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| Oxnard-Ventura Bahá'í |
Newsletter of the Oxnard and Ventura Bahá’í
Communities
November 2004 |
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"A kindly tongue is the lodestone of the hearts of
men. It is the Bread of the Spirit, it clotheth the words with meaning, it is
the fountain of the light of wisdom and understanding."
~ Bahá'u'llah |
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The purpose of the Oxnard-Ventura Bahá'í News is to provide information about the Bahá'í Faith and activities of the Bahá'í's to those who wish to learn more or attend Bahá'í devotional gatherings. If you have comments or do not want to receive the Bahá'í News, write PO Box 7344, Oxnard, CA 93031, call 648-1222. No donations requested or accepted.
Informational Talks
Saturday, November 20th, 7:30 PM Friday,
November 19th, 7:30 PM Birth of the Bahá'u'lláh Bahá'u'lláh "Blessed the sore athirst who hasteneth to the soft-flowing waters of My
loving-kindness. Blessed the insatiate soul who casteth away his selfish desires
for love of Me and taketh his place at the banquet table which I have sent down
from the heaven of divine bounty for My chosen ones." "Had it not been for the love I cherish for thee, I would not have uttered a single word of what hath been mentioned. Appreciate the value of this station and preserve it as thou wouldst thine eye and be of them that are truly thankful." [ibid, Lawh-i-Hikmat (The Tablet of Wisdom), p149]"The essence of wealth is love for Me; whoso loveth Me is the possessor of all things, and he that loveth Me not is indeed of the poor and needy. This is that which the Finger of Glory and Splendour hath revealed." [ibid, Asl-i-Kullu'l-Khayr (Words of Wisdom), p156] |
"I am the Sun of Wisdom and the Ocean of Knowledge. I cheer the faint and
revive the dead. I am the guiding Light that illumineth the way. I am the royal
Falcon on the arm of the Almighty. I unfold the drooping wings of every broken
bird and start it on its flight."
[ibid, Lawh-i-Maqsúd (The Tablet of Maqsúd), p169]
The social teachings of the Bahá'í Faith, as vital as they are for today's world, do not a religion make. The essence of all religions is ultimately love: the love of God for humanity, the love of humanity for God, and the love of humans for each other. Nowhere is this better expressed than in The Hidden Words: "O son of man! Veiled in My immemorial being and in the ancient eternity of My essence, I knew My love for thee; therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine image and revealed to thee My beauty. "O son of man! I loved thy creation, hence I created thee. Wherefore, do thou love Me, that I may name thy name and fill thy soul with the spirit of life. "O son of being! Love Me, that I may love thee. If thou lovest Me not, My love can in no wise reach thee. Know this, O servant." (Arabic 3-5, p4)"The Ancient Beauty hath consented to be bound with chains that mankind may be released from its bondage, and hath accepted to be made a prisoner within this most mighty Stronghold that the whole world may attain unto true liberty. He hath drained to its dregs the cup of sorrow, that all the peoples of the earth may attain unto abiding joy, and be filled with gladness. This is of the mercy of your Lord, the Compassionate, the Most Merciful. We have accepted to be abased, O believers in the Unity of God, that ye may be exalted, and have suffered manifold afflictions, that ye might prosper and flourish. He Who hath come to build anew the whole world, behold, how they that have joined partners with God have forced Him to dwell within the most desolate of cities!" (Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, XLV, p99-100) |
"My body hath endured imprisonment that ye may be released
from the bondage of self. Set your faces then towards His countenance and follow
not the footsteps of every hostile oppressor.
Verily, He hath consented to be sorely abased that ye may attain unto glory, and yet, ye are disporting yourselves in the vale of heedlessness. He, in truth, liveth in the most desolate of abodes for your sakes, whilst ye dwell in your palaces." [Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, Lawh-i-Aqdas (The Most Holy Tablet), p12] This is the price every Messenger has willingly paid for delivering the Message. This is how much they love us. This is, indeed, how much God loves us, for they are His hand outstretched, seeking to touch us and lead us home. Until we allow ourselves to be so touched, we will never find our home. -- Special Thanks to Dale from Planet Bahá'í http://www.planetbahai.org/
Fillmore CommUnity 1st Saturday of the Month, November 6th. Call Luanne at 524-0683 for details Oxnard CommUnity 1st Sunday of the Month, November 7th. 10:30 AM. Locations November vary. Call Barbara at 984-4390 Camarillo CommUnity 3rd Sunday of the Month, November 21st. Call Renee at 383-3904 for details. Ventura CommUnity 4th Sunday of the Month, November 28th, 10:00 a.m. at the Clubhouse, 3700 Dean Drive. To learn more about the Bahá’í Faith, contact the Bahá’í House of Worship or the Bahá’í community in your area [link to Contact page coming soon]. Further information is also available at www.us.bahai.org and www.bahai.org. |
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