The Words of the Sakurai Family
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The Words of the Sakurai Family |
Holy
Wedding of Kook Jin Nim and Soon Ju Nim, January 10, 1989
The year 1989 started with three great celebrations held on three consecutive days: January 10th, 11th, and 12th.
Such incredible events have never occurred in all of history. Father conducted the Holy Wedding Ceremony for Kook Jin Nim and Soon Ju Nim, and the marriage of the 72 Couples of the second generation on the first and second days. In the intervals of these events, Father held a matching for brothers and sisters from 87 countries around the world. And on the third day Father held the International Wedding Ceremony of 1275 Couples.
I feel that each and every Blessing is the recreation of a new Adam and Eve. Just as God created heaven and earth, so the True Parents pour all of themselves into the creation of good men and women.
I could witness Father's suffering to give birth to a new world during this three-day period. With regard to these Blessings, President Young Whi Kim said, "Father has made humanly impossible things possible." Therefore, if we tackle difficulties with life-and-death determination, we can make things which appear to be impossible, possible. I feel that Father has shown we are now standing in such an age.
In the course of this 43-year period, Father successfully restored through indemnity everything that had been lost at the end of World War II. He connected his victorious foundation to the national and the worldwide levels, so that he could establish solid heavenly bases on earth, horizontally as well as vertically, that Satan could no longer invade.
In January, 72 couples of the second generation received the Blessing after the Holy Wedding Ceremony of Kook Jin Nim and Soon Ju Nim. In addition to the 36 Couples Second Generation Blessing three years before, the victory of this time can be likened to the complete restoration of 12 apostles and 72 disciples at the time of Jesus.
The fact that these second generation families have been established means the victory of the first generation has been completely connected to the second generation. Furthermore, the restoration of the clan which was not accomplished at Jesus' time has also been completely fulfilled. Jesus could have marched forward to Rome after establishing an Abel-type tribe by consolidating Joseph's and Zachariah's family; he then would have built an Abel-type race by uniting Judaism with them.
Therefore Father's speeches at the beginning of this year concerned becoming tribal messiahs. Only if each one of us goes to his tribal area or hometown and restores his family and tribe, can his victory subsequently be connected to the nation and the world. We are now standing in the age in which Satan can no longer invade us if we establish ourselves as a resurrected body of Jesus by accomplishing the things left undone in Jesus' time.
Something especially delightful for Japan occurred at the 72 Couples Second Generation Blessing in Korea: Y. Kamiyama was included in this special Blessing. Through this event the Adam country and the Eve country could make a victorious family foundation both internally and externally on the foundation of True Parents' worldwide victory. These 1275 Couples were the worldwide extension of the number 120. Thus an ideal family realm has been formed on heaven and earth.
Father could successfully restore all these things in the year 1988, according to the lunar calendar. In other words, Father has accomplished everything within his 43-year course, with these three great celebrations as the last events. Having established all the necessary foundation, True Parents have given us the magnificent blessing to start this new Children's Age.
On January 7th in the early morning, several hours after I was informed of Y. Kamiyama's Blessing, I received news of the Japanese Emperor's death. I felt moved when I thought that the reason why the Emperor remained alive in such a severe condition was because he was looking forward to seeing this moment. I believe that although Japan's 120 years of prosperity came to an end when the Emperor died, Japan -- which is connected to a new heavenly fortune through True Parents -- can prosper only if it returns unconditional filial piety to God and True Parents for the next four years.
In this respect, Y's Blessing is not only a blessing for the Kamiyama family, but has such joyful significance for the entire country of Japan. Heaven has given Japan such a great favor in response to the small amount of loyalty which the Japanese Unification Church members have shown to True Parents.
My husband and I, as members of Mr. and Mrs. Kamiyama's trinity, attended the young bride and bridegroom at the Blessing because the Kamiyamas could not attend. We also visited the husband's family on their behalf.
Y. and her husband, Jun Ho Moon, were matched 69th out of 72 couples. Jun Ho is now 24 years old and is taking graduate courses in the United States. I also heard that he had desired to be blessed with a Japanese sister. At the matching he watched and waited a long time as others around him were being selected. Finally, Father asked him, "Which nationality would you like to be blessed with as your wife?" When he responded, "I want to be blessed with a Japanese sister," Father broke into a smile. Nevertheless, Jun Ho almost gave up hope, since it seemed difficult for him to be matched on this occasion, and he strove to attain a peaceful internal attitude. Then Father asked him, "What about Y. Kamiyama?" When Father asked Mother her opinion, she responded, "Y. is quite suitable for him. She seems such a neat and lovely young lady."
I felt grateful to both Y. and her parents. Mr. Kamiyama has worked in America for so many years, attending our True Parents, and he accompanied Father to Danbury. Y. even visited Danbury with her family several years ago. I heard that Father told her at the time, "Y., you should go to Korea and study the Korean language at a junior high school. You will have trouble if you cannot speak Korean should you get blessed with a Korean brother in the future."
It seems Y. kept these words deeply in her thoughts and for the next four years she studied the Korean language in Korea. Since she is now proficient in both English and Korean, I cannot help but feel she was a person specially prepared for this occasion. She is so young she probably was not thinking of the Blessing as yet. But I believe her Blessing is dispensationally significant in helping to link Japan with its new heavenly course.
We met Jun Ho's father, Mr. Young Hyun Moon, for the first time last January. He is one of Father's cousins, 11 years younger, and actually Father's closest living relative. He and Father grew up in the same house. Mr. Moon recalled some events of Father's childhood for us, many of which we had never heard. He told us the story of how Father's family sacrificed themselves in order for Father to study at a university in Japan. The only hope of the Moon family, which was no longer wealthy, was that Father would return home after his studies in Japan and work to support the family. However, Father, after returning to Korea, devoted himself exclusively to God's will. He was persecuted and arrested by the police several times, and finally sent to Hungnam prison camp.
Mr. Young Hyun Moon was fifteen years old at that time, and his brothers were not allowed to study at colleges after the family's experience with Father. They were told, "It is no use giving you an education, because it won't help our family."
Mr. Moon told us that by reducing living expenses, Father's mother brought food and clothes to the Hungnam prison which Father generously gave away to other prisoners. Seeing this, she was overwhelmed by sorrow and anger, crying for several days, "I won't visit him anymore." However, one week later she would again prepare things to take to Father in the prison. Also Mr. Moon told us that Father's family was surprised at Father knowing things which even his aunt, who was a very spiritual person, did not know. These reminiscences of Father's cousin, whose position was actually more like Father's youngest brother, continued late into the evening. Lastly, shedding tears, he sang "Ko Hyang Mu Jung" (literal translation is "Heartbroken Homeland"). Father is also fond of this song.
It was so moving to hear how Father walked a single-minded path, pouring his whole love into people in the Cain position, denying his affection to his own family and especially his own loving mother.
When Father recently said, "After accomplishing the 43-year indemnity course we have at last entered into an age where I can love my own Moon family," I felt how Father had trodden a long-suffering, sacrificial path. But now that we have entered the age when Father can love his family and relatives, his parents and brothers and sisters are no longer living. Therefore I felt like shouting, "Father, from now on, please love True Family to your heart's content."
With Y. chosen to be connected to the Moon family, Father has kindly welcomed Japan as his relative. I was filled with an indescribably proud and joyful feeling.
During this Blessing I had several conversations with leaders of the Blessed Family Department in Korea. I learned a multitude of precious lessons. According to Mr. Kim, director of the Korean BFD, the first condition to be a candidate at this time for the second generation blessing was that he or she should be over 20 years old. Secondly, they should be absolutely pure. Furthermore, this condition of purity was not limited to them alone but applied to their parents as well. Their parents should not have had any problems regarding the Fall. If there had been a problem they must have completed thorough indemnity conditions.
Even after such candidates who had satisfied all those conditions were gathered, Father said, "Those who have not been practicing the pledge ceremony on Sundays, go back."
Those who had given more priority to themselves or their studies, ahead of loving God and His will, were also placed in a difficult situation at that time. Those people who didn't fulfill the requirements of heaven could not receive the Blessing no matter how brilliant they might have been in their studies at top-ranking universities, or even if their parents were leaders. Seeing these experiences gave me a very serious feeling. Parents who put an emphasis on their children's education more than on the public heavenly purpose do their children a great disservice.
Our life experiences will be futile, no matter how busily we work for God's will, if we cannot bring up our children to be good heavenly citizens. In order for us to raise heavenly children, we parents must walk this path truthfully and respectfully. Therefore I think the best treasure we can give our children is to deeply implant the root of eternal faith in their hearts. Children learn from what their parents do even if they don't listen to what their parents say. So children, who see their parents walking the way of God's will half-heartedly, will become persons who also live halfheartedly. We must therefore strive to live sincerely and wholeheartedly for God's will, whether or not we are the most capable persons. Of course, there are also responsibilities on the children's side. But I feel parents will leave a burning fire of faith in the hearts of their children if they live a truthful life under any circumstance, offering their love and loyalty without reservation to God, True Parents and the eternal Kingdom of Heaven.
Today we are standing in the same position as the original Israelites. Just as they had to build a heavenly foundation through three generations of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, so we have to build God's Kingdom through three generations: namely, us, our children and our grandchildren. We need to multiply good descendants who will be worthy citizens of a new Heavenly Kingdom. Thus I want to successfully fulfill my mission and responsibilities as the first blessed generation.
Let us deeply meditate on the encouraging words given by our True Parents, who have completed the 43-year suffering course. They have built the victorious foundation and have prepared the path which we, the children, should walk. Let us march forward in this New Age to the best of our ability.