Izeluleko ezi-5 ngomkhuleko kaSt. Thomas Aquinas
Umkhuleko, kusho uSt. John Damascene, ngukuvezwa kwengqondo phambi kukaNkulunkulu. Uma sithandaza sicela kuye lokho esikudingayo, siyavuma amaphutha ethu, siyambonga ngezipho zakhe futhi siyabuthanda ubukhulu bakhe. Nawa amathiphu amahlanu okuthandaza kangcono, ngosizo lukaSt. Thomas Aquinas.
1. Thobeka.
Abantu abaningi ngephutha bacabanga ukuthobeka njengenhlonipho yokungazethembi. USt.Thomas usifundisa ukuthi ukuthobeka kuyimfanelo yokwazi iqiniso ngeqiniso. Njengoba umthandazo, umsuka wawo, "kungukucela" ngqo kuNkulunkulu, ukuthobeka kubaluleke kakhulu. Ngokuthobeka siyasibona isidingo sethu phambi kukaNkulunkulu. Sincike ngokuphelele futhi ngokuphelele kuNkulunkulu ngayo yonke into nangawo wonke umzuzu: ubukhona bethu, impilo, umoya, yonke imicabango nezenzo. Njengoba sizithoba, siqonda ngokujule kakhudlwana isidingo sethu sokuthandaza kakhulu.
2. Yiba nokholo.
Akwanele ukwazi ukuthi siswele. Ukuthandaza, kumele futhi sibuze othile, hhayi noma ngubani, kepha umuntu ongaphendula isicelo sethu futhi ozophendula. Izingane ziyakuzwa lokhu lapho zicela umama wazo esikhundleni sikababa wazo (noma okuphambene nalokho!) Ngemvume noma ngesipho. Kungamehlo okholo lapho sibona khona ukuthi uNkulunkulu unamandla futhi ukulungele ukusisiza ngomkhuleko. USt. Thomas uthi “ukholo luyadingeka. . . okungukuthi, kufanele sikholwe ukuthi singathola kuye lokho esikufunayo ”. Kukholwa okusifundisa "ngamandla onke nesihawu sikaNkulunkulu", isisekelo sethemba lethu. Kulokhu, uSt. Thomas ukhombisa imiBhalo. Incwadi eya kumaHeberu igcizelela isidingo sokholo, ithi, "Noma ngubani osondela kuNkulunkulu kumele akholwe ukuthi ukhona nokuthi uyabavuza labo abamfunayo" (Hebheru 11: 6). Zama ukuthandaza ukweqa kokholo.
3. Thandaza ngaphambi kokuthandaza.
Ezindalweni ezindala ungathola umthandazo omncane oqala uthi: “O Nkosi, vula umlomo wami ubusise iGama lakho eliNgcwele. Futhi hlanza inhliziyo yami kuyo yonke imicabango eyize, ehlanekezelwe nengaphandle. . . “Ngiyakhumbula ngikuthola kuhlekisa lokhu: kunemikhuleko ebekiwe ngaphambi kwemithandazo ebekiwe! Lapho ngicabanga ngakho, ngabona ukuthi, yize kungabonakala kuyindida, kwafundisa isifundo. Umthandazo ungaphezu kwamandla emvelo, ngakho-ke kude kakhulu ukuthi singakwazi ukukufinyelela. USt Thomas ngokwakhe uphawula ukuthi uNkulunkulu "ufisa ukusinika izinto ezithile ngesicelo sethu". Umkhuleko ongenhla uqhubeka ngokuqhubeka nokubuza uNkulunkulu: “Khanyisa ingqondo yami, ushise inhliziyo yami, ukuze ngifanele, ngokufanelekile, ngokucophelela nangokuzinikela ngifunde leli Hhovisi futhi ngifanelwe ukuzwakala lapho ngibona ubukhulu baKho oNgcwele.
4. Yiba nenhloso.
Ukufaneleka emthandazweni - okusho ukuthi, noma ngabe kusisondeza ezulwini - kusuka ebuhleni besisa senhliziyo. Futhi lokhu kuvela ngentando yethu. Ngakho-ke ukuze sithandaze ngokufanele, kufanele senze umthandazo ube yinto esiyikhethayo. USt. Thomas uchaza ukuthi ukufaneleka kwethu kuncike enjongweni yethu yasekuqaleni yokuthandaza. Awephulwa ngokuphazanyiswa ngengozi, okungekho muntu ongakwazi ukukugwema, kodwa kuphela ngokuphazamiseka okwenziwe ngamabomu nangokuzithandela. Lokhu futhi kufanele kusinike ukukhululeka. Akudingeki sikhathazeke kakhulu ngeziphazamiso, inqobo nje uma singabakhuthazi. Siyaqonda okuthile okushiwo ngumhubi, okungukuthi uNkulunkulu "uthela izipho kwabathandekayo bakhe belele" (IHu 127: 2).
5. Qaphela.
Yize, ngokuqinile, kufanele sibe ngamabomu kuphela futhi singanaki ngokuphelele ubuhle bomkhuleko wethu, kodwa kuyiqiniso ukuthi ukunaka kwethu kubalulekile. Lapho izingqondo zethu zigcwele ukunaka kwangempela kuNkulunkulu, izinhliziyo zethu nazo zivutha isifiso ngaye. UThomas Thomas uchaza ukuthi ukuvuseleleka komphefumulo komphefumulo kuvela ikakhulu ekulaleleni uNkulunkulu ngomthandazo. Umhubi uyamemeza: "Ngubuso bakho, Jehova, engibufunayo!" (IHu 27: 8). Emthandazweni, asilokothi siyeke ukufuna ubuso bakhe.