Becoming Lights of the World through Filial Hearts for Heaven

The 7^th Cosmic Seonghwa Anniversary of Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the founder of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, began at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, August 17 (07.17 on the lunar calendar), at the Cheongshim Peace World Center located in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province. Centering on Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, Jonathan Goodluck, former president of Nigeria, Jaime Paz Zamora, former president of Bolivia, six current and former chairs of congress, six current and former secretaries of state, 12 current and former members of congress, etc. attended alongside 30,000 political, economic, religious leaders, domestic and international key personnel, and members of the Family Federation. The event was also broadcasted live on the internet to over 190 nations all over the world.

The official title of Rev. Moon’s 7^th Seonghwa Anniversary is “The Seonghwa Festival Commemorating the 7^th Anniversary of the Ascension of Sun Myung Moon, the True Parent of Heaven, Earth and Humankind.” The Cosmic Seonghwa Ceremony opened with the theme “Becoming Lights of the World through Filial Hearts for Heaven.” The events of Part 1 included a commemorative video, a commemorative address given by Sun Jin Moon, Family Federation International President, and a commemorative letter from Dr. Moon to Rev. Moon recited by Wonju McDevitt, Chief of Staff and Dr. Moon’s Secretariat. Dr. Moon offered flowers, and Mr. Goodluck, former president of Nigeria, gave a memorial address. In Part 2, which was designed as a Hyojeong Cultural Festival, included a sand art performance, a commemorative video, a performance by Paul Potts and the Little Angels, a letter recitation, and three cheers of Eog Mansei led by Dr. Ki Hoon Kim, Family Federation International Vice President, to bring a close to the event.

In her commemorative address, Sun Jin Moon expressed how deeply she missed Rev. Moon saying, “Like the light of day, you never fail to rise and shine forth with true love, pure light, divine truth, absolute peace, abundant joy, infinite grace, heartfelt compassion, sincere goodness, dutiful faith, a filial heart, profound wisdom, and exceptional beauty. With all the love in our hearts we wish to serve and bring joy and victory to you, Dr. Moon, and to you, Rev. Moon, and to You, our Heavenly Parent.”

Rev. Moon was born on the 6^th day of the 1^st month, 1920 by the lunar calendar in Jeongju, North Pyeongan Province and ascended on September 3, 2012 (07.17 by the lunar calendar). The Seonghwa Ceremony was held for thirteen days and 250,000 people from every nation in the world paid their respects at the Wonjeon Ceremony in Korea. Rev. Moon founded the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity in 1954 and has expanded it as an international religion with 194 missionary nations. He devoted his entire life in all fields to world peace, religious harmony, and the salvation of humankind. During his life, Rev. Moon taught that one’s ascension should be a joyous event. “The moment of entry into the spirit world is the time when you enter the world of ecstasy and victory. It is the moment, after your life on earth has bloomed and borne fruit when you embrace the fruit of your life (Cheon Seong Gyeong Book 11, Chapter 3, Section 2, Verse 12).” Therefore, the Seonghwa Festival is held as a ceremony celebrating a new beginning in the eternal world, the spirit world.

In commemoration of the 7^th Seonghwa Anniversary, the main event was the Seonghwa Festival Commemorating the 7^th Anniversary of the Ascension of Sun Myung Moon, the True Parent of Heaven, Earth and Humankind. Additional events included the Exhibition of the Lifetime Achievements of Rev. and Dr. Moon. The International Leadership Conference (ILC), the Interreligious Association for Peace and Development (IAPD) International Conference, Peace Road 2019, 2019 Peace Cup for Religious Harmony, and the Sharing Hyojeong Love Festival were programmed and hosted jointly by the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) and the International Association for Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP).

After Rev. Moon’s ascension, Dr. Moon declared Cheon Il Guk Foundation Day on the 13^th day of the 1^st month, 2013 by the lunar calendar, which was a heavenly command to embark on a new era and a begin a new history. 2020 will be the 100^th anniversary since Rev. Moon’s birth and Dr. Moon gave Vision 2020 as a mark of hope to entirely fulfill Heaven’s Will. Unificationist families all over the world are centered on Dr. Moon as they invest everything in activities to establish God’s nation and His Will on this earth, which was Rev. Moon’s unfinished mission. Since last year, Dr. Moon has been leading true family movements centering on 10 to 100 thousand large Peace Starts With Me rallies and Blessing Marriage Ceremonies all around the world in countries including Korea, the United States, Japan, Austria in Europe, Brazil in Central and South America, Senegal, the Republic of South Africa, Zimbabwe in Africa, and Nepal in Asia. She is expanding the foundation on which to build an everlasting world of peace.

Moreover, the World Summit and the Peace Starts With Me Rally were held centered on the Family Federation, UPF, the International Summit Council for Peace, the IAPP, and the IAPD. Through these, we are assembling our good determination for the realization of world peace. Dr. Moon’s Peace Starts With Me world tour began earlier this year with 100,000 people gathering at the Korea International Exhibition Center (KINTEX) in Ilsan, then Johannesburg in the Republic of South Africa, Las Vegas in the United States, and in the second half of the year she plans to go to Sao Tome and Principe in Africa, Nagoya in Japan, then Albania, Cambodia, Taiwan, South Africa, and the United States.

Through the commemorative events of Rev. Moon’s 7^th Seonghwa Anniversary, the Family Federation sheds new light on Rev. and Dr. Moon’s footprints and achievements in movements for peace for the realization of world peace and the welfare of humankind. In 2020, Family Federation will commemorate Rev. Moon’s 100^th birthday, Dr. Moon’s 77^th birthday, and the 60^th anniversary of their marriage. As the year approaches, Family Federation is spreading to the world a vision of peace through [the slogan] “One Family Under God” and a message of hope.

Contributed by ffwp.org.

Read a special letter from True Mother to True Father here.

Read Sun Jin Moon’s speech from the 2019 Cheon Il Guk Leaders Assembly here.

Watch live broadcast recordings of True Father’s 7th Seonghwa Anniversary Festival here.