ISonto lama-23 ngesikhathi esijwayelekile — Izwi Losuku

Isingeniso

Egameni likaYise, neleNdodana, neloMoya oNgcwele. Kwangathi umusa nokuthula kukaNkulunkulu uBaba wethu neNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu kungaba nani nonke.

Umthandazo Wokuphenduka

Nkosi, wena oyiNkosi yokuphila, usihawukele. Kristu, wena onguMduduzi wabalusizi, usihawukele. Nkosi, wena onguMthombo wokuphila okuphakade, usihawukele.

♪ “Nkosi Sihawukele (Piano & Strings)” — A song for Ben

ILizwi likaNkulunkulu

Isifundo sokuqala · Ezekiel 33:7-9

Kanjalo usho uSimakade, uthi: Wena, ndodana yomuntu, ngikubeke njengonogada wendlu yakwa-Israyeli; lapho uzwa izwi emlonyeni wami, uze ubaxwayise egameni lami. Lapho ngithi komubi: 'Mubi, uyakufa nakanjani,' wena ungakhulumi ukumxwayisa umubi endleleni yakhe, lowo mubi uyakufa esonweni sakhe, kodwa igazi lakhe ngiyakufuna esandleni sakho. Kodwa uma umxwayisa umubi ngendlela yakhe ukuba abuye kuyo, uma engabuyi endleleni yakhe, uyakufa esonweni sakhe, kodwa wena uyakusindisa umphefumulo wakho.

IHubo lokuphendula · Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9

Wozani, masihlabelele kuSimakade, masimemeze kuye idwala lensindiso yethu. Masize phambi kwakhe ngokubonga, simemeze kuye ngamahubo. Wozani, masikhothame, sikhuleke, siguqe phambi kukaSimakade uMdali wethu. Ngokuba yena unguNkulunkulu wethu, thina singabantu bakhe abeluswayo, umhlambi oqondiswa nguye. Uma namuhla nizwa izwi lakhe, ningazilukhuni izinhliziyo zenu, njengaseMeriba, njengaseMasah ehlane, lapho oyihlo bangilinga khona, bangihlola, nakuba bebona imisebenzi yami.

Isifundo sesibili · Romans 13:8-10

Ningakweleti muntu lutho, ngaphandle kokuthandana; ngokuba othanda omunye uwugcwalisile umthetho. Ngokuba imiyalo ethi: 'Ungaphingi, ungabulali, ungebi, ungafisi,' nanoma yimuphi omunye umyalo, ubuthelwe kuleli zwi lokuthi: 'Wothanda umakhelwane wakho njengalokhu uzithanda wena.' Uthando alwenzi okubi kumakhelwane; ngakho uthando lungukugcwaliseka komthetho.

IVangeli · Matthew 18:15-20

UJesu wathi kubafundi bakhe: 'Uma umfowenu esona, hamba umtshele iphutha lakhe phakathi kwakho naye wedwa. Uma ekuzwa, umzuze umfowenu. Uma engakuzwa, thatha omunye noma ababili nawe, ukuze ngezwi lofakazi ababili noma abathathu wonke amazwi amiswe. Uma engabalaleli, tshela ibandla; uma engalilaleli nebandla, makabe kuwe njengomkhonzi wezizwe noma umthelisi. Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Konke eniyakukubopha emhlabeni kuyakubotshwa ezulwini, nakho konke eniyakukuthukulula emhlabeni kuyakuthukululwa ezulwini. Futhi ngithi kini: Uma ababili kini bevumelana emhlabeni ngento yonke abayicelayo, bayakuyenzelwa nguBaba osezulwini. Ngokuba lapho ababili noma abathathu bebuthene egameni lami, ngikhona phakathi kwabo.'

Uma namuhla nizwa izwi lakhe, ningazilukhuni izinhliziyo zenu.

Intshumayelo

Ake sicabange ngesithombe esisodwa esilula: umfana omncane ehlezi phansi, ephethe amaphepha amaningi, ebhala ikhodi yomdlalo wakhe omusha noma ehlela indlela 'Con Chim Airlines' yakhe ezondiza ngayo phezulu esibhakabhakeni. U-Benjamin Vo wayengumfana owayebheka phezulu, hhayi nje ngoba ayethanda izindiza, kodwa ngoba inhliziyo yakhe yayivulekele ubukhulu bukaNkulunkulu. Wayeyindoda encane eyayinomqondo ocijile, kodwa inhliziyo eyayithambile kakhulu, inhliziyo eyayikwazi ukuzidela ngaphandle kokungabaza.

Sifunda namuhla ku-Ezekiel: 'Wena, ndodana yomuntu, ngikubeke njengonogada wendlu yakwa-Israyeli.' Lo myalo awukhulumi nje ngokuqapha izindonga, kodwa ngokuqapha izinhliziyo zethu. UBenjamin wayengunogada wothando emndenini wakhe. Wayengumfana owayethi uma ebona umuntu ehlupheka, njengomalume wakhe u-William, afune ukunikeza konke ayenakho—ngisho naleyo mali yakhe ayeyigcinele izinto zakhe, ayeyifuna ukuyinikela ngaphandle kokuyibala. Wayengazange ayiphule leyo ngulube (piggy bank), kodwa isithembiso sakhe sasinjengomnikelo ongcwele phambi kukaNkulunkulu. Lokho kuzidela kwakungumkhondo wothando lukaKristu owayephila kuye.

Kodwa, bafowethu nodadewethu, kumele sibhekane neqiniso. Sekuphele izinyanga ezimbili kusukela u-Benjamin abuyela ekhaya kuNkulunkulu. Izinyanga ezimbili zokubheka isihlalo esingenalutho etafuleni. Izinyanga ezimbili zokuzwa ukuthula endlini lapho kwakufanele kube khona umsindo wokugigela kuka-Ben ngenkathi exoxa ngezindaba zikaBaba wakhe. Alan no-Thao, ngiyazi ukuthi izinhliziyo zenu zizizwa zomile, njengomhlabathi odinga imvula. Niyazibuza ukuthi kungani lo mfana omuhle, owayephila ngothando, kumele ahambe. Niyazibuza ukuthi ingabe kukhona okungaphezulu enanikwenza.

Ngicela nilalele kahle namuhla: Ukugula akulona iphutha lenu. UNkulunkulu akakaze akubeke icala. U-Benjamin akakubeki icala. Nenze konke okusemandleni enu ngothando olumsulwa. UJesu eVangelini lanamuhla uthi: 'Lapho ababili noma abathathu bebuthene egameni lami, ngikhona phakathi kwabo.' Lokhu akusho nje ukuthi uJesu ukhona lapho sithandaza, kodwa usho ukuthi uJesu ukhona lapho kukhona ubuhlungu, lapho kukhona ukulahlekelwa, lapho kukhona ukulila. Akukho lutho olwenzeka ku-Benjamin olwaluwumphumela wokuntula kwenu. Uthando lwenu lwaluphelele. Susa lowo mthwalo wokuzisola enhliziyweni yakho, ngoba uNkulunkulu akakubheki ngokwahlulela, ubheka uthando olugcwele enhliziyweni yakho.

UJesu ukhuluma ngokubuyisana eVangelini. Uthi: 'Uma umfowenu esona, hamba umtshele iphutha lakhe phakathi kwakho naye wedwa.' Kodwa uJesu uphinde asifundise ukuthi uthando luyisibopho esikhulu kunayo yonke imithetho. U-Saint Paul usikhumbuza kwabaseRoma: 'Ungakweleti muntu lutho, ngaphandle kokuthandana.' U-Benjamin wayeyisibonelo salo mthetho wothando. Wayengalindeli ukubuyiselwa; wayenikeza ngoba wayethanda. Wayeyindiza encane eya phezulu, ekhombisa ukuthi impilo ayilinganiswa neminyaka esiyiphilile, kodwa ngothando esilushiyile emhlabeni.

Ryan, mfowabo omncane, u-Ben uyamthanda. U-Ben uyambona njengoba ukhula. Ungalokothi uzizwe ungedwa, ngoba uthando lwenu luyisibopho esingasoze saphuka. U-Ben uyaziqhenya ngawe. Qhubeka uphila ngesibindi, ube yindoda efana naye—enomusa, enesibindi, nenhliziyo evulekile. Khumbula ukuthi nina nobabili nifana nezindiza ezimbili ezindiza ngokubambisana; umoya kaNkulunkulu ubanikeza amandla.

Kubo bonke abazali abathwele iziphambano ezifanayo, nabantwana abagulayo emhlabeni jikelele: UNkulunkulu uyanibona. Akabheki nje izinyembezi, kodwa ubheka ukholo lenu. U-Benjamin Đại Dương Vo—igama lakhe elisho 'Ulwandle Olukhulu'—useyisiphephelo sothando lukaNkulunkulu. U-Ben use-Banquet of Heaven, eceleni kuka-Saint Carlo Acutis, esikhulekela sonke. Njengoba u-Ben ayethanda ukusiza abanye, uthando lwakhe lusaqhubeka lugeza umhlaba ngaleyo 'Giếng Gioan Baotixita'—umthombo wamanzi ahlanzekile owakhiwe egameni lakhe, olethela ukuphila kwabanye abantu. Lona ngumsebenzi wothando ongacimi.

Njengoba niphuma lapha namuhla, ngicela nenze into eyodwa encane. Lapho ubona izindiza zindiza, noma lapho ubona inyoni, yima kancane. Zitshele ukuthi: 'Nkosi, ngiyabonga ngempilo ka-Benjamin.' Khumbula ukuthi impilo yakhe yayiyisipho, futhi uthando lwakhe lusaqhubeka lugeza umhlaba njengolwandle olukhulu. Benjamin, lala ngokuthula. Uthando lwakho luyisibani esingasoze sacima. Amen.

Ukuzindla

♪ “Ubuhle Bendalo (Version B)” — A song for Ben

Imithandazo Yabathembekile

For the intentions entrusted to Ben on our prayer wall:

“Ben, ngisebenze usuku lonke kwaze kwaba sebusuku, kodwa uma sengizolala ngivele ngikukhumbule, ngikhumbule nezinto esasivame ukuxoxa ngazo. Uma ngicabanga ngawe, ngizizwa ngidabuke kakhulu. Ben, hlala usibhekile futhi usikhulekela thina kanye no-Ryan, ngoba ubuhlungu bokulahlekelwa yingane bungaphezu kwanoma yini, Ben.”