Isikhumbuzo sika-Saint Monica

Ake sime kancane, ngeso lengqondo, sime ngaphandle kocingo lwesikhumulo sezindiza esikhulu. Cabanga ngomoya ovunguzayo, nephunga likalayini, nomsindo ogqumayo wezinjini ezinkulu ezishaya umoya. Cabanga ngomzali nendodana yakhe bemi ndawonye, amehlo abo ebheke phezulu esibhakabhakeni esiluhlaza. Labo bantu ababili ababheki nje umoya ovamile; babheke into ethile ekhethekile. Balinde ukufika kwendiza enkulu, mhlawumbe i-Boeing 737, edabula amafu ihlose ukuhlala phansi ngokuphepha. Kukhona ukuthula okuhambisana nalokhu kulinda, ukuthula okugcwele injabulo lapho ekugcineni indiza ivela emhlabeni wamafu, amaphiko ayo ekhanyiswa yilanga, bese ihlala phansi kancane kancane. Lokhu kulinda, lokhu 'kuhlola izindiza' (airport spotting), kwakungesona nje isenzo sokuchitha isikhathi. Kwakuyisikhathi lapho ubaba nendodana yakhe babebamba iqhaza entweni enhle, bebheke esibhakabhakeni ndawonye, belinde into eyodwa.

Namuhla, iSonto likhumbula u-Saint Monica, owesifazane owayazi kakhulu ukuthi kusho ukuthini ukulinda nokubuka phezulu. Impilo yakhe yayiyincwadi ebhalwe ngomoya wokulinda ongapheli. Akazange alinde izindiza ezibonakalayo esibhakabhakeni, kodwa walinda iminyaka engaphezu kwamashumi amabili, ekhala futhi ethandaza, ebheke i-horizon yenhliziyo yendodana yakhe, u-Augustine, ukuba ibuyele kuNkulunkulu. ISonto lisethula kulo mfanekiso ojulile wokulinda nokuphaphama namuhla, hhayi nje njengento eyenzeka ngengozi, kodwa njengendlela yokusisiza ukuba siqonde indlela uNkulunkulu asebenza ngayo ezimpilweni zethu.

EVangelini lanamuhla likaMathewu, uJesu usitshela ngokuqondile ukuthi: 'Hlalani niphapheme! Ngoba animazi usuku iNkosi yenu eyofika ngalo.' UJesu usebenzisa umfanekiso womnikazi wendlu olindele isela, nomfanekiso womcebo othembekileyo nohlakaniphileyo obekwe phezu kwendlu yakhe ukuba anikeze abanye ukudla ngesikhathi esifanele. Leli vesi lisimema ukuba sibe abantu abangagcini nje ngokuhlala phansi balinde ukuba isikhathi sidlule, kodwa abahlala bephapheme, ababheke phezulu, abalungele ukufika kweNkosi yethu. Ukulinda esikhuluma ngakho lapha akusikho ukulinda okugcwele ukwesaba noma ukukhathazeka. Ukulinda okugcwele uthando, njengalokho komfana obheke isibhakabhaka elinde ukubona indiza yakhe oyithandayo, noma kukamama okhuleka ebusuku elinde ukuguquka kwendodana yakhe.

Uma sibheka impilo ka-Benjamin Vo, sithola umfana owayehlala njalo ebheke phezulu. U-Benjamin, lo mfana wethu othandekayo onomqondo okhanyayo nomoya omnene, wayenothando olujulile nolungapheli lwezindiza nezindiza zezentengiselwano, ikakhulukazi i-Boeing 737. Wayengagcini nje ngokuzibona zindiza; wayezazi, eqonda indlela ezakhiwe ngayo, futhi enamathemba amakhulu ngazo. Ubani kithi ongakhohlwa lowo mbono wakhe omuhle, lowo mbono owawumenza agigele futhi amamatheke lapho ekhuluma ngokusungula inkampani yakhe yezindiza ayeyibiza ngokuthi 'Con Chim Airlines'? Lolu thando lwalungesona nje isenzo sokuzilibazisa somfana oneminyaka eyishumi nanhlanu. Kwakuyisibonakaliso somoya wakhe—umoya owawungafuni ukuboshwa phansi emhlabathini, kodwa owawufuna ukundiza phezulu, ukudlula amafu, ukubheka izindawo ezintsha nezibanzi.

Kodwa namuhla, bazalwane, kufanele sikhulume iqiniso ngaphambi kokuba sifune induduzo. Sekuphele izinyanga ezimbili manje. Kusukela ngalelo langa elinzima nelibuhlungu lika-June 13, 2026, lapho u-Benjamin Đại Dương Vo eshiya lo mhlaba, isikhathi sibonakala sishintshile. Izinyanga ezimbili akusikho isikhathi eside emlandweni womhlaba, kodwa kumzali, kumama nobaba, u-Alan no-Thao, nakumfowabo omncane, u-Ryan, lezi zinsuku ezingamashumi ayisithupha zizwakala njengomzabalazo ongapheli. Kukhona ukuthula okubuhlungu endlini. Kukhona amakamelo angenalutho lapho kwakufanele kube khona umsindo wokuchofoza kwekhibhodi yakhe lapho ebhala amakhodi akhe emidlalo ye-GitHub, noma lapho kwakufanele kube khona ukuhleka kwakhe okumnandi. Usizi alufani nento edlulayo; lufana nensimbi esindayo ehlala esifubeni sakho lapho uvuka ekuseni, lapho ubona into encane, mhlawumbe isithombe sakhe somdlalo we-badminton, noma lapho ubona indiza indiza phezulu esibhakabhakeni.

Kwesinye isikhathi, kulo mnyama onzima wosizi, inhliziyo iqala ukuzibuza imibuzo ebulalayo. Inhliziyo yomzali iqala ukuzisola, izibuza: 'Ingabe kukhona esikuphuthelwe? Ingabe sasingenza okungaphezulu? Ingabe ukugula kwakuyisijeziso noma kukhona okungalungile esikwenzile?' Ngicela nilalele kahle namuhla, ngoba leli litshe elisindayo uNkulunkulu afuna ukulisusa ezinhliziyweni zenu. Lapho abafundi bebuza uJesu ngomuntu owazalwa eyisiphofu bebuza ukuthi ngubani owonayo, uJesu waphendula wathi: 'Akuyena lo muntu owonileyo, noma abazali bakhe.' Ukugula kuka-Benjamin kwakungesona isijeziso. Kwakungelona neze iphutha lenu, Alan no-Thao. UNkulunkulu akathumeli ukugula kubantwana bakhe, futhi akukho watchfulness noma ukunakekela kwenu okwakungavimbela lokhu okwenzekile phakathi kwalezi zinto zomhlaba ezingaphezu kwamandla ethu abantu. Nenze konke umzali ongakwenza ngothando olumsulwa. U-Benjamin akakubeki cala; usemamatheka, ekhululekile, futhi egcwele uthando lwenu ayeluzwa nsuku zonke. Susa lowo mthwalo wokuzisola enhliziyweni yakho, ukhululeke ukukhala ngaphandle kokuzizwa unecala.

Manje, nali 'ithuba' lethu namuhla (The Turn). Ukuphaphama uJesu akhuluma ngakho eVangelini akusona isimo sokuhlala silindele inhlekelele. Kusho ukuhlala silindele uthando lukaNkulunkulu oluzosindisa. Esifundweni sokuqala, u-Saint Paul ubhala eya kwabaseKorinte, washo amazwi aduduza kakhulu: 'UNkulunkulu uthembekile, lowo enabizelwa ngaye ekuhlanganyeleni neNdodana yakhe uJesu Kristu iNkosi yethu. Yena uzonigcina niqinile kuze kube sekugcineni.' Cabanga ngalawo mazwi: 'UNkulunkulu uthembekile.' Noma ngabe umhlaba wethu ubonakala ugoqeka, noma ngabe izinhliziyo zethu zaphukile, ukuthembeka kukaNkulunkulu akushintshi. U-Benjamin wayengeyena nje umfana owayethanda izindiza; wayengumfana owayebizelwe ekuhlanganyeleni noKristu. U-Ben usephumelele isivivinyo sakhe somhlaba. Usefikile esikhumulweni sezindiza sokugcina, iPharadesi, lapho kungekho khona ukugula, kungekho zinyembezi, futhi kungekho ukwahlukana.

U-Benjamin Đại Dương Vo, ogama lakhe lisho 'Ulwandle Olukhulu', wayenomoya ongenamingcele njengolwandle. Cabanga ngomusa wakhe omangalisayo owawufihlwe ngaphansi komqondo wakhe obukhali wezibalo nobuchwepheshe. Lapho eneminyaka eyishumi nanhlanu, lapho ezwa ukuthi umalume wakhe u-William uhlaselwe yisifo sohlangothi, akazange alinde ukuba abazali bakhe bacele usizo. Ngaphandle kokucelwa, watshela umama nobaba wakhe ukuthi uzimisele ukunikeza yonke imali yakhe ayeyigcinile kuleyo 'piggy bank' yakhe ukuze asize umalume wakhe. Akazange aliphule lelo bhange ngoba kwakungasadingeki, kodwa inhliziyo yakhe yayisivulekile kakade. Lolo thando olumsulwa, lolo hlobo lokuzinikela, yilo uNkulunkulu alubhekayo. U-Benjamin wayengumfana owayehlala ekhona ngenxa yabanye, hhayi ngokuzenzisa, kodwa ngomoya wakhe omnene ohloniphayo.

Alan, Thao, no-Ryan: Ngikhuluma nani ngqo namuhla. Ngiyazi ukuthi lobu buhlungu bunzima kakhulu kunezwi elingabuchaza. Kodwa nifuna ukwazi ukuthi u-Benjamin ukuphi manje? U-Ben use-Banquet of Heaven, eceleni kuka-Saint Carlo Acutis, laba bafana ababili abahlakaniphe kangaka ngobuchwepheshe, abaneminyaka eyishumi nanhlanu, abanezinhliziyo ezazivulekele uNkulunkulu. Basebenza ndawonye manje, bekhulekela abacwaningi nodokotela ukuze kutholakale ikhambi lalesi sifo, ukuze omunye umndeni ungabe usahamba le ndlela ebuhlungu. U-Benjamin Đại Dương Vo usekhulekile manje, unamandla, futhi usephakeme kakhulu kune-Boeing 737 ayeyithanda. Usephephe ezandleni zikaYise weZulwini, futhi uyanibheka nsuku zonke.

Kuwe Ryan, mfowabo omncane: Ngiyazi ukuthi uyamkhumbula umfowenu owayengumngane wakho omkhulu. Khumbula ukuthi u-Ben wayengumuntu wezenzo, hhayi nje wamazwi. Lapho ubona lowo mthombo wamanzi (well) osembiwe e-Vietnam egameni lakhe, i-Giếng Gioan Baotixita, yazi ukuthi lolo uthando luka-Benjamin olusaqhubeka lugeleza. Wayefuna ukunika imali yakhe yesikhwama ukuze asize umalume; manje, egameni lakhe, kunikezwa amanzi aphilayo kubantu abampofu. Lokhu kukhombisa ukuthi umfowenu akakaze afe enhliziyweni yethu—uhlale eyisiphethu sokuphila. Kufanele uqhubeke uphila, Ryan, ukhule ube yindoda eqotho, ube yithemba nabazali bakho, ngoba u-Ben ukubheka phezulu, emamatheka, ekuphusha ukuba nawe ube ngumfana onenhliziyo ehlanzekile.

Kubo bonke abazali abathwele iziphambano ezisindayo, nabantwana abagulayo abalalele kude: UNkulunkulu uyanibona kulezi zikhathi zokulinda. Akabheki nje ingaphandle lenu elizama ukuba namandla; ubheka ingaphakathi lenu lapho nithanda khona abantwana benu ngendlela engapheli. Ningaphelelwa yithemba. INkosi yokuthula inani. U-Benjamin no-Saint Carlo basikhulekela sonke.

Njengoba niphuma lapha namuhla, ngifuna nenze into eyodwa encane. Lapho uphuma ngaphandle kuleli sonto, yima kancane ubheke phezulu esibhakabhakeni. Uma ubona indiza indiza phezulu, noma ubona inyoni indiza ngokukhululeka, yima ubonge uNkulunkulu ngempilo ka-Benjamin. Zitshele ukuthi: 'Nkosi, njengoba u-Benjamin Đại Dương Vo ekhululekile manje ezandleni zakho, ngisize nami ngithembe ukuthembeka kwakho.' Khumbula ukuthi u-Benjamin usekhaya, futhi ngosuku olulodwa, nathi siyohlangana naye kulelo dili elikhulu lapho kungekho khona ukwahlukana, lapho konke okufihliwe kuyovela ekukhanyeni.

Benjamin Đại Dương Vo, lala ngokuthula mntwana wethu. Inkanyezi yakho isakhanya, futhi uthando lwakho lusaqhubeka lugeza umhlaba njengolwandle olukhulu.

Amen.