Egameni likaYise, neloNyana, neloMoya oyiNgcwele. Makube noxolo lwakwaKristu kuni nonke.
Nkosi, usivele imfesane. Kristu, usivele imfesane. Nkosi, usivele imfesane.
Kukho imizuzu apho ubomi bujongeka njengendawo engenanto, apho ukuthula kwendlu kunzima ukukuthwala. Mhlawumbi uke wema ecaleni kwesango okanye kwibala leenqwelo-moya, ubukele iindiza zisuka, ucinga ngaloo mntu uphakathi kwethu owayekuthanda ukubukela iinjini neempiko zazo zinyuka ziye esibhakabhakeni. UBenjamin Vo wayenalo olo thando. Wayengumfana owayejonga phezulu, engajongi nje iindiza, kodwa ejonga ubukhulu bukaThixo obufihlakeleyo kwiimfihlo zenzululwazi kunye nobuchwephesha. Wayengumfana owayethanda ukucacisa ngale ‘con chim airlines’ yakhe, ebonisa ukuba intliziyo yakhe yayingeyiyo nje eyobuchwephesha, kodwa eyayizaliswe lithemba elikhulu. UBen wayeyindoda encinci eyayikwazi ukuzibona iindiza zayo zibhabha ngaphaya kwamafu, njengokuba wayesoloko ecinga ngekamva elizele luvuyo.
Namhlanje, kwiNcwadi ka-Efese, uPawulos usicela ukuba sikhangele ngamehlo entliziyo. Uthi: 'Maye amehlo eentliziyo zenu akhanyiselwe, ukuze nazi ukuba liyintoni na ithemba elibangelwa kukubizwa kwakhe.' Amehlo entliziyo. Lawo ngamehlo angaboni nje izinto eziphathekayo, kodwa abona uthando lukaThixo olufihlakeleyo kuyo yonke imeko yobomi bethu. UBen wayengumfana owayenalo olo khanya. Wayengumfana owayenengqondo eqaqambileyo, kodwa ngaphezu kwako konke, wayenentliziyo eyayikwazi ukubona abanye.
Khumbula lo mfanekiso: uBen, eneminyaka eli-15, efuna ukunikela ngayo yonke imali yakhe yasebhange encinci ukunceda umalume wakhe uWilliam. Akazange ayiphule loo ngulube, akazange ayikhuphule imali, kodwa isipho sasingaphakathi entliziyweni yakhe. Ubenayo loo ntliziyo yayikwazi ukunikela ngayo yonke into ngaphandle kokubala. Loo ntliziyo yayicocekile, ingaphili ngemithetho yobuxoki yeli hlabathi, kodwa iphila ngenceba kaThixo. UBen wayengumfana owayethanda ukunika, owayethanda ukuba nomdla kwabanye, owayesoloko enoncumo olwaluthi, 'Ndikhona, ndiyakuthanda.'
KwiVangeli yanamhlanje, uYesu uthi: 'Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return.' (Bhinqani izinqe zenu, nikhanyise izibane zenu, nibe njengezicaka ezilindele ukubuya kwenkosi yazo). Le ntsingiselo yokulinda ayiyiyo eyokulinda ngoloyiko, kodwa kukuhlala ulungele ukwamkela uthando oluza. UYesu uthi: 'Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.' (Nokuba uza kumlindo wesibini okanye wesithathu, bazukile abo bakhonzi). Mamele le nyaniso: uYesu akalindi nje ukuba sikhonze, kodwa uYesu uzimisele ukusikhonza. UBen, ngoku, usebukhoneni obo, apho uYesu emkhonza ngoxolo olungunaphakade.
Kodwa Alan, Thao, nawe Ryan mfowethu omncane, ndiyazi ukuba kule nyanga yesine emva kokuba uBen ebuyele kuThixo, iintlungu ziza ngamanye amaxesha njengomsinga ongaqondakaliyo. Kukho imibuzo eza ebusuku, kukho imizuzu apho uzibuza ukuba ngaba kukhona na eninokuze nako kwenza ngokwahlukileyo. Ndifuna ukuba uphulaphule inyaniso kaThixo namhlanje, kwaye uyivumele ingene nzulu entliziyweni yakho: akukho nqaku lokuthi uphosile okanye wenze kakubi. Ukugula akwanga kwenzeka ngenxa yezinto owazenzayo okanye ongazenzanga. UThixo akakubeki icala, kwaye noBen akakubeki icala kwaphela. Masikhuphe lo mthwalo wokuzisola emajukujukwini eentliziyo zenu namhlanje. Awuphosanga nto. Ubenze konke okusemandleni enu ngothando olungapheliyo. Ezinye izinto kulo mhlaba zenzeka ngaphandle kolawulo lwethu, ngaphandle kokuba nabani na enze impazamo. Niyinyaniso, nithandwa nguThixo ngokupheleleyo.
UYesu uthi: 'Musa ukoyika.' Lo ngumyalelo, kodwa ikwangulwazi oluphilisayo. UBen akalahlekanga. Usemkhono kaThixo, apho akukho ntlungu, apho akukho zifo, apho kukho kuphela uthando olungenasiphelo. UBen ukhangele phantsi kuwe Ryan, kwaye akakushiye. Xa udlala okanye ucinga ngekamva, yazi ukuba uBen ukuthembile, ukuthandile, kwaye usakuthanda kakhulu. UBen usengumntwana ononcumo, usengumntwana ocinga ngekamva, usengumntwana okhathalayo.
Namhlanje, masithathe oku: uBen wayengumfana owafunda ukunika. Masifunde nathi ukunika—ukunika iintlungu zethu kuThixo, ukunika ithemba lethu kuye, kwaye ukunika uthando lwethu kwabo basijikelezileyo. 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.
Kukho amandla amakhulu ekuncedeni abanye. Njengokuba uBen wayenalo olo nqweno lokunika, kwaye njengokuba umsebenzi wamanzi acocekileyo eCà Mau uqhubeka ukhumbuza ihlabathi ngobubele bakhe, nani qhubekani niphila ngaloo ndlela. Niphilele uRyan, niphilele ukukhanya, niphilele ukuba uBen wayengumfana owafundisa ihlabathi ukuba uthando lukhulu kunako konke. Hamba ke namhlanje ukhululekile emthwalweni wokuzisola. Bamba isandla sikaYesu, uthembe ukuba uYisease usezintliziyweni zenu, kwaye uBen ulala ngokuthula ekhanyeni likaThixo, esikhangela sonke ngovuyo olungunaphakade. 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.
Malibe nani uthando lukaThixo, kwaye uMoya oyiNgcwele usikhokele ngoxolo. Hamba kakuhle.
✝ May almighty God bless you: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.