Mt 5:13 Class of 2014

Ursuline Academy's Baccalaureate Homily for the Class of 2014

Jesus said to his disciples:  "You are the salt of the earth."

In his Confessions, St. Augustine wrote about an experience he had while attending a function honoring the emperor.  As each guest got up and said a few words of praise, he understood the foolishness of the event.  Everyone knew that everyone was lying:  the guests knew the speakers were lying.  The speakers knew they were lying.  Even the emperor himself knew they were all lying.  


Well, what I am about to tell you is no lie.  Only once a year do I find myself surrounded by a spectacular show of elegance and intelligence, and it is right here, right now and on this very special occasion. 

You are the best of the best, but only if you allow yourself to be the salt of the earth.

Difference Maker.  Our Lord is a romantic and a poet.  He said so much in so few words. "You are the salt of the earth" means "You are a difference maker", which means Christians make life surprising, enjoyable, exciting, thrilling, challenging, tangy, etc...

Of course we all know that Jesus is the true "salt of the earth," that He took our lives and added a little bit of himself to it, not to smother us or overwhelm us, but to enhance us.  He added just the right amount of himself to us and in all the right places - not on our wounds, but in all our thoughts, words and actions. 

Now the Lord is telling His disciples: "You are the salt of the earth."

You are the salt of the earth.  My dear graduates:  You are the salt of the earth.  You are the difference maker.  And today - especially today - to be a difference maker means to show honest-to-God gratitude.  Please show your gratitude to the people who have done so much for you.  Dear Class of 2014, please stand up right now and add some of your salt to those around you.  Give a round of applause to your loved ones! 

Do you know what you just did?  You added flavor to their lives.  You made their life worth living and their blood, sweat and tears worth shedding.  You put a smile on their faces.  You just changed their appearance.   

Do you realize the power of gratitude?  How it can bring people back to life?  There is nothing more thrilling or exciting than someone coming up to you and saying:  "I can't tell you enough how important you are in my life" or "I can't thank you enough for all that you have done for me.  You've made a huge difference in my life" or "I just want you to know that everything I am is because of you."

Gratitude is the salt that brings out the best in us and in others. 

Your family deserves a round of applause and so much more.  It's about time.  For the past twelve years it's been all about you, and for the past four years they have put up with all your phobias (I will never accomplish anything in my life!), dramas (I just made the biggest mistake of my life!), meltdowns (My life is ruined!), arrogance (You don't know anything!), threats (I'll never speak to you again!) and sassy attitudes (When I am rich and famous you'll wish you encouraged me!).

Now there is a lot to be said about grateful people.  By default they are humble and honest and through reflection they are understanding and responsible.  They know who they are and what they have received, and they don't take it any of it for granted.

This year, the Class of 2014 received over 25 million dollars in scholarships!  Do you know how many poor people could have been fed with this money?  A lot!  But people - honest working people - were willing to give it to you.  Why?  Because they trust you.  They see hope in the future because of you.  Don't let them down.

Which brings me to my next point.

Salt Serves.    Just like a number, graduation is meaningless unless it is attached to something.  For example, the number "1" means nothing unless it refers to something, like "First Place" or "Lone Survivor."  Likewise, the number "3" means nothing unless it is attached to something, like "Third Place" or "The Holy Trinity."

Again, just like salt, graduation is useless unless it is attached to something.  Salt is used over food; otherwise, it simply collects moisture.  The same holds true for graduation.  It must be attached to something, and that something is SERVICE.

Graduation without service would be like graduating without an education:  a disappointment for oneself and totally useless for others.

As you are well aware, from the scholarships collected this year, people and institutions are more than willing to give you everything they have.  Don't let them down.  Serve.  Serve others. 

Service is the secret to health, happiness and holiness - a healthy mind, a happy state of being, a holy life.

Now attach yourself to a worthy cause, a cause that Christ would choose for you! 

This is the year of the woman!  Can't you tell?  I don't know about you, but I read a lot of articles regarding women this year. 

Not too long ago, I read a story about Deborah Peter's, a brave 15-year-old young lady from Chibok, Nigeria, who witnessed the killing of her father and brother at the hands of the Islamic inspired terrorist organization "Boko Haram," which translated means "Western education is sinful."

On May 21st, she testified before a special House committee and told them why she was in Washington.  She said, "I want the world to understand what happened to me.  I hope the kidnapped Chibok girls will take courage from my story, and know more of what God says, and know what it means to stand strong in the face of bad people."

Graduation is the fruit of an education and the root to a lifelong commitment to meaningful service. 

Congratulations to the outstanding Class of 2014.  May God bless you now and forever.  May He continue to inspire you in all your thoughts, words and actions.  Count on our prayers.  Please pray for us.  Stay attached to the Lord.  Do not forget the Lord, for He never forgets us.

Jn 15:9-11 Simply Beautiful!

Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter
(Click here for readings)

Jesus said to his disciples:  "As the Father loves me, so I also love you.  Remain in my love.  If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love.  I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete."

As the Father loves me, so I love you.  This is one of the most beautiful verses in all of Scripture.  It gives me so much peace.  It blows my mind!  It also brings me comfort.  To know that Jesus loves me just as much as the Father loves him is, well, reassuring!  Thank God for some warm mushy guarantees in life!  Thank you Jesus!

If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love.  We spend far too much time worrying about individual rights and not enough time talking about individual obligations.  Also, we seem to be focused on expanding individual rights and not individual obligations.  No wonder why there is a lack of love in our hearts and in our dealings with others.  Love, like numbers, has meaning only if attached to someone or something. The same holds true of Christianity.  It only becomes meaningful if attached to Someone and Something; that is, Jesus Christ and His Commandments.    

Jesus once said, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (Jn 13:35).

And now that we are in graduation season, we might as well say graduation becomes truly meaningful and exciting only if it is attached to service towards others.     

Complete joy.   Why does the Lord speak to us?  Why does He admonish us?  Why does He insist that we have faith in Him, obey Him and follow Him?  For one simple reason:  so that His joy might be in us and our joy might be complete.

This sounds like a good enough reason for me to follow Him.

If we let the Lord down, what we are really doing is letting ourselves down. 

Let's go out today and "proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations" (Ps. 96:3).

Jn 15:1-8 True Fruitfulness

Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

(Click here for readings)

 

Meditation by Benedict Augustine

 

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.”

After explaining His analogy of the Good Shepherd, Jesus now discusses another one: the True Vine. God the Father has planted the vine and now tends to it; Jesus himself acts as the vine itself; and all Christian disciples function as branches of the vine. The Father desires that the vine produces fruit, so He makes sure to prune the branches to increase its produce while He cuts away altogether those branches that do not produce at all. Those branches that undergo pruning likely represent those Christians who cultivate a strict spiritual discipline so that they can better spread the gospel and bring more glory to God, thus bearing spiritual fruit. The unproductive branches probably symbolize the undisciplined disciples who worship mechanically, if they worship at all, and do almost nothing to share the gospel, whether by word or by deed, with anyone. After he removes those lifeless branches from the vine, God allows random people (false prophets, false teachers, and other minions of the devil) to collect those branches and “throw them into a fire” where “they will be burned,” which indicates that Hell awaits those who shun their duty as Christians.

When juxtaposed with the last analogy of the Good Shepherd, most Christians usually prefer thinking of that former image than this image of the True Vine. The Good Shepherd offers hope for those lost souls, emphasizing the good that awaits the believer. Jesus, the shepherd, does all the heavy lifting, even to the point of sacrificing His life, while believers, the sheep, simply answer His call and follow Him into the gate. More specifically, within this image of a shepherd and his sheep, a person who identifies himself as the sheep can imagine having a sufficient amount of autonomy. The sheep do their own walking, their own grazing, and little is expected of them except their ultimate obedience to the shepherd.

As opposed to what the Good Shepherd asks of His sheep, the Vine Grower and His True Vine ask  much more of the branches: they must produce fruit or be cut off. Not only does God want obedience from his disciples, He also wants a spiritual excellence that will lead to the conversion of others. Unlike the sheep passively grazing, the disciple must now consider possibly dieting from so much grass and asking God's help to trim off the fatty excesses of sin and vice. Finally, that personal space that existed between the shepherd guiding and the sheep following disappears with the branch directly attached to the vine. Christ does not only guide His disciples, but completely sustains them; without Him, they wither and die.

Rather than grow discouraged at this analogy, Christians should draw inspiration and wisdom in its universal truth: all men must work and produce if they hope to live and prosper. This applies the workplace, to education, to relationships, to happiness, as well as Christian discipleship. Most people acknowledge this truth and push themselves to learn all they can so that they can maximize their output and avoid a life of mediocrity. They will endure severe trials and hardship to make certain purchases, to succeed in certain careers, or to befriend certain people. Thriving and producing fruit of some kind constitutes the greater part of most people's lives. Jesus makes the point that if men and women can exert this much effort and make such a change in the world, they should do at least as much for the salvation of their souls, and they should at least recognize from Whom their effort and success necessarily derive. Individuals do not necessarily need to change the fact of their fruitfulness; they simply need to change their orientation, the direction and nature of their fruitfulness, away from the world toward the Holy Trinity.

St. Augustine speaks frequently on this need of properly orienting oneself, lest one should forsake salvation and wither along with the other spiritually barren branches.  Particularly, in one of his major works, On Christian Doctrine, to encourage a fruitful spiritual life, he uses the example of a sinful man who loves a famous actor and urges all his friends to love that actor too, making this his primary mission in life. The more his friends love that actor, the more he loves them; and if they detest that actor, he will try to convince them otherwise. Seeing that this man has oriented his love towards this actor, the Christian in possession of the Way, the Truth, and the Life can at least do the same for the people around him and bring them to One Who can save their souls. Naturally, he should do much more, encouraging fellow believers, and urging the complete conversion of nonbelievers, especially those close to him. God, the Vine Grower, and Christ, the Vine, will help in this effort; the Christian must simply accept Their care, and Their discipline.

Paul was the prime example of a man suffering from disorientation: he had zeal, but he lacked the care of Jesus and His Father, so he did not produce fruit. Rather, the spiritual work before his conversion produced mostly death and darkness, a kind of parasite plaguing the True Vine. Afterward, he allowed Jesus to guide his zeal, and God to trim his vices, so that he could bear abundant spiritual fruit, converting many gentiles. Ironically, Paul had to confront his former self in the men who wanted to continue to impose Mosaic Law and limit the fruitfulness of the apostles' mission. Since the Jesus is the Vine, He must save the branches, and God Himself must prune them, not the traditions of man. The sacraments of the Catholic Church therefore signify God's grace, the new law, whereas the ritual of circumcision signified Jewish tradition, the old law. New life had to come from Jesus, nothing less.

Once the disciple is properly attached to the True Vine, zealous to act as the extension of God's fruitfulness, and humble before God's discipline, he will soon witness the abundance of God's charity. St. Theresa of Avila offers simple but timeless advice for all Christians on how achieve such fruitfulness while retaining the necessary humility required for it: “Be gentle to all and stern with yourself.”

Jn 14:27-31a Let's Be Real

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter
(Click here for readings)

Jesus said to his disciples:  "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give it to you.  Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid."

Peace I leave with you.  It's no secret.  Much like the Church today, the early Church faced stiff opposition from all sectors of society.  But rather than being discouraged, like so many in the Church today, the followers of Jesus continued to preach the Word by word and example, and to continued to give testimony of the Word by their blood, sweat and tears.  

As Romans crucified them and Jews expelled them, Christians around the world took comfort in the words their Savior gave to them:

"As the Father loves me, so I love you..." (cf. Jn 15:9)
"Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Have faith in God; have faith in me..." (cf. Jn 14:1)
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you..." (Jn 14:27)

And the Christian communities continued to thrive and grow.

Not as the world gives do I give to you.  So what is the difference between Christ's peace and the world's peace?  The Lord's peace is real.  It's honesty.  He backs it up with His life. 

A while back I read a news article about a Dallas woman who was reluctant to go on a roller coaster at Six Flags.  Her family and friends assured her that everything would be just fine.  Well, the woman got on it and tragically fell off it.  She died instantly.

Who are we to tell anyone that everything will be okay?  Am I God?  Now we all know this was a freak accident, but that's not the point.  The point is:  How often do we give people a false sense of security in the things we cannot change and even in the things we can change!

"Oh, don't worry about it.  Everything will be just fine." 
"I forgive you." 
"Nothing bad is going to happen.  Trust me."

Why do we do this?  I think it's because we like to play God rather than pray to God.  It's easier to play "Mr. Know-It-All" rather than pray to the All-Knowing God.

Jesus was being completely honest and frank to His disciples when He said to them:  "If you wish to come after me, then pick up your cross and follow me" (cf. Lk 9:23) and "If they hated me, then they will hate you.  If they persecuted me, then they will persecute you" (cf. Jn 15:18-20).   

He was also being honest with them when He said: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give it to you.  Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid."

He backed His words with His return.  And that is the only reason why He ever returned. 

Jn 14:21-26 Mindful of God

Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter
(Click here for readings)

Jesus said to his disciples:  "Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me.  Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him."

God's Commandments.  Far too many of us take the ingeniousness of God's Ten Commandments for granted.   I think it's because we truly believe we would have come up with them on our own.  After all, they make perfect sense, right?  Well, yes and no.  Yes, because they fit in well with our human nature.  No, because our human nature - even to this day - actively rebels against them. 

The World's Commandments.  Based on what I have seen and heard (from facebook, twitter, friends, family, kids and parents), if I had to replace the God's Commandments with something even more fashionable or "modern," I would have to start with the following: 

1st Commandment:  I'm Special.  Of course you're important, just like everyone else, right?  But unfortunately, "I'm Important" often means that others are not. 

Professor Jean Twenge, of San Diego State University, thinks "kids are self-centered enough" and don't need to hear (over and over again) how "special" they are.  His study found an alarming rise in narcissism and self-centeredness among college students.  They really think they're more special than others.  Hence, they're more likely to have romantic relationships that are short-lived, at greater risk for infidelity, lack emotional warmth and to exhibit game-playing, dishonesty, and over-controlling and violent behaviors.  In other words, a growing number of young adults tend to lack patience and empathy towards others, and react aggressively to criticism and favor self-promotion over helping others.

2nd Commandment:  It's more important to look good than to be good.  Of course no one will admit this, but we all believe it.  Let's face it.  We spend more time training our body than our soul; more time examining our face than our conscious; and more time selecting our clothes than selecting our choices.  This commandment leads to only one thing:  PTPLO (People Treating People Like Objects).

3rd Commandment:  Be Nice.  Be Tolerant.   Every time I hear people say that Christians or Americans need to be more tolerant of others, I think of a simmering pot, not a melting pot.  Let's not fool ourselves.  A tolerant society is a simmering society, and if we are not careful, then, given the right (or ripe) conditions, it will blow up in our faces. 

A revolution is in the making.  I can sense it.  To avoid it we must love our neighbor, not tolerate them, which means we must do what is right and always avoid evil.

I could go on and on, but I think I have made my point. 

Only One God and only His Commandments.  The temptation is strong to look for someone other than God, to be one's own god or to turn others into gods.  It all comes from our ancestors bad behavior and lack of understanding. 

In the city of Lystra, Barnabas and Paul preached the Good News and cured many of the ill (cf. Acts 14:5-18).  The folks there were so impressed by their words and actions that they began to call Barnabas "Zeus" and Paul "Hermes."  Shocked out of their minds, the Apostles tore their garments and brought the people back to their senses.  How fortunate of them.  Throughout history, many charismatic men would have risked death to get what Paul and Barnabas were handed. 

If you wish to be great, then be meek and humble of heart. 

Be mindful of the Lord and all His commandments. 

Jn 14:1-12 Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled

Fifth Sunday of Easter
(Click here for readings)

Jesus said to his disciples:  "Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You have faith in God; have faith also in me."

This verse packs a powerful punch.  All the key words are here.  This is a golden day for contemplation.

Jesus.  So often I call out His name.  In my distress, I call out to Him.  Jesus!  Can you hear me?  I need you.  I need you now.  Reach for me.  Take hold of me.  Jesus, I love you.  Jesus, I need you.  Jesus, please help me. 

He answers me.  Do not let your heart be troubled.  Have faith in God; have faith also in me.      

Faith.    Have faith in God; have faith also in me.  I'm trying.  But it's so hard.  I wish it were easier.  It's so hard when it requires so much change.  Why can't I just do it?  Why does my body ache? Faith.  I need faith.  I need more faith.  I need the faith the size of a mustard seed.  How else do I expect to move the obstacles in my life?  

He answers me.  I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father, except through me.     

Troubled hearts.  Thomas asked, "Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?"  Philip said, "Master, show us the Father."  Thank God the Apostles asked tough questions.  But gosh!  Why are the best questions always asked at the worst moments? 

Difficulties make us think.  They make us question everything, including ourselves.  Think man, think!  How do you make God laugh?  Tell Him all your plans.  How does God make people cry?  By letting them follow their own pipedreams. 

Sure, difficulties help us grow.  But at a high price.  The price of sleepless and restless nights, and stressful and agonizing days. 

There is no doubt about it.  The most troubled hearts come from the most wayward lives. 

Jesus answers me:  Follow me...I am preparing a place for you. 

His Plan is my place.  His Will is my thrown. 

Jesus said to his disciples.  Every single word of His was always meant to calm our fears.  How incredible is that!  And even while under tremendous anguish, the Lord still found time to soothe our nerves.  His words, though spoken so long ago, still resonate in our lives and in our hearts, even today. 

Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Have faith in God; have faith also in me. 

"Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you" (Ps 33:22).

Amen.  Amen.

Jn 14:1-6 Can We Now Talk About Hope?

Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter
(Click here for readings)

"Jesus said to his disciples"  "Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You have faith in God; have faith also in me."

Timing is everything.  Last night I gave a talk at the "Float On Annual Dinner for 1 Million 4 Anna Foundation."  Its founders, Carol and David Basso, lost their daughter Anna to Ewing Sarcoma, a devastating bone cancer that primarily affects children and adolescents.  I can honestly say I have always considered their daughter a saint.  So when they asked me to speak at their annual gathering, I could not have been more honored or thrilled.  Carol asked me to speak about HOPE. 

As I prepared for my talk, my mind kept wandering back to something Jesus said:  "Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in me."  I used this verse as the central point of my talk.  Little did I know it was today's Gospel passage! 

God's timing is everything. 

Below are my reflections from last night.   

I hope to buy this car...I hope to get asked to the prom...I hope I get into this fraternity...I hope to get this job...

I hope to live.

We can cut our hopes short, just like we can our lives. 

Hope is an essential part of life...and death.  So we need to make sure we plant it everywhere we go and in everything we say and do.  Let's take care of it, and cultivate it, so that we can harvest it at the fullness of time.  Why?  Because without hope we would never grow or never change or never fully understand who and what we are.  Without hope we would remain trapped in our fears, regrets and/or resentments.  Without hope we would cut short our lives. 

So what exactly is hope?  Hope is the virtue that allows us to see beyond the present; that is, beyond the moment, the now.  It allows us to enter into the future, even if only for a brief moment, and dive into two profound realities:  ourselves and God. But it also does something else:  it places a halo around life problems.  Hope does not live in a fantasy world, where there is no pain or suffering.  It doesn't scoff at our tears or miseries.  If anything, it respects them and sheds light from above on them. 

Problems that are not.  Recently, I heard at the dinner table about a thread on twitter called #1stworldproblems.  Don't go there. It's not worth it.  It's a joke, a delusion.  The problems listed on this thread are not at all real problems.  They are just silly distractions.  It's bogus!  Actually, it's just a decoy to real 1st world problems: cutting, eating disorders, divorce, pornography, illness, drug addictions and teen suicides.  These are real problems.  The rest are gross understatements.

The tragedy is this:  if we cannot even identify real problems, then how will we be able to have real hope?  If hope becomes shortsighted or narrow minded or shallow, then so to will our lives be.  It's time we go deep.

Do not let your hearts be troubled?  How could Jesus say this, especially right before his betrayal and crucifixion?  How could He speak these words if He knew what was going to happen to him?  "Do not let your hearts be troubled?"  Are you kidding?  You're about to be arrested, beaten, whipped, mocked and humiliated, belittled and crucified.  And you say, "Do not let your hearts be troubled???"  Are you serious?

Before I gave my talk, a young girl got up and gave her testimony.  Staci Muckleroy is a survivor of Ewings Sarcoma.  She was diagnosed with it while in high school.  On May 5th, she celebrated five years of being cancer-free.  Every words she said kept my attention.  And what she said both scared me and surprised me.

She said:  The pain I felt in my hip was excruciating.  It brought me to tears.  It was the worst pain I ever felt in my life.  I was afraid.  I wanted to give up so many times.  But there were people in my life that fought for me and believed in me.  They gave me hope.  Today, I thank God for giving me this illness.  It has made me the person I am today.  It has made me a better person.

We need people like Staci in our lives.  I need people like Staci in my life.  I need people like Staci and Anna in my life.  In their own incredible ways, they make me want to be a better man and a better priest.  They make me want to live my life better.  Life's serious problems create tremendous opportunities for growth and hope, which brings out the best in us: gratitude and reassurance.  Gratitude to everyone.   Reassurance for everything. 

Do not let your hearts be troubled is a message of hope to His disciples.  It is a message they took with them to the four corners of the world and to me: 

My hope is that I can right a wrong, and be forgiven.  My hope is that my tears can one day turn to gladness.  My hope is that this present struggle can make me a better man.  My hope is in the Lord who made heaven and earth.  My hope is that we can turn evil on its head. My hope is that we can find a cure for cancer and still be as brave  as Anna and Staci.

My hope in life cannot be to just live longer.  It must be to live forever.  It has to be.  Our hope in life cannot be to just be healthy and/or successful.  It must be to be happy and holy.  Otherwise, when we find the cure for cancer, it will only be a temporary victory, quickly lost in the confusion of another great disappointment or serious problem, like pollution, abuse, war or terrorism.

God's message.  Who am I?  Why am I here?  What am I supposed to do with my life?  These questions may seem a bit scary, but boy are they very important and worth investigating, for the answers we seek and find will determine how we live and how we die.
No wonder why the Lord kept repeating over and over and over again to His disciples:  "Do not be afraid."  

Yes, Do not be afraid to enter into God's presence.  After all, this is where we will find our Hope and our God, for God is present in our hope.

In the most terrifying of ways, Staci found God.  In the midst of her suffering and pain, she learned what was and wasn't important in life.  Did God not reveal His love for us in the same way:  in the midst of human suffering?  Did He not reveal what was and wasn't important while suffering on the Cross?  Having loved His own who were in the world.  He loved them to the end. 

Fight the fight!  Fight till the end.  Never give in and never give up!

Hope is a way of life best found in a person:  Jesus Christ.  "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.  Come follow me."

How can I nourish hope?  Hope is different from faith and love.  Faith can be intellectually nourished. I can come to understand that there is more to life than just what ear can hear and eye can see.  Faith gives depth and width, meaning and purpose, meat and potatoes to life and death.   

Love bears all things, endures all things and even believes all things.  It can quickly grow and appear out of nowhere.  Love gives us the reason to give and forgive; to smile and to sacrifice.  Love makes life worth living. 

But what about hope?  How can I nourish hope?  How can I make it grow?  I think there is only two ways:  (1) to closely examine the lives of those who have gone through hell and have come back to tell about it; and (2) to face our gravest problems by uniting ourselves on the Cross with Christ, the one who knows His way out of the grave. 

Hope is essential to make life worth living and suffering worth traversing.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in me" (Jn 14:1).

Hope in Christ gives us a strength to keep going, and the courage to let go.  It is finished.