Last night we commemmorated the passing of Abdu'l-Baha on November 28 1921. The holy day observance is always at midnight because that is when his soul ascended to the Abha kingdom. Although for most Baha'i holy days work is suspended the following day, Abdu'l-Baha requested that his birthday and his ascension not be considered holy days as such. So work is not suspended on his ascension night, and instead of celebrating his birthday, we celebrate the Day of the Covenant instead (also in November).
It was a beautiful service, held in the Concourse of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice. The readings were eloquent, the atmosphere solemn, and afterwards all 1100 attendees stood on the steps of the Seat and reverently faced the Shrine of the Bab and Abdu'l-Baha for the recitation of the Tablets of Visitation.
We silently made our way down from the Seat to the Shrine itself in order to circumabulate the premises before ending up in front of the Haifa Pilgrim House for the inevitable Kodak moments. Here are a few gratutitous shots:
The air outside the Shrine as I was walking to the Pilgrim House smelled faintly of watermelon and jasmine blossoms. It was heavenly, and I remember thinking how incredibly fortunate I am to have the opportunity to serve here and be this close to the holiest spots on earth. Last night was magical and, although exhausted, I was thoroughly pleased to have been there.
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