At the time of the ascension of the Spirit (Jesus Christ),
the company of those who accepted the new Revelation numbered no more than a
few souls. So intense was the alarm and
perturbation to which that event gave rise that, for a time, these souls were
quite overcome by their agitation and confusion. Then, a few days later, a woman by the name
of Mary Magdalene arose, and, by her own example, instilled into them a
constancy and firmness which enabled them to arise for the propagation of the
Word of God. Although to outward seeming
they were no more than fishermen and dyers, yet, through the holy confirmations
of the Cause of God, they carried the divine fragrances far and wide,
sweetening the breaths of all who inhaled their fragrance and bringing new life
to every understanding heart.
Take courage, then, O ye trusted friends of God, from the
appearance of this mighty and all-swaying power, which was like unto a spirit
that permeated the body of the world, making it vibrant with its pulse, and
causing the pillars of idolatry to shake and tremble.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a
Tablet; compilation: ‘Crisis and Victory’, prepared by the Research Department
of the Universal House of Justice, 1987, updated 2022)
