Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection
of Unborn Children
Lectionary: 317
Lectionary: 317
All the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said:
"Here we are, your bone and your flesh.
In days past, when Saul was our king,
it was you who led the children of Israel out and brought them back.
And the LORD said to you, 'You shall shepherd my people Israel
and shall be commander of Israel.'"
When all the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron,
King David made an agreement with them there before the LORD,
and they anointed him king of Israel.
David was thirty years old when he became king,
and he reigned for forty years:
seven years and six months in Hebron over Judah,
and thirty-three years in Jerusalem
over all Israel and Judah.
Then the king and his men set out for Jerusalem
against the Jebusites who inhabited the region.
David was told, "You cannot enter here:
the blind and the lame will drive you away!"
which was their way of saying, "David cannot enter here."
But David did take the stronghold of Zion, which is the City of David.
David grew steadily more powerful,
for the LORD of hosts was with him.
"Here we are, your bone and your flesh.
In days past, when Saul was our king,
it was you who led the children of Israel out and brought them back.
And the LORD said to you, 'You shall shepherd my people Israel
and shall be commander of Israel.'"
When all the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron,
King David made an agreement with them there before the LORD,
and they anointed him king of Israel.
David was thirty years old when he became king,
and he reigned for forty years:
seven years and six months in Hebron over Judah,
and thirty-three years in Jerusalem
over all Israel and Judah.
Then the king and his men set out for Jerusalem
against the Jebusites who inhabited the region.
David was told, "You cannot enter here:
the blind and the lame will drive you away!"
which was their way of saying, "David cannot enter here."
But David did take the stronghold of Zion, which is the City of David.
David grew steadily more powerful,
for the LORD of hosts was with him.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 89:20, 21-22, 25-26
R. (25a) My
faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.
Once you spoke in a vision,
and to your faithful ones you said:
“On a champion I have placed a crown;
over the people I have set a youth.”
R. My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.
“I have found David, my servant;
with my holy oil I have anointed him,
That my hand may be always with him,
and that my arm may make him strong.”
R. My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.
“My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him,
and through my name shall his horn be exalted.
I will set his hand upon the sea,
his right hand upon the rivers.”
R. My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.
Once you spoke in a vision,
and to your faithful ones you said:
“On a champion I have placed a crown;
over the people I have set a youth.”
R. My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.
“I have found David, my servant;
with my holy oil I have anointed him,
That my hand may be always with him,
and that my arm may make him strong.”
R. My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.
“My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him,
and through my name shall his horn be exalted.
I will set his hand upon the sea,
his right hand upon the rivers.”
R. My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.
AlleluiaSEE 2 TM 1:10
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 3:22-30
The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus,
"He is possessed by Beelzebul," and
"By the prince of demons he drives out demons."
Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables,
"How can Satan drive out Satan?
If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
And if a house is divided against itself,
that house will not be able to stand.
And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided,
he cannot stand;
that is the end of him.
But no one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his property
unless he first ties up the strong man.
Then he can plunder his house.
Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies
that people utter will be forgiven them.
But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will never have forgiveness,
but is guilty of an everlasting sin."
For they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."
"He is possessed by Beelzebul," and
"By the prince of demons he drives out demons."
Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables,
"How can Satan drive out Satan?
If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
And if a house is divided against itself,
that house will not be able to stand.
And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided,
he cannot stand;
that is the end of him.
But no one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his property
unless he first ties up the strong man.
Then he can plunder his house.
Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies
that people utter will be forgiven them.
But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will never have forgiveness,
but is guilty of an everlasting sin."
For they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."
Meditation: Jesus
frees us from Satan's power
When danger lurks what kind of protection do you seek? Jesus
came to free us from the greatest danger of all - the corrupting force of evil
which destroys us from within and makes us slaves to sin and Satan (John 8:34).
Evil is not an impersonal force that just happens. It has a name and a face and
it seeks to master every heart and soul on the face of the earth (1 Peter
5:8-9). Scripture identifies the Evil One by many names, 'Satan', 'Beelzebul -
the prince of demons', the 'Devil', the 'Deceiver', the 'Father of Lies', and
'Lucifier', the fallen angel who broke rank with God and established his own
army and kingdom in opposition to God.
The Lord Jesus frees us from Satan's power
Jesus declared that he came to overthrow the power of Satan and his kingdom (John 12:31). Jesus' numerous exorcisms brought freedom to many who were troubled and oppressed by the work of evil spirits. Jesus himself encountered personal opposition and battle with Satan when he was put to the test in the wilderness just before his public ministry (Matthew 4:1; Luke 4:1). He overcame the Evil One through his obedience to the will of his Father.
Jesus declared that he came to overthrow the power of Satan and his kingdom (John 12:31). Jesus' numerous exorcisms brought freedom to many who were troubled and oppressed by the work of evil spirits. Jesus himself encountered personal opposition and battle with Satan when he was put to the test in the wilderness just before his public ministry (Matthew 4:1; Luke 4:1). He overcame the Evil One through his obedience to the will of his Father.
Some of the Jewish leaders reacted vehemently to
Jesus' healings and exorcisms and they opposed him with malicious slander. How
could Jesus get the power and authority to release individuals from Satan's
influence and control? They assumed that he had to be in league with Satan.
They attributed his power to Satan rather than to God. Jesus asserts that no
kingdom divided against itself can survive for long. We have witnessed enough
civil wars in our own time to prove the destructive force at work here for the
annihilation of whole peoples and their land. If Satan lends his power against
his own forces then he is finished. Cyril of Alexandria, a 5th century church
father explains the force of Jesus' argument:
Kingdoms are established by the fidelity
of subjects and the obedience of those under the royal scepter. Houses are
established when those who belong to them in no way whatsoever thwart one
another but, on the contrary, agree in will and deed. I suppose it would
establish the kingdom too of Beelzebub, had he determined to abstain from everything
contrary to himself. How then does Satan cast out Satan? It follows then that
devils do not depart from people on their own accord but retire unwillingly.
“Satan,” he says, “does not fight with himself.” He does not rebuke his own
servants. He does not permit himself to injure his own armor bearers. On the
contrary, he helps his kingdom. “It remains for you to understand that I crush
Satan by divine power.” [Commentary on Luke, Homily 80]
Jesus asserted his
authority to cast out demons as a clear demonstration of the reign of God.
God's power is clearly at work in the exorcisms which Jesus performed and they
give evidence that God's kingdom has come.
Being clothed in God's strength
What kind of spiritual danger or harm should we avoid at all costs? Jesus used the illustration of a strong man whose house and possessions were kept secure. How could such a person be overtaken and robbed of his goods except by someone who is stronger than himself? Satan, who is our foe and the arch-enemy of God, is stronger than us. Unless we are clothed in God's strength, we cannot withstand Satan with our own human strength. What does Satan wish to take from us - our faith and confidence in God and our readiness to follow God's commandments. Satan is a rebel and a liar. Satan can only have power or dominion over us if we listen to his lies and succumb to his will which is contrary to the will of God. Jesus makes it clear that there are no neutral parties in this world. We are either for Jesus or against him, for the kingdom of God or opposed to it.
What kind of spiritual danger or harm should we avoid at all costs? Jesus used the illustration of a strong man whose house and possessions were kept secure. How could such a person be overtaken and robbed of his goods except by someone who is stronger than himself? Satan, who is our foe and the arch-enemy of God, is stronger than us. Unless we are clothed in God's strength, we cannot withstand Satan with our own human strength. What does Satan wish to take from us - our faith and confidence in God and our readiness to follow God's commandments. Satan is a rebel and a liar. Satan can only have power or dominion over us if we listen to his lies and succumb to his will which is contrary to the will of God. Jesus makes it clear that there are no neutral parties in this world. We are either for Jesus or against him, for the kingdom of God or opposed to it.
There are ultimately only two kingdoms in opposition
to one another - the kingdom of God's light and truth and the kingdom of
darkness and deception under the rule of Satan. If we disobey God's word, we
open the door to the power of sin and Satan's influence in our lives. If we
want to live in true freedom from the power of sin and Satan, then our
"house" - our mind and heart and whatever we allow to control our
appetites and desires - must be occupied and ruled by Jesus Christ where he is
enthroned as Lord and Savior. Do you know the peace and security of a life
submitted to God and to his Word?
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit
What is the unforgivable sin which Jesus warns us to avoid? Jesus knows that his disciples will be tested and he assures them that the Holy Spirit will give them whatever grace and help they need in their time of adversity. He warns them, however, that it's possible to spurn the grace of God and to fall into apostasy (giving up the faith) out of cowardice or disbelief. Why is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit reprehensible? Blasphemy consists in uttering against God, inwardly or outwardly, words of hatred, reproach, or defiance. It's contrary to the respect due God and his holy name. Jesus speaks of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit as the unforgivable sin.
What is the unforgivable sin which Jesus warns us to avoid? Jesus knows that his disciples will be tested and he assures them that the Holy Spirit will give them whatever grace and help they need in their time of adversity. He warns them, however, that it's possible to spurn the grace of God and to fall into apostasy (giving up the faith) out of cowardice or disbelief. Why is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit reprehensible? Blasphemy consists in uttering against God, inwardly or outwardly, words of hatred, reproach, or defiance. It's contrary to the respect due God and his holy name. Jesus speaks of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit as the unforgivable sin.
Jesus spoke about this sin immediately after the
scribes and Pharisees had attributed his miracles to the work of the devil
instead of to God. A sin can only be unforgivable if repentance is impossible.
If people repeatedly closes their eyes to God, shuts their ears to his voice,
and reject his word, they bring themselves to a point where they can no longer
recognize God when he can be seen and heard. They become spiritually
blind-sighted and speak of "evil as good and good as evil" (Isaiah
5:20).
The Holy Spirit heals and transforms us
To fear such a state of sin and spiritual blindness, however, signals that one is not dead to God and is conscious of the need for God's grace, mercy, and help. There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who refuses to acknowledge and confess their sins and to ask God for forgiveness, spurns God's generous offer of mercy, pardon, grace, and healing. Through their own stubborn pride and willfulness, they reject God, refuse his grace and help to turn away from sin, and reject the transforming power of the Holy Spirit to heal and restore them to wholeness. God always gives sufficient grace and help to all who humbly call upon him. Giving up on God and refusing to turn away from sin and disbelief results from pride and the loss of hope in God.
To fear such a state of sin and spiritual blindness, however, signals that one is not dead to God and is conscious of the need for God's grace, mercy, and help. There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who refuses to acknowledge and confess their sins and to ask God for forgiveness, spurns God's generous offer of mercy, pardon, grace, and healing. Through their own stubborn pride and willfulness, they reject God, refuse his grace and help to turn away from sin, and reject the transforming power of the Holy Spirit to heal and restore them to wholeness. God always gives sufficient grace and help to all who humbly call upon him. Giving up on God and refusing to turn away from sin and disbelief results from pride and the loss of hope in God.
What is the basis of our hope and confidence in God?
Through Jesus' death on the cross and his victory over the grave when he rose
again on the third day, Satan has been defeated and death has been overcome. We
now share in Christ's victory over sin and Satan and receive adoption as God's
sons and daughters. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Lord enables us to
live a new life of love and freedom from slavery to sin. The Lord Jesus is our
refuge and strength because he makes his home with us (John 15:4) and gives us
the power and help of the Holy Spirit. Do you take refuge in the Lord and allow
him to be the Ruler of your life?
"Lord Jesus, you are my hope and salvation. Be
the ruler of my heart and the master of my home. May there be nothing in my
life that is not under your lordship."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: The cross of Christ as victory, by
Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"It is not difficult, therefore, to see how the
devil was conquered when he, who was slain by him, rose again. But there is
something greater and more profound of comprehension: to see how the devil was
conquered precisely when he was thought to be conquering, namely, when Christ
was crucified. For at that moment the blood of him who had no sin at all, was
shed for the remission of our sins (Matthew 26:28, 1 John 3:5). The devil deservedly
held those whom he had bound by sin to the condition of death. So it happened
that One who was guilty of no sin freed them justly from this condemnation
(Hebrews 2:14). The strong man was conquered by this paradoxical justice and
bound by this chain, that his vessels [booty] might be taken away. Those
vessels which had been vessels of wrath were turned into vessels of mercy
(Romans 9:22-23)." (excerpt ON THE
TRINITY 13.15.19)
MONDAY,
JANUARY 22, MARK 3:22-30
Weekday
(2 Samuel 5:1-7, 10; Psalm 89)
Weekday
(2 Samuel 5:1-7, 10; Psalm 89)
KEY VERSE: "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand" (v 24).
TO KNOW: When Jesus returned to Capernaum, large crowds gathered, which made it impossible for him and his disciples to take time to eat. Some of Jesus' relatives believed that he had taken leave of his senses and could no longer handle his own affairs. Some scribes from Jerusalem charged him with performing exorcisms by the power of "Beelzebul" (the pagan god Baal of Syria). Jesus described the folly of a divided kingdom. If a nation was torn by civil war, it could not stand. Neither could a family withstand internal strife. Similarly, if Satan worked against himself, his domain would eventually collapse. Jesus was the "strong man" (v 27) who plundered Satan's household. Satan's defenses had been breached, and one mightier that he had arrived. The conquest of Satan had begun. Anyone who declared that Jesus was in league with the king of the demons was guilty of blaspheming the Holy Spirit who was at work in Jesus.
TO LOVE: Am I a source of unity or discord in my family?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, reconcile any divisions in my life.
A DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE LEGAL
PROTECTION OF UNBORN CHILDREN -- JANUARY 22
In all the dioceses of the United States of America, January 22 (or 23, when the 22nd falls on a Sunday) shall be observed as a particular day of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion, and of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life. The Mass "For Peace and Justice" should be celebrated with violet vestments as an appropriate liturgical observance for this day. (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, no. 373)
A great prayer for life is urgently needed, a prayer which will rise up throughout the world. Through special initiatives and in daily prayer, may an impassioned plea rise to God, the Creator and lover of life, from every Christian community, from every group and association, from every family and from the heart of every believer. -- Pope Saint John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, no. 100
Monday 22
January 2018
St Vincent Pallioti.
Samuel
5:1-7, 10. Psalm 88(89):20-22, 25-26. Mark 3:22-30.
My
faithfulness and love shall be with him—Psalm 88(89):20-22, 25-26.
‘If a
household is divided among itself, it cannot last.’
In recent times, we have seen the
governments of some nations fall because of deep-seated internal division. So
it can be in families: a fractured family is one of the saddest places to be
when it should be a place of love and security. And it can be the same
for us.
If we find ourselves living a life
that is at war with our stated values, there is no inner peace. We are pulled
in different directions, between good and evil. Doing the Awareness Examen
helps us to review our day, to notice where we have been pulled away from the
path on which we really want to travel.
Lord, heal the division within me.
Help me to take possession of my house so that I may be free, united and at
peace to follow you with an honest heart.
Saint Vincent of Zaragossa
Saint Vincent of Zaragossa
Saint of the Day for January 22
(d. c. 304)
Saint Vincent of Zaragossa’s Story
Most of what we know about this saint comes from the poet
Prudentius. His Acts have been rather freely colored by the
imagination of their compiler. But Saint Augustine, in one of his sermons
on Saint Vincent, speaks of having the Acts of his
martyrdom before him. We are at least sure of his name, his being a deacon, the
place of his death and burial.
According to the story we have, the unusual devotion he inspired
must have had a basis in a very heroic life. Vincent was ordained deacon by his
friend Saint Valerius of Zaragossa in Spain. The Roman emperors had
published their edicts against the clergy in 303, and the following year
against the laity. Vincent and his bishop were imprisoned in Valencia. Hunger
and torture failed to break them. Like the youths in the fiery furnace, they
seemed to thrive on suffering.
Valerius was sent into exile, and Dacian, the Roman governor,
now turned the full force of his fury on Vincent. Tortures that sound very
modern were tried. But their main effect was the progressive disintegration of
Dacian himself. He had the torturers beaten because they failed.
Finally he suggested a compromise: Would Vincent at least give
up the sacred books to be burned according to the emperor’s edict? He would
not. Torture on the gridiron continued, the prisoner remaining courageous, the
torturer losing control of himself. Vincent was thrown into a filthy prison
cell—and converted the jailer. Dacian wept with rage, but strangely enough,
ordered the prisoner to be given some rest.
Friends among the faithful came to visit him, but he was to have
no earthly rest. When they finally settled him on a comfortable bed, he went to
his eternal rest.
Reflection
The martyrs are heroic examples of what God’s power can do. It
is humanly impossible, we realize, for someone to go through tortures such as
Vincent had and remain faithful. But it is equally true that by human power
alone no one can remain faithful even without torture or suffering. God does
not come to our rescue at isolated, “special” moments. God is supporting the
super-cruisers as well as children’s toy boats.
LECTIO DIVINA: MARK 3,22-30
Lectio Divina:
Monday, January 22, 2018
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
All-powerful and ever-living God,
direct Your love that is within us,
that our efforts in the name of Your Son
may bring the human race to unity and peace.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever. Amen.
direct Your love that is within us,
that our efforts in the name of Your Son
may bring the human race to unity and peace.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Mark 3:22-30
The scribes who had come from Jerusalem
said of Jesus, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "By the
prince of demons he drives out demons." Summoning them, he began to speak
to them in parables, "How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is
divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided
against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up
against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him. But no
one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his property unless he first ties
up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house. Amen, I say to you, all sins
and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever
blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty
of an everlasting sin." For they had said, "He has an unclean
spirit."
3) Reflection
• The conflict grows. In the Gospel of Mark there is a progressive sequence.
By the measure in which the Good News advances and people accept it, in the
same measure it grows resistance on the part of the religious authority. The
conflict began to grow and to influence all groups of people. For example, the
relatives of Jesus thought that He was out of His mind. (Mk 3:20-21), and the
scribes who had come from Jerusalem thought that He was possessed, that
Beelzebul was in Him (Mk 3:22).
• The conflict with authority. The scribes slandered against Him. They said that Beelzebul was in Him and that it was through the prince of devils that He drove out the devils. They had come from Jerusalem, about 120 kilometers away, to keep an eye on Jesus’ behavior. They wanted to defend tradition against the new ideas that Jesus taught to the people (Mk 7:1). They thought that His teaching was against good doctrine. The response given by Jesus had three parts.
- First Part: The comparison with a divided family. Jesus uses the comparison of the divided family and the divided kingdom to denounce the absurdity of the slander. To say that Jesus casts out or drives out the devils with the help of the prince of the devils is to deny what is evident. It is like saying that water is dry, and that the sun is darkness. The doctors of Jerusalem slandered because they did not know how to explain the benefits worked by Jesus on behalf of the people. They were afraid to lose their power.
- Second Part: The comparison of the strong man. Jesus compares the devil to a strong man. Nobody, unless he is a strong person, will be able to take away the house from a strong man to rob it. Jesus is the strongest of all. And this is why He succeeds in entering the house and in dominating and overcoming the strong man. He succeeds in driving out the devils. Jesus wins over the strong man and robs his house. He liberates the people who were under the power of the evil one. The Prophet Isaiah had already used the same comparison to describe the coming of the Messiah (Is 49:24-25). Luke adds that the expulsion of the devil is the evidence of the coming of the Kingdom (Lk 11:20).
- Third part: The sin against the Holy Spirit. All sins are forgiven, except the sin against the Holy Spirit. Which is the sin against the Holy Spirit? It is to say, “The spirit which impels Jesus to cast out or drive out the devil, comes precisely from the devil!” The one who speaks in this way is incapable of receiving pardon. Why? Can the one who covers his eyes guess? He cannot! The one who closes his mouth, can he eat? He cannot. The one who does not close the umbrella of slander, can he receive the rain of pardon? He cannot! Pardon would pass by his side but would not reach him. It is not that God does not want to forgive. God always wants to forgive. But it is the sinner who refuses to receive pardon!
• The conflict with authority. The scribes slandered against Him. They said that Beelzebul was in Him and that it was through the prince of devils that He drove out the devils. They had come from Jerusalem, about 120 kilometers away, to keep an eye on Jesus’ behavior. They wanted to defend tradition against the new ideas that Jesus taught to the people (Mk 7:1). They thought that His teaching was against good doctrine. The response given by Jesus had three parts.
- First Part: The comparison with a divided family. Jesus uses the comparison of the divided family and the divided kingdom to denounce the absurdity of the slander. To say that Jesus casts out or drives out the devils with the help of the prince of the devils is to deny what is evident. It is like saying that water is dry, and that the sun is darkness. The doctors of Jerusalem slandered because they did not know how to explain the benefits worked by Jesus on behalf of the people. They were afraid to lose their power.
- Second Part: The comparison of the strong man. Jesus compares the devil to a strong man. Nobody, unless he is a strong person, will be able to take away the house from a strong man to rob it. Jesus is the strongest of all. And this is why He succeeds in entering the house and in dominating and overcoming the strong man. He succeeds in driving out the devils. Jesus wins over the strong man and robs his house. He liberates the people who were under the power of the evil one. The Prophet Isaiah had already used the same comparison to describe the coming of the Messiah (Is 49:24-25). Luke adds that the expulsion of the devil is the evidence of the coming of the Kingdom (Lk 11:20).
- Third part: The sin against the Holy Spirit. All sins are forgiven, except the sin against the Holy Spirit. Which is the sin against the Holy Spirit? It is to say, “The spirit which impels Jesus to cast out or drive out the devil, comes precisely from the devil!” The one who speaks in this way is incapable of receiving pardon. Why? Can the one who covers his eyes guess? He cannot! The one who closes his mouth, can he eat? He cannot. The one who does not close the umbrella of slander, can he receive the rain of pardon? He cannot! Pardon would pass by his side but would not reach him. It is not that God does not want to forgive. God always wants to forgive. But it is the sinner who refuses to receive pardon!
4) Personal questions
• The religious authorities close themselves up in
themselves and deny the evidence. Has this ever happened to me, that I close
myself off before the evidence or facts?
• Slander is the arm or weapon of the weak. Have you experienced this?
• Slander is the arm or weapon of the weak. Have you experienced this?
5) Concluding prayer
The whole wide world has seen the saving
power of our God.
Acclaim Yahweh, all the earth,
burst into shouts of joy! (Ps 98:3-4)
Acclaim Yahweh, all the earth,
burst into shouts of joy! (Ps 98:3-4)
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