many just cannot grasp it—it's so completely wonderful!"

Baba had His lunch, as usual, in the Guest House. It was here He answered a question about St. Francis of Assisi which he had promised Don Stevens to answer. It was about the God-Realization of St. Francis, who, the Master has said, was one of the very few saints in the West to become a Perfect Master. Yet, as Baba has explained in His discourses, in "God Speaks" and elsewhere, the individual cannot attain God-Realization without the aid of a living Perfect Master. Don wanted to know how, since there was no Perfect Master in the West at that time, St. Francis achieved Realization.

Baba turned to Ivy Duce and asked her if she had heard of the ancient Sufi prophet, Khwaja Khizr. She replied she had heard Murshida Rabia Martin speak of him. She also recalled the footnote in "God Speaks" in which Baba explains there are 5 Perfect Masters in every Age.

Baba then explained that Khwaja Khizr now and then took on a physical body if there was some spiritual situation that absolutely demanded it; and that the Realization of St. Francis was such a case, because he had no Perfect Master to give him Realization. So, on the night which we read about on Mount La Verna, above Assisi, during which St. Francis also received the stigmata, Khwaja Khizr, in his temporary human form, gave this beloved Western saint the touch of grace which made him a perfected soul—a Sadguru or Perfect Master.

At 2 p.m. the birthday party for Elizabeth began, with the Master Himself cutting the rose-crested cake in the dining hall. He gave Elizabeth the "seven hugs" that were promised. After everybody had sung "Happy Birthday" to her and had eaten their cake and ice cream, they followed Baba to the barn. When all were assembled, some on chairs and some on the floor around Him, He presented Elizabeth with an enormous bouquet of yellow chrysanthemums and lavender gladiolas, a gift from all of us. Then He repeated His statement of the day before, that of all the places in the world, He was most comfortable here. He then asked Marion to repeat the suggestion she had made to Him yesterday.

Marion rose and replied; "Seeing how beautiful everything was here, and knowing how everyone felt within their heart in being able to share it, I asked that if it pleased Elizabeth and fitted into the plan, that from our