The Portrait of the Covenant

Montreal, November 24, 2025 — This week, Bahá’ís around the world, along with many friends across several Montreal neighbourhoods, are taking part in the celebration of the Day of the Covenant.

Recognized as the “Center of the Covenant,” ʻAbdu’l-Bahá explained that May 23 — the date of both His birth and the public declaration of the Báb’s mission — should be dedicated exclusively to commemorating that historic event. He therefore asked that the day not be observed as His birthday.

However, in response to the believers’ persistent desire to honour the figure of ʻAbdu’l-Bahá, He designated in 1912 the date of November 26, exactly 181 days after the ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, to mark the appointment of the Center of the Covenant. This celebration, originally known in Persian as Jashn-i-A‘zam (“the Greatest Festival”), in reference to the “Most Great Branch” embodied by ʻAbdu’l-Bahá, became known in the West as the Day of the Covenant. It is one of the two Bahá’í Holy Days on which work need not be suspended.

During His stay in New York, over the course of His 239-day journey throughout the United States and Canada, the opportunity to paint His portrait became for Juliet Thompson — a New York artist and devoted Bahá’í — an experience of profound spiritual intensity.

For years, Thompson had cherished a mysterious, inner dream that she might one day paint the face of Christ. When she learned that ʻAbdu’l-Bahá had agreed to sit for her, her heart was filled with emotion and reverent awe.The sitting took place in her studio on West 10th Street in New York.

Juliet tells the story in her diary : When I was ten years old, (and I remember the time because that year we were living with my grandmother) a very presumptuous idea took possession of me. I began to dream of some day painting the Christ. I even prayed that I might. Then I knew that no one could paint the Christ. Could the sun with the whole universe full of its radiations, or endless flashes of lightning be captured in paint?

Imagine my surprise and dismay, fear, joy and gratitude all mixed together, at the news given me by Mrs Gibbons when the Master first came to New York. The night before He landed she had received a Tablet in which He said: "On My arrival in America Miss Juliet Thompson shall paint a wonderful portrait of Me." This was in response to a supplication from Mrs Gibbons asking that her daughter might paint Him, which she never did, though the Master graciously gave her permission, even more graciously adding those words about me.

On 5 July 1912 The Beloved Master's portrait is finished. He sat for me six times,

… During the fourth sitting on June 19, what I saw then was too sacred, too formidable. He sat still as a statue, His eyes closed, infinite peace on that chiselled face, a God-like calm and grandeur in His erect head.

Suddenly, with a great flash like lightning He opened His eyes and the room seemed to rock like a ship in a storm with the Power released. The Master was blazing. "The veils of glory", « the thousand veils", had shrivelled away in that Flame and we were exposed to the Glory itself.

Lua and I sat shaking and sobbing. Then He spoke to Lua. I caught the words, "Munadiy-i 'Ahd." (Herald of the Covenant. Lua started forward, her hand to her breast. "Man?" (I?) she exclaimed.

"Call one of the Persians. You must understand this."

Never shall I forget that moment, the flashing eyes of `Abdu’l-Bahá the reverberations of His Voice, the Power that still rocked the room. God of lightning and thunder! I thought.

"I appoint you, Lua, the Herald of the Covenant. And I AM THE COVENANT, appointed by Bahá'u'lláh. And no one can refute His Word. This is the Testament of Bahá'u'lláh. You will find it in the Holy Book of Aqdas. Go forth and proclaim, 'This is THE COVENANT OF GOD

in your midst.'"

A great joy had lifted Lua up. Her eyes were full of light. She looked like a winged angel.

Then the Master had shrouded Himself with His veils again, the "thousand veils". He sat before us now in His dear humanity: very, very human, very simple.