December 13, 2008
Cheong Pa Dong Church
Seoul, Korea

Good afternoon, brothers and sisters. I don't know if you saw the Christmas decoration outside — is it really wonderful? We're always honored to have you here in this sanctuary, and for those who are joining us via the Internet, we are welcoming you as well. Welcome brothers, welcome sisters!

I'd like to share with you from Cheon Seong Gyeong, Page 859, today. Father talks about the spirit world. He says, "The spirit world is covered with the constituents of love. The earth is covered with air, but the spirit world is wrapped in love. On earth we breathe air and breathe out carbon dioxide, but in the spirit world, we should live by breathing love."

It's very interesting that Father connects the breath to the very spirit world, to life and especially to love. And every time we breathe in and breathe out during our meditation time, it's so important that we can remember that. That time of breathing and remembering that we are alive can fill us with a new sense of chance, a new sense of possibility, that today is a new day, that God is actually blessing us with a new time, a new breath, a new life. And each time we take that new breath, even though we may still be having remnants of the past, or some circumstance or challenge, we can still breathe in new life, new strength and move forward with that kind of hope.

Brothers and sisters, it's so important that, whenever we start service, we're starting with the right mindset so that you're looking at yourself not through your own eyes, but through the eyes of Almighty God. And that is very important. We don't want to only look at ourselves from our own eyes, because when we do that, we can see someone who is inadequate, someone who is not perfect. We can see someone who's in the growth stage.

But when we look at ourselves from the eyes of God we can see ourselves as if we have reached all of our potential, we can see ourselves as God sees us. When He sees us, we're truly being able to bring that much joy to him. When we see ourselves in those eyes, we can start finding new strength, new hope in ourselves, new inspiration to move forward in our lives.

Brothers and sisters, let's always look at ourselves with those eyes. In the past week, if you had the chance to look at yourselves with those eyes of hope that give you strength, then I believe that in the coming week you'll do the same as well. Once again, brothers and sisters, let's offer the glory and the joy that we have in this service, back to TP and God. Welcome.

I'm usually immune to cold but this week I was slightly sick; I had a fever, sore throat, headache and some things. But at the same time, while I was sick, I got so much love and care from my husband, my children and especially my second son, who kept on telling me, "You have to rest, Mommy. If I'm holding the baby I will take care of him and put him to sleep! So that you can rest, so that you won't go to spirit world!" And I said, "Oh no, no, no, Mommy won't go to spirit world because of this. I'm stronger than that!" I had to tell him that.

So I would say it was a really good time to remind myself of how precious my family was. I thought that the development of the Unification Church is very similar to this. Our church has been suffering from many sicknesses and illnesses. In order to overcome these obstacles and make it better, we not only need good medicine, but also we need love amongst each other. We need to have an attitude that we are stronger than this. And that this obstacle will not defeat us. That we will not die because of this. We need this kind of strong attitude, I think.

Brothers and sisters, let us feel the bright Unification future, together with Heavenly Father and True Parents. Aju! This time I'd like to ask you all to rise up and recite Family Pledge 4.

Hyung Jin Moon's Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you for this day that you have blessed upon us. Father, today as we are near the season of Christmas and Thanksgiving, Father, we pray that we may also be participants in this holy communion. Father, we pray that we may remember the great sacrifice and tears that you have shed throughout so many thousands of years. But Father, let us not stop there. Let us wipe away your tears. Father, let us lift You up and bring You joy this season, and let us start the new year with a new hope, a new strength and new possibility, that all things will come to pass.

Heavenly Father, we pray that You may be in this sanctuary today, and You may extend Your holy hands into the lives of the brothers and sisters who are here. Father, if there are any obstacles, any hindrances, any circumstances that are holding us back today, we pray that during this time You may come down and erase, and swoop away, those hindrances.

Father, we pray that we may leave this sanctuary with a pure heart, with our minds focused on You and True Parents, that we may truly become the blessed families that You have desired from the beginning of creation. Father, thank You so much that You are allowing us to be here in this sanctuary. We pray that You may also be with the families that are joining us all around the world. Father, that we may understand that we are all connected in a worldwide family web, that You are looking after us and that You are helping us every single day.

Heavenly Father, thank You once more, we pray and offer all the glory, all the joy and all the thanksgiving that we receive today back to you altogether as one, in our own names as Central Blessed Families. Aju.

Interesting Story:

You know before we begin, we'd like to start with something a little interesting. I heard a beautiful story: There was a college student who wrote a letter home to Mom and Dad. It read like this:

"Dear Mom and Dad, I feel miserable! Because I have to keep writing for money. I feel ashamed and unhappy. I have to ask for another $100. But every cell in my body rebels. I beg on bended knee that you forgive me. Your son, Marvin.

P.S. I felt so terrible that I ran after the mailman who picked up this letter. I wanted to take this letter from him and burn it right away. I prayed to God that I could get it back, but I was too late."

A few days later, Marvin received a letter from his father:
"Dear son, good news! Your prayers were answered. Your letter never came!"

Brothers and sisters, woooh, you got it today!