Ingabe Iholidi Lobuqaba Lingaba ElobuKristu?
PHAKATHI nobusika ngo-2004, kwaba nempikiswano eshubile ngenkathi kaKhisimusi e-Italy. Othisha abathile babesekela umbono wokuba kuncishiswe noma kungakhulunywa nhlobo ngamasiko kaKhisimusi angokwenkolo. Babetusa lokhu ngoba behlonipha inani elandayo lezingane zesikole ezingewona amaKatolika noma amaProthestani. Kodwa, abanye emkhakheni wezemfundo nakweminye babefuna ukuba la masiko ahlonishwe futhi agcinwe ngokuphelele.
Nokho, ngaphandle nje kwale mpikiswano, uyini umsuka wamasiko amaningi kaKhisimusi? Njengoba le mpikiswano yayifinyelela emvuthwandaba, iphephandaba laseVatican i-L’Osservatore Romano laphawula okuthile okuthakazelisayo.
Ngokuphathelene nosuku lokugubha uKhisimusi, leli phephandaba lamaKatolika lathi: “Ngokomlando, usuku lwangempela lokuzalwa kukaJesu alwaziwa ngokuqinisekile emlandweni wamaRoma, ezibalweni ezingokomthetho zangaleso sikhathi nasocwaningweni olwenziwa emakhulwini eminyaka alandela. . . . Umhla ka-25 December, njengoba waziwa kabanzi, wakhethwa iSonto lamaRoma ngekhulu lesine. Lolu suku eRoma lamaqaba lalinikezelwe kunkulunkulu weLanga . . . Nakuba ubuKristu base bamukelwe kakade eRoma ngeSimemezelo sikaConstantine, kodwa inganekwane . . . kankulunkulu weLanga yayisasakazekile, ikakhulukazi phakathi kwamasosha. Le mikhosi engenhla, eyayigujwa ngomhla ka-25 December, yayinomsuka ojulile esikweni elidumile. Lokhu kwanika iSonto lamaRoma umbono wokufaka ukubaluleka kwalolu suku enkolweni yobuKristu ngokufaka iNdodana yangempela kaMahluleli Omkhulu, uJesu Kristu, esikhundleni sikankulunkulu weLanga, yalukhetha njengosuku lokugubha ukuzalwa kwayo.”
Kuthiwani ngesihlahla sikaKhisimusi, manje esiyingxenye yesiko lamaKatolika?
Lesi sihloko sephephandaba lamaKatolika saveza ukuthi ezikhathini zasendulo, izihlahla eziningi ezingabuni, njengesihlahla “i-holly, i-butcher’s broom, i-laurel namahlamvu kaphayini zazibhekwa njengezinamandla omlingo noma okwelapha ayengavimba ukugula.” Saqhubeka sathi: “OSukwini olwandulela uKhisimusi, ngomhla ka-24 December, kwakukhunjulwa u-Adamu no-Eva ngokulandisa okwakuthandwa kakhulu kweSihlahla sePharadesi lasemhlabeni . . . Lesi sihlahla kwakufanele kube esama-apula, kodwa njengoba isihlahla sama-apula sasingeke sifaneleke ebusika, kwakubekwa isihlahla sikaphayini esiteji bese sigaxwa ama-apula emagatsheni noma, ukuze kufanekiselwe ukuKhululwa okuzayo, kwakulengiswa izingcezwana zesinkwa ezenziwe ngamakhekhe agayiwe anhlobonhlobo ayeyizimpawu zokuba khona kukaJesu eMiseni, kuhlanganise namaswidi nezipho zezingane.” Kuthiwani ngemva kwaleso sikhathi?
Liphawula ngokuthi isiko lokusebenzisa isihlahla sikaKhisimusi laqala eJalimane ngekhulu le-16, iphephandaba i-L’Osservatore Romano laphawula: “Elase-Italy laba phakathi kwamazwe okugcina ukwamukela isihlahla sikaKhisimusi, mhlawumbe ngenxa yamahlebezi ayesakazekile okuthi ukusebenzisa isihlahla sikaKhisimusi kwakuwumkhuba wamaProthestani futhi kwakufanele esikhundleni saso kwenziwe [isigcawu sokuzalwa kweNkosi].” UPapa Paul VI “waqala isiko lokubeka [eSt. Peter’s Square, eRoma] isihlahla esikhulu sikaKhisimusi” eduze nesigcawu sokuzalwa kweNkosi.
Ingabe kuyamukeleka kuwe ukuthi abaholi benkolo babenganezela incazelo ebonakala ingeyobuKristu ezenzakalweni nasezimpawini ezinomsuka emasikweni asendulo obuqaba? Lapho ikhuluma ngenkambo efanele, imiBhalo iyala amaKristu eqiniso: “Kunabudlelwane buni ukulunga nokungalungi na? Noma, ukukhanya kunasabelo sini nobumnyama?”—2 Korinte 6:14-17.
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Isihlahla sikaKhisimusi (ekhasini elandulelayo) nesigcawu sokuzalwa kweNkosi eVatican
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2003 BiblePlaces.com
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Unkulunkulu welanga
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Museum Wiesbaden