Ko e maté ko e fili fakamanavahē ia. ʻOku tau faitau mo ia ʻaki hotau mālohí kotoa. ʻOku tau feinga nai ke fakaʻikaiʻi ia ʻi he taimi ʻoku hoko ai ki ha taha ʻoku tau ʻofa ai. Pe, ʻi he tuʻunga ʻo e kei talavoú, ʻoku tau fakakaukauloto nai ko e fili ko iá heʻikai ʻaupito te ne uesia kitautolu—ko ha fakakaukau hala ia kuo tau pipiki ki ai ʻi ha taimi fuoloa.

ʻOku fakakaukau ʻa e niʻihi fekauʻaki mo e taʻefaʻamaté ʻo lahi ange ia ʻi he kau Felo ʻo e kuonga muʻá. ʻOku nau fakamoleki ʻa e lahi taha ʻo ʻenau moʻuí tonu—fakataha mo e moʻui ʻa e laui afe ʻo e kau ngāué—ʻi he feinga ke ikunaʻi ʻa e maté. Ko e ngaahi pilamita naʻa nau langá ko ha fakamoʻoni ia ki heʻenau fakatotoló—mo ʻenau taʻelavameʻá.

Naʻe muimui ʻa e kau ʻemipola Siainá ʻi he misi meimei tatau ʻo e taʻefaʻamaté ka ʻi he tuʻunga kehe—ʻa ia ko ha fananga ʻo e fakalōloa ʻo e moʻuí. Naʻe fakahaaʻi ʻe ʻEmipola Qin Shi Huang naʻe maʻu heʻene kau huʻi kemikalé ha faitoʻo fakaemana ʻe lava ke ne taʻofi ʻa e maté. Ka ko e lahi taha ʻo ʻenau ngaahi huʻí naʻe ʻi ai ʻa e meakuli kona mo e ngaahi huʻi kehe naʻe iku ʻo ne mate ai.

ʻI he senituli 16 T.S., ko ha fakatotolo Sipeini ko Juan Ponce de León naʻá ne folaua ʻa e Kalipiané ʻi heʻene fekumi ki he tupuʻanga ʻo e kei talavoú. ʻI he hoko atu ʻene fekumí naʻá ne ʻiloʻi ʻa Florida, U.S.A. ka naʻá ne mate ʻi ha ngaahi taʻu ki mui ai hili ʻa e fepaki ʻa e kakai tuʻufonua ʻo ʻAmeliká. Pea naʻe ʻikai ʻaupito pē ke ʻiloʻi ʻa e tupuʻanga ʻo e kei talavoú.

Ko e kau Feló, ʻemipolá mo e kau fakatotoló naʻa nau feingaʻaki ʻenau lelei tahá ke ikunaʻi ʻa e maté. Pea ko hai ia ʻia kitautolu te tau fakasiʻia ʻenau taumuʻá neongo kapau ʻoku ʻikai ke tau saiʻia ʻi heʻenau ngaahi foungá? Kia kitautolu, ʻoku tau fiemaʻu ke hokohoko atu ʻetau moʻuí.

Ko e hā ʻoku tau fakafepakiʻi ai ʻa e maté? ʻOku fakamatalaʻi ʻe he Tohi Tapú ʻa e ʻuhingá. ʻI he fekauʻaki mo hotau Tokotaha Fakatupú, ʻa Sihova ko e ʻOtuá * ʻoku pehē ai: “Kuo ne ngaohi kotoa  ke fakaʻofoʻofa ʻi hono kuonga; kaeʻumaʻa kuo ne ʻai ʻa itaniti ki honau [faʻahinga ʻo e tangatá] loto.” (Koheleti 3:11) ʻOku tau saiʻia ke tau fiefia ʻi he fakaʻofoʻofa ʻo e māmaní ʻo taʻengata kae ʻikai ko ha taʻu pē ʻe 80 pe lahi ange. (Saame 90:10) Ko e holi ia hotau lotó.

Ko e hā naʻe ʻai ai ʻe he ʻOtuá ʻa “itaniti” ki hotau lotó? Koeʻuhí pē ke fakalotomamahiʻi kitautolu? ʻOku taʻetotonu ia. ʻI hono kehé, ʻoku talaʻofa ʻa e ʻOtuá kiate kitautolú ʻe ikunaʻi ʻa e maté. ʻOku toutou leaʻaki ʻe he Tohi Tapú fekauʻaki mo e toʻo ʻosi ʻa e maté mo e talaʻofa ʻa e ʻOtuá ki he moʻui taʻengatá.—Sio ki he puha,  “Ikunaʻi ʻa e Maté.”

Ko Sīsū Kalaisi tonu naʻá ne fakamatalaʻi mahino ʻi heʻene pehē: “Ko ʻeni ia ʻe maʻu ai ʻa e moʻui taʻengatá, ko ʻenau hoko ʻo ʻiloʻi koe, ko e ʻOtua moʻoni pē taha, pea mo e tokotaha ko ia naʻá ke fekau maí, ʻa Sīsū Kalaisi.” (Sione 17:3) Ko ia, ko e faitau ke fakafepakiʻi ʻa e maté ʻoku ʻikai ko ha ʻamanaki tōnoa ia. Kae kehe, naʻe fakapapauʻi ʻe Sīsū, ko e ʻOtuá pē taha ʻe lava ke ne ikunaʻi ʻa e faitau ko ení maʻa kitautolu.