8 saw that I went from being [dressed in] black to white” ( FDR 8). While the whiteness of his habit was primarily and most importantly to honor the mystery of the Immaculate Conception, St. Stanislaus Papczyƒski’s yearning for the renewal of religious life and his commitment to the original Piarist rule, particularly the evangelical poverty cherished by the founder of the Congregation of the Pious Schools, were also mirrored in his transition from black to white. The Significance of White in the Bible Since ancient times, white has held significant importance in the religion revealed through the Scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments. Although we will review them from this perspective rather briefly, it will be adequate for our considerations. Simultaneously, it should be noted that white held an equally significant role in various pagan cults and superstitions as it did in religions rooted in Biblical tradition. White was especially sought after for the coloring of animals used to symbolize different gods. For instance, the bull, representing the Babylonian weather deity Adad, was meant to be shown in white, and into the emerging city of Rome, the heavens gods were also to be carried on white animals. In ancient Mesopotamia, Ahura Mazda, the benevolent and supreme deity, was associated with this color and was also known as the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjI2Mw==