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Archive for the ‘Devotionals’ Category

The Week of Prayer for World Peace 2025 in Maidenhead – a Bahá’í contribution

Posted in Baha'i Perspectives, Devotionals, Interfaith New Horizons, tagged , on October 20, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The Bahá’í community of the Royal Borough was honoured to be included in the programme for Saturday’s Interfaith Gathering to mark The Week of Prayer for World Peace 2025, an event organised by the Windsor and Maidenhead Community Forum (WAMCF).

World peace is described in the Bahá’í Sacred Writings as “the supreme goal of all mankind”.  And it is, Bahá’ís believe, our destiny.

In His letters to the world’s leaders of His time, Bahá’u’lláh set out a framework for collective security and urged the rulers to recognise their responsibilities in establishing peace and justice.  

His Writings call us too to our responsibilities, through adopting social principles such as the equality of women and men, the independent search for truth, the abolition of all prejudice, and the vital importance of justice in every aspect of our lives.

“True peace and tranquillity”, Bahá’u’lláh wrote, “will only be realized when every soul will have become the well-wisher of all mankind.”

He calls upon us to nurture the virtues that befit human dignity such as trustworthiness, forbearance, mercy and compassion. And, crucially, to see that we are one human family, and to build together a new world founded upon our recognition of that oneness.

“Regard ye not one another as strangers”, He wrote. “Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch.”

The coming together of all the peoples of the world in one universal family – a world of unity in diversity – is a theme in the prayer which concluded the Bahá’í contribution:

O Lord! Illumine the eyes, gladden the hearts with abiding joy. Confer a new spirit upon all people and bestow upon them eternal life. Unlock the gates of true understanding and let the light of faith shine resplendent. Gather all people beneath the shadow of Thy bounty and cause them to unite in harmony, so that they may become as the rays of one sun, as the waves of one ocean, and as the fruit of one tree. May they drink from the same fountain. May they be refreshed by the same breeze. May they receive illumination from the same source of light. Thou art the Giver, the Merciful, the Omnipotent.

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Windsor and Maidenhead Council invites Bahá’í Community to contribute Opening Prayer

Posted in Baha'i Perspectives, Devotionals on September 24, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The Bahá’í community of the Royal Borough was honoured to be invited to contribute the opening prayer at the Council meeting yesterday evening.

The Bahá’í Sacred Writings have much to say about good governance.

Bahá’u’lláh, the Prophet Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, spent most of his life in captivity and exile on account of His teachings. He was banished from his native Persia and incarcerated in Akka, the prison city of the Ottoman Empire. But during this time, even from His prison cell, Bahá’u’lláh wrote to the world’s most powerful rulers of that time – Napoleon III, Emperor Franz Joseph, Pope Pius IX – and of course Queen Victoria.
He laid out a framework for collective security, and urged each of them to recognise their responsibilities in establishing peace and justice.

Good governance is about institutions and laws, about principles and frameworks. But its true foundation lies in the human heart, in the individual conscience, and in purity of motive, one of the themes of the Bahá’í prayer recited yesterday evening.

He is the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful! O God, my God! Thou seest me, Thou knowest me; Thou art my Haven and my Refuge. None have I sought nor any will I seek save Thee; no path have I trodden nor any will I tread but the path of Thy love. In the darksome night of despair, my eye turneth expectant and full of hope to the morn of Thy boundless favour and at the hour of dawn my drooping soul is refreshed and strengthened in remembrance of Thy beauty and perfection. He whom the grace of Thy mercy aideth, though he be but a drop, shall become the boundless ocean, and the merest atom which the outpouring of Thy loving-kindness assisteth, shall shine even as the radiant star.
Shelter under Thy protection, O Thou Spirit of purity, Thou Who art the All-Bountiful Provider, this enthralled, enkindled servant of Thine. Aid him in this world of being to remain steadfast and firm in Thy love and grant that this broken-winged bird attain a refuge and shelter in Thy divine nest that abideth upon the celestial tree.

– ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

The Council Meeting on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/live/aSLlIs-RpBI?si=FV6oSCgsg6vj7iRf&t=27

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Celebration of Twin Holy Birthdays

Posted in Devotionals, Holy Days, tagged , , , on November 4, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Members of the Bahá’í community of the Royal Borough celebrated two special Holy Days at the weekend: the Anniversary of the Birth of the Báb, which started this year at sunset on Friday evening, and the Anniversary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, which started at sunset on Saturday evening.

In the middle of the 19th century a young merchant announced that He was the bearer of a message destined to transform the life of humanity. At a time when His country, Iran, was undergoing widespread moral breakdown, His message aroused excitement and hope among all classes, rapidly attracting thousands of followers. He took the name “The Báb”, meaning “the Gate” in Arabic.

With His call for spiritual and moral reformation, and His attention to improving the position of women and the lot of the poor, the Báb’s prescription for spiritual renewal was revolutionary. At the same time, He founded a distinct, independent religion of His own, inspiring His followers to transform their lives and carry out great acts of heroism.

The Báb announced that humanity stood at the threshold of a new era. His mission, which was to last only six years, was to prepare the way for the coming of a Manifestation of God Who would usher in the age of peace and justice promised in all the world’s religions: Bahá’u’lláh.

In a congratulatory letter to mark the Twin Holy Days, the Mayor of the Royal Borough, Councillor Simon Bond, conveyed his best wishes to the Bahá’í community.

Devotional gathering for prayers and readings, followed by celebration dinner
Visit to the Resting Place of Shoghi Effendi, a Bahá’í sacred place in London
Interfaith in the neighbourhood. A children’s card, to be given to Hindu neighbours, marks the coincidence this year of the Twin Holy Days with Diwali, and connects the Festival of Light with a passage from the Bahá’í Writings: “Light is good in whatsoever lamp it is burning.”

Say: This is the Dawn whereat the Most Great Tree was planted and bore its exalted and peerless fruits.  By the righteousness of God!  Within each fruit of this Tree there repose the seeds of a myriad melodies…  All glory be to this Dawn, through which the divine Luminaries have shone forth above the horizon of sanctity by the leave of God, the Almighty, the Inaccessible, the Most High!

Bahá’u’lláh

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A Very Special Anniversary

Posted in Devotionals, Holy Days, tagged , on November 26, 2021| Leave a Comment »

‘Abdu’l-Bahá in New Hampshire, USA – July 1912

This evening, in collaboration with neighbouring Bahá’í communities, the Bahá’í community of Maidenhead hosts a very special online gathering, a commemoration of the passing one hundred years ago of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the eldest son of Bahá’u’lláh and His appointed successor.

The life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (1844-1921), and in particular his unremitting service to humanity, has been remembered this year by Bahá’í communities around the world – from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Panama, from Alaska to Cambodia – through specially commissioned films, documentaries, exhibitions, podcasts, essays, books, songs and dramatic works.

In the Holy Land, recent special events in Haifa and ‘Akká have welcomed municipal officials, residents and faith representatives to mark the the ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá at historic sites associated with Him. The funeral of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on 29 November 1921 was attended by some ten thousand mourners representing every class, religion and race, with tributes and eulogies from all quarters.

Bahá’í representatives from across the world attending a commemoration and conference in the Holy Land

In the Holy Land, Bahá’í representatives from the nations and regions of the world have gathered this week to attend a commemoration and conference.

In the United Kingdom, a parliamentary reception was hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Bahá’í Faith at Portcullis House, Westminster. More than 80 guests attended including Members of Parliament, and representatives of religious communities and non-governmental organisations. Guests were welcomed by Martin Vickers, MP for Cleethorpes, followed by an address by the Minister of State for Levelling Up Communities Kemi Badenoch, MP for Saffron Walden. The event was closed by Ruth Jones, MP for Newport West.

UK Parliamentary Reception

One of the many UK initiatives to mark the occasion has been a series of films with stories of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to the UK illustrating Bahá’í principles – told by children and junior youth and released on YouTube.

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Inter Faith Week 2021: A Space For Local Interfaith Reflection – Please Contribute!

Posted in Devotionals, Interfaith New Horizons, tagged , , , on September 23, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Would you like to contribute an item to any of the three programmes being organised to mark Inter Faith Week 2021 in Windsor and Maidenhead?

Click for more on Inter Faith Week 2021

The ongoing public health concerns mean that the Windsor and Maidenhead Community Forum (WAMCF) will not be organising an in-person event to mark Interfaith Week 2021. Instead, the Bahá’í Community of the Royal Borough will be hosting three interfaith gatherings online.

Each gathering will have a particular theme. They will last around 25 minutes. And they will, of course, be open to all.

Suggested contributions to the programmes are very welcome. We want to create programmes which are diverse, balanced and uplifting. And we would love to include the voices of young people!

Contributions might be prayers, readings, poems, stories, songs, chanting or music – whatever might be considered sacred or beautiful or might simply touch another’s heart.

Ideally contributions should be about three minutes duration please. We will do our best to include every suggestion (but need to make sure that we can still squeeze it all within thirty minutes at most!).

Monday 15th November Morning: 7:30am Theme: Kindness
Wednesday 17th November Evening: 7:30pm Theme: Cooperation
Friday 19th November Morning: 7:30am Theme: A New Vision for Humanity

Your ideas please by 21 October! The programmes can then be finalised so that the invitations can sent out to individuals and institutions across the Royal Borough by early November.

Please email your programme suggestions to Mike Gammage, Secretary of the Bahá’í community of Maidenhead, at: bahais.maidenhead@gmail.com

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Devotionals – now online and, as ever, open to all

Posted in Devotionals, tagged , on June 11, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Set up initially in response to the lockdown and the need for social distancing, online gatherings and classes have become a regular feature of Bahá’í community life.

A devotional gathering in London (all images pre-Covid-19)

In Maidenhead and across the Thames Valley there are now regular online fireside discussion evenings as well as online devotional gatherings for prayer, reflection and inspiration.

Members of the public – of whatever faith or none – are warmly invited to join the Maidenhead community’s Sunday morning devotional meetings, which start at 10:30am and lasts usually for around 40 minutes. There is no need to contribute in any way – it’s fine to simply listen. And it’s on Zoom, so it’s easy to connect.

If you’d like to join the mailing list for our Sunday morning devotionals, do please get in touch – email bahais.maidenhead@gmail.com – and you’ll receive a weekly email with the theme, the programme and the Zoom link to join.

A devotional gathering in Erdenbulgan, Mongolia

Want to find out more about devotional meetings? You might be interested to read the What Bahá’ís Do – Devotional Life section of the worldwide Bahá’í community’s website – here.

A devotional gathering at the Baha’i Centre in Lauro de Freitas, Brazil

“Gather ye together with the utmost joy and fellowship and recite the verses revealed by the merciful Lord. By so doing the doors to true knowledge will be opened to your inner beings, and ye will then feel your souls endowed with steadfastness and your hearts filled with radiant joy.”

— Bahá’u’lláh

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