Closing
The ceremony concluded with a message from Yuka Saionji and closing remarks from Masami Saionji.
Yuka Saionji
Earlier, I mentioned that Fr. Pascal in the Democratic Republic of Congo needs the help of your prayers. I also wanted to mention that Fr. James Channan from Pakistan, who has joined in the SOPP with us many, many times, has also asked for our prayers for India and Pakistan. Lately, there has been tension between Pakistan and India, and he has asked us to pray for both countries.
Of course, we have just prayed for peace in each and every country of the world. I just wanted to mention this to you as an example—that when we are connected like this, when we have made a sacred connection through the SOPP or anything else—our peace prayers can continue to help and support each other through difficult times.
Masami Saionji
I am here at Fuji Sanctuary today, and I am truly grateful to be here, and for your prayers from all around the world. Your prayers have helped a lot. I have been doing purification work all over Japan, traveling constantly for the past several years, and I feel your prayers. Because of that, Japan is becoming more of a role model of peace, and I believe that we can go even further. Therefore, I have more work to do. I feel that there are more missions I have to do on this earth—that it is building up more and more. I was once thinking of retiring, but there is so much work still to be done that I am energized once again.
The number of our staff has decreased a lot, but they have been working so hard to support these efforts, and to make this happen. And each one of you praying—your power and the work of your prayers is huge. Thank you so much.
Today, with my husband Hiroo, I was watching the whole program with joy, and we were remarking to each other that we’ve come this far. But there is still further to go. To our prayer colleagues and others who are watching and participating—thank you so much. I know that there are many elderly people, like me, joining in as well—praying from their homes—which touches me deeply, and I feel your prayers as well.
My message today is that we must become one in peace. In order to do that, we need to remove the boundaries—America, India, Pakistan—national boundaries that divide us. We have to take those boundaries away, because each and every one of us is connected through our divine spark. We are all divine sparks, and each one of us has a precious life to live. We must come together as one, not divided by borders or countries, but connected by our divine spark, working together for peace. We have to take away the boundaries—that separation and the concept of borders—and I believe that is possible through our prayers, our INs, and our work together for peace.
Once again, I want to thank each and every one of you who are taking part today—the beautiful people I’ve met all around the world who have dedicated their lives for peace. I feel that because of this, I must keep going as well, in order to truly create peace on earth, by removing the concept of borders on earth and becoming one through our divine spark. I really, truly believe that is possible, and that is my mission to keep going. To our prayer colleagues, friends, and everyone joining us today, thank you so much for your love and your action of prayer.
I am now an elderly person myself, and in my personal life I enjoy life with my husband. But besides that, I still work to purify karma—a great deal of karma. I feel that I’m getting stronger, and until the moment we pass on, we keep praying—we do this work of prayer. I personally have seen one of our elderly prayer colleagues in bed, praying for one more moment before they passed on, and I have seen, in the few months before their passing, how they saved the lives of many, many people through their prayers and their light. I have seen it personally. That is the power of the work that we do, right until the very moment before we pass on. I am so grateful that we have all these prayer colleagues and beautiful people who are dedicated to peace and to prayer, and we must support each other to cultivate peace on earth. Thank you.