Isikhumbuzo sikaSaint Charles Borromeo, uBhishophu

Kukho imifanekiso ethile ebomini bethu ehlala imi njengemililo emincinci ebumnyameni, isikhumbuza ukuba kukho ukukhanya okungaphezu kokuba amehlo ethu angabona. Cinga ngelo xesha xa umntu oselula, oselula kakhulu, ejonga ikamva lakhe engaboni nje imida yeli hlabathi, kodwa ebona amathuba angapheliyo. UBenjamin Vo wayengumfana owayenalo olo hlobo lokukhanya. Wayengumfana owayezazi kakuhle izibalo, owayekwazi ukucinga nge-AI kunye ne-cloud infrastructure ngendlela eyayimangalisa abantu abadala, kodwa ngaphezu kwako konke, wayephethe isibane sothando esasingacimi. Khumbula indlela awayethanda ngayo ukujonga iinqwelo-moya, indlela awayehlekisa ngayo ngala mava e-'con chim airlines' awayeyila entloko yakhe. Wayengumfana owayephila ngoncumo, owayezimisele ukunika konke okwakhe, kanye njengaloo mzuzu xa wayefuna ukunikela ngemali yakhe yasebhange ukunceda umalume wakhe uWilliam. Akazange ayiphule loo ngulube, kodwa isipho sasingaphakathi entliziyweni yakhe—isipho sokuzinikela okungenamkhawulo.

KwiNcwadi kaPawulos kwabaseFilipi namhlanje, uPawulos usixelela into enzulu kakhulu: 'Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work.' Masiyimele kancinci le ndinyana… UPawulos akathethi ngomsebenzi onzima esiwenzayo ukuze sifumane uthando lukaThixo. Uthetha ngento eyahlukileyo. Uthetha ngentsebenziswano phakathi kwethu noThixo. UThixo uyasebenza kuthi, uyasityhala, uyasinika amandla, kodwa thina kufuneka sivume. UBen wayengumntwana owavuma. Wayengumntwana owavumela uThixo ukuba asebenze kuye, ngokuba ngumntwana owayekhathalela abanye, owayehlonipha abazali bakhe, kwaye owayengoyiki ukuzama izinto ezintsha. UBen wayengumntwana owawuqonda umthwalo wokuba ngumKristu, kodwa wayewuthwala ngoncumo nangobubele.

Kodwa, masithethe inyaniso namhlanje. Ukuthwala umnqamlezo, njengoko uYesu esitsho kwiVangeli, akulula. 'Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.' Le yintetho enzima. UYesu akathethi ngomnqweno; uthetha ngobomi. Alan noThao, nawe Ryan mfowethu omncane, ndiyazi ukuba kule minyane minne idlulileyo ukususela ngowe-13 kuJuni 2026, iintlungu ziza ngamanye amaxesha ngendlela embi kakhulu, zikushiya ungazi nokuba ume ngaphi. Kukho amandla emphefumlo aphelileyo, kukho ubusuku obude lapho ukungabikho kwesitulo sikaBen okanye ukungaphulaphuli kwakhe amabanga ayethethwa nguyise kubangela isikhewu esingazalisekiyo. Kukho amaxesha apho ukuziva usodwa kuhlasela ngaphandle kwesaziso, kwaye umthwalo wokulahlekelwa uba nzima kakhulu ukuba ungathwalwa.

Mamela le nyaniso namhlanje, mhlawumbi ngendlela odinga ngayo ukuyiva ngoku: uThixo akamlibalanga uBen, kwaye akakubalelanga nani. Kwizinto ezenzekayo ebudeni bokugula kwabantwana, abazali abaninzi bazithwala ngokwabo umthwalo onzima kakhulu wokuzisola: 'Ngaba kukhona endinokukwenza ngcono? Ngaba ndiphosile?' Mamele kakuhle, Alan noThao: uThixo akakubeki icala. UBen akakubeki icala. Ezo zifo aziziswanga zizinto owazenzayo okanye ongazenzanga. Kweli hlabathi, kukho izinto ezenzeka ngaphandle kolawulo lomntu, ngaphandle kwempazamo yomzali. Awuphosanga nto. Uthando lwakho lwalucocekile, lwaluphelele, kwaye uBen wayesazi ukuba unothando olungaka kubazali bakhe nakuRyan. Khipha elo litye lokuzisola ezintliziyweni zenu namhlanje. UBen akajongi iziphoso; ujonge phezulu kuThixo, kwaye uqhubeka esithi kuwe: 'Ba, Mama, musani ukukhala kakhulu, ndikhuselekile.'

KwiVangeli, uYesu uthetha ngendoda eyakha inqaba. Uthi kufuneka uqale ubala iindleko. UBen, ngobukrelekrele bakhe, wayeyazi le nto. Wayeyazi ukuba ukwakha ikamva kufuna ukuzimisela. Kodwa uYesu akathethi nje ngesakhiwo esenziwe ngamatye. Uthetha ngesakhiwo somphefumlo. UBen wayesakha inqaba yothando, inqaba yokholo, inqaba eyayiza kuhlala ngonaphakade. UBen akazange azame ukwakha inqaba yezinto zeli hlabathi kuphela; wayesakha inqaba yobuhlobo noThixo. Kwaye leyo inqaba ayizange iwe. Isekhona, iqinile, kwaye ikhanya ngaphambi kobuso bukaThixo.

Ryan, mfowethu okhoyo apha, ndifuna uthathe oku nawe. UBen akakushiye. Ukhona ecaleni kwakho, eqhubeka ekusebenza njengesikhokelo sothando. UBen wayengumfana owayenenqgondo enkulu yezibalo, kodwa ikratshi lakhe elikhulu kwakuwukuba ngumntwana omhle owayehlonipha abazali bakhe. UBen uya kuhlala ekukhuthaza, nangona ungamboni ngamehlo, kodwa uya kumva entliziyweni yakho. Uthando lwenu njengabazalwana luyinto engunaphakade. Xa uziva usodwa, khumbula ukuba uBen ukhona, uyaqhubeka, kwaye uya kuhlala ephila kuthando lukaThixo olungapheliyo.

Masithathe oku namhlanje: uBen wasishiya isipho sothando olungapheliyo. Kwisikhumbuzo sesidlo sasezulwini, lapho indlu kaThixo izele khona ngabantu abavela kude nakufi, masime nathi namhlanje siqinisekile ukuba ubomi bukaBen abuphelanga ethuneni. Usemthekweni wasezulwini, apho i-'con chim airlines' yakhe ibhabha ngokuphakamileyo phambi kobuso bukaThixo. Hamba ke namhlanje uphumle, uthembe ukuba uThixo uyakuthanda, kwaye uBen ulinda wena ngoncumo lwakhe oluqhelekileyo. 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.