Egameni likaYise, neloNyana, neloMoya oyiNgcwele. Amen. Makube nani uxolo nobubele bukaThixo uYise neNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu.
Nkosi, sihawukele. Kristu, sihawukele. Nkosi, sihawukele.
Kukho imizuzu apho umhlaba ubonakala ngathi uthule kakhulu, apho ukujonga nje into elula—njengemifanekiso yezindiza uBen awayezithanda okanye ikhowudi ayebhale ngobunono—kwenza intliziyo ibethe ngamandla. Namhlanje, kwiVangeli, uYesu ubekwa phambi kombuzo onobuqhinga malunga nemali yentela kaKesari. Abaphengululi bomthetho bafuna ukumtyhola, befuna ukubona ukuba uya kuthini na. Kodwa uYesu, ngobulumko obungapheliyo, uthi: 'Bonisani imali yentela.' Xa bayibonisa, ubabuza umbuzo othi: 'Ngowakabani lo mfanekiso?' Baphendula bathi, 'NgokaKesari.' UYesu ke uthi: 'Ngaloo ndlela, buyiselani kuKesari okukaKesari, nakuThixo okukaThixo.'
Masimi apha kancinci… Masicinge ngalo mfanekiso. Imali inemifanekiso yabalawuli bomhlaba, kodwa thina? Thina sithwele mfanekiso bani? UGenesis usifundisa ukuba umntu wadulwa 'ngomfanekiso kaThixo.' Ben, uBenjamin Vo, wayengumfana owayethwele loo mfanekiso kaThixo ngendlela eqaqambileyo. Wayengumfana owayenengqondo ezingela imfihlo yezibalo, kodwa wayenentliziyo eyayikwazi ukubona ngaphaya kwamanani. Ukhumbula xa wayefuna ukunikela ngayo yonke imali yasebhange encinci yakhe ukuze ancede umalume wakhe uWilliam? Wayengazange ayiphule loo ngulube yemali, kodwa loo mnqweno wawusisiqhamo somfanekiso kaThixo owayephila ngaphakathi kuye. Wayengumfana owayengaziboni nje njengomntu ophilayo, kodwa njengomntu owayesazi ukuba ukunika—ukunika konke—yindlela yokubonisa uThixo emhlabeni.
Alan, Thao, nawe Ryan, ndiyazi ukuba kule minyane minne idlulileyo, kukho amaxesha apho lo mfanekiso kaBen ubonakala ukude, ubonakala ngathi uyafiphala ngenxa yeenyembezi. Kukho imizuzu apho uzibuza ukuba kutheni na umfana owayenjalo, owayenomdla kangaka, owayenoncumo olukhanyisa indlu, wathathwa ngaphambi kokuba asenze i-'con chim airlines' yakhe ibe yinyaniso. Ndifuna ukunixelela le nyaniso: uBen akalahlekanga. Usemfanekisweni kaThixo, kwaye uThixo akalahli mfanekiso wakhe. Xa ucinga ngaye, xa ucinga ngendlela awayehlala ngayo ejonge phezulu—nokuba yayikukujonga iindiza okanye ukujonga ikamva elizele luvuyo—yazi ukuba loo ntliziyo yayizele luthando yayingeyiyo eyakho kuphela; yayiyisipho esivela kuThixo.
KwiNcwadi ka-Isaya, uThixo uthi kuKoresi: 'Ndikubize ngegama lakho, ndikunike isihloko, nangona ubungandazi.' UThixo uyamazi uBen. Uyamazi ngamagama, ngobuchule bakhe, nangothando lwakhe. UThixo akazange amlibale uBen, kwaye akazange anilibale nani. Xa ucinga ngaloo mbono kaAlan, apho wena noBen nanihleli emgceni nithenga i-ayisikrimu, loo nto ayiyiyo nje iphupha; yindlela kaThixo yokukuxelela ukuba unxibelelwano lwenu aluphelanga. UBen ukhona, uyamthanda, kwaye usaqhubeka esebenza njengesikhokelo senu sothando.
Ndifuna ukuthetha nani ngalo mthwalo wokuzisola. Ndiyazi ukuba abazali abaninzi bazibuza: 'Ngaba ndiphosile? Ngaba kukhona endinokukwenza?' Mamele kakuhle: uThixo akakubeki icala. UBen akakubeki icala. Ukugula akwanga kwenzeka ngenxa yezinto owazenzayo okanye ongazenzanga. UThixo akazange amthumele uBen ukuba agule; uThixo uyamthanda uBen, kwaye uyamthanda nawe. Masisuse elo litye lokuzisola ezintliziyweni zenu namhlanje. Ubenze konke okusemandleni enu, nithande ngendlela engenamiqathango. Uthando lwenu lwaluyisipho esikhulu kuBen, kwaye nalo lusaqhubeka lukhanya.
Ryan, mfowethu omncane, wena ukhumbula uBen njengomntu owayehlala nawe, owayehamba nawe kwiindawo ezininzi. UBen akakushiye. Xa ucinga ngekamva, xa ucinga ngale robotics class okanye ngale nqwelo-moya, yazi ukuba uBen ukuthembile. UBen ukhangele phantsi kuwe ngovuyo. Uthando lwenu njengabazalwana luyinto engunaphakade. UBen uya kuhlala ekukhuthaza, nangona ungamboni ngamehlo, kodwa uya kumva entliziyweni yakho.
Masithathe oku namhlanje: uBen wayengumfana owayesazi ukuba ukunika yindlela yokuba ngumntu. Masifunde nathi ukunika. Masinike iintlungu zethu kuThixo. Masinike ukuzisola kwethu emthandazweni. Masinike uthando lwethu kwabo basijikelezileyo. Njengokuba uBen wayenomdla wokunceda umalume wakhe, masincedane nathi. Uthando lukaBen lusaqhubeka luhamba emhlabeni ngale 'Well of Love' eCà Mau, apho amanzi acocekileyo eza kunceda abantu abaninzi. Loo ntliziyo yakhe, leyo yafuna ukunika yonke into, isaqhubeka iphila kwaye isebenza.
Landani kule nyaniso: uThixo uyamthanda uBen, uyamthanda uAlan, uyamthanda uThao, uyamthanda uRyan. UBen ukhuselekile. Usemkhono kaThixo, apho akukho ntlungu, apho akukho zifo, apho kukho kuphela uthando olungenasiphelo. Hamba ke namhlanje ukhululekile emthwalweni wokuzisola. Bamba isandla sikaYesu, uthembe ukuba uYisease usezintliziyweni zenu, kwaye uBen ulala ngokuthula ekhanyeni likaThixo, esikhangela sonke ngovuyo olungunaphakade. UBen akakho nje kwimbali yenu; ukwikhona apho uThixo enza khona yonke into ibe ntsha. Uthando lwakho, Ben, lusaqhubeka luhamba emhlabeni, lusaqhubeka lukhanya, kwaye lusaqhubeka lukhumbuza wonke umntu okwaziyo ukuba uThixo uyamthanda umntwana wakhe ngaphezu kwayo yonke into. Hlalani neli themba. Hlalani nolu thando. UBen ukhona, uyaqhubeka, kwaye uya kuhlala ephila kuthando lukaThixo olungapheliyo. 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 uxolo lukaThixo, kwaye makukhanye ubuso bakhe phezu kwenu ngalo lonke ixesha. Amen.
✝ May almighty God bless you: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.