UKUTHANDAZA KU-SANTA MONICA ukucela ubabalo
Umfazi kunye nonina wokungqina ubungqina be-evangeli, athe u-Thixo Olungileyo wamnikela ububele, ngokholo olungagungqiyo phambi kwayo yonke imbandezelo kunye nomthandazo oqinisekileyo wokuqiniseka, ukubona umyeni wakhe uPatrizio nonyana wakhe u-Augustine baguqukile, behamba nathi kwaye besikhokela, abatshakazi kwaye oomama kuhambo lwethu olunzima oluya ebungcweleni. Santa Monica, nina nifikelele kwiincopho zOsenyangweni, ukusuka phezulu jonga kwaye usithethelele thina sithengisa uthuli phakathi kobunzima bewaka kunye newaka. Sibeka abantwana bethu kuwe, ubenzele ikopi entle yeAugustine yakho kwaye usinike uvuyo lokuhlala nabo amaxesha okomelela ngokomoya njengoko wawuphila eOstia, ukuba kunye apho ukhoyo. Qokelela zonke iinyembezi zethu, unkcenkceshela iinkuni zomnqamlezo kaYesu wethu ukuze ubutyebi obuninzi basezulwini nobanaphakade buqu buqhamke kuwo! USanta Monica uthandaze kwaye asithethelele sonke. Amen!
UMonica wazalwa ngonyaka ka-331 eTagaste, isixeko samandulo saseNumidia, namhlanje iSouk-Ahras (Algeria), yaya kwintsapho yamaKristu enobunewunewunewunewu bezimo zoqoqosho. Wavunyelwa ukuba afunde kwaye wasebenzisa elo thuba ukuze afunde iBhayibhile kwaye acamngce ngayo.
Utshatele kuPatrizio, ongumnini weTagaste othobekileyo, engabhaptizwanga, enomntu owayengalunganga, kwaye owayehlala engathembekanga, ngobuntu bakhe obuthambileyo nobumnandi wakwazi ukoyisa ingqumbo.
Wazala unyana wakhe wamazibulo uAgostino ngonyaka ka-354. Ubenomnye unyana, uNaviglio, kunye nentombi egama lakhe lingaziwa. Wanika bobathathu imfundo yamaKristu.
Ngo-371 uPatrick waguqukela kubuKristu wabhaptizelwa; uzakufa kunyaka olandelayo. UMonica wayeneminyaka engama-39 ubudala kwaye kwafuneka athabathe ulawulo lwendlu nolawulo lweeasethi. Wayebandezeleke kakhulu kukuziphatha okubi kuka-Augustine. Xa wafudukela eRoma, wagqiba kwelokuba amlandele, kodwa yena, enendawo ezihamba yedwa, wamshiya emhlabeni eCarthage, ngelixa wayesiya eRoma.
Ngobo busuku u-Monica wayichitha elila kwingcwaba likaSt. nangona wayekhohlisiwe, akazange anikezele kwaye ngobuqhawe waqhubeka nomsebenzi wakhe wokuguqula unyana wakhe.
Ngo-385 waqalisa ukumjoyina eMilan, apho okwangoku uAgostino, ecaphukiswe sisenzo esiphikisayo sabantu baseManichean eRoma, esithuthele isitulo esixhasayo.
Apha u-Monica waba nentuthuzelo yokumbona esiya kwisikolo sika-S. Ambrogio, ubhishophu waseMilan emva koko alungiselela ubhaptizo nosapho lonke, kubandakanya nomntakwabo Navigio kunye nomhlobo uAlipio; ngenxa yoko imithandazo yakhe yaphendulwa. Ubhishophu waseTagaste wayethe kuye: "Akunakwenzeka ukuba umntwana weenyembezi ezininzi alahleke."
UMonica wasala ecaleni konyana wakhe emcebisa kumathandabuzo akhe kwaye ekugqibeleni, ngobusuku bePasika, ngo-Epreli 25, 387, wakwazi ukumbona ebhaptiza kunye nawo onke amalungu osapho. Ngoku ngumKristu oqiniseke ngakumbi, uAugustine akanakuhlala ekwimeko yomtshato okhoyo. Ngokomthetho waseRoma, wayengenakutshata umkhonzazana wakhe othandanayo, ngenxa yeklasi esezantsi, kwaye ekugqibeleni, ngecebiso likaMonica, ngoku oselekhulile kwaye enomdla wokufumana indawo yokuhlala yonyana wakhe, kwagqitywa kwelokuba abeke umva, ngemvume yakhe, 'umkhonzazana e-Afrika, ngelixa u-Agostino wamlungiselela yena nonyana wakhe u-Adeodato, owahlala naye eMilan.
Okwangoku uMonica wayecinga ukuba angafumana umtshakazi ongumKristu ofanelekileyo kule ndima, kodwa uAgostino, ngokumangaliseka kwakhe nokwamkelwa, wagqiba ekubeni angatshati kwakhona, kodwa abuyele e-Afrika naye ukuze aphile ubomi bemonakalo, eneneni esungula i-monastery.
Emva koko simfumana esondele kunyana wakhe eCassiciaco, kufutshane noMilan, exoxa naye kunye namanye amalungu osapho malunga nefilosofi kunye nezinto zokomoya, kwaye esazi ngokuthatha inxaxheba kwiintetho, ukuya kuthi ga kwinqanaba lokuba uAugustine afune ukuhambisa amazwi kamama wakhe kwincwadi yakhe. Oku kuvakala kungaqhelekanga, kuba ngelo xesha abafazi babengavunyelwa ukuba bathethe.
Ngo-Agostino wemka eMilan esiya eRoma, emva koko waya e-Ostia, apho baqasha khona indlu, elinde inqanawa eya e-Afrika. Yayilixesha eligcweleyo iincoko zokomoya, uAugustine asibuyisela kuLuvumo lwakhe.
Apho wagula khona, ngokunokwenzeka sisifo seengcongconi, wasweleka, ngeentsuku ezisithoba, nge-27 ka-Agasti ka-387 eneminyaka engama-56. Umzimba wakhe wangcwatywa kwicawa yaseSant'Aurea di Ostia.
Nge-9 ka-Epreli ngo-1430 ama-relics akhe afuduselwa e-Roma kwicawa yase-S. Trifone, namhlanje ka-S. Agostino, kwaye abekwa kwisarcophagus exabisekileyo, ngumsebenzi ka-Isaya wasePisa (wenkulungwane ye-XV).
ICawa yamaKatolika ibhiyozela inkumbulo yayo nge-27 ka-Agasti (ngaphambili ibibhiyozelwa nge-4 kaMeyi), usuku lwangaphambi koko kuka-St. Augustine, owathi, ngelishwa wasweleka nge-28 ka-Agasti.