“Phambi kwezinsalela ezingamboziwe zikaSt. Theodosius waseChernigov (1896), umpristi owayegqokisa izinsalela, ekhathele, wozela futhi wabona usanta phambi kwakhe, owathi kuye: “Ngiyabonga ngokusebenza kanzima mina. Namanje ngisacela uma nikhonza ebandleni, nikhulekele bazali bami”. Futhi wabiza amagama abo - uNikita umpristi noMaria. “Kungani ucela kimi lokhu, ngcwele, ufuna umkhuleko kimi, kuyilapho wena ngokwakho umi phambi kwesihlalo sobukhosi saseZulwini futhi unikeza umusa kaNkulunkulu kubantu na?” - wabuza umpristi "Yebo, kuyiqiniso, kodwa umnikelo we-liturgical unamandla kunomthandazo wami," uSt. Theodosius waphendula.
Izinkonzo zesikhumbuzo, imikhuleko yasekhaya, kanye nezenzo ezinhle ezisenkumbulweni zabo, njengokupha izipho, iminikelo eBandleni, ziwusizo kakhulu kwabafileyo, kodwa ukukhulunywa kwe-Divine Liturgy kuwusizo ngokukhethekile. Kunobufakazi nemicimbi eminingi eqinisekisa lokhu kusizakala. Abaningi abafa ngokuphenduka, kodwa behluleka ukukubonakalisa phakathi nokuphila kwabo, bakhululwa ekuhlushweni futhi bathola ukuphumula. Isonto lihlale lithandazela ukuphumula kwabafileyo, ngisho nangosuku lwe-St. Ngamunye wethu ofuna ukukhombisa uthando lwakhe ngabafile futhi abanikeze usizo lwangempela angakwenza ngokubathandazela, ikakhulukazi ngokubhekiselwa ku-Holy Liturgy, lapho izinhlayiya zabafileyo nabaphilayo ziphonswa eNkobeni Yegazi INkosi yathi: “Hlanza, Nkosi, izono zalabo okukhulunywa ngabo lapha, lapho iGazi lakho likhona, ngemikhuleko yabangcwele bakho.” Akukho okuhle nokukhulu esingabenzela kona ngaphandle kokubanika amagama abo ukuze kukhulunywe ngawo ezinkonzweni. Bahlale beyidinga, kodwa ikakhulukazi ngalezo zinsuku ezingama-40 lapho umphefumulo kamufi udlula endleleni eya ezindaweni zokuhlala zaphakade. Khona-ke umzimba awuzwa lutho, awuboni abathandekayo abaqoqiwe, awunuki iphunga lezimbali, awuzwa i-eulogies. Kodwa umphefumulo uyayizwa imithandazo eyenziwa kuwo, uyababonga abanikelayo futhi uzizwa usondelene nabo ngokomoya.
Izihlobo nabangani bakamufi! Yenza kubo noma yini edingekayo futhi ngokwamandla akho. Ningasebenzisi imali ekuhlobiseni kwangaphandle kwamathuna namathuna, kodwa nisize abampofu, nikhumbule izihlobo zomufi, ebandleni lapho kukhulekelwa khona. Bonisa umusa kumuntu oshonile, unakekele umphefumulo wakhe. Sonke sinale ndlela phambi kwethu - pho singafuna kanjani ukukhulunywa ngomthandazo! Masibahawukele abangasekho. Ngokushesha nje lapho umuntu efa, biza umpristi ukuba amfunde "Ukulandelana ekuphumeni komphefumulo", okufanele kufundwe kuwo wonke ama-Orthodox ngokushesha ngemva kokufa kwakhe. Zama ukuba nenkonzo yomngcwabo ebandleni uqobo, futhi kuze kube yileso sikhathi umfundele iPsalter. Umngcwabo angeke wenziwe ngobukhazikhazi, kodwa ngesizotha ngokugcwele, ngaphandle kwezifinyezo; ungacabangi ngokududuzeka kwakho, kodwa ngomufi, osuvalelisa kuye kuze kube phakade. Uma ngaleso sikhathi kukhona abashonile abaningana esontweni, unganqabi ukubacula ndawonye. Kuyoba ngcono uma kukhona ababili noma abathathu abashonile, ukuze umkhuleko wazo zonke izihlobo zihlangene uqine kakhulu kunokuba ziculwe ngokuhlukana, zikhathele futhi zifinyezwe inkonzo. Yonke imithandazo izoba njengenye iconsi lamanzi kowomile. Bhekani ukuthi iLent yenzelwe abafileyo. Emasontweni lapho kuba khona izinkonzo zansuku zonke, abafileyo bayakhunjulwa phakathi nalezi zinsuku ezingu-40 nangaphezulu. Uma umufi engcwatshwa esontweni lapho ingekho inkonzo yansuku zonke, izihlobo kufanele ziqikelele ukuthi zimthole bese zi-oda inkonzo yePentecost khona.
Futhi, kuhle ukuba amagama abo aqanjwe ukuze afundwe ezigodlweni zezindela zaseJerusalema noma kwezinye izindawo ezingcwele. Kodwa okubalulekile ukuthi iLent kufanele iyalwe ngokushesha ngemva kokufa, lapho umphefumulo udinga usizo lomthandazo.
Masibanakekele abaya kwelinye izwe eliphambi kwethu, sibenzele konke esingakwenza, sikhumbule ukuthi “Babusisiwe abanesihawu, ngokuba bayakuhawukelwa.”
