The Words of Hak Ja Han Moon from 2013
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The Words of Hak Ja Han Moon from 2013 |
"Whenever you went beyond the
pass of Golgotha;
You bit down and pushed back your tears;
We
cannot fathom the blood tears that you shed in your heart.
At the
Rally to Save the Nation held at Yeouido
Your determined roar
toward the millions gathered there was strong...."
Father's life and heart were projected through the choirs and the musical performance Crown of Glory on his Seonghwa anniversary. The performances evoked vivid memories. True Mother and some of her children and grandchildren joined performers onstage to express their love, heart, and determination through the final songs, the Battle Hymn of the Republic and Omaya Nunaya.
Remarks following the Ceremony for the First Anniversary of the Universal Seonghwa of Sun Myung Moon, the True Parent of Heaven, Earth and Humankind
Respected guests from Korea and abroad, speakers who gave memorial remarks the moved and united our hearts, and Unification Church members from around the world, today we have become one.
It feels as if Father might stride forward with a bright smile and ask, "How have you been?"
People
paying their respects before entering the auditorium
Beloved peace ambassadors, at this moment, we have united in heart and desire the same goals. While honoring the achievements of True Father, who gave us great teachings, I am determined that you and I realize Heaven's will at all costs. Korea and Japan have become one during this Seonghwa commemoration period. Starting on August 3, the Cycling for Peace journey began in Hokkaido, worked its way down the Japanese archipelago with great fervor and continued in Korea from Busan to Imjingak. Korea and Japan became one. The twenty-two day Cycling for Peace journey was an actual expression of your hope for the unification of North Korea and South Korea, which you have so long awaited.
True
Mother presenting flowers to True Father, after which other True
Family members came forward with individual flowers to pay their
respects, followed by members representing various geographical and
mission areas
However, we will not end this condition merely at Imjingak but continue past Baekdu Peak, across Asia and move forward on and on until a free, peaceful, unified and joyful kingdom of heaven on earth, which Heaven has hoped for, is achieved in the world.
Distinguished guests and beloved blessed families, True Father is living within our hearts on this great day. May we all become one with our Heavenly Parent and the True Parents of Heaven, Earth and Humankind and become children that realize their wishes while we are still on earth. I sincerely hope that you can all make the determination to become devoted children and patriots during this time.
Our most beloved Heavenly Parent, we invoke your majestic name and recognize you for who you are: the absolute, unique, unchanging and eternal one in whom we live, move and have our being.
We thank you that in the fullness of time you sent to the earth the True Parents of Heaven, Earth and Humankind in the persons of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon and his beloved wife Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon to restore all things and to proclaim the kingdom of God on earth. You anointed, appointed and approved True Parents for this providential moment in salvation history and endowed them with power and authority to complete all things.
We have gathered in this holy place to celebrate and commemorate the first anniversary of the victorious and glorious Seonghwa (ascension) of True Father. We celebrate his life, teachings and legacy, which have impacted the course of human history forever and left an indelible mark upon the lives of those who came to know and love him, and through the fruit of his works and the perfection of the Christ within him, to embrace him as Savior, Messiah and returning Lord. We commemorate his physical death while readily admitting that we still suffer from the pangs of no longer being able to see him face to face or feel the warmth of his magnetic touch.
Although each one of us has been diminished by his transition, our faith reassures us that even though his body has returned to the earth from whence it came, his spirit has returned unto you, 0 Heavenly Parent, who gave it.' You, 0 God, and True Father are now one and wherever you are, so is he. What more could we ask of you, 0 giver of eternal life?
We thank you, 0 Heavenly Parent, that in True Father's physical passing, you did not leave us widowed or orphaned but prepared, anointed and divinely appointed True Mother to lead and follow his life's course of living for the sake of others, loving one's enemies and working tirelessly to establish a world of true and lasting peace, as a prelude for bringing about the manifestation of the kingdom of God on earth. True Father proclaimed before his transition while holding True Mother's hands in prayer, "According to his will, I am spending this time to bring my life to a conclusion using this time to bring it to a close with sincerest heart and devotion... I have accomplished everything... [that Heaven required]" True Father shared with us that when God called him home to heaven, True Mother would lead us to fully realize Cheon Il Guk. That time has come and the hour is at hand!
Four
former presidents of the Korean church, Rev. Jae Seok Lee, Rev. Joon
Ho Seuk, Rev. Young Hwi Kim and Rev. Sun Jo Hwang, present the Cheon
Il Guk Constitution to True Mother.
Your original hopes were that Adam and Eve would establish your family in oneness with you. Sadly, your heart was broken by their disobedience and the false lineage that followed, creating a world of sin. Jesus came and fulfilled his role as Adam and brought salvation to the individual but because the family was not established, he promised to return. More painful than the fall of Adam and Eve was the fact that when Jesus was not received by his family and nation, lie could not realize the family and lineage of heaven. When he left the earth, there was no dwelling for your heart and, therefore, your heart was broken. Then, you sent True Father who received your anointing and walked this path in oneness with you. True Mother was chosen by you and she faithfully followed the path in perfect obedience and heart to you, our Heavenly Parent and in oneness with True Father.
True Parents were established and with the advent of the True Children, you could stand for the first time with the heart of a grandfather with grandchildren.
Chairman
No Hi Pak of the Tongil Foundation and President Peter Kim of the
Mission Foundation present a listing of global church assets, in 81
countries.
Only you know the tearful, most sorrowful and bloodstained course of True Parents. Through it all, they established your blessing and brought about the restoration of true love, true life and true lineage. This is your day of blessing, God, where you are now substantial both in heaven and on earth through the True Parents. Together with and through the True Family and all those blessed by the True Parents, today your safe settlement among all humanity is sealed forever and your liberation is complete.
May God bless this day and this glorious moment in the course of human history. We report and offer this prayer in our names and in the names of George and Sayomi Stallings, a blessed central family. Amen and Aju!
It is my distinct honor and privilege to have the opportunity to share with you a few words this morning in honor of the life, the teachings and the legacy of Dr. Sun Myung Moon who passed away to the spiritual world one year ago today.
I am always moved and uplifted when I come to Chung Pyung. My wife, Congresswoman Gina de Venecia, and I have had the very good fortune to have visited Father and Mother Moon on many occasions in this holy place, this holy land. In particular, Gina and I will never forget the kindness and compassion shown to us by Father and Mother Moon following the tragic accident that led to the untimely passing of our beloved daughter, KC (Kristina Casimira). Both of us were deeply moved by the love and care that both Father and Mother Moon provided at that difficult time. Indeed, it was one of the most difficult times in our lives, and we will never forget their generosity and loving kindness.
When I learned of Father Moon's passing a year ago, I was dumbfounded. I had seen him on so many occasions, standing before multitudes such as we have here today, and speaking for hours, full of dynamic passion, vitality, and almost superhuman energy. I could never imagine him getting ill, let alone passing away.
But, of course, each of us resides on the earth on borrowed time, for a temporary period. Each of us is destined for a higher place, with God, in the spiritual world. I know that Father Moon is alive and well in the spiritual world. You can be absolutely sure that wherever he is in that eternal world, he continues to teach and speak with an unbounded energy that exceeds all the dynamism he once demonstrated here on the earthly plane. Can you imagine that what I am saying is true? Is he not here today, in our midst?
Yes, I can see that you agree. In fact, I feel his presence is right here, as strong as it ever was when he walked the earth. Can't you feel his presence here in this place?
I never met Father Moon when Mother Moon was not by his side. They were inseparable. In fact, I think they are still inseparable. Isn't that true?
As they say, behind every great man, stands a great woman. I know it is also true of Father Moon. We are blessed that Mother Moon, who knows Father Moon better than anyone else does, is herself standing strong in carrying on the great work that Father Moon began. What is this work?
Father Moon was the leading force in global interfaith work, in the dialogue between religions and cultures, in the dialogue between civilizations. He knew that we will never be able to achieve world peace without first establishing good relations among the religions and the believers in the world.
In fact, in August 2000, Father Moon initiated the call for the United Nations to create an inter-religious council as a central organ of that great global institution. He knew that the UN could never be entirely successful in achieving its noble ends without the inclusion of religions and spiritual leaders. Father Moon was truly prophetic. He voiced an idea whose time had come.
Father Moon has been the leading force in the promotion of strong, healthy, loving marriages and families. He knew that the family was the school of love, the school of citizenship, the school of ethics and the school of character. Gina and I participated in Father and Mother Moon's Blessing Ceremony to strengthen marriage and family....
Over the past few days, in the International Leadership Conference, we have been studying about the thought, the life and the legacy of Father Moon. We have learned so much, and we have each developed a greater appreciation for this man of God, who with single-minded dedication devoted every moment of his life to his mission -- not only proclaiming but practicing the principle of living for the sake of others.
Ms.
Hye Sung Jeong, 71, a ubiquitous presence on Korean television who
has also appeared in nearly thirty movies, read a letter to Father
that she composed. She had joined the church as an adolescent but
grew estranged from the church as she grew older. She reconnected
after being appointed a peace ambassador. What follows is an excerpt
from her letter:
As we go forward from this day, let us keep the vision, the memory and heart of Father Moon close to our hearts.
The greatest testimony of our appreciation to Father Moon will be that we continued to carry on with the work he called each of us to do -- the work for peace, the work for human development, the work for interfaith cooperation, the work for true love and true families.
Let us never falter in our resolve. We are gathered here not only to remember and mourn. Our task is to carry on. Our task is to strive until the good fight is won. Yes, peace is difficult but it is achievable. Together we can make it happen.
Father Moon, Mother Moon, we love you. Thank you very much.
Cheol Seung Lee was a seven-term national assemblyman and has been a leader among patriotic Koreans since his high school days.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today is the first anniversary of Rev. Sun Myung loon's passing to the spirit world, a rite called seong-hum. I consider it a great privilege to speak in honor of his memory before all of you here today, who have come from around the world to pay respects to our beloved Rev. Sun Myung Moon. First of all, I'd like to offer my deepest condolences to Mrs. Dr. Hak Ja Han and to the bereaved family.
Standing on this stage, brings back memories of last year, when I came hurriedly with great sadness in my heart to Cheon Jeong Gong where Rev. Sun Myung Moon's body was resting.
Today, I offer these most sincere words of commemoration to honor our Rev. Sun Myung Moon, a great man who contributed to the establishment and democratization of this proud nation, the greatest nation since the era of Dangun with its founding spirit of freedom, independence, democracy and unification.
Who was Rev. Sun Myung Moon, whom we have come here to remember? Since his birth, throughout the ninety-three years until his departure, Rev. Sun Myung Moon's life was filled with difficulties -- from the Japanese occupation, the Second World War, independence and the subsequent division into two Koreas, as well as the tragedy of the Korean War. Even in the midst of conflict between North Korea and South Korea, Rev. Sun Myung Moon transcended the barriers of nation, race and religion. He was a true leader, teacher and a great man of peace, who had striven to create a world of peace. He was truly an eternal symbol of peace.
He was a great man who practiced the ideal of the unity of king, teacher and father in his life, an ideal that our people have cherished for a very long time. This man did just not come and go. We have not a shred of doubt that he is still here with us in our hearts. You who have come here today from all around the world are the very evidence of this.
Ten years ago, on July 27, 2003, the time of the first Peace Cup, which was held in Suwon, Korea, I made a promise to Rev. Sun Myung Moon to form a tie with him as sworn brothers.
There, I also promised him that -- even though we were old men nearing ninety years of age -- we would liberate our brothers in North Korea, achieve Korean reunification and raise cups in Pyongyang to celebrate the reunification. We would stay healthy until that time came.
We were able to conduct a tour as part of a project of the UN Peace Forces of the Korean War Memorial Federation, a federation that was established with Rev. Moon's generous support. When I stood at the forefront of the tour to demonstrate the Korean people's gratitude to the sixteen nations that participated in the Korean War as part of the UN Peacekeeping Forces, I did so as a part of our preparation to fulfill that promise of reunification. This project was the first of its kind; not even the Korean government or its people had considered doing this over the past sixty years.
Rev. Sun Myung Moon put his life on the line when he went up to North Korea to meet Kim Il Sung to discuss Korean reunification. There, he urged Kim Il Sung, holding his hands, to give up the Juche ideal and accept his Unification Thought. He then emphasized that that was the only way to achieve the reunification of our nation. His unwavering spirit of love for our nation and our people served as a great model and infused us with great courage.
Now, the efforts of our descendants will soon realize the promise I made to Rev. Sun Myung Moon. When we look at what is happening in the world and in North Korea, it is only a matter of time before the people of North Korea gain freedom. Rev. Moon, please be assured of this!
Why have we come here today? We have come to protect the great teachings of Rev. Moon, who followed the course of the true parent of humankind, true teacher and true leader of peace. We have come here today in order to inherit Rev. Moon's teachings and make them blossom, so that his wishes are realized.
In Korea, there is a saying, "Only when the servants work properly will the master live as a master." Another saying states, "Students make their teachers shine." Also, they say that to maintain is more difficult than to create.
You, the people who uphold Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han as the eternal true parents, true teachers and true leaders! Are you not their servants, their students and their children? You are the ones chosen from the 7 billion people on earth. You were blessed to receive the teachings of Rev. Moon while he was still alive. You received his love as no others did.
I would like to ask you to offer your sincere devotion, so that Rev. Moon's life-long dreams and wishes can be sown upon the earth.
We must not forget, even for one moment, about the sincere efforts of Dr. Hak Ja Han, who now stays here with us, to continue Rev. Moon's great work. We should be always grateful to her.
As we face this meaningful first year anniversary of Rev. Moon's passing, we must move beyond our own selfish interests, become more grateful and more united around Dr. Hak Ja Han. We must not forget that the eyes of the world are watching us to see if we can practice the teachings left by Rev. Moon.
I urge you with all my heart to become the lantern of hope and the subject of people's praise.
I want to pray with a loyal heart for the eternal life and happiness of Rev. Sun Myung Moon again. I hereby conclude my speech. Thank you.
It is my great honor to stand before you here today to represent Buddhism on this occasion of the first anniversary of the universal Seonghwa of Sun Myung Moon, the True Parent of Heaven, Earth and Humankind.
As you are well aware, Rev. Sun Myung Moon lived a truly selfless life, offering everything he had in order to create a peaceful world for humankind. We cannot make a simple judgment of who he really was, because Rev. Sun Myung Moon blazed a trail and left a truly vast and enduring legacy. Rev. Moon is generally known to the people of the world as a religious leader and the founder of a religion. Some people see him as a peace activist, thinker and educator. Some people regard him as the Messiah that gave his life to this world in order to realize peace. However, these simple words are not enough to encompass the greatness that defines the man named Rev. Sun Myung Moon.
As he so eloquently stated, "When someone says to me just a word of sympathy for the life I have lived, tears begin to fall like a waterfall from my eyes." Such has been Rev. Moon's eventful life, as he faced harsh persecution and experienced great sorrow. The reason we are here today to pay our respects and remember him is not simply because he was a man who was able to emerge from indescribable difficulties and challenges like a phoenix.
Just as the sun keeps shining even though a rain storm covers it, Rev. Moon lived his entire life, walking the heavenly course of true love. He gave, kept giving and continued to give, while not even remembering that he had ever given. That was his philosophy on living for the sake of others.
Rev. Moon showed us through his life that there is always hope, just as the sun will always be there even though there may be black clouds of rain covering it.
Distinguished guests who love peace, I want to extend my heart of sincere gratitude to the host who made this event possible and for this honor of being able to give a commemorative speech. I pray that peace be upon you all. I would like to conclude my speech by reciting a poem written by Manhae Han Yong Woon, a great Buddhist monk, who was a great poet and a pillar of Buddhism in Korea.
I carried the unfathomable power of sadness and poured it inside the new cup of hope.
We meet and we worry that we will say good-bye. But we say good-bye believing one day we will meet again.
Oh, you have gone, but I have not let you go.
The song of love that surrenders to my voice embraces your silence.
For participants in the International Leadership Conference (ILC) and members attending a Strategy Meeting for Vision 2020 -- two events that were integral to the commemoration of Father's ascension -- a primary order of business was supporting a Japanese initiative that had begun in faraway Hokkaido. As a way of honoring Father's heart and life, 210 <Japanese members had ridden bicycles from that northernmost Japanese island all the way to Shimonoseki. There, eight riders crossed the sea to Busan, South Korea, where Korean cyclists joined them. The Koreans had ridden from the northwest coast of South Korea, through Seoul and down to Busan. Together, they left Busan on Korea's southern tip and rode all the way to Imjingak, a point seven kilometer from the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a four-kilometer-wide strip that separates the two Koreas. Imjingak is an observation point with art and photographic displays expressing Korea's grief over the Korean War and desire for reunification. A nearby amusement park keeps younger visitors busy.
A large group that included ambassadors for peace and several of Hyo Jin nim's children mounted bikes and joined the riders for the final kilometer to Imjingak. The Japanese had ridden 3,800 kilometers. For some of the older ambassadors for peace, the unexpected high temperatures made even the last kilometer challenging. At Imjingak, all joined in singing and praying for unification. The AP and AFP wire services and Korea's KBS broadcasting covered the event.
