Father's Prayer at the Commencement Ceremony - Original Document

Today is June the 26th, 1982. We are now at the moment of closing the sixth commencement ceremony of th~

Unification Theological Seminary here in Barrytown.

In order for the Unification Theological Seminary

to come into being, many religions have gone the road of

suffering to establish this foundation. The Unification

Church movement has been developing and growing fu~idst

severe persecution and suffering on the world-wide level,

beyond the racial and national level. Father, we deeply

appreciate the protection and guidance you have given us.

We realize the amazing t~th that your will can only

be realized when the base of true family, true nation, true

world and the base for true peace is realized, and when

your ideal of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth and in heaven

can be established.

we have also come to realize how sorrowful you have been and how deep has been your sorrow for man throughout

human history.

Judaism was born amids·t suffering. You labored in

tears to raise up Judaism for 4,ooo years. Upon that founda-

tion, you sent Jesus Christ to start a new dispensation

centering on him. Judaism should have truly welcomed the

Messiah and should have prepared a warm reception for the

Messiah so that you would have been so joyful. However,

the Israelites and Judaism could not accomplish this.

Thus, Christianity went the path of suffering, under-

going severe persecution under the Roman Empire and shedding

so much blood of so many martyrs. Now Christianity has

become one of the world’s major religions, reaching every

corner of the globe. However, Christianity has failed to

love and unite with Judaism. Thus it has lost its original

mission and has divided into several hundreds of denominations

each one fighting the other. We know well that this unfor-

tunate event should have never taken place in your Providence.

Now the Unification Church has emerged on this earth with

a grave historical and providential responsibility to revive

and unite Christianity beyond all denominations and also to

embrace Judaism. In order to accomplish this solemn goal,

you have been educating and training me from my childhood on,

even when I did not know your will at all. You have been

guiding me through the storm of suffering and persecution.

Today you have enabled me to engage in a world-wide battle

against the Satanic power. I sincerely appreciate all your

guidance and the protection you have bestowed upon me.

We know clearly that what we need most is not knowledge\ or power but young people who are truly pious and loyal to

you, Heavenly champions who are willing to fight for the

cause of truth and goodness.

With this realization, we have established this Seminary.

Heavenly Father, please bless this Seminary. According to

your will, the Unification Church, even from its beginning,

has been making every effort to love Christianity even though

they have opposed us severely. Ye have also endeavoured to

embrace Judaism. We have been doing our utmost to fulfill

our responsibility and to be your honorable children of whom

you can be proud.

Now we are climbing to the highest level of your Pro-

vidence. We know that your desire is not just to unite one

specific religion or one denomination, but to embrace all

other religions besides Christianity and Judaism in order to

establish one world under you. So we are now endeavoring to

embrace all other religions. For that purpose, we initiated

the “Youth Seminar on World Religions”, ew,· 2l JS t1 £ww,._,.”

whose members will visit this Seminary soon, at the begir.ning

of July. This is done not in the name of Rev. Moon or of the

Unification Church, but according to your heart and the desire

you have cherished for so long. We sincerely pray that by

your working through this activity, all religions will become

united and world peace will be expanded.

Your long-fostered wish is to unite all religions,

beyond national and cultural boundaries and their traditions,

and to create a unified world where all people will love

We need champions for you, young people who can

accomplish this solemn task. That was the very reason for

establishing this Unification Theological Seminary. Today

we have come to see the sixth commencement since we started

this Seminary.

I sincerely pray that you will guide the future of all

the graduates. I pray that through them your desire will

be accomplished to unite all religions, all mankind, and

to unite the spiritual world and the physical world.

I pray that these people can become exemplary people

honored by you, respected by all mankind and loved by all the

spirit men in the spiritual world. Please guide them and

raise them up as you desire.

I appreciate all the staff, the professors and the

parents for their prayers and their love for this Sewinary.

We owe very much this happy occasion to them. We pray that

your abundant blessinrr may be upon this occasion so that this

happiness will be expanded to become joy in heaven and the

joy of liberation for all mankind.

We pray all this in the name of the True Parents. Amen.