3) Figures representing Christianity 22. John XXIII (Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, 1881-1963, Pope from 1958, the Pope who led the Vatican II reforms) The teacher who fought tens of millions of devils
John feels that the Unification Principle is a great truth, with a mysterious, magical power that is changing all of humanity. Human faith can be described as coming from a state of not knowing anything at all, to a state that you absolutely believe that something is "probably so." "Probably so" means that it is an abstract concept. It's completely different from the words "That is so." Everything within the Principle gives you no choice but to come to the conclusion, "That is definitely so."
The Unification Principle introduces God's love and opens the true eyes of all the ignorant people of the world. I believe that if people only knew the Principle then they could all live a proper life of faith, as well as have an enlivened existence with a clear purpose ahead of them.
The God we have been attending until now and the God we have been waiting for are fundamentally different. This is another incredibly surprising fact. God is our Parents, but we have not served Him as such. God was known as being far from people, and was known as a Being who came to us when we were weak or lacking, in order to fill up our weaknesses. People only sought God when they were in need.
They never served God as the Parents of humanity, who shared both our troubles and our joys. Reverend Moon has revealed a great Principle, great and incredible. How hard a path must he have walked to have discovered the position of the Parent of humanity, the omnipotent, omnipresent, eternal and infinite God? How many frightening tests did Reverend Moon receive from the Devil, Satan? Satan would not have left Reverend Moon alone, for fear that he would reveal the false actions of Satan, who played the role of humanity's false king and false owner in God's place. The one phrase, saying Reverend Moon "fought against the tens of millions of devils" still rings in John's soul.
No one has known the darkness that has covered history. How frustrated God must have been! Even as our Parent, forgetting the difficulty of seeking his children, he carried out his providence of restoration. I cannot begin to imagine how we can possibly compensate God for his years of sadness in his effort to conquer this reality, where truth and falsehood are mixed together. Reverend Moon is the truest son among sons in front of God.
He has fulfilled all his responsibility as a son, and is a True Parent in front of all humankind. He has established the victorious standard of the Messiah and is the king of kings. We people of faith must clearly know the fact that all people have come from one heart and one place. If we all try to work together in order to correct the direction of our wrongful history, then we will be able to attend God from a much more comfortable position.
However, many people of faith have become so absorbed in the old, incorrect customs, that their ability to discern the new truth has become vague. When I think of the fact that this only causes even more suffering and pain to God and True Parents, my heart aches. Now all people of faith must realize that a new age has arrived.
Recall the age that presented the Ptolemaic theory and the age that presented the Copernican theory. The age may change, but the purpose of God's providence is unchangeable. God is our Parent, and we cannot change our destiny as his children. The secret of history, which has been hidden for so many thousands of years, has been revealed and at the same time the Lordship of humanity is being returned to God.
The false Parent of humanity shall be exposed for all to see. How frustrating and regrettable!! Now all you fellow believers here must receive the new truth and realize from when the salvation of all people has started. A heart that cannot accept this new truth is not a sincere heart. We can put new wine in new wineskins. The direction and flow of history is not going where it should.
Our ignorance has given birth to sin. What is original sin? No matter how holy a life our ancestors might have lived, their descendants are born carrying the original sin. This world is filled with contradictions. The Bible and the Christian teaching also have many unclear points, but we faithfully believe. You people of faith, fellow believers, the core of faith is being together with God, but we people could not understand the God who was the object of our faith.
There are many saints who have, during their lives, lived a life of celibacy, and there are many saints who willingly took the path of death. This is because history started in the wrong way. Now that a new truth has been revealed, all of you who are living ascetic lives must receive this new truth.
The biological make up of humankind is set up to accomplish God's purpose and ideal of creation, which is in the multiplication of God's children through the love of a man and a woman. So then why and where did things go wrong? I ask you people of faith and you who live a life of celibacy, please do not be stingy about points you must clearly recognize. Times have changed.
They have changed a lot. Think of the central figures in history who have failed their responsibility. Why were the Parallel Periods necessary? Unification Principle has brought an amazing power that can renew humanity. It's a truth all people need to learn and study. People's lives on earth are drastically short in comparison to life in spirit world.
However, the Unification Principle clearly teaches that your residence in the eternal, incorporeal world is determined through your earthly life. Reverend Moon; in front of such an amazing teacher I gratefully receive this Unification Principle with a heart of devotion. Seeing your neverending effort for the peace of humanity, I again offer my gratitude.
John XXIII 2001.10.6 |