Part Iv
Selections For Recital
At Memorials
1I have made death a messenger of joy to
thee. Wherefore dost thou grieve? I made
the light to shed on thee its splendor. Why
dost thou veil thyself therefrom?
1world's sacred Scripturesthe beautiful Brides of heaven
especially The Bible and The Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh.
They inspired and guided the tone, the style, and the content
of this book. A Messenger of Joy is only a candle lit from
those splendid, glorious, and infinite sources of grace, beauty,
knowledge, wonder, and wisdom.
2Part I
3A Voice Was
Heard from
Heaven
4O SON OF SPIRIT!
With the joyful tidings of light I hail
thee: rejoice! To the court of
holiness I summon thee;
abide therein that thou
mayest live in peace
for evermore.
Baháulláh
5hen a man who had lived the days of his
life prayed with all his heart and soul and
said, O Master Spirit of heavens! Speak
unto us of death and dying.
Then a voice was heard from heaven, saying:
O children of the earth! You are travelers on a
journey to a world of peace and wonder.
You are guests of the earth for but a little
while, and then you shall depart for your home
in heaven.
6passing pilgrims!
How fleeting is your life!
And how swiftly your days fly!
A little while, and you will be no more.
You bloom like a rose, spread your fragrance
near and far, then fade and fall like autumn
leaves.
Your days vanish as the whispering of the wind,
and your memories wane as the glory of the
garden.
7my beloved friends! Gather blossoms of
joy while you may. Hang your troubles
upon the trees, and cast your cares to
the wind.
Banish the night with your love, wake the dawn
with your praise.
Sing and dance and be merry, but know that
there are other songs to sing.
Live, but do not cling to your lives. Own, but
do not be attached to your treasures.
Cherish your pearls and rubies, let them dazzle
your eyes, but know they are not yours. They
belong to the earth.
Celebrate life, but be ready to depart the mo-
ment the banquet ends.
When life bids you farewell and death greets
you, embrace her with open arms.
8children of peace! Some of you have
said that life is only a dream and death
the end of the dream. You wake up, and
it is no more.
But I say unto you that death is waking up to
the Dawn, to a vast world of charm and won-
der. It is a journey from the gloomy nest of
the earth to an everlasting and ever-blooming
garden of joy and peace.
It is passing beyond the clouds and basking
in luminous lights of the heavens in all their
beauty and splendor.
It is setting the soul free from the bonds of the
earth.
It is returning to the mansions of God.
9passing voyagers! Death does not put
out the light. It only shatters the lamp.
The light does not die. It only departs
and joins the heart of heaven.
Like a breeze that stirs the forest, and spreads
the fragrance of flowers, death lifts the veil and
sets the soul free on its journey home.
10my beloved! Death is not the pit of
despair and sorrow, but the paradise of
peace and joy.
It is not a prison of grief, but a garden of
enchanting blossoms.
It is not a path into the grave, but to a place
of peace and calm.
It is not the loss of a loved one. It is a journey
to the light.
It is not a vale of shadows. It is the splendor
of the sun.
It is not the gloom of darkness. It is the glory
of the dawn.
11children of dream! Some of you have
called death a curse written upon your
brow.
But I say unto you that death is not a curse,
but a blessing.
It is not farewell to living, but a greeting to a
messenger of joy.
It is not a voyage to grief, but a glorious jour-
ney to God.
It is not a tragedy of life, but a triumph of spirit.
It is not the tale of nothingness, but tidings of
victories and wonders.
12my heavenly sons and daughters! Let
not the wintry breath of fear pass over
you.
Despair not!
Death has no power over hearts and souls.
It is but a call to wake you, and a light that
shall lead you to the presence of the Adored
One.
Only shells are shattered; the heavenly pearls
live on.
13children of spirit! When the angel of
death summons you, say unto him: Even
as the snow flakes dance to the wind,
I shall dance to your call.
I shall bathe in your light.
I shall bask in your charm.
I shall rest in your arms.
I shall rejoice in your love.
I shall repose in your peace.
14The Voice
from Heaven
continues :
15pilgrims to paradise! I am the Master
Spirit of the heavens and the earth.
How luminous is my light, and how infinite is
my glory!
How splendid are my deeds, and how wondrous
are my words!
I am the fairest of the fair.
Grace pours from my lips.
Glory sits upon my brow.
The sun, with all its splendor, pales in my
presence.
16my dear ones on earth! How splendid
you are!
You are the image of my Self.
You are the echoes of my song.
You are the jewels of my crown.
You are the joys of my heart.
You are the pearls of my throne.
You are the solace of my soul.
You are the flowers of my garden.
You are the fruits of my vine.
You are the treasures of my kingdom.
You are the rays of my love.
You are the halos of my light.
You are the shadows of my glory.
You are the signs of my grace.
You are the source of my wonders.
You are the mirrors of my might.
You are the stars of my heaven.
You are the letters of my Word.
You are the glory of my works.
You are the reason for my joy.
17children of spirit! Your joy is my joy.
Your grief is my grief.
Though My throne stands high in the heavens,
yet my hand reaches and rests on the humblest
soul.
I weep at your sorrows, and smile on your
victories.
I mourn at your pains, and rejoice in your
peace.
You are my celestial sons and daughters, the
jewels of my soul.
I shall hold you in my heart.
I shall bless you with my grace.
I shall adorn you with my pearls.
I shall delight you with my praise.
I shall lead you in my ways.
My love enfolds you like a rainbow. My light
enchants you like the morning breeze.
18my beloved! In death lies the essence
of living, and in separation hides the
secret of togetherness.
The flower withers and dies, but its fragrance
lives on. The snow melts, but the water joins
the streams.
In your birth there is a wisdom, and in your
death a wisdom greater still.
Behind the veil hides the glory, and behind the
stranger the face of the friend.
Your life is but a shadow of what is to come,
an echo of the music from above.
19The Voice
from Heaven
continues :
20children of joy! I am the Master Spirit
of the heavens! I shake the earth and
lay the forests bare. I speak, and it comes
to pass. I say Be! and it Is.
Set your hope in my heaven. Put your trust in
my love.
Walk in my ways. I will lead you to springs of
living water, to worlds of wonder beyond your
fairest dreams.
Let not fear grip your souls. I shall hold you
in my arms.
I shall guide you to my jeweled mansions,
where shadows are no more, where love,
laughter, joy, and peace blend and blossom
into rainbows of many colors.
Let my love enfold you. Let my light embrace
you and crown you with pearls of peace and
jewels of joy.
The eye of heaven will watch over you.
21passing shadow! Let your heart be pure
as the light. Let your soul be warm and
radiant as the sun.
Let your faith be as high as the heavens, as
sure as the sunrise, as firm as the everlasting
mountains.
Walk with me, and I will set you free from toil
and tears.
I will lift your heart on my wings to heavens
on high.
I will make you soft as the breeze of the dawn,
pure and fragrant as the blossoms of paradise.
With the breath of my love I shall fill your
soul, and with glimmers of my grace I shall
bless your days.
I will be your rock and refuge. I will sustain
you through all seasons.
22children of divine destiny! When the
shadow of death falls on you, fear not,
neither sigh nor mourn.
Death is a messenger of joy and peace, not an
angel of wrath and rage.
It shall lead you to my restful arms.
It shall bring you to the nest of your dreams
and desires.
23my beloved! Fear not the fall of your
earthly temple.
You are the crown of my joy.
I shall cherish my crown.
You are the echo of my song.
I shall rejoice in my song.
You are the light of my hope.
I shall bask in my light.
You are the joy of my heart.
I shall delight in my joy.
My crown shall never fall. My song shall never
cease. My light shall never wane. My joy shall
never end.
24my beloved! I will quench your thirst
with living waters. I will feed you with
the grains of heaven.
Before you ask, I will answer.
Before you call, I will stretch out my arms.
25ail on, my ship; sail on to the sea of
tranquility, to the dawning place of
celestial joy and rapture, where silence
is broken by deeper silence, and peace by
greater peace.
O beloved voyager! Welcome to paradise, your
new home, where time is no more, where past
and future blend into eternal now.
All your paths shall be peace, all your ways
shall lead to victory and wonder.
You shall not be a fading shadow deep in a
forest or on the slopes of a hill, but a star
glittering in the heart of heaven.
Eternity shall rest in your right hand; in your
left, there shall be bounties and blessings
forevermore.
Your soul shall be filled with jewels of heaven,
and your heart shall burst with joy.
26children of heaven! When you tear the
veil of the world and enter your celes-
tial home, the hosts of heaven shall
surround you, with your names on their lips.
They shall greet you, comfort you, and guide
you in all your ways.
They shall adorn you with garlands of joy.
To each of you they shall say: Welcome! Rest
in peace, O beloved friend! Your earthly days
have passed. You are now the guest of the angels.
Soon shall you soar upon the wings of dreams
unto the heavenly mansions, the paradise of
peace and rapture.
Glimmers of light shall surround you. Shadows
you shall see no more. Sorrow will be a word
forgotten, grief and despair cast to the winds.
27children of peace! Like a bird that sings
and eats of the fruits of the orchards
for a time, and then soars to gardens
and hills beyond, sing your melodies of joy and
gratitude, but keep your wings ready for the
long journey to your home in heaven. Like the
morning dew that clings to petals for its life,
but at the breath of the sun rises to horizons
on high, set yourself free from the bonds of
the earth.
28ike a guest who arrives, eats, drinks,
laughs, and then leaves with songs of
thanksgiving on her lips, cherish the
time you are given as a guest of the earth.
But be ready to go home the moment you are
called.
Laugh, dine, and dance, and when the time of
departure arrives, say your parting words and
embark on your voyage with grateful joy.
29that you would enter the gates of
heaven with songs of gratitude upon
your lips, and with gleams of love and
happiness in your heart.
O that you would weave your days and hours
into a crown of glory, that will shine forever-
more.
O that you were detached from the world as
the wind. O that you were radiant as the lights
of heaven, fresh as lilies of the valley, gentle
as the breezes of the dawn, fragrant as the
blossoms of the spring.
The heavens abound with the spoils of the
earth, with noble acts and tender thoughts and
memories.
Gather virtues while you may; they will be
yours forevermore.
Plant flowers while you can; their fragrance
will enchant your soul.
Spread love while you may; its light will enfold
you all your days.
Share joy while you can; its halos will surround
you and follow you to your home in heaven.
30children of love! Everything gives birth
to its like. Love begets love, and hate
begets hate. Life leads to life, and death
leads to death.
Those who love and dance to the song of their
destiny shall be blessed with peace here and
beyond. Theirs is joy upon joy, glory upon
glory, blessing after blessing.
31dear ones! Let your thoughts be noble,
let your souls be at rest.
So live that when the mantle of life is lifted,
you will not find your soul naked.
Live as if you shall die tomorrow. Die as if
you shall live on forevermore.
Smell the flowers before the forest is bare,
cherish the garden ere the blossoms are gone.
32my beloved! Life is a choice. Choose
the blessing, not the curse; pursue peace,
and not pain.
Love is the light that shall lead you, and the
wing that shall lift you to the heavens on high.
O dear ones! Grieve not for having labored
and died, but for dying before living, for
leaving the vineyard before tasting of its
immortal fruits.
33birds of paradise! When the Master
Spirit of heavens calls you, say to him
in your heart: You have been my joy
and my desire.
You gave me a temple to abide therein for a
little while.
And now that the temple is fallen, I shall rise
to my home, to a paradise of peace and
splendor.
I shall rise on the wings of joy and rapture to
the nest of my hopes and dreams.
I shall come to the mountain top, and rejoice
and sing and dance to the songs of heaven.
Toil I shall not see. Troubles I shall not know.
34children of destiny! When death sum-
mons you, say to yourself: My earthly
days were naught but a dream and my
nights a twinkling star that is lost in the vast
expanse of heavens.
My life was like a dew in the desert, and my
days like drifting clouds that rest for a while,
then vanish with the whispering of the wind.
35Part II
36Then a Soul Spoke
from Heaven
37The Lady of Bahá
If she could speak to us from heaven,
what would she say?
38This part is a tribute to Rúhíyyih Khánum
the beautiful angel of joy and peace,
who made her final voyage to her heav-
enly mansions.
39Her Book of Life glows with countless jewels of service,
courage, and love for all, even for the humblest and the
lowliest. She was the model of spiritual beauty, the queen of
celestial splendor, who shared and spread her vast treasures
of wisdom to enrich and illuminate the heart of humankind.
40To get a glimpse of her glorious life, see page
91 for a tribute paid to her on the occasion of
her passing away to the heavenly kingdom.