Congratulations, everyone, on the Service for the Births of Meishu-sama and Jesus Christ. For today’s service, we have received tremendous understanding and cooperation from everyone at Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba hotel. For that, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to everyone at the hotel. Thank you very much. This year marks the hundred and fortieth anniversary of the birth of Meishu-sama who came to this earth on December 23, 1882. In this auspicious year, I have decided to change the name of the service from Meishu-sama’s Birthday Service that we have been using until today to the Service for the Births of Meishu-sama and Jesus Christ. I am truly happy that today, I am able to celebrate the holy births of the two—Meishu-sama and Jesus Christ—together with you and members all around the world. I am also convinced that Meishu-sama is happy as I am, for he affirmed that he was going to advance salvation in concert with Christianity. Meishu-sama and Jesus are firmly united for the fulfillment of God’s will of creation. On Jesus’s part, he was put on the cross, offered his blood for the atonement of sin and surrendered his soul to God in order to beg for the forgiveness of humanity’s sin, our sin of dishonoring God. Accepting Jesus’s atoning blood and his soul, God raised Jesus from the dead and resurrected him as the Messiah, as the child of God and as Jesus Christ. In this way, through Jesus, God prepared the path through which humanity could live eternally. Two thousand years later, on Meishu-sama’s part, representing all humanity, he received the atoning blood with all his body, returned to heaven as one whose sins were forgiven and was born anew as the Messiah. With his very own body and being, Meishu-sama demonstrated to us that every single person on earth could be born anew as the child of God, as the Messiah, and follow the path prepared by Jesus—the path that leads to eternal life. In this way, Meishu-sama revealed, for all humanity, the mystery of Jesus’s words when he said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3 RSV). The name of Messiah was not granted to Jesus only. Both Jesus and Meishu-sama fulfilled God’s will of creation, representing humanity. Here, we have to bear in mind the fact that both of them were born into this world. It is only because they came to this world and came to possess a physical body that they were able to fulfill the divine will. Isn’t that why we are celebrating the births of Meishu-sama and Jesus today? We also celebrate the day of our birth. Before we were born into this world, God in heaven determined that each one of us would be made into His child, and, with enormous joy, He sent us to the world. That is why we celebrate our birthdays on this earth. We were predetermined to be God’s children. What a huge blessing this is! God had us be born into this world as ones who are united to the name of Messiah so that we, too, could fulfill His will of creation, just as Meishu-sama and Jesus did. Let us praise God for this. Let us thank Him deeply for His unlimited love and for nurturing us to become His children. In order to welcome us as His children, God is calling us to come back to heaven. Meishu-sama expressed this will of God through the following hymns: “People of the world, / Hurry up and come to heaven! / For I save you in this heaven / Where there is no winter or night for all eternity!” “Hesitate not and be embraced by me now. / You, then, will be saved instantly / Into a paradise, / Into heaven.” Heaven, the place where we should return to, is not somewhere far, far away, somewhere that we cannot reach. Nor is it an imaginary place. Meishu-sama wrote a calligraphy with the words “Heaven exists within the center of my heart.” Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21 GNT). At the center of each one of our consciousnesses, heaven exists. Our spiritual bodies, our true bodies, existed in heaven and were serving God before we were born into this world. Even now, we still belong to heaven. That is why Meishu-sama taught us to be residents of heaven and composed the following hymn: “In order to save the people of the world into heaven, / First, before anyone else, / I will become a resident of heaven!” It was not only through words and hymns but also through constructing a projection of heaven here on earth, that is, through constructing sacred grounds here on earth with all his heart and strength, Meishu-sama wanted to teach us that heaven existed within us. Even though he faced numerous hardships and obstructions, he overcame them and advanced the construction of the sacred grounds. “I want as many people as possible to recall that heaven exists within them and to return there!” This was the wish of Meishu-sama, and that is why he poured his soul into the construction of the sacred grounds. When I think about this posture of Meishu-sama and his burning passion, I am moved. I think to myself: I must inherit this heart of Meishu-sama and respond to his passion no matter what. To this end, last month on November 1 at the November Monthly Service, Masaaki, who acts on my behalf, declared the initiation of the process of the construction of World Church of Messiah’s sacred ground. And today, just now, during this truly historic service, I reported to God, who is one with the name of Messiah, that the place of worship that will be the center of our sacred ground shall be called the Holy Sanctuary of the Messiah. Now, with humility, I report this name to you, too. Seeking Meishu-sama’s will, I would like to advance the construction of the Holy Sanctuary of the Messiah with all of you. When Meishu-sama constructed the Messiah Hall, whose design he himself was involved in, he built an orchestra pit in it—such was his wish to carry out activities related to music. We must respond to this wish of Meishu-sama in our constructing the Holy Sanctuary of the Messiah. When it is completed, I wish that it be possible for anyone to come to this place and feel its sacredness and its comfort. More than that, I wish that they be able to recall the heaven within themselves through this place. For that is what Meishu-sama wished in constructing a sacred ground. Everyone, together, let us be one, united, and serve with all our strength in the construction of the Holy Sanctuary of the Messiah that would make Meishu-sama happy. To the one and only God who allows us to serve Him in this way, I return all authority, glory and blessings through the name of Messiah. To close, I would like to thank all of you who, throughout this whole year, walked together with me as members of World Church of Messiah, and single-mindedly sought the path that Meishu-sama is showing to us. May the coming new year be fruitful, filled with light and peace, for all of you. Thank you very much.