’s)

Prayer: Please Allow Our Minds to Long for Our Original Home

Sun Myung Moon
May 28, 1967

Photo date and location unknown

We did not know that a historical end was calling to us from afar, and we did not know that you had set us up high and were urging us along the path we have to go.

Father! Each time we went in ignorance onto a side path you guided us back to the path ahead. We feel once again how very much you have toiled guiding us until this point at the end of history today. Oh Father! Where do our minds want to dwell? And where do our bodies want to dwell? Since we have come to understand that the place where our minds and bodies should dwell is at the center of your original, deep love, Father, please encourage your children who have not been able to arrive at that point.

Without your love, Father, we cannot rest, and without your love, we cannot feel your heart. Therefore please let the waves of your love flow down into our lacking minds, and bring about in us the blessing of rebirth. We must long for that position until our eyes grow cold, and we must yearn for that position until our minds ache with the yearning. And furthermore in order to find that position, we will have to go through miserable struggles, and even if we are destroyed and collapse a thousand, ten thousand times, and experience the anguish of the vanquished, we know that it is our duty that we must rise up again and go forward fighting. Therefore, our Father, please personally direct our minds and bodies, and please do not allow us to become the vanquished in this battle. We have humbly prayed all these things in the name of the True Parents. Amen.

Prayer: Please Let Us Have the Qualification of True Sons and Daughters

Sun Myung Moon
May 14, 1967

Photo date and location unknown

Please let us appear as sons and daughters who are able to promise filial piety to you, Father, who are able to dwell in the midst of your heart.

Father! In addition to having minds which adore you and minds which long for you so much that we cannot endure without loving you, please let us become sons and daughters who long for you, Father, even if we lose consciousness, collapse, or are on the verge of death. We did not know that you are longing for many children who are able to feel ashamed about their inadequate selves even though they have given all kinds of devotion and sacrifice for the purpose of realizing your will.

We earnestly hope and desire, Father, that you will allow us Unification children to become your children who know how to make efforts to see our heavenly father look joyful while we cover our faces and suppress our joy for fear that our own joy might show in front you.

Father! Please do not let there be anything in our real relationships which holds us back as brave people in the vanguard standing before the will. Since we know well that we are all precious brothers and sisters who were born with each individual receiving one blood lineage centered on the love of you who are perfect, please let us become children who know how to stop and go together with your sorrow. We earnestly hope and desire, Father, that you will let us become true filial sons and daughters who are able to shoulder your yoke in your stead and release you from it.

Oh Father! Your children who have gathered together here are children who have already pledged themselves to you, Father. Since they have pledged millions of times to offer their minds and bodies to you, please allow them to offer their bodies to you in purity. We earnestly hope and desire that you will allow us to become your children who sanctify our bodies and offer them eternally to you, Father, and who make efforts to become sons and daughters who reveal your love in place of you. We have humbly prayed in the holy name of the True Parents. Amen.

Prayer: Please Let Us Inherit Your Path of Sacrifice

Sun Myung Moon
December 8, 1968

Photo date and location unknown

Father! This morning is the day of rest. Please let us be able to come into contact with your glory together as your children, and please let us be able to come into contact with your noble and precious character, and please allow this morning to become one in which we are able to experience the idea of the victory of the fulfillment of your hope.

Oh Father! When we think about the fact that your holy work of having created this entire universe was ruined like this due to the first ancestors of humankind, as the sorrowful happenings come one on top of the other, we truly will have to feel that we have become people who must be ashamed before you.

We have come to know that you alone carried our responsibility, and you have walked the course of history so miserably, so mournfully, and so solitarily. Now we who have come to know this will have to give all our strength and praise highly the name of our father, and giving devotion, and following the example of your precious heart, we will have to sacrifice everything we have, and we will have to inherit completely the path of sacrifice of the pioneer which you have pioneered until now.

Oh Father! Please look down at your children who are gathered here. We are young. We are inadequate. We are a group that has lived without any kind of hope on the earth. We thank you sincerely that in spite of that you have brought us to participate in this holy place where we are able to call out your name, Father.

Please allow us to become true filial sons and true filial daughters who are able to inherit all of your toil each time we straighten up our clothes and call out your name, Father, and who are able to call you "Father" through a flow of deep heart.

Our Father, who has been sorrowful for millions of years, please reveal your grief-filled heart, and please let us reveal all our circumstances, and inherit completely your sorrowful grief, and please allow us to become your children who resolve completely all your enmity in relation to your enemies which has become entangled over millions of years. We have earnestly and humbly prayed in the holy name of our True Parents. Amen.

Prayer: Please Let Us Become Children Who Are Able to Go Directly Towards the Will Alone

Sun Myung Moon
November 24, 1968

Photo date and location unknown

Father! Just as you have related to us with the heart of a parent relating to his children, please allow our hearts to swell with adoration of our parents, while we relate to you. And please let us share together the many grief-filled situations you have had until now from a position where your mind and ours have become one.

The day when we are able to hold you and comfort you should come quickly. We earnestly hope and desire, Father, that in the midst of that you will let us be able to be grateful while realizing on our own the lofty preciousness of our father.

Father! Since, we are people who must go out to the world anyway, please allow us to quickly prepare everything necessary for going out to each nation of the world. Please allow us to become wise children who can go straight towards the destination we must reach quickly. We earnestly hope and desire that you will allow us to be able to go straight to the places we must go, and even though many people rest along the way, we people of the Unification Movement will not rest.

We must know the fact that in the place we must go now there is a path of trials, suffering and hard work in front of us. Furthermore, we must know the fact that the swords and guns of the enemy are blocking our way.

We know that the more eager our minds are to go straight there, the more we must have minds with attitudes of wanting to act for our father, minds which love our father, in order to easily overcome everything that will appear there in our external environment. We know that without those kinds of minds, we cannot go straight along this path.

We know the fact that you carried out the providence for the long period of six thousand years because you were not able to meet one person who was able to go straight on this way, and because the conditions which have to be indemnified could not be overcome. Please let us know clearly that that one person and those conditions of indemnity have been put on the way in front of us.

Just as you needed a true character and true conditions of indemnity while going this way looking for us, we, who are looking for you will have to have a true character and establish true conditions of indemnity. We know that we must be able to liberate ourselves from Satan; that is to say, at the same time that we become people who are able to subjugate Satan, we must stand in a position of leading all the people, of offering sacrifices to you, and of not being attacked by Satan. Unless we do that, we will end up like wanderers who are not able to go to you even if we want to. When we realize that our way is long and pressing, we know we must go straight, and it will not do for us to take a detour on this way that is so far and so pressing. We know that the time is far too short for us to pass over this long way.

Father! We know that when we feel hearts that are stimulated so that it will not do unless we become completely for the Will, then we will be able to call you our father, and an earnest heart will well up. We know that you are always acting in that position. Therefore, we earnestly hope that you will allow us to become your children who struggle to dash to you with earnest hearts with the goal of resolving grief. We have humbly prayed all these things in the holy name of the True Parents. Amen.

Human relationships in the spirit world

Sun Myung Moon
November 24, 1968

God is the Creator of heaven and earth, the very Parent who happens to be the origin of all beings in this world today. He is the source of value of all beings. By virtue of His existence this world of phenomena began. Such an absolute being does not change according to contemporary trends; absolute things do not change. He is not limited by time and space. He transcends and thus presides over all limitations. We should not simply call such a being God.

He is our Father. You are to call Him Heavenly Father. He is the Father who begat you. The Fall gave rise to the word rebirth, but He is the Father who originally begat you. Your physical father is the father who became the bridge. You will call him brother in the spirit world. You will not be calling your physical mother mom either.

What do all the people who were born of their parents call God? They all call Him Father as the Christians do. In the same family, the grandfather calls God Father and so do the father and the grandson. That goes for all members of the family. Likewise, God is Father to all humankind. Accordingly, all people are brothers and sisters. I sometimes think that if that is really the case, then things will be quite interesting when I go to the spirit world.

As all people are mutually related as siblings, who would be the closest ones in the spirit world? Not the horizontal ones. Which relationship is closer in this world: between parent and child, or between siblings? Since the parent-child relationship is closer, even after you pass to the spirit world, you will be closest to your parents, then to your grandparents and then to your great-grandparents, and then your great-greatgrandparents above them. When you trace the vertical line all the way up, who is the last grandparent? He is, indeed, God.

That is why you do not have to feel lonely saying that you have no friends in this world. You do not have to feel sad because you lived by yourself before you died. When you go to the spirit world, you will have an unlimited number of close siblings above and beside you. However, you will not become their sibling just like that. You can become their sibling only when you have attained the privilege of attending God as your Father.

I do not feel bad about calling my father and grandfather my elder brothers. Somehow, when you think about it, you might feel bad. You used to call him daddy while on earth. He might be terribly offended if you were to call him your brother in the spirit world! Yet, that is how you will have to address each other. Why does it have to be like that? Because only in such a position can you become the son of the direct male line. If that is the case, you may ask, "Since there is but one son of the direct male line, how then can everyone occupy that position?" In the spirit world, everyone can become the son of that line. Centered on God, everyone can become its descendants. When a rich man dies in this world, his assets will be inherited by his children. Then, it is customary for half to be given to the eldest son of the direct male line and the rest to be divided by the other sons.

Nevertheless, it is not like that in the spirit world. Since all people in the spirit world have to become descendants of the direct male line, God does not have to divide His assets among them. Once all siblings become one, what is your elder brother's is simultaneously yours. So it is important that all siblings become one. As you seek to trace your lineage back through the generations, they will be numbered differently, but if all the ancestors of the direct male line become completely one, the descendants who come after them will inherit the universe. In other words, they will govern the spirit world centered on the children of the direct male line.

Prayer: Please grant that we do not forget the love of our Father

Sun Myung Moon
November 17, 1968

Photo date and location unknown

We know that today is a day when all people should bring their hearts together, offer a bow before the Father and praise His boundless love, honor and glory. We also know that the time of hope You wanted to realize centered on the ideal of creation of heaven and earth has not yet appeared on earth. We know that Your joy was immense when You created all the things of creation and humankind. However, up to this point there has not been a single person who has understood the heart of the Father, who yearned for the family of goodness, realized through eternal life and eternal love centered on humankind, and there has been no one on this earth who has profoundly experienced this.

We should realize how grievous, frustrating and disappointing it has been that our first ancestors could not attend You, Father, and be embraced within Your Will. Father, we have prostrated ourselves before You on this morning. We must acutely feel in our mind and body that You are our deeply grieved Father, one who has worked so hard to find His children throughout the course of history. Father, You have shouldered the responsibility of history while immersed in sorrow and have sought to find us. Therefore we must truly unite our mind and body and fulfill our duties of filial piety and loyalty to You to be able to call You Father and the central figure of goodness.

When we objectively examine whether there was ever one moment in the past when our joy could be remembered in Your heart for all eternity, we cannot help but censure ourselves for having failed to do so. We should realize that the place where You want to meet us and exchange life stories is not the current environment where we have lived till today. Rather, it is in on the higher level of Your world of heart. Please allow us to understand that this world of heart does not come about through the tangled circumstances of the Fall, but that it is realized centering on Your heart, Father, who long for the hour when You can move through the original relationship that transcends all circumstances.

We earnestly hope and desire, Father, that You grant us the ability to comprehend with our hearts, not only through words. We can't help but raise our heads and praise Your greatness, and we cannot enter the presence of Your grace without tears of gratitude. Guide us, that we do not forget Your great and precious love, Father. We earnestly hope and desire to become Your children, who can feel Your life in the blood flowing through our own veins, who can sense Your breath in the sound of our own breathing and who can feel Your touch of infinite mercy upon our own skin.

Father! Please allow us to realize what sorrowful people we are since we have not, even for a single hour, had the hearts of innocent children whom You can comfort and who are completely immersed within Your profound, high and merciful heart. Nursing the sorrow of the Fall, we walk the path of restoration destined by history.

Those presently living on this earth are pitiful people covered with scars. They are far away from You and cannot relate to You, Father. When we reflect that we must lift ourselves out of this tangled environment and sad circumstances and return to the world of our original nature, where we can receive official recognition and bring a new beginning to this earth, we come to feel once again that we are really a great distance away from You, Father.

We come to know that we are people who must make a deep internal connection of heart with You, build a new relationship with You as Your eternal sons and daughters, and begin anew from this place under new commands and promises. Even though You are calling us, how many times have we found ourselves sad and pitiful people who cannot come to You because we are still in our lowly position and we still have a long way to go? Father of love, we earnestly hope and pray that You allow us to become sons and daughters who clearly realize this.

Please allow us to become Your sons and daughters whose anguish increases the more we feel that the place we live in today is not the place we were originally meant to be. We know You cannot dwell in such a place. Father, You have been wounded, rejected and abandoned by innumerable people as You have continued to take responsibility for this sad history, and we are worried that if You come to us where we are You may have to suffer new sorrows because of us. Therefore, Father, we sincerely hope and pray that You will allow us to become sons and daughters who can return to You after promising that we will all go the distance, and that You will wait for us.

We earnestly hope and desire, Father, that You allow us to become Your children who work tirelessly in our desire to make Your noble and precious Will remain forever, maintaining filial piety and loyalty even when our bodies are worn out and our minds are exhausted. We also sincerely hope and pray that You allow us to clearly realize that, even if we were to set right our disunited mind and body and walk the path of attendance, we would still be far from standing in our original position before You.

We have called out to You from this faraway place, and we have called out to You many times when faced with conditions to indemnify our inability to form a relationship with You, Father. However, before we call out to You, we must first make our way through the course of indemnity You have given to each of us. Since we need to follow this path bearing our cross, Father, we sincerely hope and pray that You allow us to clearly know we are people who have no alternative but to offer devotions and fight the battles we need to fight.

We earnestly hope and desire, beloved Father, that You allow us to become children who can feel the love hidden in Your holy Will. Please remember all Your children spread out in all parts of this nation, and if there are people who are kneeling, bowing their heads before You, prostrating themselves before You and calling out to You, please embrace them with love. Father, if there are people who are desperately crying out to You, yearning to become loyal subjects and filial sons and daughters of Heaven, and who are struggling so they may be embraced in the deep and noble bosom of Your love, we sincerely hope and desire that You do not pass them by.

Father, we earnestly hope and pray that You halt Your footsteps and comfort them with Your profound and noble heart of mercy. Father, please allow us to know at this time the preciousness of the responsibility entrusted to us and allow us to realize that the time of Heaven will not always remain solely with us. Please grant us awareness of the fact that even though people, earthly relationships and material things may remain with us, the Will of Heaven and Your providence will not always remain with us.

Please allow us to know that if we miss the crucial time, we cannot help but lament for all eternity. Hence we earnestly hope and pray that You allow us to become Your children who fulfill our duties of loyalty and filial piety and are not lazy in preparing to usher in that one moment. We sincerely hope You bless those who adore this place and are calling You with all their hearts. Furthermore, we earnestly hope and pray that Your consolation and advice be with the people spread across the world who are waiting for the day they will meet You centering on Your Will.

We should go straight toward the Will of the Father, knowing clearly that the responsibility and mission to triumph on the final battlefield rests upon our shoulders. We sincerely hope and pray that You allow us to be sons and daughters who can stand at the vanguard, defeat the enemies and bring joy to You. Please be with everyone gathered today in Your name, and we earnestly hope and desire that You allow us to be Your children who can light the flames of life in this dark world, and fulfill our mission as a lighthouse and as the salt of the earth.

Please allow Your children to experience profoundly how many bloodstained paths had to be walked before the Unification Church emerged. Our path was found through unbearable pain, from among many paths of tears, paths of sorrow and paths of oppression and anger. Please grant that we may become Your children who fulfill the duties of loyalty and filial piety on this path, who embrace all the indemnity of the people and the world, who inherit this worthwhile path You have patiently walked, and who are able to fulfill all our responsibilities.

We will race forward toward the day when we bring innumerable people to be embraced in Your bosom; we earnestly hope that Your power be with us. The numerous spirits in the spirit world are awaiting the day they will be liberated from their sorrows through us. Accordingly, we sincerely pray that You personally be with us. We earnestly request that You let us become Your children who can fulfill the duties of true filial piety and return praise, prestige and glory to You forevermore, by setting everything in the present in accord with Your Will as the starting point of glory. I pray all these things in the name of our True Parents. Aju!