Sunday, July 01, 2007

love, honor and respect...

... your parents. my parents had their 30th anniversary yesterday (!) and my mom's birthday was today, and so it couldn't be any more fitting that these two quotations were in my daily readings yesterday and today:

"It is the bounden duty of parents to rear their children to be staunch in faith, the reason being that a child who removeth himself from the religion of God will not act in such a way as to win the good pleasure of his parents and his Lord. For every praiseworthy deed is born out of the light of religion, and lacking this supreme bestowal the child will not turn away from any evil, nor will he draw nigh unto any good."
- Bahá'u'lláh -

and today:

"... a father and mother endure the greatest troubles and hardships for their children; and often when the children have reached the age of maturity, the parents pass on to the other world. Rarely does it happen that a father and mother in this world see the reward of the care and trouble they have undergone for their children. Therefore, children, in return for this care and trouble, must show forth charity and beneficence, and must implore pardon and forgiveness for their parents. So you ought, in return for  232  the love and kindness shown you by your father, to give to the poor for his sake, with greatest submission and humility implore pardon and remission of sins, and ask for the supreme mercy."
- 'Abdu'l-Bahá -


I don't know what else to say, it feels that these two cover everything there is to say about the relation between parents and children. first the duty of the parents on how to rear their children, and then the thankfulness that the children should show. something I really felt as we were on pilgrimage, where I could completely focus on the pilgrimage, and not have to worry about all the things around, such as food. and I don't think I'll ever be able to express my thankfulness for that...

and here's a prayer for parents:

O Lord! In this Most Great Dispensation Thou dost accept the intercession of children in behalf of their parents. This is one of the special infinite bestowals of this Dispensation. Therefore, O Thou kind Lord, accept the request of this Thy servant at the threshold of Thy singleness and submerge his father in the ocean of Thy grace, because this son hath arisen to render Thee service and is exerting effort at all times in the pathway of Thy love, Verily, Thou art the Giver, the Forgiver and the Kind!
- 'Abdu'l-Bahá -


I hope my parents feel they have done a good job with me. if not, it's my fault :)

No comments:

Post a Comment