Bahá'í Quote of the Week
Archive 4
*January, 2004-January, 2005
Dec. 28-Jan. 4, 2003


                    Prayer for Mankind

O Thou kind Lord!  Thou hast created all humanity
from the same stock.  Thou hast decreed that all shall belong to the same household.  In Thy Holy Presence they are all Thy servants, and all mankind are sheltered beneath Thy Tabernacle; all have gathered together at Thy Table of Bounty; all are illumined through the light of Thy Providence.

   O God!  Thou art kind to all, Thou hast provided
for all, dost shelter all, conferrest life upon all.
Thou hast endowed each and all with talents and
faculties, and all are submerged in the Ocean of Thy
Mercy.

O Thou kind Lord!  Unite all.  Let the religions
agree and make the nations one, so that they may see each other as one family and the whole earth as one home.  May they all live together in perfect harmony.

   O God!  Raise aloft the banner of the oneness of
mankind.

   O God!  Establish the Most Great Peace.  Cement
Thou, O God, the hearts together.  O Thou kind Father, God!  Gladden our hearts through the fragrance of Thy love.  Brighten our eyes through the Light of Thy Guidance.  Delight our ears with the melody of Thy Word, and shelter us all in the Stronghold of Thy Providence.  Thou art the Mighty and Powerful, Thou art the Forgiving and Thou art the One Who overlooketh the shortcomings of all mankind. 

                            -'Abdu'l-Bahá


Jan. 3-17, 2004




The unity which is productive of unlimited results is first a unity of mankind which recognizes that all are sheltered beneath the overshadowing glory of the All-Glorious; that all are servants of one God; for all breathe the same atmosphere, live upon the same earth, move beneath the same heavens, receive effulgence from the same sun and are under the protection of one God.

                      'Abdu'l-Bahá

Jan. 17-24, 2004


O COMPANION OF MY THRONE!

Hear no evil, and see no evil, abase not thyself, neither sigh or weep.  Speak no evil, that thou mayest not hear it spoken unto thee, and magnify not the faults of others that thine own faults may not appear great: and wish not the abasement of anyone, that thine own abasement be not exposed.  Live then the days of thy life,  that are less than a fleeting moment, with thy mind stainless, thy heart unsullied, thy thoughts pure, and thy nature sanctified, so that, free and content, thou mayest put away this mortal frame, and repair unto the mystic paradise and abide in the eternal kingdom for evermore..
                                  
                                           -Bahá 'u' lláh,
                                           The Hidden Words, #44
                               ( from the Persian)


Jan. 24-31, 2004


The flame of the fire of love, in this world of earth and water, comes through the power of attraction and not by effort and striving.
Nevertheless, by effort and perseverance, knowledge, science and other perfections can be acquired; but only the light of the Divine Beauty can transport and move the spirits through the force of attraction.  Therefore, it is said: "Many are called , but few are chosen."
       
                     'Abdu'l-Bahá





For many are called, but few are chosen
                     Matthew 22:14

Jan. 31-Feb. 7, 2004


That which ye were promised in the Kingdom of God is fulfilled. This is the Word which the Son veiled when He said to those around Him that at that time they could not bear it....Verily the Spirit of Truth is come to guide you unto all truth.... He is the One Who glorified the Son and exalted His Cause.

                                               -Bahá 'u' lláh

I have yet many things  to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth.                          
                                              - John 16: 12-13

The time foreordained unto the peoples and kindreds of the earth is now come. The promises of God, as recorded in the holy Scriptures, have all been fulfilled.


                                              -Bahá 'u' lláh
Question:

Who is "the Spirit of truth" promised by Christ?

Answer:

Bahá 'u' lláh is the Spirit of truth.

Feb. 7-14, 2004



I swear by Him Who is the Truth! Erelong will God adorn the beginning of the Book of Existence with mention of His loved ones who have suffered tribulation in His path, and journeyed through the countries in His name and for His praise. Whoso hath attained their presence will glory in their meeting, and all that dwell in every land will be illumined by their memory.


-Bahá 'u' lláh, quoteted in The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 83; Quickeners of Mankind, p.38


Feb. 14-21, 2004



Each Prophet fulfilled the promise of the One Who came before Him and, likewise, Each announced the One Who would follow. Consider how Abraham foretold the coming of Moses, and Moses embodied the Abrahamic statement. Moses prophesied the Messianic cycle, and Christ fulfilled the law of Moses. It is evident, therefore, that the Holy Manifestations Who founded the religious systems are united and agreed; there is no differentiation possible in Their mission and teachings; all are reflectors of reality, and all are promulgators of the religion of God. The divine religion is reality, and reality is not multiple; it is one. Therefore, the foundations of the religious systems are one because all proceed from the indivisible reality....                                    
                                                                                                                                                                       'Abdu'l-Baha
                   

Feb. 21-25, 2004


Beware lest ye harm any soul, or make any heart
to sorrow; lest ye wound any man with your words, be he known to you or a stranger, be he friend or foe. Pray ye for all; ask ye that all be blessed, all be forgiven.

                                                           
                                             -'Abdu'l-Bahá  

Question: 
What do the Bahá'í writings say about gossip?

Answer:
Bahá 'u' lláh strictly forbids gossip and backbiting.

Feb. 25-March 1, 2004,



The celebration of Ayyám-i-Há, the Intercalary Days, begins at sunset on Feb 25th and continues until sunset, March 1st.( there are four days in ordinary years, five in leap years). Ayyám-i-Há is a time of preparation for the Nineteen Day Fast (March 2-20). It is also a time for hospitality, charity. and the giving of presents.

             February 26

The Celebration of Ayyám-i-Há
Intercalary Days

My God, my Fire and my Light! The days which Thou hast named the Ayyám-i-Há in Thy Book have begun, O Thou Who art the King of names, and the fast which Thy most exalted Pen hath enjoined unto all who are in the kingdom of Thy creation to observe is approaching. I entreat Thee, O my Lord... to grant that unto every soul may be assigned a place within the precincts of Thy court, and a seat at the revelation of the splendors of the light of Thy countenance.

                                                    -Bahá 'u' lláh


C
March 20-21 2004

The celebration of Naw Rúz, the month of Bahá, and the new Bahá'i year all begin at sunset on March 20. March 21 is a Holy Day; Bahá'is should make every effort to be excused from work and school.

Quote below:

Happy the one who entereth upon the first day of the month of Bahá, the day which God hath consecrated to this Great Name. And blessed be he who evidenceth on this day the bounties that God hath bestowed upon him....Say: This day, verily, is the crown of all the months and the source thereof, the day on which the breath of life is wafted over all created things.

                                         --Baha'u'llah


March 22-28 2004






Blessed is the spot, and the house,
and the place, and the city,  and the
heart, and the mountain,  and the refuge,
and the cave,  and the valley, and the land,
and the sea, and the island,  and the meadow where mention  of God hath been made,
and His praise glorified.
           

                                              -- BAHA'U'LLAH



March 28- April 4, 2004





O Thou kind Lord!  This gathering is turning to
Thee.  These hearts are radiant with Thy love.  These minds and spirits are exhilarated by the message of Thy glad-tidings.  O God!  Let this American democracy become glorious in spiritual degrees even as it has aspired to material degrees, and render this just government victorious.  Confirm this revered nation to upraise the standard of the oneness of humanity, to promulgate the Most Great Peace, to become thereby most glorious and praiseworthy among all the nations
of the world.  O God!  This American nation is worthy
of Thy favors and is deserving of Thy mercy.  Make it
precious and near to Thee through Thy bounty and
bestowal.   

                                                              -'Abdu'l-Baha
April 4- 11, 2004


O Son of the Throne!
Thy hearing is My hearing, hear thou therewith. Thy sight is My sight, do thou see therewith, that in thine inmost soul thou mayest testify unto My exalted sanctity, and I within Myself may bear witness unto an exalted station for thee.   

                                                              -'Abdu'l-Baha

  11- 18, 2004



The unity which is productive of unlimited results is first a unity of mankind which recognizes that all are sheltered beneath the overshadowing glory of the All-Glorious; that all are servants of one God; for all breathe the same atmosphere, live upon the same earth, move beneath the same heavens, receive effulgence from the same sun and are under the protection of one God.

                      'Abdu'l-Bahá

April 25-May 2, 2004







The Festival of Ridván

The twelve day festival commemorating Bahá 'u' lláh's Declaration of His mission to His companions is celebrated annually from 21 April through 2 May.
Bahá 'u' lláh acclaimed Ridván as the 'Most Great Festival' , the 'King of Festivals, the 'Festival of God'  and has referred to it as the Day whereon 'the breezes of forgiveness were wafted over the entire creation'.

The first, ninth and twelfth days of Ridván are celebrated as Holy Days on which work is suspended. Local spiritual assemblies are elected annually on the first day of Ridván while national spiritual assemblies are elected during the Ridván  period. The Universal House of Justice is elected every five years during the Ridván  period.


Quote:

Verily, all created things were immersed in the sea of purification when, on that first day of Ridván, We shed upon the whole of creation the splendors of Our most excellent Names and Our most exalted Attributes. This, verily, is a token of My loving providence, which hath encompassed all the worlds.

                                                    -Bahá 'u' lláh

May 2-8, 2004


O Kings of earth!  He Who is the sovereign Lord of all is come. The Kingdom is God's, the omnipotent Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Worship none but God, and, with radiant hearts, lift up your faces unto your Lord, the Lord of all names. This is a Revelation to which whatever ye possess can never be compared, could ye but know it.

                     
                                                  -Bahá 'u' lláh
C
May 8-16, 2004


A Prayer for Assistance with Tests

O Lord, my God and my Haven in my distress!  My Shield and my Shelter in my woes!  My Asylum and Refuge in time of need and in my loneliness my Companion!  In my anguish my Solace, and in my solitude a loving Friend!  The Remover of the pangs of my sorrows and the Pardoner of my sins!

   Wholly unto Thee do I turn, fervently imploring
Thee with all my heart, my mind and my tongue, to
shield me from all that runs counter to Thy will in
this, the cycle of Thy divine unity, and to cleanse me
of all defilement that will hinder me from seeking,
stainless and unsullied, the shade of the tree of Thy
grace.

   Have mercy, O Lord, on the feeble, make whole the
sick, and quench the burning thirst.  Gladden the
bosom wherein the fire of Thy love doth smolder, and
set it aglow with the flame of Thy celestial love and
spirit.  Robe the tabernacles of divine unity with the
vesture of holiness, and set upon my head the crown of
Thy favor.

   Illumine my face with the radiance of the orb of
Thy bounty, and graciously aid me in ministering at
Thy holy threshold.

   Make my heart overflow with love for Thy creatures
and grant that I may become the sign of Thy mercy, the
token of Thy grace, the promoter of concord amongst
Thy loved ones, devoted unto Thee, uttering Thy
commemoration and forgetful of self but ever mindful
of what is Thine.

   O God, my God!  Stay not from me the gentle gales
of Thy pardon and grace, and deprive me not of the
wellsprings of Thine aid and favor.  'Neath the shade
of Thy protecting wings let me nestle, and cast upon
me the glance of Thine all-protecting eye.

   Loose my tongue to laud Thy name amidst Thy
people, that my voice may be raised in great
assemblies and from my lips may stream the flood of
Thy praise.

   Thou art, in all truth, the Gracious, the Glorified, the Mighty, the Omnipotent --

                                                             'Abdu'l-Baha


May 16-23, 2004


We must be like the fountain or spring that is continually emptying itself of all that it has, and is continually being refilled from an invisible source. To be continually giving out for the good of our fellows undeterred by the fear of poverty and reliant on the unfailing bounty of the Source of all wealth and all good- that is the secret of right living.

           
                             -Shoghi Effendi



May 23-30, 2004


O Son of Spirit!
The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not throught the knowledge of thy neighbor. Ponder this in thy heart; how it behooveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee and the sign of My loving-kindness. Set it then before thine eyes.


                                          -Bahá 'u' lláh

May 30-June 6, 2004


All created things have their degree or stage of maturity. The period of maturity in the life of a tree is the time of its fruit-bearing....and in the human kingdom man reaches his maturity when the light of his intelligence attains its greatest power and development....Similarly there are periods and stages in the collective life of humanity. At one time it was passing through its stage of childhood, at another its period of youth, but now, it has entered its long predictated phase of maturity, the evidences of which are everywhere apparent.... Man must now become imbued with new virtues and powers, new moral standards, new capacities.  New bounties, perfect bestowals, are awaiting and already decending upon him. The gifts and blessings of the period of youth, although timely and sufficient during the adolescence of mankind, are now incapable of meeting the requirements of its maturity.

                                              -'Abdu'l-Bahá


June 6-13, 2004





O Son of Man!
If adversity befall thee not in My path, how canst thou walk in the ways of them that are content with My pleasure? If trials afflict thee not in thy longing to meet Me, how wilt thou attain the light in thy love for My beauty?

                                        -Bahá 'u' lláh

We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience...  

                                         -Romans 5:3


June 13-20, 2004


A Prayer for Spiritual Qualities

O God!  Refresh and gladden my spirit.  Purify my
heart.  Illumine my powers.  I lay all my affairs in
Thy hand.  Thou art my Guide and my Refuge.  I will no
longer be sorrowful and grieved; I will be a happy and
joyful being.  O God!  I will no longer be full of
anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me.  I will not
dwell on the unpleasant things of life.

   O God!  Thou art more friend to me than I am to
myself.  I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord.

                                                         --'Abdu'l-Baha

June 20-27, 2004


A Prayer for Children

  O my Lord!  O my Lord!  I am a child of tender
years.  Nourish me from the breast of Thy mercy, train
me in the bosom of Thy love, educate me in the school
of Thy guidance and develop me under the shadow of Thy
bounty.  Deliver me from darkness, make me a brilliant
light; free me from unhappiness, make me a flower of
the rose garden; suffer me to become a servant of Thy
threshold and confer upon me the disposition and
nature of the righteous; make me a cause of bounty to
the human world, and crown my head with the diadem of
eternal life.

   Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the
Seer, the Hearer. 

                                                            --'Abdu'l-Baha

June 27-July 4, 2004


I ask you all, each one of you, to follow well the light of truth, in the Holy Teachings, and God will strengthen you by His Holy Spirit so that you will be enabled to overcome the difficulties, and to destroy the prejudices which cause separation and hatred amongst the people.

                                         -'Abdu'l-Bahá

The real secret of universal participation lies in the Master's oft-expressed wish that the friends should love each other, constantly encourage each other, work together, be as one soul in one body, and in so doing become a true, organic, healthy body animated and illumined by the spirit. In such a body all will receive spiritual health and vitality from the organism itself, and the most perfect flowers and fruits will be brought forth.

                      -The Universal House of Justice



July 4-11, 2004


God, who sees all hearts, knows how far our lives are the fulfillment of our words.

                                               -'Abdu'l-Bahá

July 11-18, 2004


Wert thou to attain to but a dewdrop of the crystal waters of divine knowledge, thou wouldst readily realize that true life is not the life of the flesh but the life of the spirit. 

                                                 Bahá 'u' lláh








O Son of Man!
If adversity befall thee not in My path, how canst thou walk in the ways of them that are content with My pleasure? If trials afflict thee not in thy longing to meet Me, how wilt thou attain the light in thy love for My beauty?

                                        -Bahá 'u' lláh

We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience...  

                                         -Romans 5:3



O Son of Man!
If adversity befall thee not in My path, how canst thou walk in the ways of them that are content with My pleasure? If trials afflict thee not in thy longing to meet Me, how wilt thou attain the light in thy love for My beauty?

                                        -Bahá 'u' lláh

We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience...  

                                         -Romans 5:3


That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
                                                      
                                                 -John 3:6

July 8-25, 2004


Religions are many, but the reality of religion is one. The days are many, but the sun is one. The fountains are many, but the fountainhead is one. The branches are many, but the tree is one.

  The foundation of the divine religions is reality, were there no reality, there would be no religions. Abraham heralded reality, Moses promulgated reality. Christ established reality. Muhammad was the Messenger of reality. The   Báb was the door of reality. Bahá 'u' lláh
was the splendor of reality. Reality is one; it does not admit multiplicity or division. Reality is as the sun, which shines forth from differing dawning points; it is as the light, which has illumined many lanterns.
  Therefore, if the religions investigate reality and seek the essential truth of their own foundations, they will agree and no difference will be found.

                                      -'Abdu'l-Bahá
July 25- August 1, 2004


In accordance with the Divine Teachings, the aquisition of sciences and the perfection of the arts is considered as acts of worship. If a man engages with all his power in the acquisition of a science or in the perfection of an art, it is as if he has been worshipping God in the churches and temples.

                                      -'Abdu'l-Bahá





August 1-7, 2004

O Thou kind Lord!  Thou hast created all humanity from the same stock.  Thou hast decreed that all shall belong to the same household.  In Thy Holy Presence they are all Thy servants, and all mankind are sheltered beneath Thy Tabernacle; all have gathered together at Thy Table of Bounty; all are illumined through the light of Thy Providence.

   O God!  Thou art kind to all, Thou hast provided for all, dost shelter all, conferrest life upon all.Thou hast endowed each and all with talents and faculties, and all are submerged in the Ocean of Thy Mercy.

   O Thou kind Lord!  Unite all.  Let the religions agree and make the nations one, so that they may see each other as one family and the whole earth as one home.  May they all live together in perfect harmony.

   O God!  Raise aloft the banner of the oneness of mankind.
 
  O God!  Establish the Most Great Peace.  Cement Thou, O God, the hearts together.  O Thou kind Father,God!  Gladden our hearts through the fragrance of Thy love.  Brighten our eyes through the Light of Thy Guidance.  Delight our ears with the melody of Thy
Word, and shelter us all in the Stronghold of Thy Providence.  Thou art the Mighty and Powerful, Thou art the Forgiving and Thou art the One Who overlooketh the shortcomings of all mankind. 

                                                 --'Abdu'l-Baha                               


August 8-14, 2004


Men who suffer not, will attain no perfection. The plant most pruned by the gardeners is that one which, when the summer comes, will have the most beautiful blossoms and the most abundant fruit.

                                                    -'Abdu'l-Bahá

August 15--21, 2004


Religions are many, but the reality of religion is one. The days are many, but the sun is one. The
fountains are many, but the fountainhead is one.
The branches are many, but the tree is one.
  The foundation of the divine religions is reality;
were there no reality, there would be no religions.
Abraham heralded reality. Moses promulgated reality. Christ established reality. Muhammad was the Messenger of reality. The Báb was the door of reality. Bahá 'u' lláh was the splendor of reality. Reality is one; it does not admit multiplicity or division. Reality is as the sun, which shines forth from differing dawning points; it is as the light, which has illumined many lanterns.
    Therefore, if the religions investigate reality and seek the essential truth of their own foundations, they will agree and no difference will be found.

                                                    -'Abdu'l-Bahá

August 22-28, 2004

O my Lord! Make Thy beauty to be my food, and Thy presence my drink, and Thy pleasure my hope, and praise of Thee my action, and remembrance of Thee my companion, and the power of Thy sovereignty my succorer, and Thy habitation my home, and my dwelling-place the seat Thou hast santified from the limitations imposed upon them who are shut out as by a veil from Thee.

                                                            -Bahá 'u' lláh
                                                

August 29-Sept.4, 2004



All created things have their degree or stage of maturity. The period of maturity in the life of a tree is the time of its fruit-bearing....and in the human kingdom man reaches his maturity when the light of his intelligence attains its greatest power and development....Similarly there are periods and stages in the collective life of humanity. At one time it was passing through its stage of childhood, at another its period of youth, but now, it has entered its long predictated phase of maturity, the evidences of which are everywhere apparent.... Man must now become imbued with new virtues and powers, new moral standards, new capacities.  New bounties, perfect bestowals, are awaiting and already decending upon him. The gifts and blessings of the period of youth, although timely and sufficient during the adolescence of mankind, are now incapable of meeting the requirements of its maturity.

                                           -'Abdu'l-Bahá

Click here to add text.
Sept.5-11, 2004


It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his  own country, but rather for him who loveth the  whole world.  The earth is but one country, and  mankind its citizens.

                                              -Bahá 'u' lláh



Sept.12-17, 2004


  O Lord, my God and my Haven in my distress!  My
Shield and my Shelter in my woes!  My Asylum and
Refuge in time of need and in my loneliness my
Companion!  In my anguish my Solace, and in my
solitude a loving Friend!  The Remover of the pangs of my sorrows and the Pardoner of my sins!

   Wholly unto Thee do I turn, fervently imploring
Thee with all my heart, my mind and my tongue, to
shield me from all that runs counter to Thy will in
this, the cycle of Thy divine unity, and to cleanse me
of all defilement that will hinder me from seeking,
stainless and unsullied, the shade of the tree of Thy
grace.

   Have mercy, O Lord, on the feeble, make whole the
sick, and quench the burning thirst.  Gladden the
bosom wherein the fire of Thy love doth smolder, and
set it aglow with the flame of Thy celestial love and
spirit.  Robe the tabernacles of divine unity with the
vesture of holiness, and set upon my head the crown of Thy favor.

   Illumine my face with the radiance of the orb of
Thy bounty, and graciously aid me in ministering at
Thy holy threshold.

   Make my heart overflow with love for Thy creatures
and grant that I may become the sign of Thy mercy, the token of Thy grace, the promoter of concord amongst  Thy loved ones, devoted unto Thee, uttering Thy         
commemoration and forgetful of self but ever mindful of what is Thine.

   O God, my God!  Stay not from me the gentle gales
of Thy pardon and grace, and deprive me not of the
wellsprings of Thine aid and favor.  'Neath the shade
of Thy protecting wings let me nestle, and cast upon
me the glance of Thine all-protecting eye.

   Loose my tongue to laud Thy name amidst Thy
people, that my voice may be raised in great
assemblies and from my lips may stream the flood of
Thy praise.

   Thou art, in all truth, the Gracious, the
Glorified, the Mighty, the Omnipotent

                                        
                                                  - 'Abdu'l-Baha                                           

Sept.19-25, 2004


O COMPANION OF MY THRONE!

Hear no evil, and see no evil, abase not thyself, neither sigh or weep.  Speak no evil, that thou mayest not hear it spoken unto thee, and magnify not the faults of others that thine own faults may not appear great: and wish not the abasement of anyone, that thine own abasement be not exposed.  Live then the days of thy life,  that are less than a fleeting moment, with thy mind stainless, thy heart unsullied, thy thoughts pure, and thy nature sanctified, so that, free and content, thou mayest put away this mortal frame, and repair unto the mystic paradise and abide in the eternal kingdom for evermore..
                                  
                                        -Bahá 'u' lláh,
                                       The Hidden Words, #44
                               ( from the Persian)


Sept. 26-Oct. 2, 2004


The unity which is productive of unlimited results is first a unity of mankind which recognizes that all are sheltered beneath the overshadowing glory of the All-Glorious; that all are servants of one God; for all breathe the same atmosphere, live upon the same earth, move beneath the same heavens, receive effulgence from the same sun and are under the protection of one God.

                                   - 'Abdu'l-Bahá

Oct. 3-9, 2004


The Divine Reality may be likened to the sun and the Holy Spirit to the rays of the sun. As the rays of the sun bring the light and warmth of the sun to the earth, giving life to all created beings, so do the "Manifestations" (of God) bring the power of the Holy Spirit from the Divine Sun of Reality to give light to the souls of men.

                                  - 'Abdu'l-Bahá
Oct. 10-16, 2004


Blessed is the spot, and the house, and the place, and the city, and the heart, and the mountain, and the refuge, and the cave, and the valley, and the land, and the sea, and the island, and the meadow where mention of God hath been made, and His praise glorified.
            
                                       
                                            - BAHA'U'LLAH



Oct. 17-23, 2004


A Healing Prayer


Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God!  I implore Thee
by Thy Name, through which Thou didst lift up the
ensigns of Thy guidance, and didst shed the radiance of Thy loving-kindness, and didst reveal the sovereignty of Thy Lordship; through which the lamp of Thy names hath appeared within the niche of Thine attributes, and He Who is the Tabernacle of Thy unity and the Manifestation of detachment hath shone forth; through which the ways of Thy guidance were made known, and the paths of Thy good pleasure were marked out; through which the foundations of error have been made to tremble, and the signs of wickedness have been abolished; through which the fountains of wisdom have burst forth, and the heavenly table hath been sent down; through which Thou didst preserve Thy servants and didst vouchsafe Thy healing; through which Thou didst show forth Thy tender mercies unto Thy servants and revealedst Thy forgiveness amidst Thy creatures -- I implore Thee to keep safe him who hath held fast and returned unto Thee, and clung to Thy mercy, and seized the hem of Thy loving providence.  Send down, then, upon him Thy healing, and make him whole, and endue him with a constancy vouchsafed by Thee, and a tranquillity bestowed by Thy highness.  Thou art,verily, the Healer, the Preserver, the Helper, the Almighty, the Powerful, the All-Glorious, the All-Knowing.


                                                    -Baha'u'llah

Oct. -23-30, 2004


A Prayer for Assistance with Tests

 
     Dispel my grief by Thy bounty and Thy generosity, O God, my God, and banish mine anguish through Thy sovereignty and Thy might.  Thou seest me, O my God, with my face set towards Thee at a time when sorrows have compassed me on every side.  I implore Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of all being, and overshadowest all things visible and invisible, by Thy Name whereby Thou hast subdued the hearts and the souls of men, and by the billows of the Ocean of Thy mercy and the splendors of the Daystar of Thy bounty, to number me with them whom nothing whatsoever hath deterred from setting their faces toward Thee, O Thou Lord of all
names and Maker of the heavens!

   Thou beholdest, O my Lord, the things which have
befallen me in Thy days.  I entreat Thee, by Him Who
is the Dayspring of Thy names and the Dawning-Place of Thine attributes, to ordain for me what will enable me to arise to serve Thee and to extol Thy virtues.  Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Powerful, Who art wont to answer the prayers of all men!

   And, finally, I beg of Thee by the light of Thy
countenance to bless my affairs, and redeem my debts,
and satisfy my needs.  Thou art He to Whose power and to Whose dominion every tongue hath testified, and
Whose majesty and Whose sovereignty every
understanding heart hath acknowledged.  No God is
there but Thee Who hearest and art ready to answer.

                                       
                                                         -Baha'u'llah                                                                               

Nov. 6 - 13, 2004


Humanity is like a bird with its two wings- the one is male, the other female. Unless both wings are strong and impelled by some common force, the bird cannot fly heavenwards.

                                                          'Abdu'l-Bahá


Nov. 14-27, 2004


The All-Knowing Physician hath His finger on the pulse of mankind. He perceiveth the disease, and prescribeth, in His unerring wisdom, the remedy. Every age hath had its own problem, and every soul its particular aspiration. The remedy the world needeth in its present-day afflictions can never be the same as that which a subsequent age may require. Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and centre your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements. 

                                           -Bahá 'u' lláh,
                  Gleanings
                   from the Writings of Bahá 'u' lláh, p. 213





Nov. 28-Dec.4, 2004


Religions are many, but the reality of religion is one. The days are many, but the sun is one. The fountains are many, but the fountainhead is one. The branches are many, but the tree is one.
  The foundation of the divine religions is reality; were there no reality, there would be no religions. Abraham heralded reality. Muhammad was the Messenger of reality. The Báb was  the door of reality. Bahá 'u' lláh was the splendor of reality. Reality is one; it does not admit multiplicity or division. Reality is as the sun, which shines forth from different dawning points; it is as the light, which has illumined many lanterns.
  Therefore, if the religions investigate reality and seek the essential truth of their own foundations, they will agree and no difference will be found.

                                                                                                                                                           - 'Abdu'l-Bahá


Dec.5-11, 2004


  O Thou Provider!  Thou hast breathed over the
friends from the West the sweet fragrance of the Holy
Spirit, and with the light of divine guidance Thou
hast lit up the western sky.  Thou hast made those who
were once remote to draw near unto Thyself; Thou hast
turned strangers into loving friends; Thou hast
awakened those who slept; Thou hast made the heedless
mindful.  O Thou Provider!  Assist Thou these noble
friends to win Thy good pleasure, and make them well
wishers of stranger and friend alike.  Bring them into
the world that abideth forever; grant them a portion
of heavenly grace; cause them to be true Baha'is,
sincerely of God; save them from outward semblances,
and establish them firmly in the truth.  Make them
signs and tokens of the Kingdom, luminous stars above
the horizons of this nether life.  Make them to be a
comfort and a solace to humankind and servants to the
peace of the world.  Exhilarate them with the wine of
Thy counsel, and grant that all of them may tread the
path of Thy commandments.

   O Thou Provider!  The dearest wish of this servant
of Thy Threshold is to behold the friends of East and
West in close embrace; to see all the members of human
society gathered with love in a single great
assemblage, even as individual drops of water
collected in one mighty sea; to behold them all as
birds in one garden of roses, as pearls of one ocean,
as leaves of one tree, as rays of one sun.  Thou art
the Mighty, the Powerful, and Thou art the God of
strength, the Omnipotent, the All-Seeing.

                                                     --'Abdu'l-Baha

Dec.12-18, 2004


2. O SON OF SPIRIT!

The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest  Me, and neglect it
not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor. Ponder this in thy heart; how it behooveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee and the sign of My loving-kindness. Set it then before thine eyes.

                                                 -- Bahá'u'lláh, Hidden Words                                               

Dec.19-25, 2004


  30. O SON OF MAN!

Deny not My servant should he ask anything from thee, for his face is My face; be then abashed before Me.


                                                -- Bahá'u'lláh, Hidden Words
                                               


Dec.26-Jan 1, 2005

.
A Prayer for Spiritual Qualities
  Create in me a pure heart, O my God, and renew
a tranquil conscience within me, O my Hope!  Through the spirit of power confirm Thou me in Thy Cause, O my Best-Beloved, and by the light of Thy glory reveal unto me Thy path, O Thou the Goal of my desire!  Through the power of Thy transcendent might lift me up unto the heaven of Thy holiness, O Source of my being, and by the breezes of Thine eternity gladden me, O Thou Who art my God!  Let Thine everlasting melodies breathe tranquillity on me, O my Companion, and let
the riches of Thine ancient countenance deliver me
from all except Thee, O my Master, and let the tidings of the revelation of Thine incorruptible Essence bring me joy, O Thou Who art the most manifest of the manifest and the most hidden of the hidden!

                                                          --Baha'u'llah