St. Francis de Sales

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Friday, 24 January 2025 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Lord contained within the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the calling that each and every one of us have as Christians, that is as those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord, Saviour and King, that we must always proclaim Him in all of our words, actions and deeds, in every interactions that we have with our fellow brothers and sisters around us. Each and every one of us as the members of the Church of God are partakers of the Covenant which God has made with us all through His Son, and we are the ones to be His witnesses and missionaries to the people of every nations, to all those whom we encounter in our lives each day. We are all called to be the role models and inspirations for one another in faith.

In our first reading today, taken from the continuation of the Epistle to the Hebrews, we continue to hear again the focus and emphasis by the author of this Epistle on the role that Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Mediator of the New Covenant between God and mankind had taken in the fulfilment of everything that God has promised to us. The author emphasised in the parts of the Epistle that we heard today on the New and Eternal Covenant which God has made with His people, mediated by none other than His own Beloved Son, sent into the world to be the Mediator of this New Covenant. Through Christ, our Lord and Saviour, God sealed and established this firm and everlasting promise, and guaranteed for all those who have faithfully committed themselves to His path, the fullness of His grace, love and blessings.

This Covenant is one that surpasses all the other prior covenants and contracts between God and His people. While the previous covenants had been broken and had to be constantly renewed because of the disobedience of God’s people, symbolised and shown by the frequent regular offerings of sin offerings and sacrifices at the Temple of God, the One, True and Eternal Covenant which the Lord has brought upon us and sealed with none other than His own Precious Blood, through His Passion, His suffering and death on the Cross, by which He has established and made firm this Covenant, which is not just merely an empty promise or assurance without fulfilment. God Himself showed His faithfulness through action, and the Cross of Christ, with our Lord shown hanging on it, is a constant reminder of the price that our Lord has paid for us.

This is something which the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews wanted to highlight to the Jewish community, many of whom have not yet believed in the Lord and refused to listen to His truth, or doubt the authenticity of His teachings and works, as through Christ, there is no more need for anymore sacrifices and offerings, all which have been replaced by the one sacrifice that Christ has made on our behalf, to atone for all the multitudes of our many and innumerable sins and faults, once and for all. This was also an explanation of the sufferings which the Lord had endured on His Cross, which to those who did not understand the significance, might seem like a defeat or humiliation. On the contrary, it was through this suffering and death that the Lord has established His New and Eternal Covenant.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist in which the account of the Lord calling His disciples, those twelve principal followers He had chosen, was highlighted to us. Through these disciples, the Lord extended His works and ministry, sending them all out on missions to proclaim His Good News, to heal the sick and to carry out the works that He Himself wanted to do among us. And this is also a reminder for all of us that as Christians, we are all also expected to be the ones to deliver this truth and Good News to everyone around us. Through us and our faithful witnesses, our testimony of faith we may lead more and more people into this Covenant that God has made with us all, and which He has offered freely and generously by His love.

Each and every one of us as Christians must always be active in proclaiming the Good News of God, not only through words but also through actions. It means that in each and every moments of our lives, even in the smallest of things that we say and do, and even in the seemingly least significant things, we should always strive to live worthily as those who believe in the Lord, to be exemplary in all of our actions and interactions with one another. God has indeed made His everlasting Covenant with us, but many still remain unaware of this Covenant and the love that God has for us all. And it is truly up to us all as Christians, as the disciples and followers of the Lord to be the ones to proclaim this truth and salvation to all.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Francis de Sales, one of the renowned saints of the Church, a great and holy bishop who was dedicated in his mission and service to God and to the people of God. He was someone who was truly missionary in his life, works and ministry, approaching others with gentleness and love, and not with coercion and force. He was involved deeply in the efforts of Counter-Reformation where his efforts and hard work brought back many thousands, tens of thousands and more back to the true faith in God. He did not do so by being forceful or haughty and assertive, but rather through genuine discussion, journeying with one another and engaging in dialogue. And even with these, he still faced a lot of struggles and opposition from those who refused to listen to him and the truth of God.

St. Francis de Sales ministered to the people of God throughout the areas affected by the Protestant reformation, and eventually became the Bishop of Geneva in what is today Switzerland, which at that time was greatly affected by the reformation. He continued to minister to the faithful and also to everyone who refused to believe in the Catholic truth and faith. At the same time he continued to inspire many through his preaching and great personal holiness and piety. He was well-known for his words, ‘Those who preached with love, preached effectively’, showing great love and care for everyone whom he encountered throughout his missions and works, all the way to the end of his life after many years being spent in ministry to the people of God and glorifying God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore do our best to follow the good examples showed to us by St. Francis de Sales and ultimately, by the Lord Himself. Through their love and compassionate care, they have become great inspiration and role model for all of us as Christians, in how we all should devote ourselves to the Lord and in how we should act in doing God’s will at all times. Let us all as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people, be filled with the courage and strong desire to love the Lord and to commit ourselves to Him, to be the shining beacons of God’s love, truth and Good News to everyone around us. May God bless each one of us, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 24 January 2025 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Mark 3 : 13-19

At that time, Jesus went up into the hill country, and called those He wanted and they came to Him. He appointed twelve to be with Him, and He called them ‘Apostles’. He wanted to send them out to preach, and He gave them authority to drive out demons.

These are the Twelve : Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James, son of Zebedee, and John his brother, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, which means ‘men of thunder’; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alpheus, Thaddeus, Simon the Canaanean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him.

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Friday, 24 January 2025 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 84 : 8 and 10, 11-12, 13-14

Show us, o Lord, Your unfailing love and grant us Your saving help. Yet Your salvation is near to those who fear You, and Your Glory will dwell in our land.

Love and faithfulness have met; righteousness and peace have embraced. Faithfulness will reach up from the earth while justice bends down from heaven.

The Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its fruit. Justice will go before Him, and peace will follow along His path.

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Friday, 24 January 2025 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Hebrews 8 : 6-13

Now, however, Jesus enjoys a much higher ministry in being the Mediator of a better covenant, founded on better promises. If all had been perfect in the first covenant, there would have been no need for another one. Yet God sees defects when He says : The days are coming – it is the word of the Lord – when I will draw up a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.

It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt. They did not keep My covenant, and so I Myself have forsaken them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the people of Israel in the days to come : I will put My law into their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be My people.

None of them will have to teach one another or say to each other : Know the Lord, for they will know Me from the least to the greatest. I will forgive their sins and no longer remember their wrongs. Here we are being told of a new covenant; which means that the first one had become obsolete, and what is obsolete and ageing is soon to disappear.

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Wednesday, 24 January 2024 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded to listen to the Lord and to His words being spoken in our hearts and minds, so that each and every one of us may continue to walk faithfully in His Presence, and that we will continue to grow ever stronger in faith and dedication to Him, and not be easily swayed by the many temptations and falsehoods, wickedness and evils present all around us in this world. As long as we remain receptive to God’s words, and allow Him to touch our lives, we will continue to grow in faith and strength, holiness and grace.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Samuel in which King David of Israel, after having united the kingdom, defeated the enemies of Israel and conquered Jerusalem, the city that he made to be the new capital of the kingdom, he finally had peace and prosperity throughout his kingdom. And then, King David desired to build a proper House, a great Temple dedicated to God and for His worship in Jerusalem, which he then conveyed to the prophet Nathan, the prophet who likely succeeded Samuel in being the prophet of God among the people of Israel.

Initially Nathan told David that he should do whatever it is that he had planned, but God then later on told David through Nathan, that it was not for him to build the House and Temple which he had intended to build for Him. Instead, it would be his son, Solomon, the next King, who would be the one to build the Holy Temple. The Lord also used that opportunity to tell David that He shall keep the rule of David’s house and family firm forever, and that He will always be with His beloved people forever. He reminded David how He has been with all of them, and with him as well throughout his journey, and how He will continue to provide for all who put their trust and faith in Him.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the famous parable of the sower which the Lord Jesus told and explained to the people who were gathered there to listen to Him. The parable of the sower showed how the sower spread the seeds that fell on various places, and how each of those seeds turned out to be. Some of those seeds fell on the roadside only to be picked up and eaten by the birds of the air, representing all those who have ignored God’s words, His truth and calling, and hence, the evil ones came to snatch them into the path of darkness.

And yet, some other seeds fell on rocky ground, where the seeds could not properly germinate and get themselves rooted, representing all those who have not allowed the Lord’s words to penetrate into their hearts and minds, as they hardened their hearts and minds against Him and His truth, out of pride, arrogance and greed, amongst other things. Then, those seeds that fell amongst brambles and thistles are those who allowed themselves to receive the word of God, His calling and all, but they were tempted and persuaded by worldly temptations, and failed to allow the Lord’s words to fully grow and mature in them. Only those seeds that fell into the fertile soil managed to germinate and grow well, and not just that, but even managing to produce many more times than what were sown. These are the ones who truly listen to the Lord, understanding His will and committed themselves to Him wholeheartedly.

As we have heard from the parable of the sower, that those who have been faithful to God, and provided the ‘fertile soil’ for the Lord’s words to be sown in their hearts and minds, like that of David’s example as highlighted in our first reading today, the results and outcome of that faith will truly be blessed, and most bountiful in its fruits, bearing much goodness, in thirty, sixty and hundredfold beyond what was initially sown. David for example was receptive to the Lord’s call, and persevered throughout his life to do God’s will, and from there, many good things came upon him, his family and the people of God.

Now, the choice is ours to make, brothers and sisters in Christ, whether we want to do what God has called us to do and to listen to His will, or whether we prefer to walk our own path, and following the whim of our desires and the various temptations present all around us in this world. Let us all remember that our faith in God has to be constantly nurtured, and our relationship with Him strengthened, which is how we provide that ‘fertile soil’ for the seeds of faith planted in us to grow. Unless we do our part in living our lives faithfully as Christians, then it is quite likely that we will continue falling again and again into sin.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Francis de Sales, a great and renowned servant of God, whose life and dedication to God have been great inspiration to many people who were strengthened and empowered by his examples. St. Francis de Sales was born into a noble family and was raised to be a magistrate and civil servant by his family, which led him to be very well educated. However, God has different plan for St. Francis de Sales, as He began planting the seeds of calling in him, to do more for the salvation of souls, which he responded positively, and eventually leading him down the path to priesthood.

He did not have it easy as his family, especially his father objected to this path, but eventually, after St. Francis de Sales continued to insist on continuing his path, and refusing to marry or become a politician or civil servant as his family intended, he was ordained as a priest. As a priest, St. Francis de Sales was extensively involved in missionary work in the region of Geneva in what is Switzerland today, amidst the height of the Protestant reformation, when many left the Church to follow the various Protestant sects that were then present, especially the Calvinists.

St. Francis de Sales patiently carried out his works and devoted himself to all those who had been entrusted to him, caring for them spiritually and revealing God’s words and truth to them, winning the hearts of many, and not few returned to the embrace of the Holy Mother Church through his efforts. And even later on, after he was appointed and made the Bishop of Geneva, he continued even more ardently with his works and missions, preaching the truth of God to more and more people, even to those who were stubborn and refused to listen to the truth of God. His many inspirational writings made him to be declared as one of the Doctors of the Church many years later after his passing.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, through the examples of King David of Israel and St. Francis de Sales, we all can see clearly how God had done so many wonderful works through His servants who have responded and answered His calling well. Each and every one of us as Christians have also been called to follow the Lord in our own ways, and we have been entrusted with the various missions and vocations in our respective parts of life, for us to follow through. Are we all willing to answer God’s call and to do what we can so that we can inspire all those around us with our exemplary life and faith? Let us all discern carefully our path in life so that in whatever we do, we will always strive to glorify God and to put Him first and foremost in all things. May God be with us always, and may He empower us all to live ever more faithfully in His Presence. Amen.

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Wednesday, 24 January 2024 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Mark 4 : 1-20

At that time, Jesus began to teach by the lake; but such a large crowd gathered about Him, that He got into a boat and sat in it on the lake, while the crowd stood on the shore. He taught them many things through parables. In His teaching, He said, “Listen! The sower went out to sow. As he sowed, some of the seed fell along a path; and the birds came and ate it up.”

“Some of the seed fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil; it sprang up immediately, because it had no depth; but when the sun rose and burnt it, it withered, because it had no roots. Other seed fell among thorn bushes; and the thorns grew and choked it; so it did not produce any grain.”

“But some seed fell on good soil, grew and increased and yielded grain; some seed produced thirty times as much, some sixty, and some one hundred times as much.” And Jesus added, “Listen then, if you have ears.”

When the crowd went away, some who were around Him with the Twelve asked about the parables. He answered them, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But for those outside, everything comes in parables, so, that, the more they see, they do not perceive; the more they hear, they do not understand; otherwise they would be converted and pardoned.”

Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How, then, will you understand any of the parables? What the sower is sowing is the word. Those along the path, where the seed fell, are people who hear the word, but as soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.”

“Other people receive the word like rocky ground. As soon as they hear the word, they accept it with joy. But they have no roots, so it lasts only a little while. No sooner does trouble or persecution come because of the word, than they fall. Others receive the seed, as seed among thorns. After they hear the word, they are caught up in the worries of this life, false hope of riches and other desires. All these come in and choke the word, so that finally it produces nothing.”

“And there are others who receive the word as good soil. They hear the word, take it to heart and produce : some thirty, some sixty, and some one hundred times as much.”

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Wednesday, 24 January 2024 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 88 : 4-5, 27-28, 29-30

I have made a Covenant with David, My chosen one; I have made a pledge to My servant. I establish his descendants forever; I build his throne for all generations.

He will call on Me, “You are my Father, my God, my Rock, my Saviour.” I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.

I will keep My Covenant firm forever, and My love for him will endure. His dynasty will last forever; and his throne, as long as the heavens.

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Wednesday, 24 January 2024 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

2 Samuel 7 : 4-17

That very night, YHVH’s word came to Nathan, “Go and tell My servant David, this is what YHVH says : Are you able to build a house for Me to live in? I have not dwelt in any house since I brought the Israelites up from Egypt to the present day. But I went about with a tent for shelter. As long as I walked with the Israelites, did I say anything to the chiefs of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel? Did I say : Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?”

“Now you will tell My servant David, this is what YHVH of Hosts says : I took you from the pasture, from tending the sheep, to make you commander of My people Israel. I have been with you wherever you went, cutting down all your enemies before you. Now I will make your name great, as the name of the great ones on earth.”

“I will provide a place for My people Israel and plant them that they may live there in peace. They shall no longer be harassed, nor shall wicked man oppress them as before. From the time when I appointed judges over My people Israel it is only to you that I have given rest from all your enemies. YHVH also tells you that He will build you a house.”

“When the time comes for you to rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your son after you, the one born of you; and I will make his reign secure. He shall build a house for My Name and I will firmly establish his kingship forever. I will be a Father to him and he shall be My son. If he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod, as men do.”

“But I will not withdraw My kindness from him as I did from Saul when I removed him out of your way. Your house and your reign shall last forever before Me, and your throne shall be forever firm.”

Nathan repeated these words and related this vision to David.

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Tuesday, 24 January 2023 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the Scriptures, all of us are called to remember that what is important for us all as Christians, is to obey the Lord, our God, and to do whatever it is that He has revealed and taught to us. The Law and the commandments which He has shown and revealed to us through His Son, and which has been passed down through His Church, are all that we are expected to follow and obey, as the basic and fundamental part of being a follower of Christ and as the servants and the people of God’s Light and Truth. If we claim to be Christians and yet totally contrary in how we live our lives and in how we act, then we are no better than hypocrites and unbelievers, who do not truly believe in what the Lord had taught and revealed to us.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle to the Hebrews, of the author telling his intended audience, that is the Jewish converts to the Christian faith, as well as to the rest of the Jewish community, that the Lord Jesus as the Messiah or the Saviour of the whole world has redeemed all of them, all of mankind, by His suffering and death on the Cross. By the Lord’s offering of His own Most Precious Body and Blood on His Cross, the Altar of the Cross at Calvary, the Lord Jesus Himself has given us all the most perfect gift of love from God, and by acting as our High Priest, He delivered us all from the destruction that we should have suffered and deserved because of our disobedience and sins against God. Through His offering, once and for all He had liberated all of mankind from the tyranny of sin and assured for them the reward of eternal life, should they remain true and faithful to Him.

The author also pointed out that the regular and constant offerings and sacrifices carried out at the Temple in Jerusalem were therefore no longer needed or relevant, as the Lord’s sacrifice has assured and won for everyone the forgiveness and absolutions for all of their innumerable sins, from the most distant past to the present, and to the distant future and to the end of time. His offering of Himself as the Lamb of God, the Paschal Lamb is sufficient and worthy to redeem all of us from our many sins and reconcile us to our most loving God and Father. There was (and is) therefore no further need to have the regular and constant sacrifices offered by the priests and the High Priests as the Lord Himself has redeemed us by His one and only singular sacrifice on His Cross that transcends all time and boundaries, reaching out to all of us.

Then some of those who did not understand our practices and faith might then accuse us, as it had happened and is happening even now, that our Catholic and Christian faith is not following the Law and commandments of God because in the celebration of the Holy Mass is described as a sacrifice, that is the ‘Holy Sacrifice of the Mass’. But that is exactly what the Holy Mass is, it is the very same sacrifice of the Lord, the Bloody sacrifice that He performed at Calvary, transcending time and space, which is then commemorated, marked and remembered again and again at every single celebration of the Holy Mass. However, contrary to the mistaken beliefs of those who misunderstood our faith, each celebration of the Holy Mass does not constitute a new sacrifice that the priest performs again and again.

This is therefore unlike that of the priests and the High Priests performing the sacrifices using the Law of God according to Moses, following the rituals and practices that came before the Lord and His revelations, and especially before His great sacrifice on His Cross. Those priests in the past needed to continue offering sacrifices back then because the offering of the blood of animals and the animals themselves, although physically supposed to be unblemished, but those offerings pale in comparison to the offering that the Lord Himself had made on our behalf, as He offered no less than Himself, His whole Being, His Most Precious Body and Blood, being broken for us and being poured upon us, from His Cross, for the salvation of all mankind, all without exception.

Our priests and bishops all acted ‘in persona Christi’ as they entered into the most solemn moments of the Consecration and the Eucharist during the Holy Mass, turning the bread and wine that were brought to the Altar into the reality, essence, and true nature of the Most Precious Body and the Most Precious Blood of the Lord. This means that while physically in appearance it seems that nothing has changed to the bread and wine consecrated to be the Most Holy Eucharist, but the truth is that in all levels of reality, in physical nature, essence, spiritual nature and more, the bread has been turned into the Lord’s own Most Precious Body, while the wine has been turned into the Lord’s own Most Precious Blood. And this belief exists at the very core and foundation of our Christian faith, without which we truly cannot call ourselves as Christians, or as the believers of Christ, Our Lord and Saviour.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, just as we are reminded of this core tenet of our faith today, we are also reminded through the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews and from the Lord Himself in our Gospel passage today that, what the Lord truly wants from each and every one of us is obedience, for us to listen to the Lord and to follow His will, to follow where He has been calling and leading us towards, and to be humble in all time and opportunities so that we may truly be able to appreciate just how blessed and fortunate we have been that our Lord and most loving God has continuously reached out to us and patiently endured our often stubborn attitudes and refusal to listen to Him. He still patiently called out to us and reached out to us regardless, giving us time and opportunities, again and again, just so that we may find our way back to Him.

Today, all of us should follow the examples of one great saint whose faith and dedication to the Lord can become a great source of inspiration for us to be more faithful ourselves in living our lives as Christians. St. Francis de Sales was the famous inspiration behind the later foundation of the Salesian order, and he was also a pious and devoted man of God, as a bishop and shepherd to his flock. He was always referring to God as ‘God is Love’ and was convinced that God’s Love for us was so great, which drove him to continue carrying out more missions and works for the sake of the people of God. He became a priest and missionary in opposition to his family’s insistence that he took up secular role, having been born into privileged, rich and powerful family at that time. He chose to serve the Lord rather than indulging in his or his family’s own desires.

St. Francis de Sales dedicated himself to his mission, ministering even to the hard-heartened and stubborn heretics who initially refused to listen to him and even accused him to be a sorcerer. When he was appointed as bishop, he continued to serve the people entrusted to his care with great humility, devotion and love both for the Lord and for the people. He preached with great zeal and sincerity, and with great love and compassion, which touched quite a lot among the people, who were either led closer to conversion and reconciliation with God, or drawn away from heretical teachings or being strengthened and affirmed in their faith thanks to the hard work and dedication of St. Francis de Sales. The commitment and love which St. Francis de Sales had for the Lord is something that should inspire us all to do the same as well in our own lives.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore seek to be more faithful to God just as St. Francis de Sales and many other saints, holy men and women of God had done before us. Let us all do our best in our daily lives and at every moments to listen to the Lord’s call and His will, and be humble in obeying all that He had told and asked us to do. May all of us be ever more obedient and committed in our faith, and draw ever closer to the Lord and His path. May God bless us all in our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 24 January 2023 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Mark 3 : 31-35

At that time, the mother and brothers of Jesus came. As they stood outside, they sent someone to call Him. The crowd sitting around Jesus told Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are outside asking for You.”

He replied, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” And looking around at those who sat there, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers. Whoever does the will of God is brother and sister and mother to Me.”