Last Updated on March 1, 2025 by Kittredge Cherry
A Maltese translation of the Rainbow Christ Prayer shows the many faces of the queer Christ.
Il-bandiera LGBT tikxef lil Kristu queer
L-ilwien tal-bandiera tal-qawsalla jikxfu l-bosta uċuh ta’ Kristu queer f’din it-talba li ġejja ta’ Kristu l-Qawsalla miktuba mill-awtriċi lesbjana u Nisranija Kittredge Cherry u mit-teologu gay Patrick S. Cheng.
Il-bnadar tal-qawsalla jittajru madwar id-dinja f’Ġunju, fix-xahar fejn niċcelebraw l-LGBT Pride. Il-qawsalli huma wkoll simbolu importanti f’ħafna tradizzjonijiet reliġjużi. It-talba ta’ Kristu l-Qawsalla tagħmel unur lill-valuri spiritwali tal-moviment LGBT.
It-talba tqabbel l-ilwien tal-bandiera tal-qawsalla mas-seba’ mudelli ta’ Kristu queer kif ippreżentati fil-ktieb ta’ Patrick Cheng ‘‘From Sin to Amazing Grace: Discovering the Queer Christ’’ (‘‘Mid-Dnub sal-Grazzja Inkredibbli: Niskopru lil Kristu Queer’’).
L-Insara Progressivi jemmnu li l-omosesswalità mhix dnub. L-istudjużi jgħidu li l-Bibbja ma tikkundannax relazzjonijiet tal-istess sess imsejsa fuq l-imħabba. Għalhekk il-knejjes għandhom jaċċettaw u jaffermaw lin-nies LGBT. It-talba ta’ Kristu l-Qawsalla tinbet mill-ħsieb li nies LGBT huma parti naturali mill-ħolqien ta’ Alla.
It-talba ta’ Kristu l-Qawsalla: Rainbow Christ Prayer
Nitolbu… Let us pray…
Kristu l-Qawsalla, inti tinkarna l-ilwien kollha tad-dinja. Il-qawsalla hija pont li tgħaqqad sferi differenti: is-sema mal-art, il-Lvant mal-Punent, il-queer ma’ dak li mhux queer. Agħtina d-dehen biex niftakru l-valuri tal-komunità lesbjana, gay, bisesswali, transgender u queer li l-bandiera tal-qawsalla tesprimi.
Rainbow Christ, you embody all the colors of the world. Rainbows serve as bridges between different realms: heaven and earth, east and west, queer and non-queer. Inspire us to remember the values expressed in the rainbow flag of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community.
L-aħmar huwa għall-ħajja, l-għeruq tal-ispirtu. Kristu ħaj u mimli imħabba, inti l-Għerq tagħna. Eħlisna mill-għajb u agħtina l-grazzja li nrawmu sens ta’ kburija li tgħinna nikbru b’saħħitna biex inkunu nistgħu nimxu wara d-dawl ġewwieni tagħna. Permezz tal-faxxa ħamra tal-qawsalla, niżżu ħajr lil Alla li ħalaqna hekk kif aħna.
Red is for life, the root of spirit. Living and Self-Loving Christ, you are our Root. Free us from shame and grant us the grace of healthy pride so we can follow our own inner light. With the red stripe in the rainbow, we give thanks that God created us just the way we are.
L-oranġjò huwa għas-sesswalità, in-nar tal-ispirtu. Kristu erotiku, inti n-Nar tagħna, il-Verb magħmul ġisem. Eħlisna minn kull forma ta’ esplojtazzjoni u agħtina l-grazzja li ngħixu bi sħiħ relazzjonijiet reċiproċi ma’ xulxin. Permezz tal-faxxa oranġjò tal-qawsalla, kebbes nar ta’ passjoni ġo fina.
Orange is for sexuality, the fire of spirit. Erotic Christ, you are our Fire, the Word made flesh. Free us from exploitation and grant us the grace of mutual relationships. With the orange stripe in the rainbow, kindle a fire of passion in us.
L-isfar huwa għall-istima tagħna nfusna, il-qofol tal-ispirtu. Kristu li inti ‘out’, inti l-Qofol tagħna. Eħlisna mill-għeluq tas-sigrieti u agħtina l-kuraġġ li nuru lilna nfusna kif aħna. Permezz tal-faxxa safra tal-qawsalla, saħħaħ il-kunfidenza tagħna.
Yellow is for self-esteem, the core of spirit. Out Christ, you are our Core. Free us from closets of secrecy and give us the guts and grace to come out. With the yellow stripe in the rainbow, build our confidence.
L-aħdar huwa għall-imħabba, il-qalb tal-ispirtu. Kristu trasgressiv li tmur lil hinn mil-liġi, inti l-Qalb tagħna, u tikser ir-regoli sforz l-imħabba. F’dinja ffissata bil-purità, inti tmiss lil dawk kollha li huma morda u tiekol mal-imwarrbin. Eħlisna mill-konformità u agħtina l-grazzja tat-trasgressjoni. Permezz tal-faxxa ħadra tal-qawsalla, imla lil qlubna b’kompassjoni bla qies għall-ħlejjaq kollha.
Green is for love, the heart of spirit. Transgressive Outlaw Christ, you are our Heart, breaking rules out of love. In a world obsessed with purity, you touch the sick and eat with outcasts. Free us from conformity and grant us the grace of deviance. With the green stripe in the rainbow, fill our hearts with untamed compassion for all beings.
L-ikħal huwa għall-espressjoni tal-individwu, il-leħen tal-ispirtu. Kristu ħellies, inti l-Leħen tagħna, li titkellem kontra l-forom kollha ta’ oppressjoni. Eħlisna mill-apatija u agħtina l-grazzja tal-attiviżmu. Permezz tal-faxxa kaħla tal-qawsalla, ħeġġiġna biex infittxu l-ġustizzja.
Blue is for self-expression, the voice of spirit. Liberator Christ, you are our Voice, speaking out against all forms of oppression. Free us from apathy and grant us the grace of activism. With the blue stripe in the rainbow, motivate us to call for justice.
Il-vjola huwa għall-viżjoni, l-għerf tal-ispirtu. Kristu, magħqud b’mod intimu ma’ kollox u ma’ kulħadd, inti l-Għerf tagħna, li toħloq u tmantni l-univers. Eħlisna mill-iżolament u agħtina l-grazzja tal-interdipendenza. Permezz tal-faxxa vjola tal-qawsalla, għaqqadna mal-oħrajn u mal-ħolqien kollu.
Violet is for vision, the wisdom of spirit. Interconnected Christ, you are our Wisdom, creating and sustaining the universe. Free us from isolation and grant us the grace of interdependence. With the violet stripe in the rainbow, connect us with others and with the whole creation.
L-ilwien tal-qawsalla jingħaqdu biex jagħmlu dawl wieħed, il-kuruna tal-kuxjenza universali. Kristu ibridu li tinkudi kollox flimkien, inti l-Kuruna tagħna, kemm umana kif ukoll divina. Eħlisna minn kategoriji riġidi u agħtina l-grazzja li nxebilku l-identitajiet diversi tagħna. Permezz tal-qawsalla, mexxina lil hinn mill-binarju fejn hemm biss abjad jew iswed sabiex inkunu nistgħu nesperjenzaw l-ispettru sħiħ tal-ħajja.
Rainbow colors come together to make one light, the crown of universal consciousness. Hybrid and All-Encompassing Christ, you are our Crown, both human and divine. Free us from rigid categories and grant us the grace of interwoven identities. With the rainbow, lead us beyond black-and-white thinking to experience the whole spectrum of life.
Kristu l-Qawsalla, inti ddawwal id-dinja. Toħloq il-qawsalli bħala wegħda biex tirfed il-ħajja kollha fuq din id-dinja. Fl-ispazju tal-qawsalla, nistgħu naraw il-konnessjonijiet moħbijin bejn is-sesswalitajiet, il-ġeneri u r-razez. Bħall-qawsalla, jalla li ninkarnaw l-ilwien kollha tad-dinja! Ammen.
Rainbow Christ, you light up the world. You make rainbows as a promise to support all life on earth. In the rainbow space, we can see all the hidden connections between sexualities, genders and races. Like the rainbow, may we embody all the colors of the world! Amen.
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Rainbow Christ Prayer | It-talba ta’ Kristu l-Qawsalla
Maltese: Translated by Tyrone Grima. | Tradut minn Tyrone Grima.
Tyrone Grima founded Drachma, an LGBTQ spirituality group in Malta and earned a PhD in theology from the University of Malta. He is also a theater director and producer with a special interest in languages.
The Rainbow Christ Prayer is available in 30 languages at: https://qspirit.net/rainbow-christ-prayer-translated/
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This post is part of the LGBTQ Calendar series by Kittredge Cherry. The series celebrates religious and spiritual holidays, events in LGBT and queer history, holy days, feast days, festivals, anniversaries, liturgical seasons and other occasions of special interest to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people of faith and our allies.
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