Cheon Seong Gyeong 353
Genuine parents will strive to continue the tradition of love. This is the same for Orientals and for Westerners. All parents try to establish the universal tradition of love by transcending their own tribe. People, whoever they are, try to bring together their family in completeness and harmony and live a happy and peaceful life. Regardless of whether one is from the East or the West, everyone thirsts after such a life. In this case tradition is the essence. This is because only tradition is connected with the future. (Tongil Segye 1978. 11-11)
Cheon Seong Gyeong 1343
Why was Jesus unable to establish the Kingdom of Heaven? It was because his clan and twelve apostles didn’t help him. He attempted to build a bridge that would connect with the nation through his clan, twelve apostles, and seventy disciples, but it collapsed. He therefore could not establish the foundation on the family, clan, or church level during his life on earth.
The next problem was that the seventy disciples did not unite with Jesus. They represented the twelve tribes and the seventy elders of Israel. The correct number, actually, should be 72, not 70. If six people were chosen from each of the twelve tribes, the total would be seventy-two. Hence, in the Unification Church, we have the Blessing of the 72 Couples. In the Bible, there are seventy-two in the New Testament and seventy in the Old Testament. The correct number is 72, not 70. (67-327, 1973.7.22)
Book 7
Etiquette and Ceremonies
Chapter 4
Tradition and Daily Etiquette of Blessed Families
Summary:
To build a successful life of faith, you and your family must shift from living vaguely to living with a clear, God-centered purpose. True family restoration happens when parents act unselfishly, prioritize the public good, and stay dedicated to the heavenly way, which naturally encourages their children to be loving and obedient. Daily practices—like a husband and wife waking up early to pray tearfully with their children—create a deep bond of love and turn the home into a peaceful sanctuary where children thrive. While making a mistake as an individual is easy to fix, a failure within the family can cause spiritual ruin, meaning you must persevere through any internal opposition to keep your home strong. Ultimately, blessed families carry the hope of the world, and they must fulfill their responsibilities to help build a true nation of peace rather than becoming a source of despair.
Section 1. The Daily Etiquette of a Blessed Family
1.2. Family life
There must be clarification about the way of life individuals and also families should lead. (24-29, 1969.6.22)
The vague way of life that you have previously been living must change into a purposeful way of life. (18-178, 1967.6.4)
When we silently sacrifice everything for the sake of God, He will protect us. God surely will be at our side. (88-231, 1976.9.20)
Your family should be a family of love, and you should become a public-minded husband and wife, or parents, centered upon God’s love. Do not be a husband and wife or parents who seek personal benefit and live only for your own sake. (111-257, 1981.2.22)
When the parents make serious efforts not to deviate from the heavenly way, the children will never be disobedient. (27-88, 1969.11.26)
The family should be restored. There is no greater act of witnessing than this. Husband and wife should get up early in the morning and pray tearfully while holding their children’s hands. If they do so, their children will yearn for their parents when they have gone out and sing for them as they wait for their return. (21-88, 1968.11.3)
When you were alone, everything came to pass when you prayed. However, if there is a person opposing you in the family, you should bear the cross and persevere until you reach the original standard. Alone, you are like one car of a train and the family is like a locomotive. It is simple to restore an individual’s mistake. But if there is a mistake in the family, it brings ruin. (27-86, 1969.11.26)
The family in which the children can say, “Dad, we love you! Mom, we love you! We really like it when you love each other!” becomes a place of rest for them. (30-282, 1970.4.4)
In a family there needs to be a foundation on which the son can respond enthusiastically to the father’s call. Yet, even if you have children, what good is it without a nation? It is of no use to be in first place or in any other position as a family if we cannot build a nation. (29- 73, 1970.2.24)
Blessed families are the manifestation of everyone’s hope. However, if they fail to fulfill their given responsibility, they become a family of despair. (21-87, 1968.11.3)
pgs. 1057-1058
Daily Inspiration Discussion Forum
What would/does a purposeful life look like in your own family?
Share you answer here to discuss with and help others.