College of New Rochelle - Annales Yearbook (New Rochelle, NY)

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1TY ONE OF THE COLLEGE OF NEW ROCHELLE !EN T 8 ALES

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THE CLASS OF NINETEEN HUNDRED AND FI P R E ANN

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PROLOGUE I n another world, the world of legend, the god-like Prometheus soared from the earth to the sun and returned bearing one of man’s most precious gifts, fire. In our world, the world of reality, our God sends us a Flame more real, more imperative, than that of the tangible universe. This Flame is offered as a gift, a perfect gift springing from ideal love — the gift of God Himself, in the person of the fiery tongue of the Holy Spirit. Prometheus’ brave flare, glimmering in his hollow staff, fades into shad ' ow beside our Flame, surpassing thought in the supremacy of Its powers. Its light is the self-shattering spectrum of heavenly soul tints, the brilliant gold of Wisdom, the budding green of Knowledge, the deep blue of Under- standing, the sunny yellow of Counsel, the impassioned purple of Piety, the martyr red of Fortitude, the delicate indigo of Fear of the Lord. Our Flame burns with a paradoxical intensity, hardening our clay- like irresolution like the potter’s kiln, and yet, at the same time dissolving our iron obduracy and reforging us into a pattern of pure beauty. Our entire personality is transformed and yet our individuality is not annihi- lated. Our Flame is forever active, sometimes imperceptibly, in thought, sometimes leaping in joy, but never flickering in hesitancy. It is a many faceted eternity of motion, a joyous dance, set acquiver by the most ephemeral breath of grace and only more enlivened by the defiant storm of insurrection. This Flame of God, confirming in us His all-powerful gifts and fruits, works quietly, unobtrusively, little known or appreciated. We adore the God of might Who created us, we thank the God of mercy Who redeemed us, but the God of Love Who pleads with us to imitate His own perfection — Him we deliberately, sometimes, but more often ignorantly, overlook — though He is within us in the person of the Holy Spirit. It is our purpose in this book to disclose the source of our light, our intensity, our activity — The Flame that has kindled our college life. It is the Thought in our intellects, the Love in our emotions, the Purpose in our actions. In reading these pages, we hope you will understand our endeavors to become the living torches by which all the world will see the Flame of the Holy Spirit as we have been taught to see Him. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun. And it was given to him to afflict men with heat and fire. Apocalypse, 16:8