Bendingumhambi ngezonqulo kule nyanga. Andizange ndizimisele ukuba ngumhambi ngezonqulo, kodwa ndazifumana, kunye namawaka amaninzi awayendingqongile ndabulisa ngokuthi, “Bem vindos piregrinos” (abahambi ngezonqulo bamkelekile). Kanye ngolo hlobo, ngo-Oktobha 13, 2013, ndandingumhambi ngezonqulo.
Uhambo lwam lokuya eFatima, ePortugal, lwaqala ndisengumntwana. Awukwazi ukukhula kwintsapho yasePutukezi ngaphandle kokwazi uNossa Senhora de Fatima (iNkosikazi yethu yaseFatima). Njengomntwana, iqabane lam lobusuku lalingumfanekiso oqingqiweyo weplastiki ekhazimlayo kaNossa Senhora. KumaPhuthukezi kunye nokuthembeka kwakhe kwihlabathi liphela, uhambo oluya eFatima, olukwiiyure ezimbini emantla eLisbon, luyimfuneko ebomini bakho. Kwaye ke ndenza uhambo lwam njengomfazi ongumPhuthukezi. Lowo uneengcambu ezomeleleyo elukholweni. Umntu osakholelwa kumandla omthandazo. Umntu obuzayo.
Ibali leNenekazi lethu laseFatima laqala ngoMeyi 13, 1917 xa iNtombi Enyulu uMariya yabonakala kubantwana abathathu abancinci. Kwiinyanga ezi-6 ezithe ngqo, eziqala ngoMeyi ziphele ngo-Oktobha, iNtombi Enyulu uMariya yazibonakalisa kwaba bantwana banye ngomhla we-13 kwinyanga nganye. Abantwana babalisa ibali labo, kodwa bagculelwa yaye abazange bakholelwe. Ngo-Oktobha 13, 1917, isihlwele esikhulu sahlanganisana kwindawo eyayinemiboniso. Kwabonwa ummangaliso. Abathandabuzayo baguqulwa, kwaye kwaqala uhambo ngezonqulo. Ukuza kuthi ga namhlanje, nge-13 yenyanga nganye, phakathi kukaMeyi no-Okthobha, amawaka athontelana eFatima. Imibhiyozo emikhulu iyenzeka ngenyanga kaMeyi no-Oktobha.
Njengoko ndifika ngentsasa ye-13 ka-Oktobha epholileyo, ndiyamangaliswa bubukhulu bendawo. Isikwere ubuncinane siphindwe kathathu ubukhulu beSt. Peter's eRoma. Mhlawumbi ngaphezulu. Icawa yokuqala incinci, ngoko ngo-2004, icawa ehlala abantu abayi-8,000 yakhiwa. Icawe entsha ithambile, intle, kwaye inkulu, kwaye ayinabo ubushushu becawe endala (encinci). Oko kukuphucula kwakho.
Phandle kwindawo kawonke-wonke kulapho wonke umsebenzi ukhoyo, njengoko amawaka ngamawaka abantu engena kwindawo evulekileyo. Bafika ngamaza, bevela kuzo zonke iikona. Ukubukela ubuso obuninzi obundingqongileyo, obungafaniyo nam – ozinikeleyo nothembekileyo – ndoyikeka.
Kukho abantu ababambe amakhandlela amahlanu ubude, athengwe njengeminikelo. Ikhandlela elivuthayo "umngxuma" olungiselelwe ngokukodwa ukunikezelwa kwekhandlela, udubula amadangatye amakhulu emoyeni. Ndibona abantu behleli bodwa, bethule becengceleza irosari.
Kukho ke abantu abaguqe ngamadolo – “behamba” beguqe ngamadolo kwindlela ende enamatye ebhastile. Ndibona oomama bethwele abantwana babo. Abanye babambe isandla somntwana wabo omncinane. Kukho abafana, amantombazana akwishumi elivisayo, abayeni ababambe isandla somfazi othabatha uhambo eguqe ngamadolo. Kukho ootata kunye nosapho lwakhe lonke behamba ngokuzolileyo emva kwakhe njengoko ezama ukugcina ibhalansi. Yintoni eye yabangela ukuba aba bantu bazibophelele ngolo hlobo? Ibuhlungu intliziyo. Kuyandoyisa. Ndihlala kwipavumente yekhonkrithi ecaleni kwale ndlela yokuguqa kwentsizi, kwaye ndinikezele kwinto ebendiyilwela ixeshana – ndiyakhala ndiphinde ndilile ngakumbi. Andindedwa. Kuwo wonke lo mmandla kum kukho abantu abathandazayo njengoko iinyembezi zithe cwaka zisehla ezidleleni zabo.
Njengoko ndimi phakathi kwamawakawaka abantu endingabaziyo bemanyene emthandazweni naselukholweni, andikwazi kuzibamba ngaphandle kokucinga ngegama elithi, Fatima. Asikuko ukunxulumana konqulo negama, kodwa imvelaphi yegama ngokwalo.
AmaPhuthukezi athi iFatima yeyabo, kwaye uninzi lwabafazi abangamaPhuthukezi kuthiwa nguFatima. Kodwa eli gama alikude nokuba lisiPhuthukezi. Igama elithi Fatima, ekwathiywa ngalo idolophu yasePortugal, ngokwenyani sisiArabhu (Fatimah) kwaye lisuka kumaMoors alawula iPeninsula yase-Iberia iminyaka. AmaMoors ayengamaSilamsi. UFatimah, wayeyinkosazana yamaMoor, intombi kaMuhammad, umprofeti wamaSilamsi.
Xa ndicinga ngale nto, ndiyazibuza ukuba ingaba yinto nje eyenzeke ngebhaqo ukuba umntu wenkolo yobuKrestu, ethandwa kakhulu ngabalandeli bakhe abathembekileyo, akhethe ngokungakhethiyo uFatima ukuba ambonise imimangaliso kwaye acele umthandazo? Okanye ngaba, ngokuzibonakalisa eFatima, ezama ukusixelela ukuba kungakhathaliseki ukuba sinokholo olungakanani, siluhlanga olunye, nokuba ngandlel’ ithile, ngenxa yothando lwazo zonke iinkolelo zonqulo, sifanele nje sizame ukuvana?
Ndikhetha ukukholelwa ukuba ayisiyiyo kwaphela into eyenzekayo.
INTO ONOKUYITHATHA KWELI NQAKU:
- As I think about this, I wonder if it is a mere coincidence that a Christian religious figure, so deeply loved by her faithful followers, randomly chose Fatima to show her miracles and ask for prayer.
- I sit on the concrete pavement along this path of kneeling sorrows, and give in to what I have been fighting for a while –.
- To the Portuguese and her faithful around the globe, a pilgrimage to Fatima, located two hours north of Lisbon, is a must in your lifetime.
