Yintoni uAsh ngoLwesithathu?
Kwivangeli yeAsh ngoLwesithathu, ukufunda kukaYesu kusixelela ukuba masicoca: “Beka ioyile entlokweni yakho kwaye uhlambe ubuso bakho, ukuze ukungabonakali kwakho kungabonwa ngabantu” (uMateyu 6: 17-18a). Kodwa, kamsinya nje emva kokuva la mazwi, sigqobhoza ukufumana uthuthu emabunzini ethu, uphawu olunxulumene nokuguquka nokuzila ukutya. Ngokucacileyo isiko lika-Ash ngoLwesithathu aliveli kwiVangeli.
I-Lent ayizange iqale rhoqo ngoLwesithathu lwe-Ash. Kwinkulungwane yesithandathu, uGregory Omkhulu wachonga ixesha leLent (Quadragesima, okanye "Iintsuku Ezingamashumi amane") njengesiqalo seCawe ukuya kutsho ngeCawa yePasika.
Ibhayibhile ibalisa iintsuku ezingama-40 zemvula ngexesha lezikhukula, uhambo lweminyaka engama-40 lukaSirayeli lokuhamba entlango, uhambo lweentsuku ezingama-40 entlango, kunye neentsuku ezingama-40 zoqeqesho lwasemva kokuvuka kukaYesu awalunika abafundi bakhe ngaphambi komhla Ukunyuka kwakhe. Ekupheleni kwento nganye kwezi Zingama-40, izinto ezichaphazelekayo zitshintshile: ilizwe elinesono liyaphinda lakhiwa, amakhoboka ayakhululeka, umpriji uqala inkonzo yomesiya, kwaye abalandeli aboyikayo bakulungele ukuba ngabashumayeli abazaliswe nguMoya. U-Lent kunye nokuzila ukutya kwakhe kweentsuku ezingama-40 kwanika ibandla ithuba elifanayo lenguquko.
Kuba ukuzila kwakungavumelekanga ngeCawa, ixesha losuku lweentsuku ezingama-40 lwaluquka iintsuku ezingama-36 zokuzila. Ekugqibeleni, yandiswa ukuba ibandakanye neentsuku ezingama-40 zangaphambi kwePasika zokuzila ukutya, kongezwe iintsuku ezine zokuzila ukutya kwangaphambili, ukuqala ngoLwesithathu ngaphambi kweLente.
Ekugqibeleni, oko kukhawuleza kwandiswa kubandakanya iiveki ezilithoba (Septuagesima). Nangona kunjalo, usuku lwama-40 lokuzila ukutya-uLwesithathu- lwalubambe ukubaluleka, ikakhulu ngenxa yokubaluleka kweZibhalo lelo nani.
Uthuthu longezwe kule liturgy ngolwesiThathu ngenkulungwane yesibhozo neyesithoba ukunceda ukwenza uhlengahlengiso olwenzeka ngexesha leLente. Amakholwa afumana uthuthu emabunzini awo ukukhumbuza ubunjalo bawo: "Khumbula, uluthuli kwaye uya kubuyela kwaseluthulini". Emva kokuba benxibe ihempe yeenwele, bathunyelwa ngaphandle kwecawa: "Ugxothiwe kwisibeleko sebandla elingcwele elingumama ngenxa yesono sakho, ngelixa uAdam wagxothwa ezulwini ngenxa yesono sakhe." Ukugxothwa, nangona kunjalo, ayisosiphelo. Ke, njengangoku, uxolelaniso lulindele amakholwa ngoKristu.
Kwimvelaphi yayo, u-Ash ngoLwesithathu wayejolise ngokusisiseko ekuphumezeni isohlwayo, ekwakugxile kwiLente ngelo xesha. ILent iqondwa ngokwahlukileyo namhlanje: eyona nto kugxilwe kuyo ngoku, njengakwimvelaphi yayo, ubhaptizo. Kuba ubhaptizo eRoma lwenzeka ikakhulu nge-Ista, ukuzila kweLenten kukuzila kwangaphambi kokubhaptizwa, yindlela abathi abo baguqukayo bayiqonde ngcono indlela abathembele ngayo kuThixo kwaye kaninzi kangakanani imisebenzi yeli hlabathi iphazamisa ukuthanda uThixo.
NgoLwesithathu u-Ash angasinceda ukuba singene kuloo ndlela ngokusicela ukuba siqwalasele imibuzo emibini esisiseko: singobani kanye kwaye, ngoncedo lukaThixo, ekugqibeleni siya.