Anglican Parish of Mt Vincent & Weston

A Note from Fr Keith – Epiphany 5A and 6A February 18, 2011

As we have a late Easter this year, we have a long season of Epiphany, in which we celebrate the light of Christ that is made known to us. The Gospel readings from Matthew for the fifth and sixth Sunday of Epiphany tell us that we should also make this light known to others: we are to be the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). How do we do this?

Some people think that the most important thing is to follow rules and traditions. It is a good thing to follow rules, and usually rules and traditions are there for a good reason. Jesus stresses the importance of God’s law in Matthew 5:18. However, what is more important is having the love of God in our hearts and minds. Jesus makes it absolutely clear that the greatest commandments are to love God and to love neighbour (Matthew 22: 34-36); all the other laws and traditions and sayings depend on this. It is through love, ultimately, that we make known the light of Christ.

Since my arrival here I have been blessed by seeing this love being put into practice — for example, in the way in which you have helped me settle into the parish, and in the welcome you have given to Br Matthias Tovotasi from the Solomon Islands. I am sure that he will speak highly of the parish when he returns to Melanesia after he leaves us on 6th February. For us, there will be challenges ahead as the two former parishes learn to live as one, and as I adapt to life back in Australia. Sometimes our rules and traditions will be in conflict as we face new situations.