Only two days before True Parents' Birthday, members are gathered in New York for the International Blessing of 74 Couples, and Dr. Bo Hi Pak speaks to the couples directly before the ceremony. He lovingly acknowledges their loyalty and devotion and their trials and victories. He describes the historical event as another important cornerstone of the Kingdom of God on earth, being laid this time in America.

After the evening banquet with True Parents, Dr. Pak speaks again, joyfully engaging the new couples in several games. He then invites them to express their gratitude and joy by entertaining True Parents with their many talents.

God created Adam and Eve to be the parents of mankind, and He blessed them saying: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." God created man for the fulfillment of these three major blessings expressed in Genesis 1:28. The first blessing is the perfection of man. The second blessing is that of the divine marriage of perfect husband and wife to create the family. The third is lordship over all creation.

If Adam and Eve had been totally obedient to God and had united with Him, they would have become the first temples of God through their individual perfection. It was God's plan then to bring perfected Adam and Eve into heavenly matrimony, and as husband and wife, they would create the first family of man on earth. As they multiplied children, their posterity would have filled the earth, and they would have been given lordship over all the earth. That would have consummated the three blessings of God, and the joy of God would have been abundant throughout heaven and earth.

Through disobedience, however, Adam and Eve separated themselves from God and could not achieve perfection. Therefore, God could not bless Adam and Eve in heavenly matrimony, and human history started with a satanic lineage. It is truly heart-warming, though, to know that in the long 6,000 years of biblical history, God's total goal has been the restoration of mankind into His own family. He has been longing for the day of the first heavenly wedding ceremony.

It is incredible and astonishing to realize today that we members of the Unification Church are living in another messianic era. We are privileged people who are allowed to see God, not in a mirror dimly, but face to face. We are privileged people who have been experiencing the very heart of God.

Today we see 74 chosen pairs of men and women who have been handpicked by God to be Blessed in heavenly matrimony. This historical event which we are about to witness will unite the entire heaven and earth in these men and women, creating heavenly families that will be admitted into the Kingdom of God on earth and in heaven.

Although our work and the media are quiet today, the billions of citizens in the spirit world know that today another important cornerstone of the Kingdom of God on earth is about to be laid here in America. The entire spirit world is enviously looking upon these privileged men and women from 11 different nations of the world.

As members of the Unification Church International from all over the world, we bring our heartfelt congratulations to you selected champions of our movement who are participating in today's honor and glory. We extend our heartfelt congratulations upon your Blessed marriage.

We pay our deep respect and admiration to you who, through your long-standing loyalty and absolute devotion, have won today's honor to be selected as Blessed couples. We know that many of you have gone through untold tribulations and persecution. You have victoriously gone through severe tests of God in personal tragedies, and you have withstood the worst temptations. Today, you are here as victors of heaven. You are shining examples of Church members throughout the world. You have been the pacemakers of our movement, and you have set a beautiful tradition to be followed. Yet, today is the real beginning for you. All heaven and earth will watch what you do after this Blessing. We still have ground to cover to reach perfection. But I am sure you will come out final and eternal victors.

I would like to end by quoting the words of Reverend Sun Myung Moon in his message on September 11, 1974:

What is our purpose? To become true men. We will create the true husband and wife and become true parents to give birth to children who experience love among themselves and from a loving brotherhood. And those children and parents together will create one heavenly family. That family will expand into a true society. That true society will expand into a true nation. That true nation will expand into a true world.

God bless you all. Thank you.

[After the Blessing ceremony, Dr. Pak offered more remarks.]

Never in the history of the Blessing of the Unification members, except the first 36 families, have the True Parents granted permission for individual couples to take photographs with them. This is an extraordinary honor.

Before we receive instructions from Father, I would like to express a few words in a very informal manner. First of all, this is the first formal wedding ceremony outside of Korea. Of course, we did have wedding ceremonies in Belvedere and some of our leaders were married back in 1969. So I would like you to know that Father and Mother gave very special consideration to make this wedding ceremony possible.

As you know, the day after tomorrow is our True Parents' birthday, and this birthday in 1977 is a very special one. On the foundation of the victory of 1976 here in America, this wedding ceremony today was made possible. Therefore, Father and Mother gave us instructions to do our very best to set the tradition for future weddings and make this wedding ceremony noble, dignified, and colorful. You brothers and sisters who are not being Blessed today, your chance is coming. You must earn it.

These 74 couples are extraordinary ones in many respects. They are truly pacemakers, and the tradition has been set by them, particularly those Japanese who came here to be Blessed. Those who belong to the 777 and 1800 Couples Blessings, you have gone through personal tragedies, but you withstood them for the True Parents. Those people who were matched this time in America are the ones who were working for Yankee Stadium and Washington Monument. They had the full capability to be Blessed in the 1800 Couples Blessing, but because of the mission, they couldn't get out of America.

Among all these special people are Martin Porter, very special, and Irene Welch, the first member of the Unification Church of America. So this is a really great day for this very extraordinary group of people. All you 74 couples, your wedding was one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever seen.

And Father and Mother stayed for the pictures. This is only for you. Father and Mother have never done it before. Even I don't have a picture like that. When I got Blessed in 1961, the 36 couples were Blessed in Korea, but my wife and I were in America so we kept the same hour. Just like Mrs. Cho Sun Sook and Mrs. Sun Chum Yo, these two brides are doing the same thing. From Heavenly Father's point of view, the Pacific Ocean is nothing, it is a peanut. It makes this ceremony very, very dramatic for our brothers Ed Bolton and Keith Anderson, and for the two brides in Korea. So give them a big hand. You have great faith, not seeing your own bride. That is really a great tradition. I know the blessing of God is going to be abundant.

So this wedding is setting the pace, and much greater numbers are coming in the future. You are pioneers of great weddings of the future.

[Dr. Pak spoke again after the evening banquet.]

Are you enjoying the dinner? Are you really enjoying the dinner? How are your chopsticks? Do they work? OK. Father and Mother are enjoying watching you eat. Really, Father and Mother are enjoying watching you, and you are so slow tonight. Now I know the reason why. Well, the taste is entirely different tonight, isn't it? It is a great privilege to have True Parents come to our banquet. Again, this is extraordinary. We never had this type of banquet in the past Blessing celebrations. You are, all in all, in a very special group.

Actually tonight, I would like to initiate one game, then I will turn everything over to Martin Porter. We didn't prepare any formal celebration. The day after tomorrow we will have a formal celebration together with True Parents for their birthday. Every one of you will have a special seat.

Furthermore, the reason we don't have a formal program tonight is Martin Porter and Mr. Matsuzaki told me there are so many wonderful talents among you. They want to show Father and Mother how good you are. It is up to you now. This can go on all night, as long as Father and Mother are happy. But it can be over in 30 minutes if you fail to satisfy Father and Mother.

All right, start with the first game. Each husband and wife look at each other. Who can watch your mate longer without blinking your eyes. Are you ready? The greater the love, the longer you would not blink. Whose love is deeper? All right, everyone get closer together, close the distance between wife and husband. Now, everybody quiet. All the serving people quiet. This is a serious game now. Close your eyes. Ready? Open your eyes.

All right, more husbands won. All right, once more. Ready-go! All right. More husbands. This time try another game. All the wives try to make the husbands laugh. All the husbands try to keep yourself from laughing. You can do anything you want, make facial expression, use your hands. Husbands should not laugh. All right. Now ready-begin! Those husbands who didn't laugh raise your hands. You poor husbands, why didn't you laugh? What kind of husbands are you? Oh boy, what cruel husbands you are.

Now husbands, make your wives mad. He upset you very, very much. Very furious. Now begin, make her laugh. All right, those who didn't laugh raise your hands. Everybody is defeated. That is great.

This is really a day for great laugher. Everybody laugh. Show True Parents how well you can laugh. Face True Parents and laugh so much you make Father and Mother laugh. Go on, you are not yet successful. What are you doing? Go on, hurry up.

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