Letting the Lord Work
Ascension Thursday
Father John Doyle, LC
John 16:20-23
"A
little while, and you will see me no more; again a little while, and you will
see me." Some of his disciples said to one another, "What is this
that he says to us, `A little while, and you will not see me, and again a
little while, and you will see me'; and, `because I go to the Father'?"
They said, "What does he
mean by `a little while'? We do not know what he means." Jesus knew that they wanted to ask
him; so he said to them, "Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I
meant by saying, `A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little
while, and you will see me'? Truly,
truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you
will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.
Introductory Prayer: Lord, as I begin this prayer I offer You my whole self: my thoughts,
desires, decisions, actions, hopes, fears, weaknesses, failures and petty
successes. I open my entire being to You, aware that You know everything
already. I’m certain of Your mercy and of the purifying power of Your
penetrating, loving gaze.
Petition: Lord help me to be an apostle of your kingdom.
1. God’s Paradoxical Plan of Salvation: Jesus ascends into heaven, but
before he does, he leaves his disciples a mission. He assigns them the task of
building up his Church. Maybe we are so accustomed to the story that it no
longer astonishes us –– but it is truly incredible. These were the same men who
just a few weeks earlier had abandoned Christ and locked themselves up in a
room out of fear. Humanly speaking anyone would have bet a good deal that their
mission was doomed to prompt and certain failure –– yet here we are two
thousand years later! I too, am called by Christ to spread my faith, and if I
ever feel that I am not the best qualified for this mission, well… I just have
to remember that my Captain is sitting at the right hand of the Father,
directing the whole operation.
2. Signs of God’s Providence: Time and time again throughout history, Our Lord has shown signs of his
power at work in his Church to strengthen our faith. Extraordinary miracles
have always accompanied the preaching of the Gospel right to our own day.
Devils are still driven out, and many sick are still being cured in the most
extraordinarily unexplainable ways. The greatest miracle of all however is the
miracle of Christ’s continued presence with us in the Eucharist and the
conversion of heart that takes place in the sacrament of reconciliation. God is
constantly at work for his people. Even when he doesn’t grant us astonishing
signs, he does shower countless signs of his providence upon us every day. Am I
able to recognize them?
3. The Lord at Work: The key to success in the mission of being a witness to Christ and his
Gospel is found in letting God work. Like the first apostles, we have to cast
our nets where the Lord directs us. So many times pride and human ambition have
stood in the way of God’s plan. We don’t have to be anything special to work
for the Lord; all we need to do is to follow his direction. What great quality
do we really possess anyway that is not a gift from God and his already? Am I
confident that the Lord is already at work in me? Do I recognize the signs of
his provident love in my life, and do I thank him for them?
Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, help me to understand that being an apostle is not an
option, but a demand of my baptism. It is the way I can respond to the immense
love You have shown to me. Please continue to work in my life.
Resolution: I will pause before I go to bed and reflect on the signs of God’s
providence in my life, thanking him for them.
Excerpts from the DIARY of
Saint Faustina Kowalska
522 +The
mercy of the Lord I will sing forever,
Before all the people will I sing it,
For it is God's greatest attribute
And for us an unending miracle.
You gush forth from the Divine Trinity,
But from one single womb filled with love.
The mercy of the Lord will be revealed in the soul
In all its fullness, when the veil falls.
From the fountain of Your mercy, O Lord,
Flows all happiness and life,
And thus, all creatures and the whole of creation
Sing out in ecstasy a song of mercy.
The bowels of God's mercy are opened for us
Through the life of Jesus, stretched on the Cross.
O sinner, you must not doubt or despair,
But trust in mercy, for you also can become holy.
Two streams in the form of rays
Have gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus,
Not for Angels, nor Cherubim, nor Seraphim,
But for the salvation of sinful man.
Before all the people will I sing it,
For it is God's greatest attribute
And for us an unending miracle.
You gush forth from the Divine Trinity,
But from one single womb filled with love.
The mercy of the Lord will be revealed in the soul
In all its fullness, when the veil falls.
From the fountain of Your mercy, O Lord,
Flows all happiness and life,
And thus, all creatures and the whole of creation
Sing out in ecstasy a song of mercy.
The bowels of God's mercy are opened for us
Through the life of Jesus, stretched on the Cross.
O sinner, you must not doubt or despair,
But trust in mercy, for you also can become holy.
Two streams in the form of rays
Have gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus,
Not for Angels, nor Cherubim, nor Seraphim,
But for the salvation of sinful man.
531 November
24, 1935. Sunday, first day. I went at once before the Blessed Sacrament and
offered myself with Jesus, present in the Most Holy Sacrament, to the
Everlasting Father. Then I heard these words in my soul: Your purpose and
that of your companions is to unite yourselves with Me as closely as possible;
through love You will reconcile earth with heaven, you will soften the just
anger of God, and you will plead for mercy for the world. I place in your care
two pearls very precious to My Heart: these are the souls of priests and
religious. You will pray particularly for them; their power will come from your
diminishment. You will join prayers, fasts, mortifications, labors and all
sufferings to My prayer, fasting, mortification, labors and sufferings and then
they will have power before My Father.
532 After
Holy Communion, I saw the Lord Jesus, who said these words to me: Today,
penetrate into the spirit of My poverty and arrange everything in such a way
that the most destitute will have no reason to envy you. I find pleasure, not
in large buildings and magnificent structures, but in a pure and humble heart.
535
Obedience. I have come
to do My Father's will. I obeyed My parents, I obeyed My tormentors and now I
obey the priests. I understand, O Jesus, the spirit of
obedience and in what it consists. It includes not only external performance,
but also the reason, the will and judgment. Obeying our superiors, we obey God.
It makes no difference whether it is an angel or a man who, acting in God's
stead, gives me orders; I must always obey. I am not going to write much about
the vows; they are clear and specific. I will rather put down a few general
thoughts about this congregation.
1256 [August]
30. Reverend Father Sopocko left this morning. When I was steeped in a prayer
of thanksgiving for the great grace that I had received from God; namely, that
of seeing Father, I became united in a special way with the Lord who said to
me, He is a priest after
My own Heart; his efforts are pleasing to Me. You see, My daughter, that My
will must be done and that which I had promised you, I shall do. Through him I
spread comfort to suffering and careworn souls. Through him it pleased Me to
proclaim the worship of My mercy. And through this work of mercy more souls
will come close to Me than otherwise would have, even if he had kept giving
absolution day and night for the rest of his life, because by so doing, he
would have labored only for as long as he lived; whereas, thanks to this work
of mercy, he will be laboring till the end of the world.
1263 Up to
now, I have been wondering, with some fear, where these inspirations would lead
me. My fear increased when the Lord made known to me that I was to leave this
Congregation. This is the third year passing by since that time, and my soul
has felt, in turns, enthusiasm and an urge to act-and then I have a lot of
courage and strength-and then again, when the decisive moment to undertake the
work draws near, I feel deserted by God, and because of this an extraordinary
fear pervades my soul, and I see that it is not the hour intended by God to
initiate the work. These are sufferings about which I don't even know how to
write. God alone knows what I put up with, day and night. It seems to me that
the worst torments of the martyrs would be easier for me to bear than what I am
going through, though without the shedding of a drop of blood. But all this is
for souls, for souls, Lord....
1264 Act of
total abandonment to the will of God, which is for me, love and mercy itself.
Act of Oblation
Jesus-Host, whom I have this very moment received into my heart, through this union with You I offer myself to the heavenly Father as a sacrificial host, abandoning myself totally and completely to the most merciful and holy will of my God. From today onward, Your will, Lord, is my food. Take my whole being; dispose of me as You please. Whatever Your fatherly hand gives me, I will accept with submission, peace and joy. I fear nothing, no matter in what direction You lead me; helped by Your grace I will carry out everything You demand of me. I no longer fear any of Your inspirations nor do I probe anxiously to see where they will lead me. Lead me, O God, along whatever roads You please; I have placed all my trust in Your will which is, for me, love and mercy itself.
Bid me to stay in this convent, I will stay; bid me to undertake the work, I will undertake it; leave me in uncertainty about the work until I die, be blessed; give me death when, humanly speaking, my life seems particularly necessary, be blessed. Should You take me in my youth, be blessed; should You let me live to a ripe old age, be blessed. Should You give me health and strength, be blessed; should You confine me to a bed of pain for my whole life, be blessed. Should you give only failures and disappointments in life, be blessed. Should You allow my purest intentions to be condemned, be blessed. Should You enlighten my mind, be blessed. Should You leave me in darkness and all kinds of torments, be blessed.
From this moment on, I live in the deepest peace, because the Lord himself is carrying me in the hollow of His hand. He, Lord of unfathomable mercy, knows that I desire Him alone in all things, always and everywhere.
1265 Prayer. O Jesus, stretched out upon the cross, I implore You, give me the grace of doing faithfully the most holy will of Your Father, in all things, always and everywhere. And when this will of God will seem to me very harsh and difficult to fulfill, it is then I beg You, Jesus, may power and strength flow upon me from Your wounds, and may my lips keep repeating, "Your will be done, O Lord." O Savior of the world, Lover of man's salvation, who in such terrible torment and pain forget Yourself to think only of the salvation of souls, O most compassionate Jesus, grant me the grace to forget myself that I may live totally for souls, helping You in the work of salvation, according to the most holy will of Your Father....
Act of Oblation
Jesus-Host, whom I have this very moment received into my heart, through this union with You I offer myself to the heavenly Father as a sacrificial host, abandoning myself totally and completely to the most merciful and holy will of my God. From today onward, Your will, Lord, is my food. Take my whole being; dispose of me as You please. Whatever Your fatherly hand gives me, I will accept with submission, peace and joy. I fear nothing, no matter in what direction You lead me; helped by Your grace I will carry out everything You demand of me. I no longer fear any of Your inspirations nor do I probe anxiously to see where they will lead me. Lead me, O God, along whatever roads You please; I have placed all my trust in Your will which is, for me, love and mercy itself.
Bid me to stay in this convent, I will stay; bid me to undertake the work, I will undertake it; leave me in uncertainty about the work until I die, be blessed; give me death when, humanly speaking, my life seems particularly necessary, be blessed. Should You take me in my youth, be blessed; should You let me live to a ripe old age, be blessed. Should You give me health and strength, be blessed; should You confine me to a bed of pain for my whole life, be blessed. Should you give only failures and disappointments in life, be blessed. Should You allow my purest intentions to be condemned, be blessed. Should You enlighten my mind, be blessed. Should You leave me in darkness and all kinds of torments, be blessed.
From this moment on, I live in the deepest peace, because the Lord himself is carrying me in the hollow of His hand. He, Lord of unfathomable mercy, knows that I desire Him alone in all things, always and everywhere.
1265 Prayer. O Jesus, stretched out upon the cross, I implore You, give me the grace of doing faithfully the most holy will of Your Father, in all things, always and everywhere. And when this will of God will seem to me very harsh and difficult to fulfill, it is then I beg You, Jesus, may power and strength flow upon me from Your wounds, and may my lips keep repeating, "Your will be done, O Lord." O Savior of the world, Lover of man's salvation, who in such terrible torment and pain forget Yourself to think only of the salvation of souls, O most compassionate Jesus, grant me the grace to forget myself that I may live totally for souls, helping You in the work of salvation, according to the most holy will of Your Father....
1401
Yesterday I received a letter from Father Sopocko. I learned that God's work is
progressing, however slowly. I am very happy about this, and I have redoubled
my prayers for this entire work. I have come to learn that, for the present, so
far as my participation in the work is concerned, the Lord is asking for prayer
and sacrifice. Action on my part could indeed thwart God's plans, as Father
Sopocko wrote in yesterday's letter. O my Jesus, grant me the grace to be an
obedient instrument in Your hands. I have learned from this letter how great is
the light which God grants to this priest. This confirms me in the conviction
that God will carry out this work through him despite the mounting obstacles. I
know well that the greater and the more beautiful the work is, the more
terrible will be the storms that rage against it.
1402 God, in
his unfathomable decrees, often allows it to be that those who have expended
most effort in accomplishing some work do not enjoy its fruits here on earth;
God reserves all their joy for eternity. But for all that, God sometimes lets
them know how much their efforts please Him. And such moments strengthen them
for further struggles and ordeals. These are the souls that bear closest
resemblance to the Savior who, in the work which He founded here on earth,
tasted nothing but bitterness.
1405 November
30, 1937. When I was going upstairs this evening, a strange dislike for
everything having to do with God suddenly came over me. At that, I heard Satan
who said to me, "Think no more about this work. God is not as merciful as
you say He is. Do not pray for sinners, because they will be damned all the
same, and by this work of mercy you expose your own self to damnation. Talk no
more about this mercy of God with your confessor and especially not with Father
Sopocko and Father Andrasz." At this point, the voice took the appearance
of my Guardian Angel, and at that moment I replied, "I know who you are:
the father of lies [cf. Jn. 8:44]." I made the sign of the cross, and the
angel vanished with great racket and fury.
1408 I was
present at Holy Mass celebrated by Father Sopocko. During the Mass, I saw the
Infant Jesus who, touching the priest's forehead with His finger, said to me, His thought is closely united to
Mine, so be at peace about what concerns My work. I will not let him make a
mistake, and you should do nothing without his permission. This
filled my soul with great peace as regards everything that has to do with this
work.
1629 I am a
host in Your hand,
O Jesus, my Creator and Lord,
Silent, hidden, without beauty or charm,
Because all the beauty of my soul is imprinted within me.
I am a host in Your hand, O Divine Priest,
Do with me as You please;
I am totally dependent on Your will, O Lord
Because it is the delight and adornment of my soul.
I am like a white host in Your hand, O God,
I implore You, transform me into Yourself.
May I be wholly hidden in You,
Locked in Your merciful Heart as in Heaven.
I am like a host in Your hand, O Eternal Priest,
May the wafer of my body hide me from human eye;
May Your eye alone measure my love and devotion,
Because my heart is always united with Your Divine Heart.
I am like a sacrificial host in Your hand, O Divine Mediator,
And I burn on the altar of holocaust,
Crushed and ground by suffering like grains of wheat,
And all this for the sake of Your glory, for the salvation of souls.
I am a host abiding in the tabernacle of Your Heart.
I go through life drowned in Your love,
And I fear nothing in the world,
For You Yourself are my shield, my strength, and my defense.
I am a host, laid on the altar of Your Heart,
To burn forever with the fire of love,
For I know that You have lifted me up solely because of Your mercy,
And so I turn all these gifts and graces to Your glory.
I am a host in Your hand, O Judge and Savior.
In the last hour of my life,
May the omnipotence of Your grace lead me to my goal,
May Your compassion on the vessel of mercy become famous.
O Jesus, my Creator and Lord,
Silent, hidden, without beauty or charm,
Because all the beauty of my soul is imprinted within me.
I am a host in Your hand, O Divine Priest,
Do with me as You please;
I am totally dependent on Your will, O Lord
Because it is the delight and adornment of my soul.
I am like a white host in Your hand, O God,
I implore You, transform me into Yourself.
May I be wholly hidden in You,
Locked in Your merciful Heart as in Heaven.
I am like a host in Your hand, O Eternal Priest,
May the wafer of my body hide me from human eye;
May Your eye alone measure my love and devotion,
Because my heart is always united with Your Divine Heart.
I am like a sacrificial host in Your hand, O Divine Mediator,
And I burn on the altar of holocaust,
Crushed and ground by suffering like grains of wheat,
And all this for the sake of Your glory, for the salvation of souls.
I am a host abiding in the tabernacle of Your Heart.
I go through life drowned in Your love,
And I fear nothing in the world,
For You Yourself are my shield, my strength, and my defense.
I am a host, laid on the altar of Your Heart,
To burn forever with the fire of love,
For I know that You have lifted me up solely because of Your mercy,
And so I turn all these gifts and graces to Your glory.
I am a host in Your hand, O Judge and Savior.
In the last hour of my life,
May the omnipotence of Your grace lead me to my goal,
May Your compassion on the vessel of mercy become famous.
1710 May 26,
[1938-Feast of the Ascension]. Today I accompanied the Lord Jesus as He
ascended into heaven. It was about noon. I was overcome by a great longing for
God. It is a strange thing, the more I felt God's presence, the more ardently I
desired Him. Then I saw myself in the midst of a huge crowd of disciples and
apostles, together with the Mother of God. Jesus was telling them to... Go out into the whole world and teach
in My name. He stretched out His hands and blessed them and
disappeared in a cloud. I saw the longing of Our Lady. Her soul yearned for
Jesus with the whole force of Her love. But She was so peaceful and so united
to the will of God that there was not a stir in Her heart but for what God
wanted.
1743 + God's
Infinite Goodness in Creating Mankind.
God, who in Your mercy have deigned to call man from nothingness into being, generously have You bestowed upon him nature and grace. But that seemed too little for Your infinite goodness. In Your mercy, O Lord, You have given us everlasting life. You admit us to Your everlasting happiness and grant us to share in Your interior life. And You do this solely out of Your mercy. You bestow on us the gift of Your grace, only because You are good and full of love. You had no need of us at all to be happy, but You, O Lord, want to share Your own happiness with us. But man did not stand the test. You could have punished him, like the angels, with eternal rejection, but here Your mercy appeared, and the very depths of Your being were moved with great compassion, and You promised to restore our salvation. It is an incomprehensible abyss of Your compassion that You did not punish us as we deserved. May Your mercy be glorified, O Lord; we will praise it for endless ages. And the angels were amazed at the greatness of the mercy which You have shown for mankind...
God, who in Your mercy have deigned to call man from nothingness into being, generously have You bestowed upon him nature and grace. But that seemed too little for Your infinite goodness. In Your mercy, O Lord, You have given us everlasting life. You admit us to Your everlasting happiness and grant us to share in Your interior life. And You do this solely out of Your mercy. You bestow on us the gift of Your grace, only because You are good and full of love. You had no need of us at all to be happy, but You, O Lord, want to share Your own happiness with us. But man did not stand the test. You could have punished him, like the angels, with eternal rejection, but here Your mercy appeared, and the very depths of Your being were moved with great compassion, and You promised to restore our salvation. It is an incomprehensible abyss of Your compassion that You did not punish us as we deserved. May Your mercy be glorified, O Lord; we will praise it for endless ages. And the angels were amazed at the greatness of the mercy which You have shown for mankind...
Second
Meditation.
1758 My daughter, consider the life of God which is found in the Church for the salvation and the sanctification of your soul. Consider the use that you make of these treasures of grace, of these efforts of My love.
1759 Application: O most compassionate Jesus, I have not always known how to profit from these priceless gifts, because I have paid too little attention to the gift itself and too much to the vessel in which You were giving me Your gifts. My most sweet Master, it will be different from now on. I will put Your gifts to the best use of which my soul is capable. Living faith will support me. Whatever the form might be, under which You send me Your grace, I will accept it as coming directly from You, without considering the vessel in which You send it. If it will not always be within my power to accept it with joy, I will always accept it with submission to Your holy will.
Conference on Spiritual Warfare.
1760 My daughter, I want to teach you about spiritual warfare. Never trust in yourself, but abandon yourself totally to My will. In desolation, darkness and various doubts, have recourse to Me and to your spiritual director. He will always answer you in My name. Do not bargain with any temptation; lock yourself immediately in My Heart and, at the first opportunity, reveal the temptation to the confessor. Put your self-love in the last place, so that it does not taint your deeds. Bear with yourself with great patience. Do not neglect interior mortifications. Always justify to yourself the opinions of your superiors and of your confessor. Shun murmurers like a plague. Let all act as they like; you are to act as I want you to.
Observe the rule as faithfully as you can. If someone causes you trouble, think what good you can do for the person who caused you to suffer. Do not pour out your feelings. Be silent when you are rebuked. Do not ask everyone's opinion, but only the opinion of your confessor; be as frank and simple as a child with him. Do not become discouraged by ingratitude. Do not examine with curiosity the roads down which I lead you. When boredom and discouragement beat against your heart, run away from yourself and hide in My heart. Do not fear struggle; courage itself often intimidates temptations, and they dare not attack us.
Always fight with the deep conviction that I am with you. Do not be guided by feeling, because it is not always under your control; but all merit lies in the will. Always depend upon your superiors, even in the smallest things. I will not delude you with prospects of peace and consolations; on the contrary, prepare for great battles. Know that you are now on a great stage where all heaven and earth are watching you. Fight like a knight, so that I can reward you. Do not be unduly fearful, because you are not alone.
1758 My daughter, consider the life of God which is found in the Church for the salvation and the sanctification of your soul. Consider the use that you make of these treasures of grace, of these efforts of My love.
1759 Application: O most compassionate Jesus, I have not always known how to profit from these priceless gifts, because I have paid too little attention to the gift itself and too much to the vessel in which You were giving me Your gifts. My most sweet Master, it will be different from now on. I will put Your gifts to the best use of which my soul is capable. Living faith will support me. Whatever the form might be, under which You send me Your grace, I will accept it as coming directly from You, without considering the vessel in which You send it. If it will not always be within my power to accept it with joy, I will always accept it with submission to Your holy will.
Conference on Spiritual Warfare.
1760 My daughter, I want to teach you about spiritual warfare. Never trust in yourself, but abandon yourself totally to My will. In desolation, darkness and various doubts, have recourse to Me and to your spiritual director. He will always answer you in My name. Do not bargain with any temptation; lock yourself immediately in My Heart and, at the first opportunity, reveal the temptation to the confessor. Put your self-love in the last place, so that it does not taint your deeds. Bear with yourself with great patience. Do not neglect interior mortifications. Always justify to yourself the opinions of your superiors and of your confessor. Shun murmurers like a plague. Let all act as they like; you are to act as I want you to.
Observe the rule as faithfully as you can. If someone causes you trouble, think what good you can do for the person who caused you to suffer. Do not pour out your feelings. Be silent when you are rebuked. Do not ask everyone's opinion, but only the opinion of your confessor; be as frank and simple as a child with him. Do not become discouraged by ingratitude. Do not examine with curiosity the roads down which I lead you. When boredom and discouragement beat against your heart, run away from yourself and hide in My heart. Do not fear struggle; courage itself often intimidates temptations, and they dare not attack us.
Always fight with the deep conviction that I am with you. Do not be guided by feeling, because it is not always under your control; but all merit lies in the will. Always depend upon your superiors, even in the smallest things. I will not delude you with prospects of peace and consolations; on the contrary, prepare for great battles. Know that you are now on a great stage where all heaven and earth are watching you. Fight like a knight, so that I can reward you. Do not be unduly fearful, because you are not alone.
+ Conference
on Mercy.
1777 My daughter, know that My Heart is mercy itself. From this sea of mercy, graces flow out upon the whole world. No soul that has approached Me has ever gone away unconsoled. All misery gets buried in the depths of My mercy, and every saving and sanctifying grace flows from this fountain. My daughter, I desire that your heart be an abiding place of My mercy. I desire that this mercy flow out upon the whole world through your heart. Let no one who approaches you go away without that trust in My mercy which I so ardently desire for souls.
Pray as much as you can for the dying. By your entreaties, obtain for them trust in My mercy, because they have most need of trust, and have it the least. Be assured that the grace of eternal salvation for certain souls in their final moment depends on your prayer. You know the whole abyss of My mercy, so draw upon it for yourself and especially for poor sinners. Sooner would heaven and earth turn into nothingness than would My mercy not embrace a trusting soul.
1777 My daughter, know that My Heart is mercy itself. From this sea of mercy, graces flow out upon the whole world. No soul that has approached Me has ever gone away unconsoled. All misery gets buried in the depths of My mercy, and every saving and sanctifying grace flows from this fountain. My daughter, I desire that your heart be an abiding place of My mercy. I desire that this mercy flow out upon the whole world through your heart. Let no one who approaches you go away without that trust in My mercy which I so ardently desire for souls.
Pray as much as you can for the dying. By your entreaties, obtain for them trust in My mercy, because they have most need of trust, and have it the least. Be assured that the grace of eternal salvation for certain souls in their final moment depends on your prayer. You know the whole abyss of My mercy, so draw upon it for yourself and especially for poor sinners. Sooner would heaven and earth turn into nothingness than would My mercy not embrace a trusting soul.
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-522, 531-532, 535)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-IV-1256, 1263-1265)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1401-1402, 1405, 1408)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1629, 1710, 1743, 1758-1760, 1777)
http://www.saint-faustina.com/Diary/DMIMS10.shtml
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