January 31

If thou wouldst show kindness and consideration to thy parents so that they may feel generally pleased, this would also please Me, for parents must be highly respected and it is essential that they should feel contented, provided they deter thee not from gaining access to the Threshold of the Almighty, nor keep thee back from walking in the way of the Kingdom.  Indeed it behoveth them to encourage and spur thee on in this direction. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet; compilation: ‘Family Life’, Prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, March 2008)

January 29

…His Holiness the Christ sayeth: “Everything which hath happened in the cycles of the former prophets will certainly occur again in these days.” Consider ye! What calumny, slander, cruelty and oppression were brought down upon the apostles by the Israelites for the sake of faith and assurance! They unlocked the hands of pillage, persecuted and tortured those sanctified souls. Therefore, there is no doubt but that you will become afflicted with trial, calamity and oppression in the path of the Beauty of Abha. These trials are the essence of bestowal and pure bounty and the proofs of your acceptance in the Threshold of Oneness. Consequently, when the fire of trials is ignited, celebrate ye in joy, dance with overflowing emotions and be ye happy that—praise be to God!—ye have become the target of contempt in the path of the Beauty of Abha and are hated by the people of passion and desire. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2)

January 27

Chaos and confusion are daily increasing in the world. They will attain such intensity as to render the frame of mankind unable to bear them.  Then will men be awakened and become aware that religion is the impregnable stronghold and the manifest light of the world, and its laws, exhortations and teachings the source of life on earth. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet; compilation: ‘Peace’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, Revised September 1990; Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

January 25

Reality or truth is one, yet there are many religious beliefs, denominations, creeds and differing opinions in the world today. Why should these differences exist? Because they do not investigate and examine the fundamental unity, which is one and unchangeable. If they seek reality itself, they will agree and be united; for reality is indivisible and not multiple. It is evident, therefore, that there is nothing of greater importance to mankind than the investigation of truth. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk, 25 April, 1912, Washington, D.C; ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912’)

January 23

God’s wisdom hath decreed that partners to a marriage should be of distant origins.  That is, the further removed the relationship between husband and wife is, the stronger, the more beautiful and the healthier will their offspring be.

- 'Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet; compilation: ‘Family Life’, Prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, March 2008)

January 21

All prejudices, whether of religion, race, politics or nation, must be renounced, for these prejudices have caused the world’s sickness. It is a grave malady which, unless arrested, is capable of causing the destruction of the whole human race. Every ruinous war, with its terrible bloodshed and misery, has been caused by one or other of these prejudices.

The deplorable wars going on in these days are caused by the fanatical religious hatred of one people for another, or the prejudices of race or colour.

Until all these barriers erected by prejudice are swept away, it is not possible for humanity to be at peace. For this reason Bahá’u’lláh has said, ‘These Prejudices are destructive to mankind’. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Paris Talks’)

January 19

Much of the discord and disunion of the world is created by these man-made oppositions and contradictions. If religion were in harmony with science and they walked together, much of the hatred and bitterness now bringing misery to the human race would be at an end. …

God made religion and science to be the measure, as it were, of our understanding. Take heed that you neglect not such a wonderful power. Weigh all things in this balance.

To him who has the power of comprehension religion is like an open book, but how can it be possible for a man devoid of reason and intellectuality to understand the Divine Realities of God? 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Paris Talks’)

January 17

In this day the most vital and momentous matter is steadfastness in the love of the Manifestor of Light on the Mount of Sinai and endurance of ordeals and unaccountable calamities in this Cause.

Ere long the seditious people shall arise in that country to deride the righteous ones and to ridicule the holy ones. Every day they will cast ignominy and at every moment they will present great persecution. They shall revile the friends for the sake of the love of Baha; and bring down upon them contempt and sarcasm; neither do they fall short in creating torture.

This is the custom and sentence of the people of bygone ages. Undoubtedly these things must transpire in these days even with a greater intensity. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2)

January 15

Surely, all must today be called to love, to unity and to kindness; to integrity, to friendship, to fellowship and to divine worship. I hope that thou and thy dear husband may continue to serve in all spirit and fragrance and that in this world ye may remain two radiant candles and from the eternal horizon ye may glisten like unto two shining stars. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet; compilation: ‘Family Life’, Prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, March 2008)

January 13

It behoveth the servant to pray to and seek assistance from God, and to supplicate and implore His aid. Such becometh the rank of servitude, and the Lord will decree whatsoever He desireth, in accordance with His consummate wisdom. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet, ‘Additional Tablets, Extracts and Talks’, Online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

January 11

In short, the foundation of the Kingdom of God is based upon harmony and love, oneness, relationship and union, not upon differences, especially between husband and wife. If one of these two becomes the cause of divorce, that one will unquestionably fall into great difficulties, will become the victim of formidable calamities and experience deep remorse.  

- 'Abdu'l-Baha  (From a Tablet; compilation: ‘Family Life’, Prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, March 2008)

January 9

We hope that the beloved of God and the handmaids of the Merciful will, in accordance with the heavenly Teachings, serve the oneness of the world of humanity, regard religion as the basis of love and fellowship amongst the people, strive to harmonize religion and science, become a treasury of riches for the poor and a shelter and asylum for the fugitive, bring joy and radiance to the destitute, and aid the needy through the strengthening grace of the All-Merciful. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá  (From a Tablet; compilation: ‘Social Action’, Prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, August 2020)

January 7

In the Tablet of Visitation He [Baha’u’llah] saith: “I beseech God, by Thee and by them whose faces have been illumined with the splendours of the light of Thy countenance, and who, for love of Thee, have observed all whereunto they were bidden.” He declareth that observance of the commandments of God emanateth from love for the beauty of the Best-Beloved. The seeker, when immersed in the ocean of the love of God, will be moved by intense longing and will arise to carry out the laws of God. Thus, it is impossible for a heart to contain the fragrance of God’s love and yet fail to worship the True One, except under conditions when such an action would agitate the enemies and stir up dissension and mischief. Otherwise, a lover of the Abhá Beauty will no doubt continually demonstrate perseverance in the worship of the Lord. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet; ‘Light of the World’)

January 5

What thou hast written became evident and what thou hast heard from… regarding the necessity of many teachers in America, is true. I have said so. Indeed, there is need of a thousand teachers, each one severed from the world, attracted by the Holy Spirit in the Supreme Concourse and joyful through the Kingdom of God and in perfect sanctity, holiness and sufficiency.

This matter of teachers requires the greatest condition; that is, they should never stain themselves with the world, they should not look for the least pecuniary reward from any soul; nay, rather they should bear the utmost poverty and with the perfect wealth of nature, through the bounty of God, may they associate with the people. They should seek no reward nor recompense. Freely have they received, freely should they give. His Holiness Christ sayeth: “When ye leave the city, clean off from your shoes the dust thereof.” The holiness of the teachers must reach this degree. Thus may they utter with eloquence, while in ecstasy and great joy, and guide the people to the manifest light.

If this be the endeavor, strive with life and heart and guide the people to the Kingdom of God, lead them to the straight pathway, inform them of the greatness and magnitude of this Cause and give them the glad-tidings through the bounty of divine providence and the revelation of the Sun of Truth in this great age. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2)

January 3

When Christ appeared, twenty centuries ago, although the Jews were eagerly awaiting His Coming, and prayed every day, with tears, saying: “O God, hasten the Revelation of the Messiah,” yet when the Sun of Truth dawned, they denied Him and rose against Him with the greatest enmity, and eventually crucified that divine Spirit, the Word of God, and named Him Beelzebub, the evil one, as is recorded in the Gospel. The reason for this was that they said: “The Revelation of Christ, according to the clear text of the Torah, will be attested by certain signs, and so long as these signs have not appeared, whoso layeth claim to be a Messiah is an impostor. Among these signs is this, that the Messiah should come from an unknown place, yet we all know this man’s house in Nazareth, and can any good thing come out of Nazareth? The second sign is that He shall rule with a rod of iron, that is, He must act with the sword, but this Messiah has not even a wooden staff. Another of the conditions and signs is this: He must sit upon the throne of David and establish David’s sovereignty. Now, far from being enthroned, this man has not even a mat to sit on. Another of the conditions is this: the promulgation of all the laws of the Torah; yet this man has abrogated these laws, and has even broken the sabbath day, although it is the clear text of the Torah that whosoever layeth claim to prophethood and revealeth miracles and breaketh the sabbath day, he must be put to death. Another of the signs is this, that in His reign justice will be so advanced that righteousness and well-doing will extend from the human even to the animal world—the snake and the mouse will share one hole, the eagle and the partridge one nest, the lion and the gazelle shall dwell in one pasture, and the wolf and the kid shall drink from one fountain. Yet now, injustice and tyranny have waxed so great in his time that they have crucified him! Another of the conditions is this, that in the days of the Messiah the Jews will prosper and triumph over all the peoples of the world, but now they are living in the utmost abasement and servitude in the Empire of the Romans. Then how can this be the Messiah promised in the Torah?”

In this wise did they object to that Sun of Truth, although that Spirit of God was indeed the One promised in the Torah. But as they did not understand the meaning of these signs, they crucified the Word of God. Now the Bahá’ís hold that the recorded signs did come to pass in the Manifestation of Christ, although not in the sense which the Jews understood, the description in the Torah being allegorical.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet; ‘Baha’u’llah and the New Era’)

January 1

In whatsoever matter man wisheth to engage, he must first acquire some capability and make provisions and preparations therefor. In this day, whatever soul intendeth to raise the voice of the Kingdom, and to draw people under the Tree of Life in the ideal paradise, and to invite them to eternal life, must first be delivered from all attachments, must even shut his eyes to rest, quietude and to the mortal life of this world.

I hope thou hast abandoned all such (mortal) things, and when thou hast attained to this great bounty, that is, when thou art delivered from the attachments of this mortal world, and hast intended to endure all calamities in the path of God—in such wise that reproaches on the part of the enemy will seem to thee as praise and glorification, and the blame of the people of hatred will appear like unto admiration and applause, and the bitterness of afflictions will taste as the honey of favor and all hardships be as sweetness—then canst thou step into the path of the Kingdom and become the herald of God.

Consequently, do thou show a steadfast and firm footing in this station, engage in guiding the people and call them unto the Kingdom; then wilt thou find how the divine magnet—the power of the Word of God—will attract the hearts and bestow ecstasy and enthusiasm upon souls!

When thou reachest this station there shall remain no obstacles and no veil shall intervene, and all that is thy highest wish shall be realized. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2)