[00:00:05] Hello, my name is Sally Moriarty-Flask. Welcome to: From His Word to Our Hearts, my weekly Bible Study podcast. Together we will explore the readings to be proclaimed at the Catholic Mass on Sunday, September 28, 2025, the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
[00:00:23] This week's episode is entitled: Filling in the Chasms We Create, and these readings challenge us to choose generosity in this life while we still have time.
Jesus reminds us that when we separate ourselves from others here on earth by selfishly neglecting the poor, the sick, and the needy, we create deep chasms that will follow us into the next life. Since our actions can impact that future, what do we want our afterlife to look like?
[00:01:08] So let's begin in prayer:
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, we praise you and we thank you for all the good things you have given us in this life. Help us who have comfort in this life, be generous to those who do not. Teach us to care for all who are on the margins of society, so that we do not allow ourselves to be separated from them or from you in this life or the next. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Now that we've opened our hearts in prayer, let's listen to what God is telling us in the Scriptures.
[00:01:53] Our Gospel this week is from Luke 16: 19-31.
[00:02:00] “[Jesus said to the Pharisees:] ‘There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Laz’arus, full of sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Laz’arus in his bosom. And he called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Laz’arus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.” But Abraham said, “Son, remember that you in your lifetime received good things, and Laz’arus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.” And he said, “Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.” But Abraham said, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.” And he said, “No, father Abraham; but if some one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” He said to him, “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.”’”
[00:04:26] While last week's Parable of the Dishonest Steward was addressed to Jesus’ disciples, the Pharisees were still nearby and also heard what Jesus said. In the verses the Lectionary omitted between last week's passage and this week's, Jesus chastises the Pharisees for the behaviors they adopt that do not adhere to Mosaic Law. Then he launches into this week's parable - that of the Rich Man and Lazarus - which he then addresses directly to the Pharisees.
[00:05:06] Now, the rich man may have been a decent enough sort in the last parable, but not so in this one; and this is not the Lazarus we encounter in John's Gospel (this is not the close friend of Jesus).
[00:05:23] This parable is found only in Luke, and it begins the same way last week's parable did, with the words: “There was a rich man” but after that, the two parables go in radically different directions.
[00:05:40] So, let's listen in…
[00:05:42] “[Jesus said to the Pharisees:] ‘There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.
[00:05:57] That really sets the scene for us, IF we understand everything Jesus is saying. So, let's delve into that a bit.
[00:06:07] Purple, first of all, was a very costly dye, affordable only by those who were very wealthy. In fact, it was often reserved for royalty - it was such an expensive color.
[00:06:22] Fine linen is another measure of wealth, and it should make us think of Genesis, of how Pharaoh clothed Joseph in fine linen as a sign of the Egyptian ruler's favor after Joseph was able to explain Pharaoh's dreams.
[00:06:43] And finally, we hear that he indulged in extravagant meals every day, not just on special occasions, but on a regular basis. In fact, Jesus describes them as sumptuous.
[00:07:00] All of those details indicate that the rich man possessed obvious and excessive wealth, which he spent freely ON HIMSELF.
[00:07:14] “And at his gate lay a poor man named Laz’arus,”
[00:07:20] It's interesting to note that the rich man isn't named, but the poor man is. We know the poor man's name… we are told his name is Lazarus. That is an indication of which of the two Jesus felt was more important. Then Jesus gives us another detail.
[00:07:43] Lazarus was…
“full of sores,”
[00:07:47] Obviously that means he was ill and neglected. Again, the rich man spent freely on himself while poor Lazarus laid right outside his door.
[00:08:03] Then we're given another detail that Lazarus…
“desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table;”
[00:08:13] Notice Lazarus isn't asking to be included in these extravagant, sumptuous meals… he was hoping for nothing more than scraps left over from those daily feasts.
[00:08:30] And the last detail we're given is…
“moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.”
[00:08:38] That doesn't sound as bad to us as it should. We have to be aware that Jesus isn't talking about the family pet here.
[00:08:50] At that time, dogs were seen as unclean animals, scavengers that roamed in packs and ate dead or wounded animals. There was even a curse associated with dogs licking up blood, and that is found in 1 Kings 21. Again… Jesus ISN'T talking about the family pet.
[00:09:15] He's talking about animals with which faithful Jews should not even associate. Then we are told…
“The poor man died”
[00:09:28] That is an inevitability… death comes for us all eventually.
[00:09:36] But by placing himself at the rich man's gate, Lazarus was clearly hoping to receive some measure of mercy from the rich man. And just as clearly, he did not, since death came for him instead.
“and he was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom.”
[00:10:03] The concept of individual life after death didn't develop until the Second Temple period (which was roughly 500 BC to about 70 AD) when the temple was destroyed by the Romans.
[00:10:20] As belief in life after death became more commonplace, the idea of separating the just from the unjust in an afterlife also grew. The bosom of Abraham was a theological concept that was proposed in order to establish a temporary realm where the righteous of the Old Covenant went after death to await final judgment. Judgment separated from those who were unrighteous.
[00:10:56] “The rich man also died and was buried;”
We hear one detail there that we do not hear regarding Lazarus. The rich man was buried. We don't think much of that because a funeral and burial goes hand-in-hand with death in our society. However, things didn't always work out that way in biblical times.
[00:11:20] Clearly the rich man could afford a funeral, lavish or otherwise, whereas Lazarus, in his poverty, could not.
[00:11:32] And we are told that the rich man was…
“in Hades, being in torment,”
[00:11:39] Just as the theological concept of the bosom of Abraham was developing, the perception of Hades was also changing. Hades at one time had been viewed simply as a place of quiet, where all people went after death.
[00:12:01] However, with the concept of individual life after death becoming more commonplace, and the idea of the bosom of Abraham being where the dead JUST went, there had to be someplace else where those who were UNJUST went after death. And that is how Hades came to be understood as a place of eternal torment reserved specifically for those who were unjust and wicked.
[00:12:40] Given the rich man's lifestyle, we shouldn't be surprised that he ended up in Hades, in torment, because of his own selfish choices.
[00:12:53] [The rich man] lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Laz’arus in his bosom.”
The fortunes of the two men have now been reversed.
“And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Laz’arus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.”
[00:13:20] It's apparent from that statement that the rich man knew who Lazarus was and yet, even under torment for his own wickedness, he still refuses to recognize Lazarus' inherent dignity as a fellow human being.
[00:13:45] All he wants to do is put this poor man, who had sat as a beggar outside of his gates, to work for his own benefit. Now the tables are truly turned, and it is the rich man who hopes to receive mercy.
[00:14:04] “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Laz’arus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.’”
[00:14:24] Meaning that the rich man is being denied the mercy for which he hoped, not by Lazarus, but by Abraham himself on Lazarus’ behalf.
“And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed”
That chasm is fixed by God.
“in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.”
[00:15:00] Meaning that once you're in torment, you can't just decide then - oh, gosh, I really don't want to be here… let me be in heaven instead.
No, no, no! That's not how this works.
The rich man had plenty of opportunities to prevent his current fate. He could, at any time, have crossed the socio-economic chasm that separated him from Lazarus in life but - time and time again - he chose not to do so. Now, it's simply too late!
“And [the rich man] said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’”
[00:15:54] Even when asking for a great favor, the rich man still neglects to acknowledge Lazarus' dignity. He just says, “send him.” And sure, at face value, the rich man's request doesn't seem horribly out of line, but on closer inspection, we notice that he doesn't ask that Lazarus go and warn everyone.
[00:16:27] No, no, no! Even in this he is still selfish, since he only asks that his five brothers be warned.
“But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’”
[00:16:47] Meaning the Scriptures are readily available to every faithful Jew… they should listen to the Law and the Prophets. That's what Abraham means… by Moses - he means the Law - Moses is considered the Lawgiver.
[00:17:04] They should listen to the Law and the Prophets. And make no mistake, the Scriptures are clear!
[00:17:13] The Law says, “you shall open wide your hand to the needy and the poor” (Deuteronomy 15).
[00:17:22] And the prophet Isaiah, in particular, says, “share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house” (Isaiah 58). But that message is also throughout the prophets.
[00:17:40] The information that the rich man's brothers need is right there, fully accessible to them in the Scriptures, if only they would listen to it and act upon it.
[00:17:56] “And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if some one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’”
[00:18:04] We know that's not the case though, right?
[00:18:07] Jesus rose from the dead, and yet neither the Jewish nor the Roman authorities believed or repented.
[00:18:17] “[Abraham] said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.’”
[00:18:28] Miracles can be perceived with the eyes of faith, but they do not create faith. The human heart must be softened and made ready to acknowledge God before it can recognize his handiwork.
[00:18:52] So no one who is indifferent to divine revelation as recorded in Sacred Scripture will benefit from a miracle… and that is exactly what Abraham is saying to the rich man.
[00:19:09] And we know that someone did rise from the dead. Jesus rose from the dead, and yet no one listened. Religious and civil authorities didn't hear, didn't listen, didn't repent.
[00:19:27] This parable shows the stark contrast between those who are financially well off and those who are not, which is unfortunately still the case today.
[00:19:42] And we need to understand - without a doubt - that wealth is NOT a sign of God's favor, nor is poverty a sign of God's disfavor.
[00:19:55] Wealth and poverty come about more as a result of background, education, opportunity, planning, and a great deal of either good or bad luck, rather than because of God's favor or disfavor.
[00:20:15] This parable desperately needs to be heard - and internalized - by each and every one of us, so that society stops demonizing the poor, the needy, the homeless, immigrants, refugees, and the mentally ill. And so that society takes positive actions toward improving their lives in this world before the chasms we are creating are too wide for us to bridge… here or in the afterlife.
[00:20:57] We need to do something positive now, while we can still impact what happens in our afterlives.
[00:21:07] That takes us to our First Reading, which is again from Amos 6: 1a, 4-7.
[00:21:15] “[Thus says the LORD, the God of Hosts:] ‘Woe to those who are at ease in Zion! Woe to those who lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the midst of the stall; who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp, and like David invent for themselves instruments of music; who drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! Therefore they shall now be the first of those to go into exile, and the revelry of those who stretch themselves shall pass away.’”
This is the second week in a row that we have a passage from Amos. And if you remember back to last week, I mentioned then that he is often called the Prophet of Social Justice… and his is a voice that is needed just as desperately today as it was in the Northern kingdom of Israel in the 8th century BC.
[00:22:31] In chapters 5 and 6, the prophet focuses on three different woes, or predictions of misfortune, that Amos says will occur if Israel doesn't change its ways. The first is: Woe to Israel who will be condemned for breaking the Covenant and exploiting their neighbors; the second is: Woe to those who rely on sacrifices and burnt offerings because God prefers justice and righteousness; and finally: Woe to those who are self-indulgent and complacent for God will raise up a nation to oppress Israel.
[00:23:21] That third and final warning is what we hear in this passage.
[00:23:27] So, let's listen to what Amos has to say…
[00:23:30] “[Thus says the LORD, the God of hosts:]
Meaning that Amos is speaking for God.
“Woe to those who are at ease in Zion!”
[00:23:42] Remember back to last week I said this is a time of great peace and prosperity, which allowed the wealthy to develop a whole host of immoral, unethical, and religiously hypocritical behaviors.
[00:23:59] Amos is presenting God's warning to the wealthy so that they can mend their ways rather than continuing to constantly widen the gulf that is growing between themselves and the poor and the needy. And - so that there is absolutely no question about which behaviors are unacceptable to God - Amos provides a list of behaviors that the wealthy have chosen to indulge themselves in with no care or concern for those who are less fortunate.
[00:24:40] And yes, we should absolutely be hearing echoes of today's parable in this reading! The wealthy elite in Israel are creating a great chasm between themselves and the poor and the needy.
[00:24:58] And do not mistake this… we - in our society - are doing exactly the same thing.
[00:25:08] This warning is as much to us as it was to Israel.
“Woe to those who lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the midst of the stall;”
[00:25:27] These images all have to do with an extravagant and elaborate banquet. Ivory was costly and creating beds or couches out of it would be extremely self-indulgent.
[00:25:43] Stretching out on couches refers to reclining in comfort at a sumptuous banquet while being waited on by servants.
[00:25:54] And then lamb was expensive and more tender than mutton, which comes from mature sheep. Mutton is what those who were less fortunate would have eaten, whereas the expensive and tender lamb would have been reserved for the wealthy. Calves mean veal, which was also more tender and more expensive than beef from full grown cattle.
Again, the wealthy are indulgently and purposefully creating a huge chasm to separate themselves from the poor and the needy. Then Amos goes on to talk about the entertainment at the banquet. Woe to those…
“who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp, and like David invent for themselves instruments of music;”
[00:26:49] Amos is contrasting the music David created to praise God with the music of these wealthy Israelites, which is purely for their own entertainment.
[00:27:05] Woe to those…
“who drink wine in bowls,”
[00:27:09] Large, wide bowls were used to decant wine to serve at banquets.
[00:27:16] But what Amos is saying is that the wealthy are not content to drink from a goblet filled from such a bowl. Oh no, no, no! Instead, they overindulge by drinking directly from the bowl itself.
“and anoint themselves with the finest oils,”
Again, that oil would have been olive oil.
[00:27:40] And olive oil was used for a number of purposes… it was used in cooking, it was burned in lamps to provide light, it was part of temple worship and sacrifice, i was used to treat wounds or illnesses, and to anoint prophets and kings.
[00:27:59] This type of anointing refers not to the practical, ceremonial, or medicinal use of oil, but to the strictly indulgent personal use of scented oil as a type of perfume.
“but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!”
[00:28:19] Amos is referring here to Genesis 37, when Joseph's brothers sat and enjoyed a meal together, apparently indifferent to the plight of their brother Joseph, whom they had just thrown into a pit, and whom they eventually sold into slavery to a passing group of Ishmaelites.
[00:28:43] Joseph's brothers, except Reuben, showed as little concern for Joseph as the wealthy Israelites show for the poor and the needy.
“Therefore they shall now be the first of those to go into exile,”
[00:29:02] Those who counted themselves first in social rank should be the first to be carried off into exile when Assyria finally conquers Israel, as it has conquered the countries that neighbor Israel - that is what Amos means.
[00:29:24] “and the revelry of those who stretch themselves shall pass away.”
[00:29:30] That's another reference to the wealthy of Israel - those who reclined at their sumptuous banquets and were waited on by servants - their parties and celebrations will end when they are carried off into exile.
[00:29:48] This passage is a warning to us in our modern society as well… worldly wealth is fleeting. It can be lost, stolen, or scammed away.
[00:30:05] And those who recklessly squander their wealth, who indulge freely in all the best money can buy but ignore the misery that is inflicted upon others, who disregard the plight of the poor and the needy - they are doomed! Oh, we won't be carried off into exile in Assyria, but - make no mistake - such greedy and arrogant behavior will create a monstrous chasm that will follow us into the next life.
[00:30:43] So, will we choose to suffer eternal torment because we're too selfish to care for those who are less fortunate than we are? Or will we choose to be generous with the good things that God gives us and fill in any chasms that we may have already created before it's simply too late?
[00:31:09] That brings us to our Responsorial Psalm, which is Psalm 146, and the refrain is:
“Praise the LORD, O my soul!”
And here are the verses:
“Happy is he who keeps faith for ever; who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free.”
“The LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous. The LORD watches over the sojourners.”
“The LORD upholds the widow and the fatherless; but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. The LORD will reign for ever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!”
[00:31:58] This Psalm is one of the Hallelujah Psalms (which are the last five Psalms in the Psalter), so called because they all begin and end with the Hebrew words hallelû (which means praise) and yāh (which is a shortened form of the Divine name - which Jews do not say)… meaning Praise Yah or Praise the Lord.
[00:32:25] This is a Hymn of Praise which encourages the Chosen People to seek help not from the things of this world, but from God alone. There are ten verses in this Psalm, and we only hear four of them in this passage. But the verses we do hear are the perfect accompaniment for our passages from Amos and Luke.
[00:32:49] That takes us to our Second Reading, which is from 1 Timothy 6: 11-16.
[00:32:59]” But as for you, man of God, [pursue] righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the presence of God who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ; and this will be made manifest at the proper time by the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.”
This is our last passage from the First Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy this summer. And remember, we were supposed to hear three passages but only heard two because of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
[00:34:31] This passage is very close to the end of this First Letter to Timothy, and Paul is doing his best to encourage Timothy to hold fast to his faith and continue the good work he is doing.
[00:34:47] So, let's listen to what Paul has to say…
[00:34:51] “But as for you, man of God, [pursue] righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.”
[00:35:04] Again, Paul's purpose is to encourage Timothy so calling him “man of God” is intended to bolster Timothy's faith in God AND his place as the leader of the community of faithful Christians in Ephesus.
[00:35:24] And all the qualities that Paul lists are necessary for a good Christian AND a good leader.
[00:35:35] “Fight the good fight of the faith;”
Meaning that no matter what happens, no matter the difficulties or challenges that Timothy encounters, he should never abandon his mission.
[00:35:50] Those words are directed to us as well. No matter how difficult things become, we cannot fall prey to negativity, to divisiveness, to anything that threatens our faith and our mission to live as good Christians.
[00:36:12] “take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
[00:36:23] Paul is referring to the public profession of faith made by Timothy when he was Baptized. That was commonplace in the early Church and those seeking Baptism in the modern Church still make a public profession of faith as part of the order of Christian initiation of adults and children.
“In the presence of God who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession,”
[00:37:00] In that phrase, Paul is not suggesting that God the Father and God the Son are not both part of the Trinity. He is - for purposes of this discourse - saying that God the Father gave life to all things… God the Father created all things. And he is separating out Jesus in his Incarnation, in his time on earth, who did give testimony before Pontius Pilate. And we read that in John's Gospel, right? Jesus testified before Pontius Pilate to two things.
[00:37:40] First, that he came to bear witness to the truth, and Second, that his kingdom was not of this world. And we read that in chapter 18 of John. As a Pharisee, Paul would have been familiar with Jesus' testimony.
[00:38:03] “I charge you to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ;”
[00:38:12] Paul is most likely referring to the Great Commandment to Love God and Love Neighbor.
[00:38:21] Again, as a Pharisee, Paul would have been intimately familiar with those commands, as they both have their origins in the Old Testament. Paul then advises Timothy to hold that Great Commandment dear and to remain faithful to it until Jesus returns to judge all mankind at the Second Coming.
[00:38:47] “and this will be made manifest at the proper time.”
The fullness - the entirety - of God's truth and love will be made manifest in the kingdom and in the Parousia when Jesus comes again at the time God has chosen and that is known, beforehand, only to him.
[00:39:12] That's what Paul means by the proper time.
“by the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light,”
[00:39:28] All those titles belong by right to God the Father and declare that he is superior to any and every earthly ruler. John will apply those same titles to Jesus the Son in the Book of Revelation in chapters 17 and 19, but this letter predates Revelation, and from Paul's context he undoubtedly means God the Father.
[00:39:58] Then Paul says that only God possesses immortality as an integral part of his own essence, his very existence, although we believe that he can and does choose to share his immortality with the faithful… in this world as divine grace and in the next as eternal life in his presence.
[00:40:30] God:
“whom no man has ever seen or can see.”
[00:40:36] Paul is saying that no mere human has ever seen or can ever see God the Father.
[00:40:45] In fact, even Moses on Mount Sinai tucked his face into the side of the mountain so that God would pass by because he could not see God and live.
[00:41:00] Jesus was and is both fully divine and fully human, he was and is the only person to ever exist as both human and divine. Only Jesus has seen God the Father and only Jesus can reveal God to us.
[00:41:24] “To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.”
[00:41:29] Paul paraphrases Psalm 104 there, which says that God is clothed with honor and majesty. Rather than addressing those words to God directly, Paul uses them as a prayer instead.
[00:41:46] Paul's reminder to Timothy to observe the Great Commandment by loving God and loving neighbor brings us right back to where we started.
[00:41:57] Jesus' Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus teaches us that when we separate ourselves from others, when we neglect those who are less fortunate than we are, when we fail to love our neighbors - as Jesus commanded us to do - then we create a deep chasm in our lives… one that isolates our heart, separates us from others, and will inevitably follow us into the next life.
[00:42:38] Everything we need to know, every instruction we should follow, is in Sacred Scripture and Amos warns of the dire and eternal consequences of self-indulgent,
self-centered behavior.
[00:42:58] So, we have to ask ourselves… what do we want our next life to look like?
[00:43:09] Are we so determined to put ourselves first, to ignore and neglect others, that we are willing to suffer eternal torment just to be happy for a short time here on earth?
[00:43:29] Or will we choose to be generous with the things that we have, things that
are - after all - gifts from God to begin with, and by our kindness, our generosity, our love of God, and our love of neighbor fill in any chasms we have already created before it too late?
[00:44:01] If you would like to reach out to me with questions or comments, send me an email at
[email protected]
Thank you for spending this time with me and until next we meet, may God shower his blessings upon you like a soft and gentle rain, and may he hold you - safe and secure - in the palm of his hand.
From His Word to Our Hearts is produced by SFS Audio Solutions.
The content of the show was assembled by me, Sally Moriarty-Flask.
Our music was composed by Jimmy Flask and is used with the permission of the composer. All rights reserved.
Information regarding references used in preparing the exegesis of this podcast is available upon request.
Thank you for listening and God Bless.
