This is a delightful gathering; you have come here with sincere
intentions, and the purpose of all present is the attainment of the
virtues of God. The motive is attraction to the divine Kingdom. Since the
desire of all is unity and agreement, it is certain that this meeting will
be productive of great results. It will be the cause of attracting a new
bounty, for we are turning to the Kingdom of Abha, seeking the infinite
bestowals of the Lord. This is a new Day, and this hour is a new Hour in
which we have come together. Surely the Sun of Reality with its full
effulgence will illumine us, and the darkness of disagreements will
disappear. The utmost love and unity will result; the favors of God will
encompass us; the pathway of the Kingdom will be made easy. Like candles
these souls will become ignited and made radiant through the lights of
supreme guidance. Such gatherings as this have no equal or likeness in the
world of mankind, where people are drawn together by physical motives or
in furtherance of material interests, for this meeting is a prototype of
that inner and complete spiritual association in the eternal world of
being.
True Baha'i meetings are the mirrors of the Kingdom wherein images of the
Supreme Concourse are reflected. In them the lights of the most great
guidance are visible. They voice the summons of the heavenly Kingdom and
echo the call of the angelic hosts to every listening ear. The efficacy of
such meetings as these is permanent throughout the ages. This assembly has
a name and significance which will last forever. Hundreds of thousands of
meetings shall be held to commemorate this occasion, and the very words I
speak to you today shall be repeated in them for ages to come. Therefore,
be ye rejoiced, for ye are sheltered beneath the providence of God. Be
happy and joyous because the bestowals of God are intended for you and the
life of the Holy Spirit is breathing upon you.
Rejoice, for the heavenly table is prepared for you.
Rejoice, for the angels of heaven are your assistants and helpers.
Rejoice, for the glance of the Blessed Beauty, Baha'u'llah, is directed
upon you.
Rejoice, for Baha'u'llah is your Protector.
Rejoice, for the everlasting glory is destined for you.
Rejoice, for the eternal life is awaiting you.
How many blessed souls have longed for this radiant century, their utmost
hopes and desires centered upon the happiness and joy of one such day as
this. Many the nights they passed sleepless and lamenting until the very
morn in longing anticipation of this age, yearning to realize even an hour
of this time. God has favored you in this century and has specialized you
for the realization of its blessings. Therefore, you must praise and thank
God with heart and soul in appreciation of this great opportunity and the
attainment of this infinite bestowal--that such doors have been opened
before your faces, that such abundance is pouring down from the cloud of
mercy and that these refreshing breezes from the paradise of Abha are
resuscitating you. You must become of one heart, one spirit and one
susceptibility. May you become as the waves of one sea, stars of the same
heaven, fruits adorning the same tree, roses of one garden in order that
through you the oneness of humanity may establish its temple in the world
of mankind, for you are the ones who are called to uplift the cause of
unity among the nations of the earth.
First, you must become united and agreed among yourselves. You must be
exceedingly kind and loving toward each other, willing to forfeit life in
the pathway of another's happiness. You must be ready to sacrifice your
possessions in another's behalf. The rich among you must show compassion
toward the poor, and the well-to-do must look after those in distress. In
Persia the friends offer their lives for each other, striving to assist
and advance the interests and welfare of all the rest. They live in a
perfect state of unity and agreement. Like the Persian friends you must be
perfectly agreed and united to the extent and limit of sacrificing life.
Your utmost desire must be to confer happiness upon each other. Each one
must be the servant of the others, thoughtful of their comfort and
welfare. In the path of God one must forget himself entirely. He must not
consider his own pleasure but seek the pleasure of others. He must not
desire glory nor gifts of bounty for himself but seek these gifts and
blessings for his brothers and sisters. It is my hope that you may become
like this, that you may attain to the supreme bestowal and be imbued with
such spiritual qualities as to forget yourselves entirely and with heart
and soul offer yourselves as sacrifices for the Blessed Perfection. You
should have neither will nor desire of your own but seek everything for
the beloved of God and live together in complete love and fellowship. May
the favors of Baha'u'llah surround you from all directions. This is the
greatest bestowal and supreme bounty. These are the infinite favors of
God.