FATHER and MOTHER DIVINE
at Pine Brook Hotel, Pine Brook, N.J.
Editor's Note: just a year had elapsed after the Wedding on April 29, 1946. The First Anniversary Celebration was held at the Palace Mission Church and Home in Pine Brook, New Jersey. It was a beautiful occasion!
In Her remarks, MOTHER DIVINE said to FATHER DIVINE that SHE stood for His children-that SHE was a symbol that represents His children all over the world. Therefore, SHE could well say, "I know, as YOU are married to ME, YOU are married to Your whole creation.'
It is well to recognize the universality of this Marriage because it is a great leveler-a common denominator that unites everyone on earth who knows that FATHER DIVINE is GOD.
Where there are children, there must be a Mother and a Father, FATHER DIVINE and MOTHER DIVINE. MOTHER said to FATHER at this time, "I want to thank YOU for the beautiful family that YOU have given ME." Even after only a year, MOTHER felt Her deep attachment to Her children, who already were addressing HER as "MOTHER,"and SHE accepted that Title.
Many beautiful songs of praise and thanksgiving to the LAMB and the BRIDE, as well as inspirational patriotic numbers and also compositions concerning the Holy Marriage, had been sung by the Rosebud Choir during the course of the wonderful Holy Communion Service. It was during the singing of one of these numbers hat the beloved BRIDE, radiant in Her purity and beauty of Holiness, arose volitionally to speak as follows:
PEACE, FATHER; PEACE EVERYONE: I did not mean to interrupt the song, but as the Spirit somewhat moved ME, I AM up on My feet.
FATHER Dear, it is with deep humility and gratitude that I stand beside YOU today as I did a year ago, to thank YOU and to praise YOU for YOUR glorious condescension to take ME unto YOURSELF as Your Bride.
When I first heard of YOU many years ago, I accepted YOU without a doubt as being GOD Almighty, the Maker and Creator of heaven and the earth! I accepted YOU because YOU came to save humanity! YOU came to the downtrodden and mistreated! YOU came and dwelt among men and lifted them as no man would or as no man could! And when I saw Your Personal Body I still said, I know YOU are GOD! And when in Washington YOU married ME, I still said I know YOU are GOD! And today, one year later, I have a deeper convictions more sincere conviction that I know that YOU are Almighty GOD!
For in the close relationship that I have been to YOU during this past year as Your Companion, everything YOU do and everything YOU have done has been what only GOD would do! Your every action, Your every deed, Your every thought is GOD! GOD! GOD! because YOU are so unselfish!
YOU came to save the world! YOU came to bring it back to where we strayed from-back to that perfect state of consciousness of Purity, of Virtue, of Love and fellowship, one for the other, where we can dwell together as one man at Jerusalem!
And FATHER Dear, there is no greater honor could be bestowed upon a human being than has been bestowed upon MYSELF! I realize it, FATHER Dear, and I also realize, what it took to get the blessing, it takes the same to keep the blessing! It takes meekness, it takes humility, it takes love!-and as FATHER has so often said, the higher you go the more is expected of you! The more that is given to you, the more is expected of you! So I know, FATHER, that it is only YOU in ME that can fulfill the office whereunto YOU have called ME!
And FATHER, as the Church, as I AM a symbol of Your children, of humanity coming to YOU, I want to say on behalf of all the world, we thank YOU, Almighty GOD, for coming to this earth plane in such a glorious, beautiful, Holy Body! We thank YOU for walking with man and talking with man and teaching him of Your High and Holy Ways; because before YOU came in a Body, we were in the wilderness of misunderstanding, of disillusion, because there was no one to show us the way! Jesus did say HE would show us the way, but HE was unable to keep us from the evils that presented themselves before us! It took only Your Body, GOD Almighty, to deliver us from the evils of the world! And thank YOU for delivering us from vice and crime and sin and debauchery of every kind!
I thank YOU for delivering us from lacks and wants and limitations, from panics and famines! I thank YOU for giving us healthy, strong bodies when once our bodies were filled with disease and corruption of every kind! This is what YOU have done for Your Church! YOU have given us happiness, FATHER Dear! YOU have given us endless joy without a tear! YOU have given us something to live for and YOU have given us a goal to strive for!-this goal of perfection!-this goal that I AM so grateful that can be attained!
But we can always go on to higher heights and deeper depths, because GOD goes into infinitude. And I thank FATHER that we can go with HIM if we be with HIM in everything HE does and everything HE says, and be His Helpmate from every angle expressible!
I thank YOU, FATHER Dear, for the universality of your work and mission, and I want to say, thank YOU for all of your children all over the world!-your children in Europe that YOU brought through the wars and famines! for Your children in Asia, in Africa, and South America and Central America, in Canada and all over the world!
I thank YOU, FATHER, for the blessing to see the universality of the Marriage; because I know as YOU are married to ME, YOU are married to Your whole creation!for it is not just this Personality that YOU married but YOU married the conviction that "I know that YOU are GOD!"
And no matter through who that conviction comes, whether it be a person in the likeness of a man, or a person in the likeness of a woman, or a child-still they are Your Bride!
For when they accept YOU and know YOU are GOD, YOU are their Husband! YOU care for them as no man can! YOU give them jobs, you give them homes, comfort and convenience, YOU give them spiritual Understanding, YOU give them Faith and courage to overcome the world and all in it!
So I thank YOU, FATHER, for the comfort and consolation that YOU brought to creation when YOU brought Your Body!-and then again, when YOU married Your creation! FATHER Dear, the love that is in My heart for YOU, I can never express!
But as great as My love is for YOU, I know a million times greater is Your love for ME-for YOU have blessed ME and honored ME far above My fondest imagination! Truly I know I Am in heaven today!
MRS. DIVINE smiles Her beautiful smile as SHE looks sweetly over the assembly and says:
1 want to thank YOU for the beautiful family that YOU have given ME, for many do call ME MOTHER!-but I know that GOD is your MOTHER and you never had another! But from the way I see it, as the sample and the example, as the firstborn among many brethren, so to speak -at this point FATHER interposes and says "YOU are ME and I AM YOU!" Then MRS. DIVINE sweetly says: I accept that title, for FATHER says "YOU are ME and I AM YOU!" So, I thank YOU, FATHER Dear!
I thank YOU for this beautiful celebration that YOU have given us all today, Darling!-so much love, so much happiness and joy, so much food. So much of everything that is good because we have the Body! I thank YOU, FATHER Dear!
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This song captures much of the essence of The Marriage. Anyone who wishes to enjoy and harmonize with The Marriage and receive the Blessing it can bestow upon people, may sing the song in his or her heart--and follow its instructions.
When you believe in the Virtue of this Holy Marriage,
You have entered the Kingdom of GOD.
When you touch-the Virtue of this Holy Marriage,
A True Love will fill your heart.
When you live in the Virtue of this Holy Marriage,
A new song will sing in your heart-
A song of Peace and joy, a song of happiness,
A song of health and wealth, a song of all success.
When you believe in the Virtue of this Holy Marriage,
You have entered the Kingdom of GOD!
You have entered the Kingdom of GOD!
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