Cham Bumo Gyeong: Episode 19
Cham Bumo Gyeong
Book 1: True Parents’ Advent and the Era of True Parents
Chapter 2: Section 2: The Holy Wedding of the True Parents, Paragraph 23
The Holy Wedding of the True Parents
After True Father traveled the path of blood, sweat and tears to indemnify Jesus’ course, he was engaged to True Mother. She was the only daughter of Mrs. Hong Soon-ae (Daemonim), who was devoting her entire life with complete dedication to serve and attend the Lord at his Second Advent. The engagement took place at the original Cheongpa-dong headquarters church in Seoul, at 4:00 in the morning on March 27, 1960 (1st day of the 3rd lunar month). Four days later, on March 31, Father officially decided to hold the Holy Wedding of the True Parents and the Blessing of three of their main disciples.
On April 11, 1960 (16th day of the 3rd lunar month), at 10:00 a.m. at the former headquarters church in Seoul, the historic Holy Wedding of the True Parents was held. More than 700 members were in attendance, invited from every church in Korea. There were two ceremonies: The first was the Ceremony to Restore the Parents through Indemnity, and the second, held immediately following the first, was the Ceremony for the Parents of Glory.
16 Mother and I were blessed in marriage in 1960, 14 years after the liberation of Korea. Why did it take 14 years? The ancestors of humankind fell at the completion level of the growth stage. Thus, based on the principle of restoration through indemnity, it took a period of 14 years filled with persecution for me to take root in Korea and build an altar named the Unification Church. All of this was to place True Mother in her position. I had to do it even as we fought against the opposition of Christianity and the Republic of Korea.
With the establishment of True Mother, God could finally settle on earth. To achieve this, I set conditions to indemnify and resolve the problems in providential history that occurred in the times of Adam, Noah, Abraham and thereafter. Although the Christian cultural sphere took over and dealt with all these issues, including establishing a nation and a people representing Israel that was prepared to receive me, when Christianity turned against me, it was as if the spiritual foundation that it had restored through paying indemnity for 2,000 years crumbled.
Therefore, when I found Mother 14 years after God called me, I was providentially in the same situation as when Jesus died on the cross. In other words, the Republic of Korea stood in the same position as Israel at the time of Jesus. Likewise, Christianity was in the same position as Judaism, and I and the Unification Church were in the same position as Jesus and the early Christian church. Since Jesus carried the cross on account of persecution by the nation of Israel and Judaism, we had to battle through the same situation and win. We had to restore everything through paying indemnity.
17 I had to fight up to the last minute. The day before going to the wedding venue, I had to go to the police station and write an affidavit. Numerous betrayers made accusations against me. Just as Jesus’ 12 disciples betrayed him, 12 previously faithful church members banded together against me. Individuals who had been on the side of the Unification Church began to oppose me, other churches opposed me, and the nation opposed me. Just as the nation of Israel, the leaders of Judaism, and Judas Iscariot banded together and killed Jesus, I was being driven toward a similar fate.
The date of the Holy Wedding was the 16th day of the 3rd lunar month in 1960. That time marked the highest peak of opposition. I stood on the dividing line between moving one step forward or one step back, between life and death, between making a new start and not making one. In those circumstances, I managed to bring a new historic result.
On that day God made the greatest proclamation in human history, the proclamation that will spread heavenly fortune to the world. It was the historic day that Jesus spoke about—the day of welcoming the Bride. It was the day of True Parents’ Holy Wedding. From that moment on, I could go on the offensive and take the first steps forward. Finally I could begin resolving the problems we faced and move swiftly forward centered on God
18 On the path of restoration through paying indemnity, we must follow a law or formula—that of making certain required conditions. Around the time the Holy Wedding was going to take place, some Unification Church members left the church. Twelve persons who had once been members of the church banded together and started opposing me, just as Jesus’ 12 disciples opposed him. It was inevitable that I go through the same in the restoration process. The nation opposed me, trying to knock me down. Christianity opposed me, and members who had left the Unification Church opposed me. Those three groups united in a fight to destroy me. From Satan’s standpoint, the nation represented the formation stage, Christianity represented the growth stage, and the members who had left the church represented the completion stage. This is why Satan worked through them to attack me.
19 For seven years, beginning in 1953, I prepared for the Holy Wedding. Around that time virtually everyone opposed me: the nation, Christianity, and even some members. In 1955 I was incarcerated, but even in prison I fought to lay the foundation for victory. Then in 1957 I began preparing for the Blessing in earnest. I fasted for 40 days and exhorted the members to evangelize in order to lay a nationwide foundation. I went on the offensive and expanded our evangelizing activities throughout the nation. I raised the Unification Church to a new level.
In this way, by 1960 I had laid a nationwide foundation and made an impact on the nation. So, although I was opposed by the nation and by Christianity on the national level, I could proceed with the Holy Wedding. I had to conduct the Holy Wedding in circumstances similar to those of Jesus when he was arrested and made to go the way of the cross. Indeed, at the time of the Holy Wedding, the nation opposed me and Christianity opposed me. They were united against me.
20 The Holy Wedding took place 15 days after the Engagement Ceremony. It began with the Ceremony to Restore the Parents through Indemnity. It was followed by the Ceremony for the Parents of Glory.
For the first ceremony, 12 attendants stood on each side of the aisle. I wore white traditional Korean attire (chima-jeogori) and a long wedding veil. Father and I descended the stairs from the second floor together amid the echoing sounds of the choir singing “Song of the Banquet.” We then took our places at the front of the room. Following True Father’s prayer and proclamation, representative members offered a congratulatory address and recited a poem of praise.
Soon, the second ceremony commenced. Father and I were dressed in traditional Korean wedding attire (samo-gwandae for the groom; hwal-ot for the bride) and headdresses. Father offered a pledge to God, and all members bowed four times to God and True Parents. We bowed three times facing each other. Then we exchanged gifts and offered a final bow to each other. Representative members presented a gift and read a congratulatory address. True Father offered a second pledge to God, and the historic event concluded with Father raising his hands to offer a benediction upon everyone present.
21 Seven hundred members from around Korea were invited to attend the Holy Wedding. Father distributed tickets stamped with his seal to everyone who attended. He told them, “In the future, with this ticket even a person who is supposed to go to hell can enter heaven.” I believe those words were meant to emphasize the preciousness of True Parents’ Holy Wedding, and that Father wanted the people who were there to treasure the value of that moment.
The ceremonial table for the Holy Wedding had been prepared according to instructions revealed by heaven. It was a large table with 40 different kinds of food. Father and I ate together and the wedding festivities took place.
We changed out of our wedding attire and put on Korean traditional clothes. I danced merrily with Father. After Father sang, he requested a song from me. He then chose some members to sing, and we all sang together.
The Holy Wedding was the ceremony that inaugurated the True Parents of humankind for the first time in human history, but it was held in a humble setting. Considering the providential value and significance of the occasion, all people of the world should have celebrated it, offering their congratulations and praising God.
22 O Heaven, may you lift up the flag of victory! O Earth, may you offer the gift of joy in front of Heavenly Father! Heavenly Father, I know that on this occasion heaven and earth are together in oneness offering glory, glory, and infinite glory to You. May all future generations keep and cherish this auspicious occasion. Father, let the drums roll, and let us march forward on and on into Satan’s world to quickly bring back all of Your children to You as brave people who are restored. I sincerely hope and pray that You will enable us to become children who can pledge and vow to commit ourselves with all of our hearts, and even our blood and flesh. Please welcome this daughter who was anointed here today, and guide her to become Your daughter who can sever all bitter sorrow and pain, by enabling her to wear the olive laurel wreath of victory.
23 I can never describe the heart of God, who has been preparing everything for this day, the day of the Holy Wedding. I am so overwhelmed by our Heavenly Father’s love, having sent me as His daughter to this place so that we can fulfill the Will and conclude 6,000 years of providential history. I just do not know what to say. Until the day when we have fulfilled the Will, I pledge that I will advance with you members in oneness of heart and in all aspects of life.
FFWPU, USA