Blessing is a start of a new journey
A reflection on the value of the Blessing
True Parents started the tradition of “The Blessing”, signifying that God gives us something special when we enter a blessed marriage. As we approach this important time in our lives, it is therefore worthy to remind ourselves of the real blessings we can receive from this.
The Blessing is not just a ceremony; it is a lifestyle, which True Parents have established in the blessed families. It matters very much how well we prepare for it, and how much space we give to God and True Parents to guide us through the matching and in blessed life. Our potential fully develops there, and God can help us to fulfil his promise of love by supporting each one of us to reach the ideal. It is a matter of our heart, and of our prayerful mind and conscience. Indeed, True Father said in guidance to 2nd generation in the Cheon-Il-Guk matching: ‘If you follow your original mind, God will make it work”.
True Parents always emphasized the value of purity of love; the central concept of ‘Absolute Sex” clearly indicates purity before marriage and fidelity within. Through a pure heart we can connect to our partner and create the most amazing love. True love is not just an emotion, and the Blessing is not about falling in love, but growing in love. The purity of our love will bring us closer to God and in greater resemblance to our Heavenly Parent. The purity of our heart and beauty of our marriage even has the potential to move God’s heart. God’s hope is that we will become madly in love with our husband or wife and that our hearts melt into one. Upon this unity of husband and wife, we can resemble the image of God. Therefore, for God and True Parents, it makes a big difference how we start our first love, and how much we have been able to protect our love and heart for our spouse.
Father’s view of purity is clearly not an out-of-reach, theoretical and religious concept. Through introducing the Cheon-Il-Guk standard of purity as the standard we should aim for, he has been gradually increasing expectations of what ‘purity’ means. At the same time, Father has been supporting those who made mistakes, offering forgiveness and guiding us to restore our past. He wants us all to stand in front of God again with dignity as his loving children who understand his heart. The standard is there to define the path to teach us about the achievable ideal of the original path of love. But still we should remember not to judge each other for mistakes made, and for those who are victims of difficult circumstances, or lack of love and understanding, but rather to support each other on the path of goodness back to God.
The Cheon-Il-Guk standard of purity should make us acutely aware of the preciousness of sexual love. Indeed, our seriousness in this sacred area is an expression of our love for God, and our love for others. Because of love we want to have a pure heart when meeting other brothers and sisters. Because of love we do not want to flirt; we do not want to try how it feels to date or be in an exclusive relationship. Because of love we do not try to justify careless thoughts, words and actions. Because of love we do not want to compromise the standard. The choice is ours, and God is always there to support us when we want to make a change. The Principle and Father’s words are there to guide us forward: “God’s lineage provides the context and environment for a true life” (Peace Message 10).
The historical course of the 1st generation to establish the change of blood lineage gave their children the opportunity to start a new tradition and culture. The course of a blessed child is to further develop this pure heart and devotion to God and continue God’s lineage through the Blessing with another blessed child – following the course of absolute sexual purity. Thus starting with the marriage relationship, building towards an ideal family, and attempting to bring God’s virtues to others beyond our family – in our career, our friendships, and our community and public life.
Father and Mother have been continuously working to further develop God’s lineage and offer God the fulfilment of his ideal here on Earth. Anyone who has ever heard Father talk to blessed children on the value of purity and lineage, knows that he has been uncompromising there. The real value of a blessed child is not in their accomplishments, but the lineage they carry and the potential that this holds for the future generations.
True Parents have been offering the Cheon-Il-Guk couples to God, as a textbook for all of mankind and eternity. It was the closest they had to offer God the fulfilment of His ideal; blessed children born without original sin, who kept their purity despite growing up in this fallen world, and received their partner through absolute faith in God and True Parents. It is through the 2nd generation blessed couples, that the foundation of the three Great Kingships can be established, and the legacy of their parents and True Parents can be passed on.
Indeed, a nature of valuable things is that they may need more effort to attain. Efforts to keep the vision and hope when times are dark, investing again and again, letting God work, keeping faith and trust, and overcoming fears are some of the qualities needed in receiving the Blessing.
May all couples make God’s ideal a reality in their couple and in their family!
“What is the significance of the Blessed Families? Satan has no control over the Blessed Families. When they have complete faith in Father and a strong conviction that they belong to True Parents, no matter where they are, Satan cannot violate that. Why is this so? It is because, centering on the heart of True Parents, they have a relationship with the realm of heart of the converted lineage. That is why Satan cannot touch them.”
– True Father, CSG p. 1273
