～from familyfed.org
Contributed by Sarah Brown
The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) USA National Ministry Team assembled sets of the four new Holy Items of Cheon Il Guk to be sent out to the Unificationist families waiting to receive them and inherit the Special Grace from True Parents. These new Holy Items–the Holy Wine, the Holy Salt, the Holy Candle, and the Holy Earth–were placed in wooden boxes crafted with sincere precision.
There were a lot of preparations involved in finding the right materials and box to put the Holy Items in and bestowing the right information so pastors in every district could handle the items with a sincere heart.
“I thought about conveying True Mother’s heart,” said Jonathan Gullery, head of the National Ministry Team’s publications department, who planned the visuals and the logistics of the Holy Items. “I thought, would True Mother give this to someone?”
“My part is to respect the integrity of the item, and think about what looks good,” Jonathan continued. “One of the challenges that I faced was the time it would take to prepare the items, the cost, and the quality of the items. All three of these elements had to come into harmony to find the right source.”
Jonathan and other members of the National Ministry Team tried out many different options for the boxes that would ultimately carry the Holy Items, but they finally decided on an American cherrywood box, decorated with a laser engraving of the Cheon Il Guk emblem.
“I believe that the box really ties all the Holy Items together and makes them a keepsake,” he said.
The Blessing and Family Ministry (BFM), in accordance with its role to preserve and offer education about Unification traditions, has also played a big role in preparing the Holy Items to be sent out around the country. Ayako Heller, Administrative Assistant of International Communications at the BFM, was involved in all aspects of Holy Item preparation, from cutting the fabric that lines the boxes to helping train pastors on multiplying the Holy Items.
“I’m happy because tradition is my job. I was very grateful to do this for the whole nation together with Mari Curry,” she said. “I’m amazed to know the meaning of the Holy Earth. It proved to me how real True Parents’ love is toward all humankind. They want to guarantee that all people go to Cheon Il Guk. It confirmed for me that True Parents really are the parents of all mankind.”
A team of local Unification youth came in at different points in the preparation process to support the National Ministry Team and approached the task with “willingness and respect,” according to Jonathan.
“I’m really impressed,” said Jonathan. “They had the attitude of serving the country. Everyone approached this with a sincere heart.”
Yoshimi Suzuki, a young adult Unificationist who works at the publications department, helped supervise the youth assembly team, as they cut fabric and packaged the Holy Items to be shipped out around the country.
“It was fun working as a team,” she said. “It’s interesting to think that so many families around the country will receive these items. When I see a box, I can think, I was a part of that. There was a lot of work that we put into this and I feel satisfied that I helped accomplish this.”
If you haven’t already, register to attend a Special Grace Ceremony in your local community and receive one of these beautiful boxes that will serve as a keepsake for future generations!