September 4, 1912

Montreal: a panoramic view; a miracle; the brightness of divine favor; the Shrine 

Mahmud writes: "An account of the Master's talk at the Socialist Club and its influence was published in glowing terms in the newspapers. The force of His explanations and the persuasiveness of His proofs were the talk of the day. Many newcomers came to visit Him. The friends told the Master how happy they were to see the extent to which the Cause of God had penetrated the hearts. `Abdu'l-Bahá said in reply:

The greatness of the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh will be known when they are acted upon and practiced. Not one of a hundred has as yet come into force. All of your thoughts should be turned toward bringing these blessed teachings into practice.

When the translations of some of the newspaper articles were read to `Abdu'l-Bahá, He said, again, `This is all through the confirmations of the Blessed Beauty. Otherwise, even if the king of Persia had come here he would not have been able to bring about even one such meeting.'

In the afternoon, for a change of routine, the Master took the elevator down from the seventh floor and went for an automobile ride to the foot of a mountain outside the city limits. It is a fine place where people go for recreation. It has a cable car, which took the Master and His companions up the mountain. The side of the mountain was perpendicular like a wall. The Master said, `This cable car is like a balloon flying in the air.' It made one nervous to look down. When we reached the top, the Master walked around. It was a magnificent sight, with a view of the whole city stretched before us. The canals, streets and orchards of the town were below. It appeared as if a beautifully painted picture had been spread before one's eyes.

While we were here, translations of other accounts of the meetings that had been published in the evening newspapers were read to Him. Suddenly He cried out:

O Bahá'u'lláh! May I be a sacrifice for Thee. O Bahá'u'lláh! May my life be offered up for Thee. Thou hast spoken the Word which cannot be refuted. What a wonderful Cause Thou hast founded! It satisfies every assemblage! Each group testifies to its greatness. In the churches it shakes the souls; it excites the Theosophists; it imparts spirituality to the spiritualists; it makes the Unitarians aware of the reality of unity; it makes the socialists contented and grateful and inspires joy and happiness in the peace meetings. There is no refuge for any denomination except in submission to it. It is a miracle! It is the greatest force in the world of existence. This is all through the assistance of the Blessed Beauty. If healing the lame and crippled is a miracle, it can also be produced by a dose of medicine. This is no great achievement.

From here the Master and His companions went to the home of Mr and Mrs Maxwell where letters from the East were given to Him. He read the petitions of the friends. Among them was a letter from Mírzá Haydar-`Alí, in which he dwelt on the greatness and significance of the journey of the Master. The Master said:

Yes, the value and greatness of these travels are not known now but will be apparent later on. As we had no other intention except to offer devotion to the Threshold of the One True God, we were assisted and the brightness of divine favor and grace appeared.

Continuing, He said:

At the time of Muhammad's migration to Medina under divine protection, Abú Bakr, was with Him. He said to Abú Bakr, `Be not afraid, God is with us.' These very words became afterwards the cause of his succession to the Caliphate because the word `with us' included him also. Many proofs and arguments based on these words have been advanced. The value of this bounty, too, is not known now.

At a meeting in the evening at Mrs Maxwell's home, `Abdu'l-Bahá gave an address on spiritual brotherhood and the economic principles upheld by the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh which will be the cause of the salvation, prosperity and liberation of the nations of the world. This meeting was very special because the Master's talk was so influential. The audience was invited to light refreshments of sweets and beverages. Among the guests were Americans, as well as Turks and Arabs clothed in their splendid robes, all of whom were attracted to `Abdu'l-Bahá and fascinated by His demeanor and words."

I believe the referent of "this" in the paragraph above the last is the Master's journey--and we are working now to understand the value of "this" bounty!

Maxwell Home

One of the interesting things about Montreal is the designation of the Maxwell home as a "shrine." How is it different from the Sarah Farmer Inn at Green Acre--or other properties visited by the Master and now owned by the Faith?

Maxwell Home

A website on the Montreal Bahá'í community states: "Even though Abdu’l-bahá stayed in other homes in Europe and America, the Maxwell home in Montreal is the only place officially designated a Shrine. Shoghi Effendi, in a June 1953 letter to the Canadian National Spiritual Assembly, stated

«. . . the Maxwell home in montreal . . .  should be viewed in the nature of a national Shrine because of its association with the beloved Master, during His visit to Montreal.»
This sacred spot is unique in the world, since it is the only Bahá'í Shrine outside the Holy Land and those places in Iran, Iraq, and Turkey where the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh have resided or sojourned." <http://www.bahaimontreal.org/History_EN.htm>