Day of the Covenant

My dear friends, brothers and sisters in the faith, I want to wish you a Happy Day of the Covenant. I want you to know that it is our good thoughts, pure actions, love and hope and faithfulness that help to keep the Covenant alive and well. It is easy if our hearts are soft and trusting and regardless of what others might think or say or do we just keep on doing and thinking and saying the things that are in accordance with our faith. Love your enemies and be a Bahai. When we are tested that is our opportunity to shine.
In that same letter from Abdu'l-Baha, he mentions that "the friends are stars in the high heavens of guidance, celestial bodies in the skies of divine grace, who with all their powers put the dark to flight.
They break down the foundations of malevolence and hate. They cherish but one desire for the world and all its peoples: well-being and peace."

Peace to you all.
Janice

The True Faith has the Guardian at its head

The reality is that there is not a single sect of the Bahá'í Faith. There are a number of denominations. But there is only one true Faith. As Bahá'ís, our spiritual mission is to "inhale the fragrance" of the truth and choose the true Faith.
The vast majority of Bahá'ís have lost faith in the Guardianship. Then there are the Orthodox Bahá'ís, a small band of believers, whose faith in the Guardianship has never been stronger. The entire difference between the two groups can be attributed to the interpretation of this passage of `Abdu'l-Bahá's Will and Testament:
"O ye beloved of the Lord! It is incumbent upon the Guardian of the Cause of God to appoint in his own life-time him that shall become his successor, that differences may not arise after his passing. He that is appointed must manifest in himself detachment from all worldly things, must be the essence of purity, must show in himself the fear of God, knowledge, wisdom and learning. Thus, should the first-born of the Guardian of the Cause of God not manifest in himself the truth of the words: -- 'The child is the secret essence of its sire,' that is, should he not inherit of the spiritual within him (the Guardian of the Cause of God) and his glorious lineage not be matched with a goodly character, then must he, (the Guardian of the Cause of God) choose another branch to succeed him."
There is an apparent ambiguity: does "branch" refer only to the Sons of Bahá'u'lláh, or to any of the members of His family, or does is it refer spiritually to any faithful believer whom the Guardian is divinely guided to appoint as his successor (the one in which is found "the fear of God, knowledge, wisdom and learning")?
The Orthodox Bahá'ís assert that the passage is not ambiguous or open to interpretation but the Will clearly allows the Guardian to appoint a successor of his choosing in any manner of his choosing as long as it occurs during his lifetime.
Bahá'u'lláh says: "Know thou that the passages that We have called "ambiguous" appear as such only in the eyes of them that have failed to soar above the horizon of guidance and to reach the heights of knowledge in the retreats of grace. For otherwise, unto them that have recognized the Repositories of divine Revelation and beheld through His inspiration the mysteries of divine authority, all the verses of God are perspicuous and all His allusions are clear. Such men discern the inner mysteries that have been clothed in the garment of words as clearly as ye perceive the heat of the sun or the wetness of water, nay even more distinctly. Immeasurably exalted is God above our praise of His loved ones, and beyond their praise of Him!" Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 25
The true Faith has the Guardian at its head.
The third Guardian's web site:http://www.bahai-guardian.com/
By Hand of Cause Jeffrey Goldberg

GREETINGS TO THE BAHA'IS OF THE WORLD

Celebrating the Birth Anniversary of Baha'u'llah let us think upon collectively on the continuty o f the guardianship, walking on the path of the Covenant.

As our living guardian says:

"The distinguishing characterstic of the Revelation of Baha'u'llah is a Covenant which Baha'u'llah made with His followers to preserve and safe-guard the Faith, following His Ascension, from the divisive and baleful effect of varying interpretations which, have plagued the religions of the past and destroyed the unity of their followers. This Covenant embodied in a specific written Testament designated by Him as the Book of His Covenant (Kitab-i-'Ahd) has no parallel in the Scriptures of any previous Dispensation. In this unique Document, Baha'u'llah conferred the mantle of authority upon His Ascension on the shoulders of His son, 'Abdu'l-Baha, Whome He designated as the Center of His Covenant and "The Most Great Branch" Further in the Most Holy Book of His Revelation (Kitab-i-Aqdas) He proclaimed:
"When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My Revelation is ended, turn your Faces towards Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath branched from this Ancient Root."
Lest there be any misunderstanding as to the intent of the above quoted passage, Baha'u'llah clarified it in the Book of His Covenant (Kitab-i-'Ahd) in these Words:
"The object of this sacred verse is none other except the most Mighty Branch ('Abdu'l-Baha)."