The spirit of Deepawali unites families, friends and neighbours, enabling people to cross boundaries of ethnicity and religion. says the Catholic Archbishop of Suva, Peter Loy Chong.
He has sent a message of greeting to “all our Hindu brothers and sisters as you celebrate one of the most important and brightest celebrations, “Deepawali” or “festival of lights”.
“I take this opportunity on behalf of the Catholic Church in Fiji to wish you all a very joyous and meaningful Diwali.”
The Archbishop said,”Our religious beliefs, values and traditions are at the core of our identity as people. They can help us learn from each other’s rich traditions and to create a just and peaceful human family.”
Chong said Deepawali’s basic message is the triumph of good over evil, a conversion from darkness to light, from captivity to freedom.
It is about forgiveness, reconciliation and peace.
So it carries a similar message to that of two important Christian celebrations namely Easter and Epiphany.
“Both of these celebrate Jesus Christ’s victory over the darkness of sin and death. They reveal Christ as the light of our lives and of our world, a light that dispels darkness and restores our relationship with one another and with God.”
The message of Deepawali communicates to us the goodness of God who enables us to banish all darkness and evil from our lives and the world.
Source
- Fiji Times
- Image: Fiji Live
