new evidence on shroud emerges
P
ope Benedict XVI confirmed his intention to visit the Shroud of Turin when it goes on public display in Turin's cathedral April 10-May 23, 2010.
Cardinal Severino Poletto of Turin, papal custodian of the Shroud of Turin, visited the pope July 26 in Les Combes, Italy, where the pope was spending part of his vacation. The Alpine village is about 85 miles from Turin.
-Read More
ope Benedict XVI confirmed his intention to visit the Shroud of Turin when it goes on public display in Turin's cathedral April 10-May 23, 2010.
Cardinal Severino Poletto of Turin, papal custodian of the Shroud of Turin, visited the pope July 26 in Les Combes, Italy, where the pope was spending part of his vacation. The Alpine village is about 85 miles from Turin.
-Read More
Generosity and Happiness
O
n the one hand, there are many obstacles that we have to remove, temptations we must overcome. On the other hand, despite having constantly to war against our native impulses, the evil spirit and the machinations of the world, we are also bidden to give ourselves to God.
-Read More
n the one hand, there are many obstacles that we have to remove, temptations we must overcome. On the other hand, despite having constantly to war against our native impulses, the evil spirit and the machinations of the world, we are also bidden to give ourselves to God.
-Read More
Catholic Organizations Have Divorced Themselves
T
hree of the top lay Catholic organizations have divorced themselves from Catholic teaching by supporting the Obama health-care plan, which would foster a culture of mandatory abortion coverage, contraceptive services, and permissive sex education, euthanasia and eugenics.
Catholic Charities USA, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the Catholic Health Association are joining together to push the current version of the plan through Congress.
-Read More
hree of the top lay Catholic organizations have divorced themselves from Catholic teaching by supporting the Obama health-care plan, which would foster a culture of mandatory abortion coverage, contraceptive services, and permissive sex education, euthanasia and eugenics.
Catholic Charities USA, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the Catholic Health Association are joining together to push the current version of the plan through Congress.
-Read More
Understanding Caritas
I
was struck once -- struck and annoyed -- with a vagrant remark made to me by the Canadian philosopher George Grant (1918-1988). It came up in a conversation about Vietnam. He was using such terms as "technology" and "hegemony," which he'd employed elsewhere more abstractly in condemnation of the whole modern world, in pedestrian ways to condemn U.S. military operations against the Vietnamese Communists.
-Read More
was struck once -- struck and annoyed -- with a vagrant remark made to me by the Canadian philosopher George Grant (1918-1988). It came up in a conversation about Vietnam. He was using such terms as "technology" and "hegemony," which he'd employed elsewhere more abstractly in condemnation of the whole modern world, in pedestrian ways to condemn U.S. military operations against the Vietnamese Communists.
-Read More
CARITAS IN VERITATE
F
irst, I will present Pope Benedict’s teaching on life issues in the encyclical and then offer comments thereon.
The Pope’s Teaching
Pope Benedict XVI addresses issues related to the sanctity of human life and human sexuality in depth in three different areas of his new social encyclical, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth).
In Chapter 2, titled “Human Development in Our Time,” the Pope begins by saying: “One of the most striking aspects of development in the present day is the important question of respect for life (emphasis in original), which cannot in any way be detached from questions concerning the development of peoples. It is an aspect which has acquired increasing prominence in recent times, obliging us to broaden our concept of poverty and underdevelopment to include questions connected with the acceptance of life, especially in cases where it is impeded in a variety of ways (emphasis added) (no. 28, 1). He then goes on to declare:
-Read More
irst, I will present Pope Benedict’s teaching on life issues in the encyclical and then offer comments thereon.
The Pope’s Teaching
Pope Benedict XVI addresses issues related to the sanctity of human life and human sexuality in depth in three different areas of his new social encyclical, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth).
In Chapter 2, titled “Human Development in Our Time,” the Pope begins by saying: “One of the most striking aspects of development in the present day is the important question of respect for life (emphasis in original), which cannot in any way be detached from questions concerning the development of peoples. It is an aspect which has acquired increasing prominence in recent times, obliging us to broaden our concept of poverty and underdevelopment to include questions connected with the acceptance of life, especially in cases where it is impeded in a variety of ways (emphasis added) (no. 28, 1). He then goes on to declare:
-Read More
Anglicanism
B
ack in the 1980s, when Coca-Cola executives made the colossal blunder of changing their secret formula without adequately testing the market, the maladroit pairing of "new" and "classic" Coke prompted some whimsical musings from a writer at the Wall Street Journal, who made the light-hearted suggestion that Catholicism might try the same sort of marketing techniques. The Church might offer a "new" Catholicism, with guitars and liturgical dance, the writer suggested. Then keep the traditionalists happy with "classic" Catholicism: plenty of Latin and incense. Lackadaisical Catholics might enjoy "Catholicism Lite," and proponents of liberation theology would swing toward "Catholicism Free."
The Journal column was a joke, and a good one. (I'm sorry that the column appeared before the internet era, and I can't provide a link. Maybe some enterprising reader can help us?)
The Church of England, on the other hand-- permission to speak freely?-- risks becoming nothing more than a joke, and no longer even a good one. Believe me, I enjoy a joke, and my Anglican brothers have provided me with plenty over the years. But there's no fun to be had shooting fish in a barrel. Silly Anglicans, pompous Anglicans, fussy and illogical Anglicans: all of these have been legitimate objects of fun for Catholics since the time of Henry VIII. But utterly absurd Anglicans? Anglican leaders who make no pretense at logic? They're no fun at all, and I protest!
ack in the 1980s, when Coca-Cola executives made the colossal blunder of changing their secret formula without adequately testing the market, the maladroit pairing of "new" and "classic" Coke prompted some whimsical musings from a writer at the Wall Street Journal, who made the light-hearted suggestion that Catholicism might try the same sort of marketing techniques. The Church might offer a "new" Catholicism, with guitars and liturgical dance, the writer suggested. Then keep the traditionalists happy with "classic" Catholicism: plenty of Latin and incense. Lackadaisical Catholics might enjoy "Catholicism Lite," and proponents of liberation theology would swing toward "Catholicism Free."
The Journal column was a joke, and a good one. (I'm sorry that the column appeared before the internet era, and I can't provide a link. Maybe some enterprising reader can help us?)
The Church of England, on the other hand-- permission to speak freely?-- risks becoming nothing more than a joke, and no longer even a good one. Believe me, I enjoy a joke, and my Anglican brothers have provided me with plenty over the years. But there's no fun to be had shooting fish in a barrel. Silly Anglicans, pompous Anglicans, fussy and illogical Anglicans: all of these have been legitimate objects of fun for Catholics since the time of Henry VIII. But utterly absurd Anglicans? Anglican leaders who make no pretense at logic? They're no fun at all, and I protest!
Divorce is bad for your health
F
urther evidence that the Church is right and marriage is good for you:
Divorced people have 20 per cent more chronic health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes or cancer than married people, according to the study of 8,652 people aged between 51 and 61 by Professor Linda Waite of the University of Chicago.
They also have 23 per cent more mobility problems, such as difficulty climbing stairs or walking short distances.
-Read More
urther evidence that the Church is right and marriage is good for you:
Divorced people have 20 per cent more chronic health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes or cancer than married people, according to the study of 8,652 people aged between 51 and 61 by Professor Linda Waite of the University of Chicago.
They also have 23 per cent more mobility problems, such as difficulty climbing stairs or walking short distances.
-Read More
Congress Flunk the Pro-Life Test, Again
L
isa Correnti at www.onenationundergod.org has done us the service of tabulating the vote of Catholic members of Congress on the Pence Amendent to defund Planned Parenthood.
84 Catholics voted against the amendment while 46 voted for it.
-Read More
isa Correnti at www.onenationundergod.org has done us the service of tabulating the vote of Catholic members of Congress on the Pence Amendent to defund Planned Parenthood.
84 Catholics voted against the amendment while 46 voted for it.
-Read More
U.S. Bishops on Health Care
B
ishop William F. Murphy of the Diocese of Rockville Center, is a highly intelligent, articulate, and modest man. As Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, he provides a voice of realism and even self-deprecating Irish humor in dealing with issues that – he knows as well as anyone – are daunting, even for the experts. The last time we were together (at a conference on the economy and Catholic social teaching sponsored by the Lumen Christi Institute at the University of Chicago), he winsomely laid out for a group, mostly professors of economics at prestigious universities, both the Church’s religious and humanitarian goals in economic matters, and her need to rely on people with technical knowledge for how to implement that vision.
-Read More
ishop William F. Murphy of the Diocese of Rockville Center, is a highly intelligent, articulate, and modest man. As Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, he provides a voice of realism and even self-deprecating Irish humor in dealing with issues that – he knows as well as anyone – are daunting, even for the experts. The last time we were together (at a conference on the economy and Catholic social teaching sponsored by the Lumen Christi Institute at the University of Chicago), he winsomely laid out for a group, mostly professors of economics at prestigious universities, both the Church’s religious and humanitarian goals in economic matters, and her need to rely on people with technical knowledge for how to implement that vision.
-Read More
Loaves and Fishes
inding the hidden meanings. Unraveling mysteries. Deciphering symbols. The thrill inherent in all this is partly why Dan Brown’s book, the Da Vinci Code, sold so well.
But Brown’s secret code, the 2000 year chain of clues supposedly leading to the true identity of Jesus and his holy grail, is simply a parody of the real mystery embedded in history. The writer of this authentic "symbology" is the Holy Spirit and the code book is the Bible. For thousands of years people have “searched the Scriptures” under the guidance of the same Spirit who inspired them, looking for connections between people, places, things. They’ve discovered one coherent story of salvation history amidst many different books, written in different genres and styles, by many different human writers over the course of centuries.
-Read More
Freedom of Heaven & the Freedom of Hell
W
oodrow Wilson once remarked that the purpose of the modern university was to make young men as unlike their fathers as possible, fathers who had immersed themselves in business and could no longer see the grand sweep of history.
Otherwise, their sons would be hard to enlist in the progressive movement, man's march toward greater enlightenment and freedom.
Wilson's dictum was, in a way, Immanuel Kant's philosophy, translated into practical politics. Man is growing at last into adulthood, Kant suggested in his 1784 manifesto What Is Enlightenment? Man is learning to think for himself, liberating himself from the malign influence of traditional authorities and the past.
-Read More
oodrow Wilson once remarked that the purpose of the modern university was to make young men as unlike their fathers as possible, fathers who had immersed themselves in business and could no longer see the grand sweep of history.
Otherwise, their sons would be hard to enlist in the progressive movement, man's march toward greater enlightenment and freedom.
Wilson's dictum was, in a way, Immanuel Kant's philosophy, translated into practical politics. Man is growing at last into adulthood, Kant suggested in his 1784 manifesto What Is Enlightenment? Man is learning to think for himself, liberating himself from the malign influence of traditional authorities and the past.
-Read More
Obama Health Care Plan
M
any have been wondering when the U.S. bishops would comment on the Obama health care plan -- given that it contains abortion coverage.
Well, their statement has finally arrived. It comes in the form of a letter from Bishop William F. Murphy of Rockville Center to all the members of Congress.
-Read More
any have been wondering when the U.S. bishops would comment on the Obama health care plan -- given that it contains abortion coverage.
Well, their statement has finally arrived. It comes in the form of a letter from Bishop William F. Murphy of Rockville Center to all the members of Congress.
-Read More
Matrimony
hile the nature of matrimony as both a natural and supernatural institution is covered in the entry on Marriage, matrimony can also be considered primarily from the point of view of its sacramental celebration and the nature of the sacramental bond.
-Read More
Catholic Politicians
P
ro-life legislators in the House and Senate are working overtime battling attempts to broaden abortion policy in both appropriation bills and the healthcare reform bill. Some Catholic politicians have led efforts to advance the abortion lobby agenda making abortion universally accessible and funded by taxpayer dollars.
-Read More
ro-life legislators in the House and Senate are working overtime battling attempts to broaden abortion policy in both appropriation bills and the healthcare reform bill. Some Catholic politicians have led efforts to advance the abortion lobby agenda making abortion universally accessible and funded by taxpayer dollars.
-Read More
Religion in Schools
A
s her contribution to a school mural, Melissa Yates painted a cross with the words "I believe, do you?" School officials quickly whitewashed her artwork, erasing her expression of faith.
Olivia Turton wanted to sing her favorite song, "Awesome God," during an after-school talent show. She was denied permission to do so.
Harrison Kravat asked to read the Bible during quiet reading time at school. He was told to take his Bible home.
-Read More
s her contribution to a school mural, Melissa Yates painted a cross with the words "I believe, do you?" School officials quickly whitewashed her artwork, erasing her expression of faith.
Olivia Turton wanted to sing her favorite song, "Awesome God," during an after-school talent show. She was denied permission to do so.
Harrison Kravat asked to read the Bible during quiet reading time at school. He was told to take his Bible home.
-Read More
Seven Sacraments
T
t has been said that if the doctrine of the Holy Trinity were abolished, many Catholics would not notice. Sadly, it seems that if the same were to happen to the seven sacraments of the Church, many Catholics would not feel deprived of anything significant. Fewer couples are presenting themselves for the sacrament of marriage, and such couples are less likely to present their children for baptism.
-Read More
t has been said that if the doctrine of the Holy Trinity were abolished, many Catholics would not notice. Sadly, it seems that if the same were to happen to the seven sacraments of the Church, many Catholics would not feel deprived of anything significant. Fewer couples are presenting themselves for the sacrament of marriage, and such couples are less likely to present their children for baptism.
-Read More
Mary as Global Icon
T
he historian Christopher Dawson acknowledged in a 1951 essay the difficulty in explaining the Christian view of history. For Christians, God's actual involvement in historical time through a particular Person and place is a theological principle around which secular history occurs. For people listening to the Christian message for the first time (such as the Greeks and citizens of the polytheistic Roman Empire), this seemed ridiculous, and for many people since as well. Dawson argued that it was very difficult, and perhaps impossible, for non-believers to understand the Christian understanding of historical change.
-Read More
he historian Christopher Dawson acknowledged in a 1951 essay the difficulty in explaining the Christian view of history. For Christians, God's actual involvement in historical time through a particular Person and place is a theological principle around which secular history occurs. For people listening to the Christian message for the first time (such as the Greeks and citizens of the polytheistic Roman Empire), this seemed ridiculous, and for many people since as well. Dawson argued that it was very difficult, and perhaps impossible, for non-believers to understand the Christian understanding of historical change.
-Read More
The Most Important Commandment
I
n the tenth chapter of Saint Mark’s Gospel, we read the story of a young man who ran up to Jesus, fell on his knees, and asked our Lord, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus responded that if he wanted to enter life, he had to obey the commandments of God. Confident and assured, the man said, "Teacher, I’ve kept God’s commands since I was a little boy."
-Read More
n the tenth chapter of Saint Mark’s Gospel, we read the story of a young man who ran up to Jesus, fell on his knees, and asked our Lord, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus responded that if he wanted to enter life, he had to obey the commandments of God. Confident and assured, the man said, "Teacher, I’ve kept God’s commands since I was a little boy."
-Read More
Obama’s DC Policy
D
r. Alveda King, Pastoral Associate of Priests for Life and niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., commented today on a new Guttmacher Institute study that shows that in states where Medicaid pays for abortions, more poor women have abortions.
"The Guttmacher report is really just another study that confirms the obvious – subsidized abortion means more abortions," said Dr. King. "My medical insurance paid for my ‘legal abortion’ in 1973. My ‘free’ abortion, in turn, made it all too easy for me to be an unsuspecting victim of population control."
-Read More
r. Alveda King, Pastoral Associate of Priests for Life and niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., commented today on a new Guttmacher Institute study that shows that in states where Medicaid pays for abortions, more poor women have abortions.
"The Guttmacher report is really just another study that confirms the obvious – subsidized abortion means more abortions," said Dr. King. "My medical insurance paid for my ‘legal abortion’ in 1973. My ‘free’ abortion, in turn, made it all too easy for me to be an unsuspecting victim of population control."
-Read More
Oppose Sotomayor
T
he confirmation of nominee Sonia Sotomayor as a Supreme Court justice is almost a certainty. She's a woman, a Hispanic, and the pick of a popular president who leads the party that controls the Senate. Democratic leadership in the Senate is determined to complete hearings before the Judiciary Committee and get a confirmation vote before Congress adjourns in August.
-Read More
he confirmation of nominee Sonia Sotomayor as a Supreme Court justice is almost a certainty. She's a woman, a Hispanic, and the pick of a popular president who leads the party that controls the Senate. Democratic leadership in the Senate is determined to complete hearings before the Judiciary Committee and get a confirmation vote before Congress adjourns in August.
-Read More
oldest Bible now available online
A
pproximately 800 pages of the oldest almost completely preserved Christian Bible has been digitized and uploaded online by the British Library in order that it can be viewed by the world.
pproximately 800 pages of the oldest almost completely preserved Christian Bible has been digitized and uploaded online by the British Library in order that it can be viewed by the world.
Quotes on Mary
S
cripture meditation: She has set her table. She has sent out her maids to invite to the tower … :"Let whoever is a little one come to me." Proverbs 9:2-4
Reflection: Nowhere do we find Jesus nearer to us and more adapted to our weakness than in Mary, since it was for that reason that He came and dwelt in her. Everywhere else He is the Bread of the strong, the Bread of the Angels, but in Mary He is the Bread of children..
Prayer: O Mary, you bring Jesus to us in a way we can understand. Let me come to know Jesus more deeply, love Him more dearly, and follow Him more closely.
cripture meditation: She has set her table. She has sent out her maids to invite to the tower … :"Let whoever is a little one come to me." Proverbs 9:2-4
Reflection: Nowhere do we find Jesus nearer to us and more adapted to our weakness than in Mary, since it was for that reason that He came and dwelt in her. Everywhere else He is the Bread of the strong, the Bread of the Angels, but in Mary He is the Bread of children..
Prayer: O Mary, you bring Jesus to us in a way we can understand. Let me come to know Jesus more deeply, love Him more dearly, and follow Him more closely.
Holy Quotes
hristians are forbidden to correct the stumblings of sinners by force. …. It is necessary to make a man better not by force but by persuasion. We neither have authority granted us by law to restrain sinners, nor if it were, should we know how to use it, since God gives the crown to those who are kept from evil not by force, but by choice.
We can't have full knowledge all at once. We must start by believing; then afterwards we may be led on to master the evidence for ourselves.
From Jesus' behavior we learn a double lesson: that human suffering has a precise role to play in God's plan, and that it moves to compassion the Heart of Jesus. For He knows how much suffering can affect human weakness and put it to the test.
characteristics of the people of God
W
hat are the characteristics of the people of God?
One becomes a member of this people through faith in Christ and Baptism. This people has for its origin God the Father; for its head Jesus Christ; for its hallmark the dignity and freedom of the sons of God; for its law the new commandment of love; for its mission to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world; and for its destiny the Kingdom of God, already begun on earth.
CCC #782 and 804
hat are the characteristics of the people of God?
One becomes a member of this people through faith in Christ and Baptism. This people has for its origin God the Father; for its head Jesus Christ; for its hallmark the dignity and freedom of the sons of God; for its law the new commandment of love; for its mission to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world; and for its destiny the Kingdom of God, already begun on earth.
CCC #782 and 804
St. Thomas
W
hat gives us unshakeable hope and confidence in the face of death and defeat? The apostles abandoned Jesus in his hour of trial and lost hope when Jesus was handed over to the Romans for execution. They saw the cross as defeat rather than victory. They were slow to believe the reports of the resurrection until the Risen Lord appeared to them and reassured them of his presence and love.
-Read More
hat gives us unshakeable hope and confidence in the face of death and defeat? The apostles abandoned Jesus in his hour of trial and lost hope when Jesus was handed over to the Romans for execution. They saw the cross as defeat rather than victory. They were slow to believe the reports of the resurrection until the Risen Lord appeared to them and reassured them of his presence and love.
-Read More
Quotes on Mary
S
cripture meditation: She has set her table. She has sent out her maids to invite to the tower … :"Let whoever is a little one come to me." Proverbs 9:2-4
Reflection: Nowhere do we find Jesus nearer to us and more adapted to our weakness than in Mary, since it was for that reason that He came and dwelt in her. Everywhere else He is the Bread of the strong, the Bread of the Angels, but in Mary He is the Bread of children..
Prayer: O Mary, you bring Jesus to us in a way we can understand. Let me come to know Jesus more deeply, love Him more dearly, and follow Him more closely.
cripture meditation: She has set her table. She has sent out her maids to invite to the tower … :"Let whoever is a little one come to me." Proverbs 9:2-4
Reflection: Nowhere do we find Jesus nearer to us and more adapted to our weakness than in Mary, since it was for that reason that He came and dwelt in her. Everywhere else He is the Bread of the strong, the Bread of the Angels, but in Mary He is the Bread of children..
Prayer: O Mary, you bring Jesus to us in a way we can understand. Let me come to know Jesus more deeply, love Him more dearly, and follow Him more closely.
Holy Quotes
C
hristians are forbidden to correct the stumblings of sinners by force. …. It is necessary to make a man better not by force but by persuasion. We neither have authority granted us by law to restrain sinners, nor if it were, should we know how to use it, since God gives the crown to those who are kept from evil not by force, but by choice.
We can't have full knowledge all at once. We must start by believing; then afterwards we may be led on to master the evidence for ourselves.
From Jesus' behavior we learn a double lesson: that human suffering has a precise role to play in God's plan, and that it moves to compassion the Heart of Jesus. For He knows how much suffering can affect human weakness and put it to the test.
hristians are forbidden to correct the stumblings of sinners by force. …. It is necessary to make a man better not by force but by persuasion. We neither have authority granted us by law to restrain sinners, nor if it were, should we know how to use it, since God gives the crown to those who are kept from evil not by force, but by choice.
We can't have full knowledge all at once. We must start by believing; then afterwards we may be led on to master the evidence for ourselves.
From Jesus' behavior we learn a double lesson: that human suffering has a precise role to play in God's plan, and that it moves to compassion the Heart of Jesus. For He knows how much suffering can affect human weakness and put it to the test.
characteristics of the people of God
W
hat are the characteristics of the people of God?
One becomes a member of this people through faith in Christ and Baptism. This people has for its origin God the Father; for its head Jesus Christ; for its hallmark the dignity and freedom of the sons of God; for its law the new commandment of love; for its mission to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world; and for its destiny the Kingdom of God, already begun on earth.
CCC #782 and 804
hat are the characteristics of the people of God?
One becomes a member of this people through faith in Christ and Baptism. This people has for its origin God the Father; for its head Jesus Christ; for its hallmark the dignity and freedom of the sons of God; for its law the new commandment of love; for its mission to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world; and for its destiny the Kingdom of God, already begun on earth.
CCC #782 and 804
Oldest Icon of St. Paul discovered
L
’Osservatore Romano is reporting that last Friday the oldest known icon of St. Paul was recently discovered in the catacombs of St. Thecla, which is located on the Via Ostiensis. The image apparently dates to the fourth century. It was discovered during a restoration project.
-Read More
’Osservatore Romano is reporting that last Friday the oldest known icon of St. Paul was recently discovered in the catacombs of St. Thecla, which is located on the Via Ostiensis. The image apparently dates to the fourth century. It was discovered during a restoration project.
-Read More
Year of St. Paul concludes yet continues
T
here is a fundamental two-fold dynamic underlying our identity and mission as those who belong unconditionally to God in Christ Jesus and to His Church: (1) to be with the Lord Jesus, and (2) to be sent out in His Name to proclaim the Gospel. This two-fold dynamic is clearly expressed in the Gospel of Saint Mark: “[Jesus] went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him. He appointed twelve … that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach …” (Mk 3:13-14)
-Read More
here is a fundamental two-fold dynamic underlying our identity and mission as those who belong unconditionally to God in Christ Jesus and to His Church: (1) to be with the Lord Jesus, and (2) to be sent out in His Name to proclaim the Gospel. This two-fold dynamic is clearly expressed in the Gospel of Saint Mark: “[Jesus] went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him. He appointed twelve … that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach …” (Mk 3:13-14)
-Read More
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)