Rainbows

Ah! So much has happened! It was surprising to hear from people in my life that my blog has been read - usually in conjunction with the notorious act of Facebook stalking.

To all of you, and you know who you are, thanks for being my inspiration.

Many changes have happened in my life of late. I completed my internship in New York City, went on a crazy road trip from New York back home with all five of my younger sisters, and started back to school for my sophomore year. I successfully endured the first half of classes (time flies!), several meetings about the Study Abroad program I'll be participating in next semester, and somehow managed to maintain some semblance of a semi-functional social life.

I feel so accomplished.

In addition to all of this, I joined a household here on campus. As a brief overview for the un-initiated: households at Franciscan University are groups of three or more same-sex students who come together to grow in body, mind, and spirit together. They are, to put it simply, a very Christianized replacement for households, with more emphasis on prayer and the spiritual life than on partying and pulling pranks.

The particular household to which I have declared intent to join is called "Illuminata Pace," which translates "Illuminating Peace." They are an amazingly spectacular, if small, group of women who devote themselves to the four charisms of humility, prayerfulness, peace, and joy, following the example of St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi. Although different, they - and my fellow 'intents,' who are discerning joining the household - all fit together like pieces of a puzzle, our personalities complementing each other like the colors of the rainbow.

Coincidentally, though there is no such thing as coincidence, one of the trademarks of Illuminata Pace is their identification with an Italian peace movement simply called "Pace." To show their good intentions, this movement invented a rainbow flag with the word "PACE" on it in white. Somewhat unfortunately, the gay and lesbian pride movement has adopted a similar flag to show their...diversity. Thus, our lovely Pace flag that we display with some pride in our common room (the room set aside for our household to decorate and meet in) is often mistaken for a declaration of a very different kind of pride.

As you can clearly see below, the differences are striking.

On the top, we have the Pace Peace flag of 1961. Below it is the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) Pride flag of 1978.

Just looking at the dates, it's clear we weren't the copycats here.

It is also interesting to note the contrast between "peace" and "pride." Christ tells His apostles numerous times, "Peace be with you." Peace is the defining characteristic of Illuminata Pace. On the other hand, pride - it has been posited - is the root and source of all sin. It was pride, some say, that led Adam and Eve to fall from their original state of grace in the Garden of Eden. Pride led the Sanhedrin of old to jealously hunt down and murder the savior of the world.

Pride has led to a culture of selfishness, materialism, and death in our world today.

How can two rainbows, both ascetically beautiful, mean two so very different things? How can one evoke feelings of hope and loyalty in me, and the other a feeling of disgust and revulsion?

Only God knows.

God bless,
PHC

P.S. I wonder if God took this into consideration when he made the first rainbow. Think about it.