Thousands Participate in 2021 Youth Blessing Festival Featuring True Mother

Photo credit FFWPU-Korea

Called the “festival of the year,” more than 30,000 Unificationist singles, engaged couples, and their parents joined the 2021 Youth Blessing Festival on March 26—a worldwide online celebration of filial culture and the Marriage Blessing that included a special message from Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) co-founder Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon.

The stunning program, broadcasted live from the Cheongshim World Peace Center in South Korea, featured state-of-the-art virtual technology and sensational performances by various entertainers and esteemed speakers.

“The dream and wish of Heavenly Parent is that you receive the Marriage Blessing and become blessed families,” said Dr. Moon, affectionately known as True Parents with her late husband and FFWPU co-founder, Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon. “You need to remember this and always carry this in your heart and accept the blessing with a heart of humility.”

The festival celebrates God’s greatest gift to humanity—true love—received by His children through establishing true marriages and true families. The Blessing Marriage movement, initiated by Rev. and Dr. Moon in the 1960s, has united millions of couples of all backgrounds from around the world centered on God, our Heavenly Parent.

“You are God’s beloved children whom God wishes to bless wholeheartedly,” said Dr. Moon, “and through your earthly life you are preparing for life in the eternal world to live in the Kingdom of Heaven in heaven. It is for this purpose that God created heaven and earth and God created human beings.”

A special video shared the value of the Marriage Blessing and the meaning of the couples’ commitment ceremony, explaining that the Blessing is the greatest love that God gives to his children who pledge to create true families during the holy commitment ceremony. 

A number of speakers delivered messages sharing Dr. Moon’s deep heart and the meaning behind the festival, including former U.S. congressman Dan Burton and his wife Samia.

“We’re very excited to be with you today because we’re making history together with Mother Moon, the founder of this global movement for peace” said Honorable Burton. “Together with her leadership, we’re influencing the world in two ways: We are bringing into focus faithful marriage and the family, which is the fundamental building block of a great society; and she is bringing a global realization among the leaders of the world that enemy nations can achieve peace.”

Testimonies were also shared from two newlywed couples who received the Marriage Blessing in February 2020. Ilya and Diane Hack, a multiracial couple from the U.S., continue the tradition of international and cross-cultural marriage in the blessing movement.

“This past year has given us so much understanding of what True Parents really saw in the Blessing and how much beauty there is in this interaction between me and my wife,” said Ilya. “We really saw this as God guiding us together… and after listening to His call, we want to give an example to the world about what the blessing really means.”

Dr. Moon’s announcement of her own grandson’s engagement in January 2020 was “the happiest and most thrilling moment,” according to the young couple, who shared their experience from the Festival stage on Friday.

During the festival, it was announced that a silver ring representing purity will be sent to all Unificationist families worldwide so parents can give them directly to their children once they make the vow and commitment of the Marriage Blessing.

“Your days ahead will be blessed and you have the potential to be the best in the future…” said Dr. Moon. “You must not be stagnant; water must flow to give life. Therefore, I hope that you can continue in your activities and expand this foundation so that you can become models before the world.”

You can learn more about the Marriage Blessing movement here.

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