Ibhalwe nguSaint John Chrysostom
“…Kufanele sisuke kulokhu, futhi sazi ngokucacile ukuthi abukho ububi ngaphandle kwesono esisodwa, futhi akukho okuhle ngaphandle kobuhle obubodwa nokujabulisa uNkulunkulu kukho konke. Injabulo ayiveli ekudakweni, kodwa ivela emthandazweni ongokomoya, hhayi ewayinini, kodwa ezwini elakhayo. Iwayini liletha isiphepho, kepha izwi liletha ukuthula; iwayini libanga umsindo, kepha izwi linqanda ukudideka; iwayini lenza ingqondo ibe mnyama, kepha izwi liyakhanyisa kwabamnyama; iwayini lifaka usizi ababengekho, kodwa izwi liyabaxosha ababekhona. Akukho okuvame ukuholela ekuthuleni nasenjabulweni njengemithetho yokuhlakanipha - ukudelela isikhathi samanje, ukulwela ikusasa, ukungacabangi lutho lomuntu unomphela - noma ingcebo, namandla, noma udumo, noma ukusekelwa. Uma ufunde ukuhlakanipha ngale ndlela, awuzukuhlushwa umona lapho ubona isicebi, futhi lapho uwela ebumpofu, ngeke uthotshiswe ubumpofu; futhi ngaleyo ndlela uzokwazi ukugubha njalo.
Kuvamile ngomKristu ukuba angagubhi ngezinyanga ezithile, hhayi ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga, hhayi ngamaSonto, kodwa ukuchitha ukuphila kwakhe konke emkhosini ofanele yena. Hlobo luni lomkhosi olumfanele? Masilalele uPawuli ngalokhu, othi: Masijabule ngendlela efanayo, kungabi ngemvubelo yotshwala, noma imvubelo yobubi nobubi, kodwa ngaphandle kwemvubelo yobumsulwa neqiniso (1 Kor. V, 8) ). Ngakho, uma unonembeza ohlanzekile, khona-ke uneholide eliqhubekayo, udla amathemba amahle futhi ududuzwa ngethemba lezibusiso zesikhathi esizayo; uma ungazolile emphefumulweni wakho futhi unecala lezono eziningi, khona-ke ngisho nangezinkulungwane zamaholide nemikhosi ngeke uzizwe ungcono kunalabo abakhalayo.
Ngakho-ke, uma nifuna ukuzuza kusukela ekuqaleni kwezinyanga ezintsha, yenzani lokhu: ekupheleni konyaka, nibonge uJehova ngokunilondoloza kwaze kwaba kulo mkhawulo weminyaka; Xosha inhliziyo yakho, ubale isikhathi sokuphila kwakho, uthi kuwe: Izinsuku ziyagijima, zidlule; iminyaka iyaphela; Sesiluqedile uhambo lwethu oluningi; senzeni okuhle? Ngabe ngempela sizohamba lapha singenakho konke, singenabo ubuhle? Inkantolo isemnyango, impilo yonke ithanda ukuguga.
Ngakho hlakanipha ekuqaleni kwezinyanga ezintsha; Letha lokhu ekhanda ngesikhathi sokusakazwa kwaminyaka yonke; Ake siqale ukucabanga ngosuku oluzayo, funa othile asho ngathi into efanayo naleyo umprofethi ayisho ngamaJuda: izinsuku zabo zabhubha ize, neminyaka yawo yaphelela ngokunakekela ( IHubo LXXVII, 33 ). Iholide elinjalo njengoba ngike ngakhuluma ngalo, elihlala njalo, elingalindi umjikelezo weminyaka, lingagcini nje ngezinsuku ezithile, lingagujwa ngokulinganayo ngabacebile nabampofu; ngoba okudingekayo lapha akuyona imali, hhayi ingcebo, kodwa ubuhle obubodwa. Awunayo imali? Kodwa kukhona ukumesaba uNkulunkulu, ingcebo edlula yonke ingcebo, engonakaliswanga, ayiguquki futhi ayipheli. Bheka isibhakabhaka, izulu lamazulu, umhlaba, ulwandle, umoya, izilwane ezihlukahlukene, izitshalo ezihlukahlukene, yonke imvelo yomuntu; imicabango ngezingelosi, izingelosi ezinkulu, amandla aphakeme; khumbula ukuthi konke lokhu kuyingcebo yeNkosi yakho. Akunakwenzeka ukuthi inceku yeNkosi ecebe kangaka ibe mpofu uma iNkosi yayo inomusa kuyo. Ukugcina izinsuku akuhambisani nokuhlakanipha kobuKristu, kodwa lokhu kuyiphutha lamaqaba.
Wabelwa emzini ophakeme kunawo wonke, wamukelwa ekubeni isakhamuzi sendawo, wangena emphakathini wezingelosi, lapho kungekho khona ukukhanya okuphenduka ubumnyama, nosuku oluphela ebusuku, kodwa luhlale luyimini, lukhanya njalo. Sizolwela lapho njalo. Funani abaphezulu, kusho (umphostoli), lapho ekhona uKristu, ehlezi ngakwesokunene sikaNkulunkulu (KwabaseKolose III, 1). Anihlangene ngalutho nomhlaba, lapho kukhona ukuhamba kwelanga nokujikeleza kwezinkathi zonyaka nezinsuku; kepha uma niphila ngokulunga, ubusuku buyakuba yimini kini, njengalabo abachitha ukuphila kwabo ekuxhwaleni, nokudakwa nasekuzithibeni, usuku luphenduka ubumnyama bobusuku, kungengenxa yokuthi ilanga selimnyama, kodwa ngoba ingqondo yabo yenziwe mnyama. ukudakwa . Ukuqaphela izinsuku, ukuthola injabulo ekhethekile kuzo, ukukhanyisa izibani esigcawini, ukuluka amagoda ezimbali, kuyindaba yokungabi nangqondo kobungane; futhi senivele naphuma kulobu buthakathaka, nafinyelela ebudodeni futhi nilotshiwe ukuba yizakhamuzi zasezulwini; Ungasikhanyisi isikwele ngomlilo wenyama, kodwa khanyisa ingqondo yakho ngokukhanya okungokomoya. Kanjalo, yathi (iNkosi), ukukhanya kwenu makukhanye phambi kwabantu, ukuze babone izenzo zenu ezinhle futhi badumise uYihlo osezulwini ( Math. V, 16 ). Ukukhanya okunjalo kuyokulethela umvuzo omkhulu. Ungahlobisi iminyango yendlu yakho ngamagoda ezimbali, kodwa phila impilo enjengokwamukela umqhele wokulunga ekhanda lakho esandleni sikaKristu.
Umthombo: St. John Chrysostom, Kusuka ENtshumayelweni Yonyaka Omusha, Januwari 1, 387.
