26 November 2018
To the Baha'is of the World
Dearly loved Friends,
In this season, from the Day of the Covenant to the
commemoration of the Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Baha, every
Baha'i heart is stirred by remembrance of Him Who is the Mystery of God, the
Centre of Baha'u'llah's impregnable Covenant, the Mainspring of the Oneness of
Humanity, the embodiment of every Baha'i ideal, the Most Mighty Branch of God
whereunder all can find shelter.
May His boundless love and tender solicitude give you reassurance and
sustenance as you strive to fulfill the trust He bestowed upon you in His
Testament and His Divine Plan. At
night in that hallowed room in His home where He departed this life for reunion
with His beloved Lord, we will testify to your fidelity to His call, evident in
your tireless labors to create a refuge for humanity at this moment of
increasing injustice and affliction.
Three brief years remain until the centenary of the
Master's passing, when Baha'is the world over will gather and take account of
the distance traversed over the first century of the Formative Age. May His loved ones, individually and
collectively, little by little and day by day, increasingly embody His
counsels: to be united in the Cause
and firm in the Covenant; to avoid calumny and never speak ill of others; to
see no strangers but regard all as members of one family; to set aside
divergent theories and conflicting views and pursue a single purpose and common
goal; to ensure that the love of Baha'u'llah has so mastered every organ, part,
and limb as to leave no effect from the promptings of the human world; to arise
with heart and soul and in one accord to teach the Cause; to march in serried
lines, pressed together, each supporting the others; to cultivate good
character, perseverance, strength, and determination; to know the value of this
precious Faith, obey its teachings, walk in this road that is drawn straight,
and show this way to the people.
That you may fulfill His highest expectations, we pray
for each of you.
[signed]
The Universal House of Justice