[Speaker1 Henri]
To my beloved parents who instilled in me a passion for God. I know they suffer in silence, not understanding my commitment today. But I am certain that in the near future, they will proudly thank me for having persevered, against all odds.
I find nothing on Earth that makes me happy; my heart is too big. Nothing that is called happiness in this world can satisfy it. My heart thirsts for the waters of eternal life.
These words of Théophane Vénard, taken up by Thérèse of Lisieux shortly before joining her husband, perfectly illustrate the intimate history of my soul up to the present day.
[Speaker2 Thérèse of Lisieux]
“I have read the lives of several missionaries. Among others, I have read that of Théophane Vénard, which interested and moved me more than I can say”.
Thus spoke Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, on March 19, 1897.
She would later confide to her sisters the reason for this predilection.
"Theophane Vénard pleases me even more than Saint Louis de Gonzague, because the life of Saint Louis de Gonzague is extraordinary, and his quite ordinary,"
She added.
My soul resembles his. He is the one who best lived my spiritual childhood path.
“I find nothing on earth that makes me happy; my heart is too big, nothing that is called happiness can satisfy it. My thoughts soar towards eternity; time is about to end. My heart is peaceful like a tranquil lake or a serene sky; I do not regret this worldly life, my heart thirsts for the waters of eternal life. A little while longer, and my soul will leave the earth, end its exile, finish its struggle.
I ascend to heaven, I touch the homeland, I win the victory. I am about to enter the abode of the elect, to see beauties that the eye of man has never beheld, to hear harmonies that the ear has never heard, to revel in joys that the heart has never tasted. Here I am, arrived at this hour that each of us has so longed for.
It is indeed true that the Lord chooses the lowly, to confound the mighty of this world. I do not rely on my own strength, but on the strength of Him who on the cross conquered the powers of hell. I am a spring flower that the master of the garden plucks for his pleasure.
We are all flowers planted on this earth, picked by God in their time, a little sooner, a little later. I, a small, ephemeral flower, am the first to leave. One day we will meet again in paradise and enjoy true happiness”.
[Speaker3
Theophane Vénard prior to his execution]
To my sister Melanie.
And you, dear sister, I leave you in the field of virtues and good works. May you reap many merits for the eternal life that awaits us both.
Harvest faith, hope, charity, patience, gentleness, perseverance.
To my brother Henri.
Perhaps your mind has followed the current of worldly ideas and sought happiness with false friends where happiness does not exist.
The human heart is too great to be satisfied by the fleeting and artificial joys of this world. Do not waste your life on worldly vanities. Be a man. Resist the desires of the flesh and serve the spirit. Beware of the snares of the devil and the allurements of the world. Observe the precepts of religion. That's what it means to be a man. To not do that is to be a beast.
To my brother Eusebe.
You, dear brother, still young in years, remain after me on the sea of this world, navigating amidst the reefs. Steer your ship well. May prudence be your rudder, humility your ballast, God your compass, and the Immaculate Mary your anchor of hope.
And despite the disgust and bitterness that, like a stormy sea, will flood your soul, never let your courage be overwhelmed, but like Noah's Ark, stay afloat on the great waters.
[Speaker1 Henri]
From my earliest childhood, a single passion has dwelt within me: God and the things of God. It was this ardent search that helped me answer Jesus' call in 1954, joyfully deciding to return to the minor seminary of Sarso.
It was this same passion that led me to embrace religious life in 1960 in the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of PICPUS, where I remained until 1967. It was this same unquenchable longing that led me, on March 21, 1968, to listen attentively to the explanations of a new message that already profoundly moved me. Even today, a proud and faithful disciple of Reverend Sun Myung Moon for over seventeen years, my soul yearns, as it did on the first day, for the love of God.
And I believe this essential quest will not end with death. My all-consuming passion for God has always been accompanied by another passion, both more discreet and persistent: a passion for the world. My first readings of the Bible revealed to me the golden rule to practice toward others, in all circumstances: selflessness, total and unconditional service.
Jesus had become my role model, Francis Xavier my champion, Damian, the apostle to the lepers, my hero. My vocation was to find my future already mapped out, to live a saintly life in service to God and the world. I discovered very early on, that by practicing true love for all human beings every day, like Jesus, I was simultaneously serving the only cause for which life is worth living: the cause of God.
Every truly altruistic endeavor inevitably encounters the almost insurmountable wall of selfishness and pride, first within oneself, then in others. But like the mountaineer, it was the vision of the summit that gave me strength and enthusiasm amidst the struggle with the elements. Is it not, in fact, the greatest epic to have a life entirely devoted to overcoming the "law of sin" that is in my members (Romans 7:23), so that I may embrace all my brothers and sisters in God without distinction?
Isn't a life offered daily to God on the altar of humanity the most fantastic adventure? Freedom and happiness for all will be achieved. That, at least, is the path I chose to follow from my earliest childhood, and from which I have never deviated.
Having neither the intention nor the time to write an autobiography, I have written this testimony, from the heart, selecting the events that best illustrate the evolution of my faith and commitment to this day. For the recent period from 1975 to 1985, I have sacrificed the chronology of events in favour of a general reflection on certain themes that seem essential to me, for a better understanding of the Unification Church. A brief description of the movement's activities concludes the final chapter.
It is first and foremost in the name of God and true love, the only key we have left for building an ideal world, that I felt compelled to write this humble testimony. I pray fervently that the reader who courageously searches in the hostile night may receive from God the two most precious gifts: His truth and His love.
The Rootedness
“Lord, it is You who formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I give You thanks for the many mysteries and wonders that I am and for Your works. Already you knew my soul, and my bones were not hidden from you, when I was made in the secret place, woven together in the depths of the earth. Psalm 138.
When, on August 6, 1932, Louis Blanchard and Armandine Bussenel were united in indissoluble marriage, they made a heartfelt vow to dedicate all their future children to God. In my mother's heart, this vow had a very precise meaning: the profound desire to see each of her children one day embrace the priestly or religious vocation.
Baptized and raised in the Catholic faith, my parents inherited from their ancestors an unwavering faith in God and a dedication to the practice of their religion. It was in an atmosphere steeped in prayer and the Gospels that I took my first steps in life. Born on April 22, 1943, the seventh of eleven children, I quickly learned about community life: housework, cleaning, tidying—daily tasks that I had to take on willingly or not from a very young age, and which have never held any secrets for me.
Each day began and ended invariably with prayer. Every Sunday, the liturgy of the Mass permeated me so deeply that the desire to become a priest was born within me and never left. Each year was punctuated by the high points of the Christian calendar.
Holy Week and the Stations of the Cross, Easter and its renewed joy, Corpus Christi and the procession through the town, Christmas and Midnight Mass. Every care was lavished on me at school, at church, and at home to give me a perfect Christian education. I therefore fervently went through the obligatory stages of a baptized child in the Catholic Church: catechism, First Communion, Solemn Communion, and Confirmation.
When I think back to those blessed childhood years, when the foundations of a lifetime are laid and the defining traits of character are forged, the special moments spent with my maternal grandparents immediately spring to mind. Every summer, I would spend a few weeks in the idyllic setting of a small Breton farmhouse. It remains to this day an unforgettable place where my relationship with God deepened through contact with the indescribable beauty of the surrounding nature, the ever-changing sky, and the starry firmament.
The long hours spent by the fireside with my grandmother, who patiently explained the ways of the world to me and listened tenderly to my dreams and feelings, remain an inexhaustible source of inspiration. I know now that it was God who was guiding me through my grandmother. A very warm, heartfelt connection developed between us, revealing me to myself and unleashing the best within my heart: love for God, love for others, and love for all Creation.
Those enchanting summers came to an abrupt end with the brutal death of my dear grandfather, who was kindness itself to me, beaten to death by a deranged neighbor. This unbelievable event awakened me to the harsh reality of the evil that lurks in the heart of every man. God was preparing me for a new chapter.
I was beginning to realize the tragic reasons that led Jesus to the cross, the apostles to martyrdom, and the saints to lead a life of sacrifice. When, on a beautiful spring day in 1952, a missionary father asked the whole class the following question, "Who desires to become a missionary in the service of Jesus in the most distant countries?" I answered without hesitation, "It is my most ardent desire." "I am ready." In September 1953, a new chapter of my life began. I returned to the minor seminary.
Jesus' call from 1954 to 1966
“Whoever truly loves me, let him deny himself, take his cross, and follow me. Whoever wants to save his life will lose it. Whoever loses his life for my sake will gain it”. Mark 8:34-35.
I wish to pay sincere and heartfelt tribute here to the "good fathers" who patiently and lovingly guided me through the delicate years of adolescence into adulthood. They admirably nurtured within me the seed of Jesus' first call, for once I had completed my secondary education, I took the path of religious life without hesitation.
The spirituality of the Congregation of the Fathers of the Sacred Hearts of PICPUS could be summed up in two words: adoration and sacrifice. A life of prayer and adoration to console the suffering heart of Jesus, a life of apostolate and sacrifice to plant the love of Christ in the hearts of all people. It was this vision of a life harmoniously combining contemplation and action, which very early inflamed my heart of a young idealist.
Countless enriching experiences marked these long years of preparation for my future life as a missionary. I will limit myself to briefly recounting a few significant moments. First, the moving readings of the lives of the Saints, which kept a flame burning ever more intensely within me: Damien, Francis Xavier, Francis of Assisi, Ignatius of Loyola, Joan of Arc, Dominic, Teresa of Avila, the parish priest of Ars, Don Bosco, Thérèse of Lisieux, had become my companions in days of joy and days of sorrow.
I knew they were more alive than ever in the spiritual world and that they encouraged me to persevere on the path I had chosen.
A reading had the effect of an electroshock on me "The imitation of Jesus Christ" by Thomas A. Kempis. I had barely begun reading a passage when I felt the spiritual presence of Jesus beside me. While personally expressing his love for me, he very firmly commanded me to lead a life of service and sacrifice, in every way like his own. These intimate moments spent in the company of Jesus were particularly numerous during the unforgettable Novitiate year of 1960: a “sabbatical” year devoted solely to prayer, meditation, reading books on spirituality, and listening to lectures preparing me for religious life. It was during this year of spiritual retreat that I discovered the value of prayer of adoration in the middle of the night, and of the humble gestures of community life.
Living every detail of daily life in the presence of the living God through love and a spirit of sacrifice; it is the priority given to learning about the inner life that effectively helped me joyfully cross all the stages of PICPUCIAN religious commitment: profession of faith, temporary vows followed two years later by perpetual vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. The renunciation of "worldly goods" was felt by me less as a sacrifice than as the happy culmination of Jesus' initial call.
I found the studies of philosophy, ethics, and theology worthy of the highest interest, but it was Teilhard de Chardin who exerted a particular fascination on me. I devoured his books, which, while providing me with the essential concepts for a comprehensive vision of history and the universe, opened new horizons within me that stimulated my life of faith.
With Teilhard, I thought, the Church's discourse became convincing and understandable to our contemporaries. Science and religion joined forces to accelerate the advent of a civilization of love, the omega point of history. But studies in biblical exegesis came along and shook the traditional theological conceptions I held about the person and mission of Jesus, while also bringing me brutally back down to earth.
The historical Jesus, as he truly was, walking the roads of Roman-occupied Palestine, a man genuinely and fully of his time, a Jew culturally and religiously formed in the sect of the Essenes, gradually revealed himself to me. The teachings of the Qumran manuscripts, while drawing me closer to the earthly Jesus, also triggered a profound upheaval in my inner life. The Jesus transcending material contingencies, seated on the Throne of the Parousia, became transformed over the course of exegesis studies into a son of man directly influenced by the cultural and intellectual environment in which he grew up, and whose actions were dependent on the political and legal structures of his time.
Jesus then appeared to me extraordinarily vulnerable, waging a battle on two fronts, with his bare hands: against Satan, the Prince of this world and against this world itself with its hideous face marked by ignorance, fear, and hatred.
Even today, I hear echoing within me the words of my revered professor of exegesis at the University of Strasbourg:
“The historical truth is that Jesus was judged by a popular tribunal with the approval of the political and religious authorities of the time, and the verdict was death. I know that our theologians don't like to hear this kind of truth, which disturbs our glorious conceptions of Jesus' predestined life. But no one can deny this historical truth!” The entire foundation of certainty acquired by the «Catholic religious» on the eternal victory of the Savior of humanity suddenly began to shake.
The effect of this discovery was immediate. The transcendent concept of salvation obtained “once and for all” through Christ's sacrifice on the Cross, gradually gave way to a conception that was both humbler and closer to the harsh realities of history. Two thousand years ago, the Son of God waged total war against the visible and invisible powers of evil, armed only with love and truth. Jesus was unable to achieve total victory.
I then understood that the entire history of Christianity was marked by numerous battles won on a spiritual level but lost on a physical one, following the example of the Master. This revelation frightened me, for I intuitively sensed that contemporary Christianity was in mortal danger for lack of true and worthy warriors. Where were the Pauls, the Francis, the Dominicans, and the Bernards of the 20th century? What about Jesus in the hearts of men today? Was he present in homes, in society?
It was during my year of military service in 1965 that the answer to these questions appeared to me in all its tragic dimension.
Jesus' earthly impact seemed insignificant to me amidst the vast ocean of ignorance, indifference, fear, and hatred that appeared to engulf the planet. It was a rude awakening for me after a long, comfortable, and sheltered sleep.
No. All was not lost. A warm light came to rekindle the flame of my youth: Taizé! All the love of Jesus was in Brother Roger's eyes.
Thousands of young Christian brothers and sisters had gathered in Taizé to share the love of Christ in a single, supra-denominational, supra-racial, and supranational communion. My heart comforted and filled with renewed hope; I returned to my community in Strasbourg with a specific desire: to immediately bear witness to the love of Christ in a small, open community in the heart of the city. The "Father Superior" did not take my ardent wish into consideration. He urged me to be patient. It was then that life within the Robertshaw community seemed unreal to me, incapable of effectively bringing the love of Jesus to a world in full moral and religious decay.
I was 23 years old. I became aware that the calm and serene years were coming to an end. A threatening storm was brewing on the horizon. I assisted, powerless, in the preparations for an unprecedented spiritual suicide by the theologians of the "death of God" and the Marxist clergy professing with conviction and pride the theology of liberation.
I was bewildered and deeply saddened by what appeared to be a new schism. Where was the perfectly united Christian family that Jesus wished for (John 17:2.1)
I couldn't explain why I was only now beginning to realize that my Church had so often betrayed its Master in the past. It was in this division among Christians that the fundamental cause of the religious and moral crisis of the modern world was to be found. The witnesses of Jesus had lost all credibility with the unbelievers. The salt of the earth had not only lost its saltiness, but for many, it tasted like poison.
The son of the Roman Church had lived. But the disciple of Jesus entered into reflection, searching for a point of reference. It was then that a thought was born within me that haunted me day and night: God is alive.
The living God who has revealed himself throughout history through the commandments of Moses and the Gospel of Jesus, could this same living God not reveal to us today a new message that can be understood by modern man, accustomed to thinking logically and in scientific terms? The living God who inspired the prophets of the Old Testament and the saints of the New Testament, does he not have the power to inspire today a whole generation of modern saints who would take charge of their nation's affairs to transform the hell of current societies into an earthly Kingdom under the gentle and sure guidance of the Most High? This same living God who sent us Moses and Jesus in their time, could he not, in the age of the atom, send us a new Moses or a new Jesus to guide our floundering humanity toward a universal Canaan?
One morning in March 1967, my decision was made. After a final "farewell" to my religious superior, I found myself alone in a foreign world, with the only question that mattered to me: "My God, where are you today?" For a year, God did not answer.
Hell 1967
"Lord, where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?" If I ascend to the heavens, you are there. If I make my bed in the depths of hell, you are there. I will say, 'Let darkness cover me, let light become night upon me,' but darkness is not darkness before you, and the night shines like the day. “Psalm 138
The door of the religious community had just closed behind me. I quickly realized how little help my thirteen years of minor and major seminaries would be in the merciless struggle that the anonymous masses waged daily for their simple survival. The brutal severing of the umbilical cord that had bound me for so many years to my nurturing congregation left me for a time, defenseless.”
The harsh reality of life in the world hit me hard, bringing with it a host of material problems completely unknown to me until then: finding work, earning a wage, finding shelter, buying clothes and food. I knocked on the doors of a few friends and some relatives. This allowed me to find the bare necessities, enabling me to survive for the first few months before finding a job as a warehouse worker paid the minimum wage.
I quickly understood that God himself had sent me into the spiritual desert of the world to test me. This thought instilled courage in me. It served as my anchor, without which I would surely have been swept away by the storm.
It was the most difficult year of my life. Every day, I had to fight a hand-to-hand battle with many demons hidden behind doubt, anxiety, selfishness, and rebellion. I discovered for the first time that the hell I was experiencing deep within my soul was the same one that haunted the masses.
This revelation felt like a nightmare to me. How could the apostle I wanted to be bring light to men and women if he himself was so easily overcome by darkness? Where was the faith of my childhood, the hope of my adolescence, the fire of charity that ignited my vows?
The virtues and values that had ignited my youth seemed almost entirely absent from the hellish city where materialism reigned supreme. Absolute tyranny, reminiscent of Sodom and Gomorrah. Modern slavery that dares not speak its name. The cruel absence of love and compassion among men.
I felt a powerful sense of revolt rising within me against this impious, mediocre, futile, cowardly, selfish, and hateful world. I understood then that the appalling genocides perpetrated by Nazism and Communism were pure products of the death camp of souls that covers the entire earth.
No. To the right as to the left, to the east as to the west, to the north as to the south, everything was but a dangerous illusion. The abomination of desolation, a sign of the "last days," according to the Bible.
So, God? Where are you? A desperate plea, renewed endlessly in the long, icy night.
I devoured Krishnamurti and Fromm, but the timid flame they kindled within me could not withstand the infernal hurricane. My anguished cries went unanswered. I believed myself abandoned by God, forever.
The devil's attacks became more powerful than ever. My weary mind faltered, my thoughts descended into confusion, my heart hardened, my soul was tormented by doubt. The time of temptations had begun.
The idea of a life solely centered on money crossed my mind but was dismissed as quickly as it had come. My soul was indeed searching for a treasure, but one that was immutable and imperishable. On several occasions, friends tried to convince me that marriage, or simply living as a couple, was surely the best way for me to find balance.
An invisible hand always intervened at the right moment, preventing me from embarking on a catastrophic path. It was in the last weeks of 1967 that I truly believed I was defeated. I suddenly found myself plunged into a black hole, utterly hopeless, not a source of heat to warm up, not a single light towards where to go. Absolute solitude, close to nothingness, as if neither heaven nor earth existed anymore. Unbearable suffering paralyzed all instinct for self-defense. The idea of suicide haunted me for a time.
I thought the end was near. But God was watching over me. He guided me to a hill overlooking Paris.
At first, I was terrified by the apocalyptic vision that unfolded before me: flames from a massive fire rose to the sky, covering the entire horizon and threatening to annihilate the city. This vision created a profound and beneficial spiritual awakening within me. I realized that the lives of millions of brothers and sisters were in danger.
"Come, Henri," God whispered to me from the depths of my heart, "I need you to save this city." This inner voice, which I perceived so distinctly in the night, was my last lifeline. God needed me. Humanity needed me. So, I will begin to live again for God and for others. I felt that the diabolical powers that wanted my death were gradually losing their invisible grip on me. Life returned to my being, numbed from the spiritual winter. I felt a new sap rising within me, heralding the spring of hope.
One fine morning, I decided to put an end to the last vestiges of a bygone era; I got rid of a large trunk filled with books and personal notebooks. I experienced it as a ritual of purification. "I possess nothing anymore, Lord. You have stripped me of everything. My life and my future are in your hands." This was now my daily prayer. My heart had become serene again, filled with a single certainty: it was God who saved me during the most difficult inner trials, and it is the same God who will show me the next step to take. My soul was ripe for a new calling, a new beginning, a new birth, a new Pentecost.
On March 21, 1968, God arranged an encounter that I call historic because it was to mark a complete upheaval in the course of my life.
A stranger approached me, "What do you do for a living?" "A student," I replied, "to get myself out of trouble." My new interlocutor continued with a strong foreign accent, "Are you interested in learning about a philosophy that comes from Korea and reveals for the first time the origin of Evil?" "No." Not at all. I studied all philosophies and theologies for five years. I'm no longer interested in them.
My "foreigner" then brought up another subject, "I also teach foreign languages, German and English." I enthusiastically accepted the offer. We set a date, congratulating each other warmly. The following Saturday, at 2 pm., I was at the meeting.
A New Pentecost
1968-1974
“Today, our world, in order to return to God, needs radical change. I came to make an appeal addressed to all of humanity. The power of the Divine Principle is transforming the lives of millions of human beings, ignited by a new Pentecost. The unification of the great human family is now possible. Reverend “Sun Myung Moon”.
The God of glory, who created the vast world, knew in his heart the most terrible sorrow when his rebellious children forsook him. And yet God calls us to rediscover his love. How deeply his heart is wounded. Like the waters of a river, his tears flowed”. A verse from a hymn of the Unification Church, "The Heart of the Father."
When Reiner Vincenz opened the door, his broad smile greeted me. The German lesson didn't last five minutes. My host invited me to look carefully at a series of diagrams drawn on a large white sheet. I had it distinctly: God, Adam, Eve, Child, Kingdom of God.
It was only then that I discovered Mr. Vincenz's true intention. He quickly reassured me and drew me into a fascinating conversation that lasted all afternoon. I bombarded him with numerous questions, which he always answered in a way that fully satisfied me.
I was utterly captivated by the perfect logic of the Divine Principle. God is our Heavenly Parent, eternal, unchanging, and absolute. He wants humankind, created in his image, male and female (Genesis 1:27), to become like him: eternal, unchanging, unique, and absolute.
In creating Adam and Eve, God had a specific purpose for his beloved children: to bless them in marriage after they reached their full spiritual maturity by obeying God's commandments. Our first ancestors would thus have become the True Parents of an endless line of True children. Their multiplication would have given birth to a divine society, the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.
Neither evil, nor hell, nor sin, nor suffering, nor conflict, nor murder would have existed in such a world. No Father would even consider building a prison for his newborn children, even more reason, God, our perfect Parent!
Only the Heavenly Kingdom was part of his original will. In such a Kingdom, Church, Religion, Philosophy, Theology, and Dogma were neither necessary nor foreseen. My teacher never tired of repeatedly drawing the same diagram in a notebook, clearly showing the stages of spiritual growth that our earliest ancestors should have victoriously traversed. Human beings are destined to reach perfection, my new spiritual guide kept repeating to me.
Would my insatiable desire for purity and unity with God finally be fulfilled by this new message? That was my most sincere hope as I listened to a truth that didn't seem entirely unfamiliar. God's truth must have lain dormant deep within my subconscious, awaiting the day of its release. A special emotion washed over me, a harmonious blend of gratitude and inner peace. Gratitude for the free gift of a revelation so luminous it could only have come from Heaven.
A profound sense of inner peace that will never leave me. When we had to part that evening, the student and the teacher had disappeared, replaced by two new brothers in God.
The following evening, Reiner took only a few minutes to explain the tragedy of the fall to me. Adam and Eve did not reach the stage of individual perfection. Without God's permission or blessing, they formed an illicit and immature union, producing children whose father was Satan, not God. The multiplication of the children of sin thus led, from generation to generation, to the story of the "Falls" of the kingdom of hell on earth, with Satan as its prince (Genesis 12:31).
Everything became clear. Satan had succeeded in taking God's place and could accuse God and humanity with impunity, as long as his crime remained undiscovered. Satan was therefore jointly responsible with our first ancestors for an illicit relationship that definitively separated us from God.
Knowledge of Satan's crime thus became a very - Powerful Spiritual Weapon.
The greatest saints had often found themselves paralyzed by the accusations of the devil, who used the well-known tactics of guilt, fear, and discouragement. The Divine Principle thus granted us the power to accuse Satan in turn for his terrible crime, which had caused God and humanity the greatest suffering. This realization unleashed within me a liberating strength that gave me the ability to better control the insidious "attacks" of the evil one.
But Reiner was already moving on to another theme: “The Mission of Jesus”. One sentence in particular caught my attention: “The Cross was not God's will”. A Pentecostal wind then began to stir in my numb soul. Something powerful was awakening within me. I could barely hear Reiner's voice and comments.
If the people had clearly known that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, they would not have crucified him. Paul's testimony confirms this assertion: “Wisdom that none of the princes of this world understood. If they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory”. 1 Corinthians 2:8.
It was ignorance and blindness that killed Jesus Christ. I couldn't control my tears. Everything suddenly became clear. Our Heavenly Father had sent us His Son Jesus in the position of Christ new Second unfallen Adam, hoping to recreate on earth His original dream: a perfect family, perfect children, a perfect story, a perfect kingdom centered on God's love.
My tears flowed even more freely as I realized that billions of men and women, victims of centuries-old-misguided doctrines, had remained orphaned, unaware of the wonderful but broken hearts of their parents. These were not my tears, but those of my Heavenly Father, who was suffering immensely from having been separated from His beloved children for so long, without even being able to embrace them, even once.
These were also the tears of joy shed by the father and his child on this great day of reunion. I found the truth so obvious and so simple. How was it possible that this belief that Jesus came to die on the cross had become the very foundation of Christianity? What immense suffering for God and his Son to have been so misunderstood by their own children for so long.
My prayer that evening was profoundly simple and sincere: God, Jesus, your heart is so vast, overflowing with love for all your children, how could I have lived all those years in the seminary, completely ignorant of the profound reason for your unfathomable suffering? Tonight, accept the love of your rediscovered child
My Conversion
“Finally, I am reborn, free from the embrace of death. When the one who awakens me comes to take me in his arms, such profound joy fills my heart. For eternity, in joy, I receive his love”.
A verse from the Song of Songs, “The Light of Glory”, Words of Reverend Sun Myung Moon
This first experience of God's personal love was to open for me the royal road that leads to His heart.
God was therefore my Father, a true Father, invisible certainly, but very real, capable of tenderness and attention at every second for the smallest details of my inner and outer life. Since He was my Father, He ardently desired to share His primary desire with His child, to exchange His parental love with all His billions of children in joy and freedom.
I quickly understood that the Divine Principle was neither an abstract philosophical system nor an additional theological explanation, but a True Revelation of the Living God and the ever-present Heavenly Parent. When I saw Reiner for the third time, he welcomed me to his table. My joy was boundless, for I felt that God and Jesus were present.
The frugal meal finished, I was eagerly waiting for Reiner to reveal more secrets from God's heart. "Henri, how are you? I was so happy yesterday to see that you had already deeply grasped how much God had suffered and still suffers today from being separated from his children. This time, I'd like to give you a brief overview of salvation history to help you understand the providential meaning of the times in which we live."
Reiner brought back to me the thrilling joy and incredible hope of my Heavenly Father in the Garden of Eden. I discovered even more deeply the great distress of God after the fall of man. Heavenly Father had lost his children whom he loved above all else.
Reiner continued, saying that in losing Adam and Eve, God had lost everything: his ideal, his joy, his kingdom, his creation. His heart was utterly broken, inconsolable. With no one to share such suffering with, Reiner stopped when he saw I was lost in thought.
In fact, I was beginning to discover the hidden meaning of the Bible. The Old and New Testaments were simply the story of Heavenly Father's long history of sweat, tears, and blood in search of His lost children. Seeing that my inner meditation was coming to an end, Reiner continued.
Without the obedience of Adam and Eve, God could not have realized his ideal in the Garden of Eden; without the cooperation of the chosen people, Jesus could not have established the kingdom of God on earth. God's heart was pierced anew by the murder of his Son on the Cross. The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus represented a second alternative chosen by God to open the way to spiritual salvation.
But the body of humanity had to remain nailed to the Cross and continue to suffer the assaults of Evil, while the souls of believers could rise with Christ and be saved. “The whole history of Christianity only makes sense in the active expectation and preparation for the return of Christ, who is to bring us complete salvation of body and spirit” (Romans 8:23).
At this point in the explanation, Reiner placed a chart before me where I could see a striking parallel between entire periods of history in the Old and New Testaments. When I discovered that our time corresponded in every respect to the time of Jesus 2nd Advent, I was overcome with uncontrollable enthusiasm.
We were living in the time of Christ's return?! This fantastic discovery brought about a radical transformation in me. My heart overflowed with a wild hope; I wanted to meet him.
Leaving Reiner that evening, I felt as if I were flying above the city. In my little room, which I had rediscovered, my Heavenly Father was waiting for me. Sitting on my iron bed, I was suddenly intoxicated by my Heavenly Father's infinite love, as if he existed only for me, all alone.
He called me by my first name. I then felt that the Almighty God, the Creator of heaven and earth, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of Moses and Jesus, the God of all the saints, was also my personal God. He must have endured those thousands of years of suffering out of love for me, to come to me.
Words cannot describe the boundless joy of a tiny grain of sand, forgotten in the vast universe, suddenly becoming the center of all the Creator's attention and love. God and I, I and God, find ourselves entwined in a celestial embrace for eternity. My transfigured being was transported in ecstasy to the throne of God, my Creator and my Father.
I tasted fully the living source of His infinite and perfect love. A timeless moment, indescribable happiness, a glorious celebration of the most intimate heart-to-heart between Father and Child. Having returned to himself, the man of faith and doubt had definitively lived.
A new man was born, now filled with absolute certainty: God's love had the all-powerful ability to resurrect all of humanity. God himself had chosen me for a new mission: "Henri, go! You will be a witness to my love throughout the world."
I felt that my entire life would not be long enough to express my gratitude for having received such a marvellous gift from God. I realized then that God was not the sole architect of the miraculous encounter I had just experienced. The author of the Divine Principle then appeared to me in all his providential and cosmic dimension, being, in humanity today, the visible incarnation of the Invisible Parent.
Heaven had thus come to earth; the reign of truth, goodness, and beauty had begun. Sun Myung Moon had indeed inherited from Jesus the sacred mission of establishing the reign of God's love on earth. That night, I fell asleep to the sound of celestial music in God's arms
The Neophyte
“A heavenly joy fills my heart, floods my soul for eternity. Life, glory, and the gladness of heaven are mine. In the past, chained to sin, I was preparing to die. Today, born again, divine life abounds within me”. Reverend Sun Myung Moon, 1951.
Reiner didn't seem impressed by my description of the previous day's earth-shattering encounter. He was happy. His spiritual child was born. I was convinced that I had just joined a very large family. I was overjoyed at the thought of soon meeting thousands of brothers and sisters who, without a doubt, were spread throughout France.
In three days, the Divine Principle had transformed me into a different man. I imagined igniting the fire of God's love and converting the entire nation in a few months, perhaps even a few years. When Reiner abruptly revealed to me that I was the first and only person in France to have accepted the Divine Principle, I nearly fainted.
I stared intently into Reiner's eyes, suddenly realizing that he too was completely alone. Our fates became even more intertwined as we found ourselves like two survivors on a raft in the middle of a raging ocean. It was then that I felt a surge of seemingly contradictory emotions.
Exhilarating joy at having met the living God and his messenger, profound sadness at realizing the minuscule number of workers for the immense harvest, paralyzing anxiety before the gigantic task that awaited me. Reiner's gaze became worried. He could sense my thoughts and feelings.
"Henri," he said to encourage me, "we'll be going to Germany in two weeks. A large family is already waiting for you there." This prospect of meeting my European brothers and sisters filled me with joy.
We were no longer alone. I belonged to a large global family. Reiner had carefully prepared me for this gathering. Every day I went from discovery to discovery.
Reiner encouraged me to keep my job to meet my basic needs. But for me, the real day began in the evening. My mentor had to invest a great deal of himself to give me an excellent education inspired by the Divine Principle.
He spared neither time nor effort in guiding his spiritual child's first steps. He quickly entrusted me with the task of teaching the Divine Principle to some friends. These informal talks were always an opportunity for me to experience a consuming spiritual fire that completely possessed me.
The Spirit of God spoke through me then. Overflowing joy lifted me to heaven as I passionately explained “God's Original Ideal”. Prayer each evening was the high point of the day.
Reiner began the prayer. His relationship with the Heavenly Father was so intimate that he often shed tears when speaking of the long road of solitude and suffering that God himself had to travel to come to us. When he asked me to pray in turn, I, too, could not hold back my tears.
We were both basking in the overflowing love of God. One evening, he invited me to accompany him near the Eiffel Tower. While pointing out one of the magnificent acacia trees in the Allée, he explained to me that "Our Master had blessed one hundred and twenty “Holy Lands) like this one during his first trip around the world in 1965.
Each of these "Holy Lands" symbolized a portion of Creation that had become sacred once more. I then realized with profound clarity the significance of the Second Coming, the Holy Spirit, to the entire Cosmos, both physical and spiritual.
Some evenings, Reiner liked to linger with me, leaning over the album of "historical" photos. Each photo was accompanied by a lengthy commentary where I learned of the incredible sacrifices that had marked the family's beginnings in Korea, Japan, the United States, and Germany. The names of these New Age pioneers became familiar to me: M. Hyo-won Eu, M. Won-Pill Kim, M. Young-hwi Kim, Mme Won-pok Choi, M. Osami Kuboki, Miss Young-oon Kim, M. Peter Koch.
In France, Reiner's path was no exception to the rule; repeated fasting, and the accumulated fatigue had dangerously weakened him. One day, he was found collapsed in the middle of the street. I later learned that Reiner had miraculously recovered his health, thanks to the Master's prayers. Above all, a true missionary must lead a life of prayer and sacrifice; such was the lesson of my first two weeks alongside the pioneer in France. It was also during this time that I began to read and reread the Book of the Divine Principle dozens of times, for each reading was a vibrant and constantly renewed source of inspiration for me.
Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, all these champions of the living God became my close companions in the daily battle I waged against my number one enemy: myself. My lack of courage and my selfishness vanished as I relived the saga of the heroes of faith who had paved the way I walked today. When I arrived in Essen, I was initially intimidated; Peter Koch, the champion of God who first brought the revolutionary message of the Divine Principle to Europe, stood before me.
But I was quickly won over by his fraternal attitude, so full of simplicity and kindness. I hung on every word of the admirable talks Peter gave during the first weekend with my German brothers and sisters. There were about twenty of us, and I was deeply moved by the wonderful atmosphere that prevailed.
Everything was bright, beautiful, and harmonious. Peter explained several times that the “Original Ideal of God”, represented by “The Four Positions” of God, Adam, Eve, and the children, had been realized for the first time on Earth. Jesus himself had only realized “The Four Positions”: God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and Christians, on a spiritual level. Thus, Jesus had established a great universal spiritual family.
But today, God's ancient dream has been realized on Earth through a True man and a True woman, blessed in marriage by God and thus becoming the “True Parents” of the great human family. The German family was but an embryo, yet how eloquent, of the ideal world. On the train home, a single thought crossed my mind: to create in France a family as beautiful in its unity, as devoted in its mission, as profound in its prayer as the one that had just welcomed me.
The family
“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Acts 2:42-47.
Paris, France. So, desperately, there were only two of us. The stay in Germany had broadened my perspective and instilled in me a spirit of challenge; with God's help, we will create a family as flourishing as the one in Essen.
“Absolutely, Henri,” Reiner replied, “the spiritual world is with us.” My older brother then began my education in a mysterious realm that secretly fascinated me. Reiner described his many experiences with the invisible world: spiritual guidance, apparitions, precognitive dreams, extrasensory perceptions, and materialization.
Jesus, Joan of Arc, and Thomas Aquinas had become his comrades-in-arms. He also explained to me how an inner voice had guided him throughout Paris, ultimately allowing him to meet me with absolute precision. Filled with admiration for what seemed to me to be an exceptional back, he insisted that all men were endowed with the same spiritual senses, whose function should be to put us in constant communication with the spiritual world.
He often repeated to me that the "normality" of the fallen world was the complete opposite of the "normality" of the Divine World, foreseen before the fall. The ideal man was to play the role of center of harmony between the two, visible and invisible worlds. "Just a little more patience, Henri, and you'll see," my spiritual mentor would regularly tell me.
I didn't have to wait long. A few days later, a very distinct voice woke me up. It was 6 am., and I was all alone in my room.
"Rémi is waiting for you," the voice said, "go quickly and meet your brother." Then there was silence. I was sad that this communication with the invisible world had suddenly stopped, but above all, I was proud, like a child who could now tell his parents, "I know that too!".
Reiner does not seem to be impressed by this spiritual intervention. He immediately made arrangements to visit Rémi, who was in Rennes. A week later, my brother joined us in Paris.
One day was enough to convince him. He literally hung on Reiner's every word. His spontaneous agreement with every detail of the teaching was nothing short of miraculous, but it brilliantly confirmed the truth of the message I had received.
After six years apart, we were reunited, closer than ever to each other. In the euphoria of our reunion, we almost imagined the impossible: announcing the good news to all our relatives. But we followed Reiner's wise advice, which urged us to wait for the "right moment."
Rémi then contacted a work colleague. Thérèse le Breton immediately accepted her friend's invitation. Imagine her surprise when she discovered a different Rémi.
The frivolous friend, living for the moment, completely supportive of the May revolutionaries, had become a different man. Rémi had answered God's call, won over by a new message. Thérèse wanted to know for sure, to uncover the secret that had transformed Rémi in such a short time.
Thérèse quickly realized the obvious. The Divine Principle is not an ordinary message. His irrefutable logic overturned all received ideas, described as "mysteries" by traditional theology, and brought about intimate conviction with an irresistible force.
A week later, our first sister was born. Every evening, the four of us would gather around a very simple meal in Rémi's tiny room. We desperately wanted to find an apartment with at least three rooms so we could comfortably host our guests. It was our Christmas present. God blessed us with a wonderful little center in Boulogne. Our four salaries combined provided enough money to pay the rent and food each month.
Meanwhile, the Association for the Unification of World Christianity was officially established on November 12, 1968. This was, in a way, our first public act. Our goal was officially proclaimed: “The Unification of the World under God”, beyond all social, religious, national, and racial barriers.
However, the essence of the Association for the Unification of World Christianity lies not in its legal status but in its universal message. Only a profound understanding of the Divine Principle can help us comprehend the activities and way of life of the members of this new Church. For everything is done, in the inner and outer lives of the brothers and sisters, to try to embody as faithfully as possible the ideal of the Kingdom of God on earth: an inner life of faith, humility, obedience, chastity and self-forgetfulness and an outer life of fraternal charity, service and witness constitute the indispensable elements for the spiritual growth of each member.
An intense life of prayer helps us deepen our relationship with God and find each day the strength necessary to fulfill His will. Each week was regularly punctuated by a day of fasting, to remind us of the primacy of the Spirit over the body and to foster the blossoming of spiritual experiences that are always stimulating for the life of faith.
The visions we had and the inspiring dreams we dreamed helped us persevere in our mission, while also confirming the truth of the Divine Principle. The entire program of this religious community life can be summed up in seven words: "to live for God and for others." Small as it was, our community strove earnestly and joyfully to become a microcosm of the Kingdom of God.
How could we extend this small-scale model to the nation and the world? We felt a profound responsibility to plant God's love in the hearts of all human beings. Therefore, proclaiming the message occupied most of our time.
Every encounter we had in the street, at university, or at home was an opportunity for us to practice true love. Reiner would send us messages in all weathers, saying, "Seek out, children. If you sow love and truth daily, the fruits will come," he constantly told us. Never forget that we are living in the completed Testament era. We ourselves must practice love toward our enemies. Only then will God bless us.
Reiner was convinced that such missionary and community training was essential to give us the capacity to one day create ideal homes, the cornerstones of the Kingdom. The future will not belong to small communities of single brothers and sisters, but to the millions of God-centered homes that together will form the Kingdom of God on earth.
One beautiful morning, Reiner called me and said they are arriving. I couldn't believe it. Almost exactly a year ago, after my first spiritual encounter, I was going to see them, touch them, listen to them, and talk to them. I felt deeply and indignantly ashamed for not having prepared myself more thoroughly for such a historic moment.
Two weeks later, the European siblings reunited in Germany to welcome their "True parents."
My first meeting with my “True parents”
“Parents is the word used to refer to the father and mother who gave birth to a person. The term "True parents" refers to the rebirth of the individual. For the true "I" is spiritual, invisible, but marked by original sin. All human beings must therefore be born again. Adam and Eve were to become, according to God's plan, the "true parents" of humanity.
After the Fall, God prepared the coming of Jesus, who was to fulfill the mission of "true parents." The Second Coming is necessary to definitively realize the original ideal of "true parents" centered on God. When we have "true parents," we all become true brothers and sisters”. Reverend Sun Myung Moon - 1976
Barely 120 brothers and sisters. It was the entire European family gathered in Essen for the historic visit. A very particular emotion gripped us when our eyes met in the arrivals hall of Düsseldorf Airport. We were waiting for the one whom billions of men and women had waited for throughout history.
Why were we so privileged?
The entire airport was bathed in a heavenly atmosphere when our father and mother suddenly appeared before us. Our happiness was boundless. My heart pounded in my chest as we shook hands. “Henri,” Father said to me in the same warm and unforgettable voice that had visited me barely a year ago in my small room. I then deeply understood how God’s personal love for each of his children could freely express itself through Sun Myung Moon.
I couldn’t take my eyes off him. His face appeared to me to be of great beauty. Immense kindness could be read in his eyes. His personality radiated perfect balance and great inner strength. An extraordinary nobility was exuded by his dynamic pace, which was also associated with exquisite simplicity. He was smiling. His children were there.
In an instant, his face became serious. The moment he closed his eyes; I felt a moving prayer rising to God.
"Heavenly Father, I thank you for these children you have gathered here by the power of your truth and your love. They represent a handful of men and women who understood the providence of return, lost amidst a crowd still steeped in ignorance. Father, protect them and grant them your wisdom and love so that they may have the strength to fulfill your will and save this old Christian Europe, which you blessed in the past, but which abandoned you, finding itself swept away in such deadly fratricidal wars. Heavenly Father, I pray that the Spirit of Jesus Christ may live again in the hearts of all your children and give birth to a new, reunited Europe that will one day accept your glorious sovereignty. Amen”.
Every second of Sun Myung Moon's life was devoted to fulfilling the mission entrusted to him by Jesus Christ on Easter morning 1935: To establish the Kingdom of God on Earth. The Spirit of Jesus and Sun Myung Moon were, from that moment on, completely united in the accomplishment of this Cosmic Task.
Our Father's three weeks in Europe were completely focused on prayer and preaching. He lavished his parental love to help his children, in turn, become champions of true love in their own nations. We were never satiated with the wonderful love that flowed freely from the hearts of our True Parents.
Our Father spoke to us in Korean. The excellent simultaneous translation into English and French allowed us to fully grasp the profound meaning of the message. God, Adam, Eve, Child, Love, Sacrifice, Fulfillment, and Blessing were the key words of his discourses and recurred like a leitmotif.
Each time, we were captivated by our celestial speaker. The exuberance of his gestures, the contrasting tones of his voice, and the myriad expressions on his face all served to enhance a message that, left to itself, could not have so effectively conveyed all the facets of truth. Above all, he spoke with the authority of one who had paid an incredible price to receive this new revelation from God.
The value of the Divine Principle lay primarily in its ability to convert hearts. Each phrase exerted a magical power of purification and spiritual rebirth.
We lost all sense of time. When Father Sun Myung Moon stopped speaking, we were all amazed to realize that we had just listened to him for seven hours straight, which had seemed like only a few minutes. Our hearts were revived, our minds enlightened, our wills strengthened. The Spirit of God had just been with us. Above all, we felt an immense love for one another. Heaven on Earth had been realized. It was then that each of us, in the intimacy of our hearts, offered our entire lives to God for the building of His Kingdom.
A wonderful surprise awaited us: the blessing of eight couples chosen by our Father. What could be more natural than to rely on the guidance of parents completely focused on God, a living and perfect example of the ideal couple, when choosing a partner? Before making a final commitment, we are free to accept or reject the advice God gives us through our Father.
I was proud and happy to see my spiritual father blessed in this historic wedding. The ceremony unfolded in heavenly joy and simplicity. It brought to mind one of the most wonderful dreams of my childhood, in which I saw a long procession of men and women dressed in white robes advancing towards a throne where a king and queen stood, radiant with beauty under the rays of an unseen sun.
This beautiful dream, long buried in the depths of oblivion, suddenly became reality before my dazzled eyes. On that day, March 28, 1969, an unshakeable foundation was laid in Europe. I knew that these eight new homes blessed by God formed the substantial and eternal foundation of the Kingdom on the old continent.
A few days later, my “True parents” arrived in Paris. There were five of us to welcome them to our humble apartment. Spending three days in the company of my True parents was such an extraordinary blessing that I thought I was dreaming. I sensed our father's eagerness to complete my spiritual formation and impart deeper insights into the teaching. But my heart and mind were not yet capable of receiving more substantial spiritual nourishment. I sensed his sadness at my limitations.
But he showed nothing of it. On the contrary, my true father constantly made me feel my profound worth as a child of God. By his side, I felt that nothing was impossible. The gentle, unassuming presence of my true mother, the spiritual strength of my True father, the profound mutual love they shared, and the constant parental love he bestowed upon me were all blessings from heaven.
While visiting certain museums and monuments in Paris, my True parents constantly prayed for France. I felt that all the French saints, known and unknown, joyfully celebrated their arrival in the country for whose salvation they had dedicated their lives.
I gradually became aware of the heavy responsibility that heaven was placing on my shoulders by accepting to become the standard-bearer of the Kingdom of God in France. My True parents had kindled within me a new fire that would never be extinguished, the fire of the Apostleship of the Word. From now on, not a single day would pass without me taking the time to share with those around me the fervent hope that consumed me.
The blessing, the marriage
“If the blessing had taken place in the Garden of Eden, it would have been the greatest event celebrated in the entire cosmos. In the case of Jesus, the whole nation of Israel would have had to celebrate his marriage. Our pattern of impressive public weddings is there to restore what could not be accomplished on a cosmic level, in the Garden of Eden. If the entire population of Seoul attends our blessing, it will be as if we are inviting tens of millions of people”. Sun Myung Moon, 1969.
Among the many events that marked the development of the Association for the Unification of World Christianity between 1969 and 1975, two had a decisive influence on me: my marriage in Korea on October 21, 1970, and my training internship in the United States, in the spring of 1973.
God-centered marriage, that, in a few words, is the essence of the Unificationist credo.
This is also the heart of God's Original Ideal, and this was to be the central message of Jesus. Since Christ's marriage could not be celebrated 2,000 years ago, it is the Christ Second Coming that will open the way for the perfect, God-centered marriage (Revelation 19:7-9).
All members of the Unification Church worldwide firmly believe that Reverend Moon and his wife inaugurated the tradition of the ideal marriage on Earth in 1960. We believe this was the first marriage in history that God truly blessed. That is why we revere Sun Myung Moon and his wife to the highest degree, as they have become our model home. It was with this faith and this vision that I went to Korea in October 1970, accompanied by about ten European brothers and sisters. We had just arrived in Seoul, and it was love at first sight.
Everything delighted me. The smiling, dynamic and warm people, the rugged and mountainous landscape, the pure blue sky. I recognized the fantastic boom of the Korean economy while visiting a capital that gave the impression of being a vast construction site with numerous buildings of all kinds: hotels, schools, shops, office and residential buildings.
But all of that was nothing compared to the wonderful welcome we received from our True parents and the entire Korean family. Words cannot describe the Kingdom of God on Earth. I felt God's immense love for this nation, which had managed to preserve, throughout its 4,300-year history, a very pure and vibrant religious tradition. Confucian thought still permeates every aspect of Korean society today, giving it the feel of one large family.
The teeming, joyful crowd thronging the heart of the capital was nothing like the anonymous, depressed crowds of our Western cities. The connection was immediate and warm. I instantly felt like a full-fledged member of the extended Korean family.
Doesn't the national emblem itself represent the "Tao," a symbol of harmony, the complementarity of Heaven and Earth, unity, and universal peace? It was clear that present-day Korea, a land that has welcomed and nurtured all the world's major religions, was in the same position as Israel 2,000 years ago, the birthplace of the Messiah. Korea appeared to me as a microcosm of the modern world, divided into two opposing forces: communism and democracy.
--
But at the heart of this microcosm lay the solution everyone seeks but no one expects: the love of God manifested through Perfect Parents, ready to bless all humanity if it chooses to return to the Eternal Parent. We were 1600 brothers and sisters, gathered around our true parents, preparing for the most important ceremony of the Unification Church. For it touches upon the very roots of fallen history, which we inherit at birth: Original Sin.
The illicit relationship of our first ancestors is at the origin of a Lineage marked by Original Sin. The "Holy Wine" ceremony separates us from this impure lineage and grafts us onto the Divine Lineage inaugurated by our true parents. At the precise moment of drinking the Holy Wine, received from the very hands of our true parents, I felt as if a part of the "old man" was leaving to make way entirely for a new man.
Then I understood the profound meaning of the blessing: a radical separation from the old Lineage, a total belonging to the new Divine Lineage. I had just received a priceless gift; one of which I was completely unworthy. However, God was so eager and happy to see his original dream fulfilled on Earth: the multiplication of Divine homes giving birth to Divine children in order to establish a divine society, divine nations, and a divine world.
Once the ceremony was over, I realized for the first time that I was no longer alone. A being had been chosen by God to be by my side for eternity. However, I had gotten to know Hilde in Austria and Germany during the international meetings of our Church.
More recently, she had come to Paris to accompany me on my trip to the Orient. Almost a month had passed during which we were happy to be together almost every day. But while my mind noted her ever-present thoughtfulness and charm towards her young fiancé, my heart was entirely focused on the spiritual preparation for the big day: prayer, meditation, lectures, reading the Bible and the Divine Principle.
But this time, in the very middle of the ceremony, a feeling I had never experienced before rose within me and completely overwhelmed me: a harmonious blend of admiration, gratitude, and love for the woman who held my arm. I was not only inheriting God's lineage, but a true daughter of God. My joy was almost unbearable. That evening, walking through the rice paddies, the three of us shared an exquisite happiness that surpassed the most beautiful dreams. God, Henri, and Hilde were united for eternity.
The following day, the entire nation resonated with an extraordinary event: 777 couples were blessed in marriage at the Seoul Grand Gymnasium. The intimate joy of the previous day had transformed into a vibrant national celebration, filled with colorful festivities and the sounds of marching bands. God wanted to see his country join not only in the joy of the couples but in the jubilation of all Heaven.
..
This is the significance of large public weddings in the Unification Church. A God-centered wedding is the greatest cosmic event in all human history. The dream of Heavenly Father and true parents is to one day bless tens of thousands of couples in a single ceremony, thus taking a giant step toward the unification of the entire world in one day.
International and interracial marriages are indeed the key to creating a fraternal, moral, and peaceful world, breaking down national, racial, and religious barriers through true love. This is why the Unification Church has always remained faithful to this magnificent tradition, so revealing of the heart of its doctrine: 1,800 couples on February 8, 1975; 2,000 couples on July 1, 1982; and 5,837 couples on October 14 of the same year, thousands of couples blessed for the joy of God and peace in the world. The day after this cosmic celebration, the sixteen Western couples gathered in a paradisiacal setting: Cheong Pyeong Lake.
Our True parents were there among us, so close and so beautiful. We could gaze at them all at our leisure. After sharing a meal on the grass, each couple was invited to sing a song. Our True parents sang in turn. Our hearts overflowed with gratitude for all the abundant blessings we had received.
It was then that our father spoke to us of his long journey to come to us.
Before becoming the King of Love, he had to become the champion of suffering; torture, concentration camps, and persecution of every kind marked his daily ordeal. Pointing to the summit of the nearest mountain, he explained that he spent countless hours there in prayer, in all kinds of weather. Our Father's prayers were all centered on the unification of the world through the multiplication of blessed homes.
The time for our mission had arrived. We fully understood that we had to accept a heavier responsibility. The blessing bestowed was less for us than for our nation and our descendants.
Like true parents, we ourselves were to become divine parents for the nation, capable of enduring anything, for the salvation of the world, for the peace and prosperity of future generations. On that day, we solemnly promised God and true parents to be faithful in marital love and courageous in fulfilling our mission. Back in Paris, one thought haunted me: how to create an ideal home?
The answer came to me very quickly when I looked at my immediate role models, Reiner and Barbara. Their love for God and for others was stronger than anything. By following this model, they had become true parents to France.
Hilde and I solemnly made our first decision together: to live first for God and for the world. Everything else will be given to us in addition.
Belvédère
“Come live along the river with Papa and Mama and the whole family, come stroll along the golden sand paths, listen to the reeds sing in the shade of the beautiful house. Come live with my parents along the river. (Korean folk song” O Maya”)
“I know a place where the sun shines like gold”, such is the first line of a poem composed by one of the participants in the training course to which our True parents had invited us. Belvedere was the first property acquired by our Church in the United States, in the State of New York.
The main house stood atop a hill, offering a view of the majestic Hudson River. Magnificent lawns, Japanese-style groves, and ancient trees formed the main setting. The sparkling white of a thick blanket of snow that greeted us gradually gave way to the vibrant colors of spring.
A perfect harmony had been established between our hearts, eager to discover more deeply God's ideal and the magnificent beauty of the surrounding nature. Our true parents lived with us in this rediscovered Garden of Eden. I had the privilege of living alongside them throughout this particularly blessed time.
Belvedere will always remain for me the most wonderful place in the world, for there I drank at leisure the pure water of a miraculous and inexhaustible spring. Each time father came to speak to us, the same miracle occurred: our impure hearts regained their original innocence. Our disagreements of the previous day vanished, giving way to harmony and unity. All our questions received a clear and precise answer. The sermon over, we were resurrected. The power of God's Word had worked its magic; we were recreated.
Our songs could then rise to the heavens like a sparkling sheaf of gratitude, joy, and love. We were at Belvedere to be reborn spiritually and to inherit directly from our Father the responsibility of the Ministry of the Word. The schedule was therefore essentially organized around two priorities: a deep understanding of the Truth and learning how to preach.
Special importance was placed on prayer and meditation. Sport and gardening also played a significant role in our days. We often gathered, in the evenings and mornings, around the “Rock” specially consecrated by our Father to become a place of prayer. It was also around this “Rock” that our true parents would invite us some evenings to share our stories and sing our hymns, our hearts burning with love for one another. It was during one of these unforgettable evenings under the starry sky that our Father asked me if I would accept the heavy responsibility of leading the French family. I accepted immediately, without the slightest hesitation.
I could not keep to myself the countless treasures of love and truth I had received from God at Belvédère. I felt growing within me the compelling desire to become a proud representative of God and of our true parents for my country, France.
Our Father spoke in a confidential tone:
“You are the Jacobs of your nation. You must win the hearts of millions of Essen. The key? Selflessness, humility, service, and unconditional love. Persevere in this path. You will never be able to subdue Esau by force, but only by true love. Be happy when you are persecuted. God wants you to practice Jesus' precept: to love your enemies and forgive them. If, in giving God's love, you feel at every moment that you are not yet loving enough, and if, full of repentance, you desire to have more love to give to others, then the Kingdom of God can be fulfilled through you.
Love all men and women as your brothers and sisters. Love all nations as your own nation. Love the entire universe as you love God. I want you to know that I myself, have always embodied this Gospel. I sacrificed my own family and my country so that I could meet you today.
If you put my advice into practice, we will see the advent of the unified world, as God dreamed of it before the fall of man: unity of body and spirit, centered on the love of God; unity of the physical and spiritual worlds, centered on the love of God; unity of the home, husband, wife, and child, centered on the love of God; unity among all Christian churches and all religions, centered on the love of God; unity among all races and nationalities, centered on the love of God. A world united by God's love: that is our motto”.
Our Father abruptly stopped speaking and turned to our mother. The sweet, gentle voice of our beloved Mother began to pierce the silence of the night, followed shortly after by that of our Father, warm and deep.
Time stood still. God and his children gazed upon the most beautiful scene ever seen in history and throughout the universe: the perfect unity of his son and daughter, singing the famous Korean ballad, “O maya”, in harmony, their faces illuminated by smiles that expressed the happiness of the Kingdom. A gentle breeze arose. She carried to heaven the prayer of offering from our hearts, united by the incredible grace that had come to fill them.
My true and beloved parents, I will never leave you again. I have found with you a river of love and tenderness, a heart of infinite purity, a haven of peace, a helping hand, an invincible spirit, a word of life and light that raises the dead. My beloved Heavenly Father, my life belongs to you. Use it as you see fit, like a potter shaping their work, allowing themselves to be molded. I promise to follow you to the ends of the universe to build an ideal world filled with Belvederes and true parents. Amen.
That night, a spiritual fire consumed us, making us forget our fatigue. But for our father Sun Myung Moon, it was a night like any other; the small light in his room went out around 2:00 a.m. and came back on around 4:30 a.m. We knew that he had an appointment with his Heavenly Father every morning at 5:00 a.m.
Toward the end of the internship, Father sent us to New York to experience the « fundraising " program. This essentially involved selling flowers and candles while first demonstrating God's love to all His children, both those who welcomed us and those who rejected us. Experiencing the stark contrast between the heavens of Belvedere and the hell of New York, I clearly understood the urgency of the Unification Church's mission. Wasn't it already too late? But when, after an hour of closed doors and negative answers, a home welcomed us in, not to buy a product, but to help God's work, our perseverance was rewarded a hundredfold, and we knew then that all hope was not lost.
The great lesson of these few weeks of field experience could be summed up like this: go to hell to restore hell, with the only effective remedy: first true love, then true love, again true love, always true love.
We simply need to draw daily from the source of God's love through prayer. God then sends us on missions as his instruments so that his love may transform, through us, the hearts of his lost children. The heart of the Heavenly Father is inconsolable until all his children have returned home. When a person realizes God's infinite love for them and the incredible suffering felt by their Heavenly Father at being separated from His beloved children throughout all of the human history, they are surely on the path to salvation.
The day of departure was approaching. There weren't many workers for the immense harvest that awaited them. But they were proud to have successfully passed the tests at the special training school for the Apostles of God. We were aware that the real education would begin on the front lines. But those precious months spent at Belvedere were essential for deepening our understanding of the Divine Principle and developing our personal relationship with God and our true parents.
On July 1st, our Father solemnly sent us on a mission: “You are God’s representatives, God’s champions, the Davids of the 20th century. Let us fulfill our sacred responsibility together by becoming true sons and daughters of God.”
Our Father’s prayer following the sermon was interrupted by God’s sobs. Our Father's face was completely disfigured. I was overwhelmed by this poignant manifestation of God's infinite suffering. It was the last message God wanted to give me before returning to the front lines.
“When you have seen such a face, a single obsession haunts you day and night: how to reveal today, right now, the heart of the Heavenly Father to the four billion orphans to save them from hell and free God from his suffering? It was with this sense of extreme urgency and absolute determination that I returned to France.
The spiritual fire
“The fire of spiritual revelation is igniting Eastern and Western civilizations, on a supranational and supraracial level. The fire that ignited this spiritual revelation is the Unification Church movement. Reverend Sun Myung Moon
For the AUCM (Association for the Unification of World Christianity), 1971-1972-1973-1974 were four particularly flourishing years during which God raised up many missionaries’ vocations. If I have taken the time to describe the circumstances of my own conversion at some length, it is primarily to show the profound reasons why hundreds of young people joined our small community.
First, the illuminating answers provided by the Divine Principle to the many questions that lie dormant within each of us; second, the overwhelming experience of the infinite and personal love of the Heavenly Father for each of His children; and finally, the absolute conviction of Sun Myung Moon's messianic and Christ-like mission. This vertical and mystical experience will always be the primary factor influencing the development of the Association for the Unification of World Christianity. The fraternal relationships among the members, the warm and familial atmosphere of service and hospitality practiced on all occasions by the brothers and sisters, the joy on their faces, and the faith and enthusiasm that characterize their words are all visible manifestations of an invisible fire that dwells within them.
The fire that Jesus dreamed would spread throughout the Earth (Luke 12:49). The fire of God's word and love. It is this spiritual fire that has narrowly saved thousands of young people around the world from succumbing to drugs, violence, and immorality. It was this spiritual fire that drove these same young people to share their new ideal, their new faith, their new passion, their most sincere desire: that the whole world become a blazing of love. They know that God's fire is now kindled and that no earthly power can extinguish it. Such knowledge is so powerful that they tirelessly spread it far and wide, far beyond the borders of their own country.
This is why the Association for the Unification of World Christianity had already sent about a hundred young missionaries, filled with the fire of the Holy Spirit, to the United States before the end of 1973. This generous offering brought us blessings from Heaven throughout 1974, a year crowned in America by the immense success of the Madison Square Garden rally, in New York and in France by the magnificent celebration of God's Day 1975, attended by 200 new, fervent apostles and 600 enthusiastic guests.
Every day of the year is, in a way, God's Day for all His children, but the Unification Church has decided to dedicate the first day of each year to the One who is the Alpha and Omega of history and the universe. The "great absentee" from the calendar and public life, must become the "great present," the first person always and everywhere present: present in our hearts, present in our homes, present in our schools and universities, present in our societies, present in our parliaments, senates, and presidential palaces, present in our embassies, in our stadiums and theaters, present in our audiovisual programs and in our daily press; in short, omnipresent. God is ready at any moment to come to us. He is already with us, but we do not welcome him.
Because he is our parent, God needs to be welcomed, loved, and embraced by his own children. This is the one, but most crucial, responsibility of humankind. Billions of God's children live like orphans, wandering the desolate earth, overcome by despair, their souls wounded, without the slightest comfort.
The sacred responsibility felt by every member of the Unification Church is to urgently save all humanity by raising high the torches of the New Truth, by kindling the fire of true love everywhere, in short, by helping all the billions of men and women fall in love with their eternal parent, God. The 40 000 people who filled Madison Square Garden on September 18, 1974, and the six hundred guests who attended the Day of God 1975 were the result of a new Pentecost, a cosmic conflagration caused by the consuming fire of God's love, the vibrant flame of His newborn children, and the still-tentative spark of those who remained vigilant.
On January 1, 1975, I was happy and proud. The children multiplied. They dedicated their souls and bodies to God for their entire lives. They promised their Heavenly Father to be faithful to their first commitment and to follow to the end the path of sweat, tears, and blood taken by Jesus and Sun Myung Moon. Their hearts were filled with a fervent hope: to establish, in our time, a unified world where all human beings would be brothers and sisters in the love of our common parent, God. The soldiers of heaven were ready to face the new challenges that awaited them.
No comments:
Post a Comment