Here are photos of the 2009 observance of the Day of Victory of Love
Blessed Day of Victory of Love!
On the solar date, January 2nd, in 1984, True Parents' second son Heung Jin Nim ascended. His ascension is observed as the Day of Victory of Love on the 2nd day of the 1st lunar month ~ Tuesday, February 9th in 2016.
Here's a part of Dr. Bo Hi Pak's report of Heung Jin Nim's ascension including True Father's words:
Dutiful Son and a Loyal Subject
According to the providential meanings I have mentioned, we come to understand that Heung Jin Nim has carried this role since his birth. Heung Jin Nim was born in Chongpadong, Seoul, at 12:33 p.m. on October 23, 1966. His survival was uncertain for three days after his birth, indicating that he had to pass a three-day Way of the Cross even as a newborn baby.
He had a reputation for being a warm-hearted boy, and even as a child he was recognized as having a unique wisdom. He was respected by all of his friends and had that special characteristic of deeply loving his brothers and sisters. His mental and physical growth was outstanding compared to that of his siblings, and when he was only 15, he already fully comprehended and absorbed the ideology of the True Parents. We all saw that even at such a young age he tried his best to make his parents happy.
When he was 16, he already sensed the danger his parents faced from communist terrorists and was always alert to maintain his parents' security. When he visited my home with the children of Blessed families recently in New York, he asked each one of them whether they would dare to throw their own bodies in the way of a terrorist's bullet to protect Father, saying "I will, of course, do it myself," and raising both hands, he swore that he would definitely protect Father with his life.
I heard from an American family member that Heung Jin Nim told him, "I can die in place of my father. The only regret I would have would he that I could not be blessed and that I would be dying at such a young age. However, what greater thing could there be for me than dying for Father?" This conversation took place only seven hours before the accident!
Heung Jin Nim devoted himself to following Father's will completely. He was a naturally gifted artist, and when he was young, he wanted to become a famous industrial artist. After he understood Father's ideology, however, he made up his mind to major in history and archeology and later study theology and philosophy in order to become a great religious leader.
Heung Jin Nim loved humanity. He loved and was very friendly to every visitor at East Garden and shared all of his best things with his friends. He did not discriminate between people but loved everyone who was loyal to Father. On top of that, he endeavored to share his possessions with those who worked hard for God's will.
Jin Bok and Jin Gil, the two sons of Mrs. Yi Seng Yeon who were in the car with Heung Jin Nim at the time of the accident, are out of the hospital and have now fully recovered. On the day that Heung Jin Nim's body was taken from New York to Korea, they gave the following testimony in tears:
Heung Jin Nim died in order to save our lives. The car Heung Jin Nim was driving was not at fault. A truck that was driving in the opposite direction skidded on the slippery road, crossed the central line, and came straight toward Heung Jin Nim's car. If Heung Jin Nim, who was driving, had veered to the left he would have been only slightly injured and Jin Gil would have been killed. Even though he knew the risk, he veered to the right and took the terrible impact that resulted in severe cerebral concussion.
The Bible says, "There is no greater love than this that a man give up his life for others." At the young age of 17, Heung Jin Nim already understood these profound words and realized them as the embodiment of love. When they heard the sad news, the students of Hackley Middle School and Irvington High School, which Heung Jin Nim attended, without being instructed to do so by their teachers, put up placards expressing their condolences, lowered the school flags to half-mast, and held tearful memorial services. This is further testimony that Heung Jin Nim is a hero of love and friendship.
If we look at Heung Jin Nim's life, we can clearly see the determination he held in his young heart to sacrifice himself for Father and give his life for others if necessary as the absolute expression of love. Deep in our hearts we should remember Heung Jin Nim as the greatest of filial sons to our True Parents, the most loyal of followers, the most glorious hero of the Unification Movement, and the saint of saints.
After Heung Jin Nim had passed away, he appeared to one spiritually open member and earnestly said, "How sad Mother must be to see my broken body after the accident. Please console her. I am fine. My only sadness is to see Mother so sad." As one who has known Heung Jin Nim all his life, I could not control my weeping when I heard these words that express his heart so well.
I am sure that all of us cannot help feeling intense sorrow and frustration when we think that Heung Jin Nim could have lived a long and successful life as a filial son of True Parents. From a human point of view, there would seem to be nothing more sorrowful and pitiful than this event. However, even at a very young age, Heung Jin Nim completed a historical, providential mission. Even if he had lived to be 60 or 100, I doubt he could have exceeded this providential achievement.
At the very moment of his passing, at 1:15 a.m. on January 2, 1984, Father's last words to Heung Jin Nim were, "Heung Jin, goodbye. When you go to the spiritual world you will be the commander-in-chief of all young people there, from East and West, past and future. You will have the mission of making an army of heavenly workers by mobilizing all the spiritual men not only of the free world but also of the communist world and freely descending to earth and awaking in spirit all young people. Mother and I will be eternally proud of having a filial son like you."
On December 30, 1983, Father, who had been told by the doctor that Heung Jin Nim's brain was too damaged for any chance of recovery, held a special Pledge Ceremony of Unification for Heung Jin Nim in the hospital. Just as Abraham offered Isaac and just as God offered Jesus Christ, His only son, so Father decided to offer Heung Jin Nim as a sacrificial offering. Father held the ceremony of offering of Heung Jin Nim, through which all levels and kinds of unification could be accomplished.
Based on the condition of Heung Jin Nim's sacrifice, this deeply meaningful Pledge Ceremony of Unification could be held, signifying the complete unification of Father and Mother, the complete unity of True Parents and True Children, the complete unity of the True Children with each other, the complete unity of the Unification Church members and True Parents, the complete unity of the spiritual and physical worlds, the complete unity of all religions, and in particular, the complete unification of the First Israel, the Second Israel, and the Third Israel.
With the passing of Heung Jin Nim, we are now standing at a new turning point. Internally speaking, this is a turning point of unification between the members of the Unification Movement, and externally speaking, this is a turning point that marks the collapse of the communist world from an aggressive to a defensive position. Heung Jin Nim practiced filial piety until the very moment of his passing. According to the doctor, Heung Jin Nim should have been killed instantly in such an accident. However, at the time of the accident on December 22, Father was in Korea and was planning to hold a general meeting of all the IFVOC regional leaders in the nation on December 26 and 27. Because of his public mission, Father did not want to leave Korea despite the urgent news of the accident. This is because he is the Father and has the public purpose of living for the sake of the cosmos before the world, the world before the nation, and the nation before the family. Even though he was in a coma, Heung Jin Nim persisted until the last possible moment until Father had completed his mission in Korea.
Father did not want Heung Jin Nim to pass away before God's Day even though he might have arrived in America before that time. Hovering on the borderline between life and death, Heung Jin Nim tried his utmost to survive until the very last moment when True Parents could complete the God's Day Pledge Ceremony, God's Day address, and their words of instruction to the world. He held on up to the moment of January 2 and, at 1:15 a.m., passed away peacefully during Father's prayer, surrounded by his parents, brothers and sisters, and world Unification Church leaders and representatives. This was the final act of a true filial son.
Here are links to reports of True Father's words and other elder's words on the Day of Victory of Love in 2012. First, here's an excerpt from True Father's words that day:
What am I talking about when I say God's Family? I am not talking about your families. God's Family is different. You should live for the sake of the world; but, you are not even witnessing and just messing around. This means that every day you need to think about your Parents; and, you need to think about Heaven and earth, but who among you have done that? You are all false. You are deceiving the Pledge; and, you've messed up The Unification Church. Because the time had not come, I just suffered by myself. Up until now, I gave the Blessing to the saints in the spirit world and to your ancestors, right? You've been like mutts and just stealing. You bastards. Father has been starving and going to prison; but, you've been stealing assets. You need to pay indemnity for the sake of your children. As the verse says, "You need to become representative families of God and True Parents." Do you understand what the original lineage is? Absolute Faith, Absolute Love and Absolute Obedience. Which of you families have fulfilled even one of the verses of these eight verses? Stand forward if you have done even one. So, you need to repent. And also your belongings, the things that your clan has and that your nation has – you think it belongs to them; but actually, it is all stolen through fighting and lying. All those things have to go away. Do you understand?
[end of excerpt]
True Parents on the occasionof the 2012 observance of the Day of Victory of Love
The Meaning of the Day of Victory of Love -- January 2, 1997
Day of Victory of Love -- Main Ceremony, January 2, 1992
Inherit the Victorious Foundation -- January 2, 1992
7th Day of Victory of Love -- January 2, 1990
The Meaning of the Day of Victory of Love -- January 2, 1988
Day of the Victory of Love -- January 2, 1987
One Year Anniversary of the Seung Hwa Ceremony of Heung Jin Moon - January 1, 1985
The Necessity for the Day of Victory of Love -- January 15, 1984
True Parents won victory in December 1983 through the VOC rally in Korea as well as through offering Heung Jin Nim's life and proclaiming the Ceremony of Unification.
On this foundation, True Father proclaimed the Day of the Victory of Love on January 3, 1984. We know that our True Parents have offered their whole lives to God's will and are dedicated to the salvation of humankind. Furthermore, True Parents offered Heung Jin Nim, their son in the position of Abel who displayed the greatest loyalty and filial piety. This was far more painful than offering their own lives, but it was done centered on true love for the sake of all humankind.
True Parents ultimately shared everything with God and humanity. Because of the true love of our True Parents and Heung Jin Nim's condition of sacrifice, Satan has absolutely no basis on which to accuse True Parents. Now the power of love can dominate the power of death.
(Excerpt from The Tradition, Book One)
Heung Jin Nim died Jan 2 at 1:15 a.m. Father's original declaration of the Day of Victory of Love was on Jan 3 but it was, after a certain point, celebrated on the day Heung Jin Nim actually passed away, Jan 2. And from 2002 all the deceased True Children will have their ascensions celebrated together on Jan 2, something Father has very recently declared.
(Information from Julian Gray, editor of Today's World, on December 22, 2001)
On many of the observances of this day, True Family and Unificationists have honored, along with Heung Jin Nim, the other children of True Parents who have ascended. Here are photos of the burial of Hye Jin Nim (True Parents' second daughter who ascended in 1964)
Heung Jin nim & Hoon Sook nim's Blessing (1984)
True Father's autograph: "Have the dominion over oneself before aspiring for the universal dominion"(Feb 9, 1965 in Sapporo)
