Good afternoon, brothers and sisters,

It is a beautiful day to celebrate True Parents' Day. We are truly honored and blessed to have you here in this sanctuary; and for those who are joining with us through the Internet, throughout the world, we are welcoming you as well. True Parents' Day was established in commemoration of True Parents' Holy Wedding Anniversary. Every year on the first day of the third lunar month, True Parents' Day was celebrated. On this very day, God truly found His true daughter and His true son. Happy True Parents' Day.

Thank you. I'd like to share with you some of Father's words on True Parents' Day. He has this beautiful metaphor that he speaks about. It's absolutely beautiful. Let's look at this. Imagine, if you will, the whole earth covered with water.

Water is often being used as a symbol for fallen humankind. Thousands of years ago, one rock, representing the sacrifices of saints and righteous people, was laid in the ocean depths. Far down in the ocean, one rock was piled upon another, slowly and painfully, building the providence of restoration. On the surface, nothing was apparent. In the course of 6,000 years more rocks were gradually added to the pile. Finally, in 1960, the first glimpse of this massive labor of restoration emerged. That's the significance of Parents' Day, Parents' Day, established on March 1st of 1960, representing True Parents' Holy Blessing.

I love that one statement: In the course of 6,000 years, all those rocks being piled up, and finally for the first time, getting a glimpse of that. Let us understand that we are also a part of that rock that is showing. As True Parents emerged victorious, they now have children all over the world. We are their children. And because of that, when we look at this kind of statement, we can understand the value that is within us. We can see that for 6,000 years God has been waiting for True Parents and their children; that is each and everyone of you here, that is each and everyone of you, joining us from around the world.

Let us always remember how precious our blessed families are, how precious our blessed life is. If we do that, we will see ourselves from God's perspective, we will see with the right perspective, we will see ourselves from the right perspective.

Brothers and Sisters, I want to welcome you to True Parents' Day. We're going to have a really great celebration of praise and worship with the Two Rivers' choir today. We are really looking forward to it. Let's really give True Parents all we can. They're going to be here with us today, spirit world is with us, Hyo Jin Nim is with us; we are going to have a good time today.

Brothers and sisters, let's applaud again for Two Rivers' choir. Thank you! Oh my God, I see very shining people today. Brothers and sisters, there are more interesting stories to come, but today I'd like to introduce Pastor Michael. He's been with us for many months now, since we are here at Mapo church. Pastor Michael and Pastor Kyle will be sharing with us just briefly today some of their testimonies and some of their stories with True Parents. We'll see that as the interesting story part today, okay?

So let's all invite Pastor Michael to the podium. Thank you so much.

Good afternoon, everyone. It's quite an honor and a humbling experience to be here before you to share. Yesterday we were asked to share some of our thoughts and feelings towards our True Parents; and perhaps I've taken a more general perspective, but I want to begin by asking you some questions. Hopefully this will jog your thoughts, jog your memories. And the first question is: "Is it easy following the Messiah?" You are welcome to respond. Is it easy to follow the True Parents? So why are you doing it? Perhaps it's true that Unificationists are crazy? Crazy for love? Crazy for God's love? Crazy for True Parents' love?

Well, why are we here? And perhaps I could ask some of the older members "Why are you still here?" Again, the answer might be love, perhaps sincere, unselfish, unconditional longing for love?

Do you remember what Jesus said was the greatest love? Who remembers? Actually, from the Gospel of John, according to Jesus, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends."

Brothers and sisters, I'd like to ask you to travel back with me to October 31st, 1946, nearly 62 years ago. On that day a young man lay dying amidst red snow, brutally tortured, brutally, ruthlessly tortured. But that young man refused to die that day. That young man told God, "I cannot, I will not die, because I still have too many things to do. I still have to liberate Your heart, God. I still have to liberate millions, billions, and even trillions of people around the world." Of course that young man was none other than True Father.

Before even you or most of us and I were born, before we were even a thought in our parents' mind, our True Father was already laying down his life for us, sacrificing everything for us. No greater love exists than that.

Another question I'd like to ask you and this is a multiple choice question: Why do we, why do you love True Parents?

A) Because the Principle says we have to?
B) God says we have to?
C) True Parents say we have to?
D) Our hearts tell us we want to, we long to, we need to?
E) All of the above?

Well, maybe for some of us, or for all of us, it's a little bit of each. Right? But I think, if we look deep in our hearts we know that the best answer is D. Our hearts tell us we want to, we long to, and we need to.

I'd like to share a few words with you from the Cheon Song Gyeong, page 257, and Father says, "Due to the fall of the first human ancestors, however, both Heaven and Earth never saw True Parents. Thus God has never ceased working to realize His original plan to establish True Parents' Day. Before we can celebrate True Parents Day, however, we must first receive True Parents. True Parents are the central beings. They must judge history, rule over the present, and pioneer the future. The desire of people throughout history has also been to receive such True Parents."

The desire of people throughout history has also been to receive such True Parents. Deep in our hearts, I believe, we have always longed for such parents. Have we not?

Let us renew our hearts, commitment and conviction, to help them, the True Parents, to build the Kingdom of Heaven, the Cheon Il Guk, on Earth.

Before closing, I'd like to share a few experiences I've been having during Hyung Jin Nim's final meditation, during our services. And perhaps you, like I, have been having similar experiences. As you recall, during the final meditation Hyung Jin Nim is leading us to a meadow, perhaps peacefully walking before True Parents. But actually, I find myself not always walking peacefully. I find myself jumping and running around.

One time I found myself hand in hand with Heavenly Father, and we were spinning around. Another time I was standing on Heavenly Father's shoulders. Why? Perhaps it goes back to my childhood longing. Recently, perhaps last week, or two weeks ago, I found myself running behind True Parents and sneaking up behind them, tapping them on the shoulder, and running around before them. Perhaps True Father thought, "What a mischievous child."

What would I like to share through that in closing? I think that it's important for us to keep our child like heart before True Parents, but, at the same time, to also become mature sons and daughters, who want to take on the responsibility on our shoulders and tell our True Parents, "Please rest. Please take it easy. Please believe that we will take upon our shoulders the mantle of responsibility to build the Cheon Il Guk and to see it through to it's completion. Let us become such mature sons and daughters."

I believe that, if we become filial, loyal sons and daughters, and that will be the greatest gift we can give our True Parents on Parents' Day.

Aju?

Aju, Aju, Aju. Thank you.

Brothers and sisters,

It is indeed a pleasure and an honor to be here and to speak to you on this precious day, where we commemorate True Parents on their Anniversary. There was no collaboration between Michael and myself, but I, too, would actually like to go back into memory lane a bit.

I personally joined the church in August of 1974. Two months later I found myself in a group called the IOWC, the International One World Crusade. I was 21 years old, and all this was just so new, and so wonderful. I had truly been reborn, because I know in my heart, that if I had not found True Parents and studied Divine Principle, my life would definitely not be where it is today.

So, it was an exciting time back then, actually. We had a lot of people running around a lot of places, and at that time it was the eight city tour in the United States, the tail end of that. So here I was, a new member, with hundreds of other church members around me, and we were from all different nations, like the representation that we have here, now, today.

We were brothers and sisters from Europe and from all over the place, from Japan. But in January, just about four or five months after I had joined, I actually found myself in downtown Tokyo, witnessing on what was the first global team of the IOWC.

I didn't know anything. I was a young member. I had just studied Divine Principle, and I went running off, leaving behind the country I knew, the people that I knew, on this wild quest. I think that each of you, when you joined the church, have experienced the fact that the first number of months your head is kind of in a cloud. You have experienced rebirth. You experienced) the love of God, the love of True Parents. You have really been reborn. Your head's in a cloud; you don't know what's going on.

Well, anyway, that first year I spent a lot of it here in Japan and in Korea. I don't think I really appreciated the opportunity to be in Korea in 1975, being (because I was) such a young member. It was a much different country than it is today, in 2008. But it was an amazing time; it was a historic time. Back then was the first time True Father has spoken publicly in Japan, in Tokyo. Also, it was the first public speaking tour that Father did here in Korea, ending up with the Yoido Rally, where 1.2 million people came and heard Father speak. It was really an amazing time.

But also I was able to receive and hear the testimonies of a lot of the older members. These stories were being told not second and third hand, but by the actual people who had participated in the stories. Michael was talking about the bloodied man in the snow. But hearing Won Pil Kim's testimony of that day, of that time, was really remarkable, and those people who witnessed and participated at that time.

And also it was historic to sit on the hill, down in Pusan, at the rock of tears, and to hear a testimony from a church member who said -- and this was maybe when the church had 5 to 10 people -- that they would sit with Father on the top of the hill and watch the ships come in and go out. He only had five members. And Father was telling them, "Well, you know, in the future, what I'm going to do is bring young people from all over the world, and bring them right here to Pusan."

Well, about 20 years later, the IOWC, the first global team, 700 people, young people from around the world, came into the port of Pusan on a ferry, to serve True Parents. So it was a really amazing time, to get the personal testimonies to hear, and to be a part of a historical event. That was 1975.

January 1976, I found myself in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, by myself, alone, very, very alone. 1976 was an amazing time where we had Yankee Stadium, Washington Monument. And one of the things that True Father wanted to do was send out pioneers to all corners of the United States. All the Americans had come back from Asia, and we were sent out as pioneers. I was sent out to Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Does anyone know where Arkadelphia, Arkansas is? I'm still not sure where it is.

1976 was actually a very tough year for me; and it started out in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. The whole year was tough. I really felt that I was failing God, failing True Parents. I really felt as if I was letting God down. As a pioneer I was unsuccessful; as a fundraiser I was unsuccessful. I really felt I was disappointing True Parents. But the culmination of all this came on Christmas Day 1976. My parents, my own physical parents, were living in New Jersey, and I was in New York, not too far away. And I told my parents at that time, that I could come home for Christmas; and they said, "Well, the only way we would want you home for Christmas, is if you left the Unification movement."

Well, they made up my mind really quick. So instead of being with my family I was able to attend Christmas Day at the Manhattan Center with True Parents, where True Father was speaking; and for me that was a great blessing.

That day I was really torn, because I not only felt like a failure, but now I felt like my parents had disowned me, and I was feeling really lost. So as Father was standing on the stage and talking I wasn't really listening to what he was saying, not really listening. But I was watching him; and I was watching him very carefully. And I noticed that Father was being really jovial and happy that day, and encouraging and embracing.

And it dawned on me at that time that the reason that Father was being so warm and embracing - we've seen the other side of him too -- was because it was Christmas Day. As people of European descent, Westerners, we normally spend this time with our physical families. And we couldn't be with our physical families. So Father was being very jovial and happy.

And at one point True Father was talking about how we were going to embrace the whole world, and Father was prancing around the stage like this, with his arms stretched out, his head up, and talking about how we were going to grab on to the world. Everybody was laughing, and everybody was joyful, but I was just watching. Because when I looked at Father, I noticed that Father's arm doesn't really go out all the way; his neck is not able to be stretched out completely. And all the stories, all the images that I had heard previously about what Father's life was, all of a sudden came flooding to me, about what Father had to go through to be there on that stage, on that day.

Then the question came to me, "What did Father do in his life to deserve the punishment that he had received in his life? What had he done, what was his sin? What was his crime?" His only crime was that he loved me. His only sin was that he wanted to reach out to me. And he knew that if he didn't go this way, he couldn't reach me, he could not save me and my brothers and sisters. And even though he had gone through all that, he could still stand on the stage and try to make me feel good. When everyone around was laughing and applauding, I was crying.

So tomorrow might be the day we commemorate True Parents' Anniversary as True Parents' Day. For me Christmas Day is the True Parents' Day, when I came to understand what Father had gone through to give me life, to give us all life, to give this whole world life. Aju.

Personally, I'd like to thank Pastor Kyle and Pastor Michael once more. Can we give them a round of applause?

It's so precious to be able to hear these testimonies and the wisdom of our brothers and sisters, so many wonderful and rich experiences with True Parents. On this day I'd actually like to share a little bit of my own, just very briefly. I won't go as long as normal; I'll just speak briefly.

When we look at normal philosophy there's such a thing as a "dilemma". I'm sure you've all heard of a dilemma, and that basically means in Latin that there are two choices, or two propositions. It's a dilemma. When we look at Indian philosophy, there is something called a tetra lemma, which is four propositions. A dilemma is a choice between this or that, right? Two things. A tetra lemma is a choice between one: this, two: that, three: this and that, and four: neither this nor that.

Okay, this is very standard in both Hindu and Buddhist philosophy. But in some of these major traditions -- and what I was reflecting on is in the Buddhist tradition -- there the highest answer to these choices, when a teacher is being asked something. And that is an answer that only the highest person can give. It is an answer without words. And of course, anybody can do it, anybody can try to answer without words, but when an un-actualized person does this, this person is seen in the tradition as an impostor, because he is simply copying the external form without having realized the internal character or perfecting his internal character.

When I was in my first seven-year course I was bald and a practicing vegetarian. I was into vegetarianism at that time. I was octo-vegetarian. I did consume eggs, but not any types of meat. And I remember, at one time, that we were at Chung Pyung, all gathered around the table, and Father was there, and he started distributing a pork barbecue dish. I am sure we all heard about it. It's called samkyupsal. It's really porky. Now, for a vegetarian, that's quite an unhealthy sight.

Yes, I'm sitting at the table, with my bald head and my robes, with my brothers and my sisters. And Father is calling us up, one at a time, "Come over here and let me give you some samkyupsal. Come over here and let me give you some samkyupsal." And I know my time is coming. I know I'm going to be called.

So here I am, waiting, I'm closing my eyes, and I'm trying not to visualize the pork barbecue, the samkyupsal. And Father inevitably calls me up. He says, "Come here my boy, I want to give you some pork barbecue, samkyupsal."

At that moment all of my brothers and sisters are looking at me, and they're saying, "Are you going to eat it?" I was standing there, really in a conundrum, really feeling I was dealing with a tetra lemma. When I was in that situation, I decided, "I'm going to take this," and I accepted the pork barbecue samkyupsal. I accepted that very porky, oily, barbecue pork.

Now, please recall, I was a very strict vegetarian. I was in a very strict practice, so I never consumed meat, only eggs. I was very strict. This was going on for about five years at that time. And when I moved to Korea eventually, when my seven-year course was finished, I grew back luscious, black hair, and I started reflecting on that moment, when I consumed that pork barbecue samkyupsal.

I realized actually, that Father was giving me a very important teaching there. When we started ministry, Father, whenever we saw him, he always said to us, "Don't do too much. Stay healthy." He said, "I'm worried about your health. Take care of your health. I'm worried. You've got to be alive."

And whenever I would visit him after services on Mondays and Tuesdays -- and he continues to do it to this day -- he would say, "I want to take you to get samkyupsal; I want to take you to get pork barbecue." And what I really realized was that Father at that time was teaching me without words.

When Father was a young man, he grew up -- as you all know -- he grew up in very impoverished conditions. And at that time there were bouts of famine. So during the war many of the members, including Father, had to peel bark from the trees and cook that, boil it and eat it as soup in order to feed themselves. And a real feast during that time, something seen as very healthy for the body, was samkyupsal, was pork.

And when I reflected on that, I realized that for Father eating that very savory pork barbecue, for him it is a real protein source for health and vitality. And I realized that what Father was saying to me was "Son, I want you to be healthy. I want you to be able to go around and talk about what I do. Son, I love you, and I'm proud of you, I want you to be healthy… stay healthy." I realized he was saying that to me.

One day I found myself, actually with some of my brothers and sisters, and a couple of nieces and nephews, at a Samkyupsal restaurant, with True Parents, just a couple of mountains away from Chung Pyung. And there I had a really unforgettable experience. It was one of those country side restaurants, that is really like a hut. They've got this smoke thing in the middle, and it's fiery and smoky. The samkyupsal is flying all over the place, and I found myself here, wrapping samkyupsal, and I saw my niece feed True Mother. Here she was, she wrapped a beautiful samkyupsal and she fed True Mother! And I was inspired. I said "Oh, that's wonderful, I want to do that. How come I didn't think of that in my lifetime? I want to do that."

So I started mustering up the strength, as I was folding the samkyupsal in beautiful ken nip, you know, the beautiful little leaves, and put the samchang in, and put the roasted garlic in there.

Ooooh! I see that you guys have seen samkyupsal before. I started preparing that, and I started remembering the time when I was a vegetarian and Father gave me that samkyupsal, and how he was saying to me, "Son, stay healthy, Son, I love you; I'm proud of you. I want you to take care of yourself; be healthy." I understood that that was what he meant.

As I was folding the samkyupsal and preparing it for him, I was trying to prepare it with that kind of heart. And I reached down and I said, "Father, would you like some samkyupsal?" He's not a vegetarian but I did it anyway, "Father, please have this samkyupsal." And Father, at that moment, he just looked at me. Here I am, I'm kind of tall, and hovering over him with a leafy samkyupsal, and said, "Father, do you want this?" and he just looked at me. Then he smiled.

And in that moment of communication, when no words were exchanged, in that very intense moment, where there was a real mind to mind or heart to heart connection, I thought, that Father really understood what I was saying to him. I was saying to him, "Father, please be healthy. Father I love you. Father, I want you to be healthy. Please, you need strength. I want you to live a long time. You are the head of this family." He smiled in that one second. He accepted it, and it was an amazing moment. I've never hand fed the Messiah before. And when I did it, I had such a feeling of accomplishment. I'd been to Harvard, but this was greater, this was even greater than that. I really felt that I could communicate to Father in that one moment, in that brief moment," Father, I really love you, I want you to take care of yourself. I want you to be healthy."

I realized that it is truly profound to have understanding without words, when there is a mind to mind or heart to heart connection, when we can realize that sometimes words may dilute that moment. They may weaken the power of understanding or even the enlightenment at the moment. And I was so grateful for this teaching that he gave me, so grateful for this communication we were able to exchange. And I remember really feeling -- in that very split second -- so much of what True Parents are, so much of what they meant, so much of what they have done for us…I really felt this in that moment. I really felt totally accepted and loved in that moment.

And of course, when Father sees me nowadays, I always tell him that I have to head back up to Seoul, I have services to prepare for, etc., etc. Father always says, "I want to take you to get some samkyupsal." And now I understand what that means. So when I hear that, I say, "Father, thank you; I'll take care of my health."

When we are able to receive these kind of moments in our relationship with True Parents, with God, also with our family and friends, these moments that we spend in silent trust in one another, these moments of deep connection, when we can be in each other's presence and can understand our actions and the intentions, there is a powerful feeling of closeness and understanding.

So, in our lives as well, let us look deeply into the actions that we share with others. Let us also look into the intentions that guide those actions. If we do that, I do believe we will have a more enriching life; we will understand and come to more closeness in our relationships. We will understand the heart which is behind the actions. Even though at first we may not understand it, let us keep open to that.

If we can do that, I do believe we will have a wonderful True Parents' Day, and I do believe we will have more victory, more illumination, more VIP. Can we do it together? V… what does V stand for? (Victory). I?… (Illumination)... and P? (Peace). Thank you so much, brothers and sisters.

Let's gather our hearts, in a final prayer.

Father, we thank You for gathering us in this place. Father, You are allowing each one of us to come into Your heart. All of our brothers and sisters with us today, attending this service from across the seas, in different nations, all over this world, Father, we come to You as Your children. And Father, we offer ourselves, we repent for any wrong doings, that we may have done. And Father, we ask You to enter into our presence, making us the holy palace of Your peace, of Your love, and of Your lineage. All these things we pray, in our names, Aju.

Brothers and sisters, if we always keep True Parents enthroned in our hearts, in glory, I do believe we will have more victory, more illumination, and more peace than we can ever possibly imagine. Let us enter into our final meditation practice. And today, hopefully we'll do a little more modified practice today.

Let us now see ourselves walking on a beautiful meadow. You can also see yourself dancing with joy on this beautiful, blessed land. Please notice the beautiful stream to your left, the beautiful birds that are playing in that stream and washing themselves. Let us notice the beautiful sky above us, the vast blue sky. And as we gaze forth, we see a beautiful forest, maple trees and pine trees, and cedar wood. And we see True Parents waiting for us. If your heart moves you, please, as you walk, you may dance with joy, you may sneak up behind True Parents. And as we do that, let us find ourselves before them, let us sit before them.

Father places his right hand, True Mother places her left hand on our heads, and they anoint us and bless us, with their holy blessing.

Let us feel the power of that blessing flow through us, through each one of our cells, becoming healthy and blessed. Let us feel that flow of energy, almost like a wave of energy, flow from the top of our head down to the bottom of our feet. We can see that our physical body is radiant, is illuminating. Our spirit self, our spirit body, is also shining, full of light, as we receive this blessing. As we breathe in, let us say, "I am alive." As you breathe out, "thank you." As we breathe in, "I am alive." As you breathe out, "thank you." One more time, as our last breath, as you breathe in, "I am alive;" And as you breathe out, "Thank you." May you always be blessed, be well, and be safe. May you always be free from suffering and pain, may you be kind to yourself and to others with ease, may you always have peace in the heart of True Parents.

Let us open our hearts in prayer:

Heavenly Father, dear, most beloved True Parents, we celebrate you on this day; we honor you on this day. You have given us life. You have given us the chance to live this most blessed life. Father, we know that we may have had obstacles in our lives, but You have brought us through, every single time. Father, You are continuing to move mountains, on behalf of us. Father, we go forth with confidence. Father, we go forth with strength. We go forward with an everlasting love in our hearts for You. Father, we accept You into our hearts today. We offer You our generosity, our prayers, our love.

Father, be with us, as we go forth from this place. Allow us to have victory, illumination, peace, to truly become the blessings of this world. Father, we thank You once more, with an everlasting love, praying these things in our names, Aju. Aju.