Egameni likaYise, nelikaNyana, nelikaMoya oyiNgcwele. Amen. Makube nani uxolo nothando lukaThixo uBawo, nenceba yeNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu.
Nkosi, ube nenceba kuthi. Kristu, ube nenceba kuthi. Nkosi, ube nenceba kuthi.
Kukho umfanekiso ohlala unamathele engqondweni yam xa ndicinga ngoBenjamin Vo. Hayi indiza ebaleka esibhakabhakeni, hayi ikhompyutha ayeyikodileyo, kodwa umzuzu othi cwaka ekhitshini. Khumbula umfanekiso kaBen ehlezi phantsi, enxibe iibhulukhwe zakhe eziluhlaza, ephethe isilawuli somdlalo, amehlo akhe ecinga nzulu ngento ethile ebalulekileyo. Kwakukho ukuzola okumangalisayo kulo mfana. Wayengumfana owayebona ihlabathi ngenjongo, owayefuna ukwazi ukuba izinto zisebenza njani—ukusuka kwizindiza ezinkulu ukuya kwindlela yokwakha 'con chim airlines' yakhe—kodwa ngaphezu kwako konke, wayeyindoda encane eyayiqonda ukuba uthando luyinto yokwenziwa, hayi yokuthethwa nje.
Namhlanje, kulo Mkhosi woMnqamlezo oNgcwele, iLizwi likaThixo lisibuyisela emva kwixesha, kwintlango apho abantu bakaSirayeli babephulukene nethemba. Bathi kuMoses, 'Kutheni usizisile apha ukuba sife?' Babesele bediniwe, bediniwe kukuhamba, bediniwe kukutya okufanayo. Bahlaba ikhwelo lokukhalaza. Kwaye uThixo, ngendlela emangalisayo, wathi kuMoses, 'Yenza inyoka yobhedu, uyiphakamise emthini.' Lowo wayeyijongile, wayephila. Lo mfanekiso ubonakala ungaqhelekanga kuthi namhlanje, kodwa uYesu usicacisela wonke umyalezo kwiVangeli: 'Njengokuba uMoses wayiphakamisayo inyoka entlango, kananjalo uNyana woMntu umele aphakanyiswe.'
Masime kancane apha. Kutheni uMnqamlezo? Kutheni uYesu kufuneka aphakanyiswe? UMnqamlezo awungomfanekiso wokufa kuphela; ngumfanekiso wothando olungazigcineliyo nto. UYesu, 'nangona wayekwimo kaThixo,' akazange azibambe loo nto, kodwa wazithoba. Waba ngumkhonzi. Wathatha intlungu yethu, wathatha ukoyika kwethu, wathatha nokufa kwethu, wazibeka phezu komnqamlezo. UMnqamlezo uthi kuwe namhlanje: 'Andikushiyi wedwa.'
Alan noThao, iinyanga ezintathu zidlulile ukususela oko uBen wagodukayo. Ndiyazi ukuba usizi aluhambi ngokwekhalenda. Niyazi ukuba usizi lufana nomthwalo onzima ongena ngaphakathi kwindlu yakho ngaphandle kokungqongqoza. Niyazibuza, 'Kutheni uBen? Kutheni umfana onentliziyo elungaka, owayenomdla wokunceda umalume wakhe uWilliam ngemali yakhe, kufuneka ahambe?' Niyazibuza ukuba kukhona na eninokukwenza ngcono. Ndicela niphulaphule amazwi am: Ukugula akulona iphutha lenu. Akukho nto eniyenze ngendlela engalunganga. UThixo akakubeki icala, kwaye noBen akakubeki icala. UBen wayekuthanda kakhulu, kwaye uthando lwakhe lwalumsulwa njengaloo mthombo wamanzi owakhiwe egameni lakhe eCà Mau. Susa lowo mthwalo wokuzisola egxalabeni lakho. Awuphosanga nto. Ubenze konke okusemandleni enu ngothando olungapheliyo.
UYesu, xa wayebuzwa malunga nendoda eyayizalwe iyimfama, wathi akukho mntu wonayo. Ubomi buhamba ngeendlela esingazaziyo. UBen wayeyindoda encane eyayakha isiseko sayo edwaleni. Ukholo lwakhe, ububele bakhe, uthando lwakhe—konke oku kwakuyisiseko esomeleleyo. Xa isiphango sezifo size, loo ndlu ayizange iwe. UBen usekhululekile ngoku. Akasabandezeleki. Usebanquet yasezulwini, ecaleni kukaSaint Carlo Acutis, owayenomoya ofanayo nowakhe. UBen usekhaya.
Ryan, mfowethu omncane, uBen uyamthanda. Ungalokothi uzive ungedwa. UBen uyaqhubeka ekukhathalele. Qhubeka uphila ngesibindi, ube ngumfana owayeyiyo—onemfesane, onobubele, nonesibindi. UBen uyaqhubeka ekhanya ngomsebenzi wakhe wothando. Nani, Alan noThao, ningayeki ukuthanda. Nithandeke kakhulu nguThixo. UBen wayengumfana onikela ngayo yonke into yakhe. Nani, nikani konke usizi lwenu kuThixo. Musani ukuzama ukuluthwala lodwa. Vumelani uYesu ukuba abe lulwalwa lwenu.
Namhlanje, xa ubona umnqamlezo, ungaboni nje intlungu. Bona uthando. Bona uYesu owaphakanyiswa ukuze akutsalele kuye. UBen, ngoku, ungowalapho uYesu akhoyo. UBen uyaqhubeka esidumisela kuThixo. Uthando lwenu luyaqhubeka luhleli, lusaqhubeka lukhula, kwaye uBen uyaqhubeka ekhanya. Benjamin, lala ngokuthula. Uthando lwakho lulukhanya olungasoze lwavaleleka. Amen.
For the intentions entrusted to Ben on our prayer wall:
Ngosizo loMsindisi futhi sifundiswe yimfundiso yaphezulu, silokotha sithi:
Baba wethu osezulwini, malingcweliswe igama lakho; umbuso wakho mawuze, intando yakho mayenziwe emhlabeni njengasezulwini. Siphe namuhla isinkwa sethu semihla ngemihla, usithethelele izono zethu, njengoba nathi sibathethelela abasonayo; ungasifaki ekulingweni, kodwa usikhulule ebubini. Amen.
Makube nani usikelelo lukaThixo uSomandla, uYise, uNyana, noMoya oyiNgcwele. Hamba ngokuthula, uthando lwakhe luhlale nani.
✝ May almighty God bless you: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.