Posted on 07/05/2014 8:26:22 PM PDT by Salvation
July 6, 2014
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading 1 Zec 9:9-10
Thus says the LORD:
Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion,
shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king shall come to you;
a just savior is he,
meek, and riding on an ass,
on a colt, the foal of an ass.
He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim,
and the horse from Jerusalem;
the warrior’s bow shall be banished,
and he shall proclaim peace to the nations.
His dominion shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14
R/ (cf. 1) I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R/ Alleluia.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
R/ I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R/ Alleluia.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R/ I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R/ Alleluia.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R/ I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R/ Alleluia.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R/ I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R/ Alleluia.
reading 2 Rom 8:9, 11-13
Brothers and sisters:
You are not in the flesh;
on the contrary, you are in the spirit,
if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
the one who raised Christ from the dead
will give life to your mortal bodies also,
through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Consequently, brothers and sisters,
we are not debtors to the flesh,
to live according to the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die,
but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,
you will live.
Gospel Mt 11:25-30
At that time Jesus exclaimed:
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to little ones.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
Please FReepmail me to get on/off the Alleluia Ping List.
Zechariah 9:9-10
The arrival of the Messiah
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Commentary:
9:1-14:21. The prophecies concerning the new circumstances of Jerusalem
and Judah in chapters 7-8 give way now to two long oracles describing how that
definitive time will he established by the Messiah (chaps. 9-10), and how the king-
dom of God will come about (chaps. 12-14). Worked in among these themes are
short prophetical pieces which are apparently anonymous, for there is no mention
of Zechariah in them and no dates are given. The two oracles start in the same
way: An oracle. The word of the Lord ...(9:1; 12:1), a formula which is also used
at the start of the book of Malachi (Mal 1:1). Because this construction is found
on only these three occasions in the Old Testament, the three pieces are thought
to come from some third source and to have found their way into the biblical text
here — two into the book of Zechariah and one into that of Malachi.
9:1-11:17. This first oracle includes two prophetical proclamations — one about
the advent of the Messiah king (9:1-10:12), and the other about the rejection of
the good shepherd who tries to lead the people along the paths of faithfulness
and unity (11:1-17). The first one starts with a prophetical description of the vic-
torious progress of the Lord as he makes his way down to Jerusalem from the
north (9:1-8); then the city is invited to rejoice at the arrival of its king (9:9-10);
and finally the restoration of Israel is proclaimed (9:11-17).
9:9-10. The prophet now speaks directly to Jerusalem (daughter of Zion) and
her citizens (daughter of Jerusalem) as representatives of the entire chosen
people. An invitation to rejoice and celebrate is often found in the Old Testament
in connexion with the arrival of the messianic era (cf. Is 12:6; 54:1; Zeph 3:14);
here it is issued because Jerusalems king is arriving. Although the text does
not say so explicitly, it is implied that he is the descendant of David; there is
an echo here of 2 Samuel 7:12-16 and Isaiah 7:14. This king is distinguished
by what he is and what he does. The word triumphant translates the Hebrew
saddiq, which means just: he does the will of God perfectly; and the term vic-
torious” means that he enjoys divine protection and salvation. The Septuagint
and the Vulgate, however, read it as meaning that he was the saviour. He is
also humble, that is, he is not boastful in the presence of either God or men.
He is peaceable — as can be seen from the fact that he rides not on a horse like
kings of the time but on an ass, like the princes of ancient times (cf. Gen 49:11;
Judg 5:10; 10:4; 12:14). He will cause the weapons of war to disappear from
Samaria and Judah (cf. Is 2:4, 7; Mic 5:9), who will form a single, united people;
and he will also establish peace among the nations (v. 10). This king has features
similar to those of the servant of the Lord of whom Isaiah spoke (cf. Is 53:11)
and to those of the lowly people whom God found acceptable (cf. Zeph 2:3; 3:12).
Our Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled this prophecy when he entered Jerusalem before
the Passover and was acclaimed by the crowd as the Messiah, the Son of David
(cf. Mt 21:1-5; Jn 12:14). The King of glory (Ps 24:7-10) enters his City riding
on an ass (Zech 9:9). Jesus conquers the Daughter of Zion, a figure of his
Church, neither by ruse nor by violence, but by the humility that bears witness
to the truth (cf. Jn 18:37) (”Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 559). In an alle-
gorical reading, Clement of Alexandria takes the young ass of v. 9 to stand for
people who are not subject to evil: It was not enough to say a colt; the sacred
writer added, the foal of an ass, to emphasize the youth of the humanity of
Christ, his eternal youth. The divine groom tends to us and trains us, the youn-
gest, smallest colts (”Paedagogus”, 1, 15, 1).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States
From: Romans 8:9, 11-13
Life in the Spirit
[11] “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who
raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through
his Spirit who dwells in you.” [12] So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the
flesh, to live according to the flesh—[13] for if you live according to the flesh you
will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
1-13. After original sin man is pulled in two different directions: either he seeks
God above all things and contends, with God’s grace, against the inclinations
of his own concupiscence; or else he lets himself be overwhelmed by the disor-
dered passions of the flesh. The former lifestyle is “life in the Spirit”, the latter,
life “according to the flesh”. “There are only two possible ways of living on this
earth: either we live a supernatural life, or we live an animal life” ([St] J. Escriva,
“Friends of God”, 200).
Sanctifying grace is the source of life “according to the Spirit”. It is not a matter
of simply being in the state of grace or of performing a number of regular pious
practices. Life according to the Spirit—spiritual or supernatural life—means a
living-according-to-God which influences everything a Christian does: he is cons-
tantly trying to bring his thoughts, yearnings, desires and actions into line with
what God is asking of him; in everything he does he tries to follow the inspira-
tions of the Holy Spirit.
Life according to the flesh, on the other hand, has its source in the triple concu-
piscence which is a consequence of original sin—”all that is in the world the lust
of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life” (1 Jn 2:16). In this pre-
sent life it is not possible to kill concupiscence at its root: it is forever producing
new growths. The Christian is freed from original sin through Baptism (chap. 6);
the coming of Christ has set aside the ritualistic precepts of the Mosaic Law
(chap. 7); but his life in Jesus Christ is threatened by concupiscence even after
Baptism, which places him under the Law of the Spirit. “We need to submit to
the spirit, to wholeheartedly commit ourselves and strive to keep the flesh in its
place. By so doing our flesh will become spiritual again. Otherwise, if we give in
to the easy life, this will lower our soul to the level of the flesh and make it car-
nal again” (St John Chrysostom, “Hom. on Rom”, 13).
10-11. Once he is justified the Christian lives in the grace of God and confidently
hopes in his future resurrection; Christ Himself lives in him (cf. Galatians 2:20;
1 Corinthians 15:20-23). However, he is not spared the experience of death, a
consequence of Original Sin (cf. Romans 5:12; 6:23). Along with suffering, con-
cupiscence and other limitations, death is still a factor after Baptism; it is some-
thing which motivates us to struggle and makes us to be like Christ. Almost all
commentators interpret the expression “your bodies are dead because of sin” as
referring to the fact that, due to sin, the human body is destined to die. So sure
is this prospect of death that the Apostle sees the body as “already dead”.
St. John Chrysostom makes an acute observation: if Christ is living in the Chris-
tian, then the divine Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity, is also present in him.
If this divine Spirit is absent, then indeed death reigns supreme, and with it the
wrath of God, rejection of His laws, separation from Christ, and expulsion of our
Guest. And he adds: “But when one has the Spirit within, what can be lacking?
With the Spirit one belongs to Christ, one possesses Him, one vies for honor
with the angels. With the Spirit, the flesh is crucified, one tastes the delight of
an immortal life, one has a pledge of future resurrection and advances rapidly on
the path of virtue. This is what Paul calls putting the flesh to death” (”Hom. on
Rom.”, 13).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Matthew 11:25-30
Jesus Thanks His Father
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Commentary:
25-26. The wise and understanding of this world, that is, those who rely on their
own judgment, cannot accept the revelation which Christ has brought us. Super-
natural outlook is always connected with humility. A humble person, who gives
himself little importance, sees; a person who is full of self-esteem fails to per-
ceive supernatural things.
27. Here Jesus formally reveals His divinity. Our knowledge of a person shows
our intimacy with Him, according to the principle given by St. Paul: “For what
person knows a man’s thoughts except the spirit of the man which is in him?”
(1 Corinthians 2:11). The Son knows the Father by the same knowledge as that
by which the Father knows the Son. This identity of knowledge implies oneness
of nature; that is to say, Jesus is God just as the Father is God.
28-30. Our Lord calls everyone to come to Him. We all find things difficult in one
way or another. The history of souls bears out the truth of these words of Jesus.
Only the Gospel can fully satisfy the thirst for truth and justice which sincere peo-
ple feel. Only our Lord, our Master—and those to whom He passes on His power
— can soothe the sinner by telling him, “Your sins are forgiven” (Matthew 9:2). In
this connection Pope Paul VI teaches: “Jesus says now and always, ‘Come to
Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ His attitude to-
wards us is one of invitation, knowledge and compassion; indeed, it is one of of-
fering, promise, friendship, goodness, remedy of our ailments; He is our comfor-
ter; indeed, our nourishment, our bread, giving us energy and life” (”Homily on
Corpus Christi”, 13 June 1974).
“Come to Me”: the Master is addressing the crowds who are following Him, “ha-
rassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). The Phari-
sees weighed them down with an endless series of petty regulations (cf. Acts
15:10), yet they brought no peace to their souls. Jesus tells these people, and
us, about the kind of burden He imposes: “Any other burden oppresses and cru-
shes you, but Christ’s actually takes weight off you. Any other burden weighs
down, but Christ’s gives you wings. If you take a bird’s wings away, you might
seem to be taking weight off it, but the more weight you take off, the more you
tie it down to the earth. There it is on the ground, and you wanted to relieve it
of a weight; give it back the weight of its wings and you will see how it flies” (St.
Augustine, “Sermon” 126).
“All you who go about tormented, afflicted and burdened with the burden of your
cares and desires, go forth from them, come to Me and I will refresh you and
you shall find for your souls the rest which your desires take from you” (St. John
of the Cross, “Ascent of Mount Carmel”, Book 1, Chapter 7, 4).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
First reading |
Zechariah 9:9-10 © |
The Lord says this:
Rejoice heart and soul, daughter of Zion!
Shout with gladness, daughter of Jerusalem!
See now, your king comes to you;
he is victorious, he is triumphant,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
He will banish chariots from Ephraim
and horses from Jerusalem;
the bow of war will be banished.
He will proclaim peace for the nations.
His empire shall stretch from sea to sea,
from the River to the ends of the earth.
Psalm |
Psalm 144:1-2,8-11,13-14 © |
I will bless your name for ever, O God my King.
or
Alleluia!
I will give you glory, O God my king,
I will bless your name for ever.
I will bless you day after day
and praise your name for ever.
I will bless your name for ever, O God my King.
or
Alleluia!
The Lord is kind and full of compassion,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
How good is the Lord to all,
compassionate to all his creatures.
I will bless your name for ever, O God my King.
or
Alleluia!
All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,
and your friends shall repeat their blessing.
They shall speak of the glory of your reign
and declare your might, O God.
I will bless your name for ever, O God my King.
or
Alleluia!
The Lord is faithful in all his words
and loving in all his deeds.
The Lord supports all who fall
and raises all who are bowed down.
I will bless your name for ever, O God my King.
or
Alleluia!
Second reading |
Romans 8:9,11-13 © |
Your interests are not in the unspiritual, but in the spiritual, since the Spirit of God has made his home in you. In fact, unless you possessed the Spirit of Christ you would not belong to him, and if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your own mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you.
So then, my brothers, there is no necessity for us to obey our unspiritual selves or to live unspiritual lives. If you do live in that way, you are doomed to die; but if by the Spirit you put an end to the misdeeds of the body you will live.
Gospel Acclamation |
Mt11:25 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 11:25-30 © |
Jesus exclaimed, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’
Unping me please
We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.
Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.
Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.
Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.
Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.
Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.
O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.
Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests
This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.
The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.
The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.
Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.
St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.
1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)
5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.
Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.
End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Final step -- The Sign of the Cross
The Mysteries of the Rosary
By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.
The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+
From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:
"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8"
PLEASE JOIN US -
|
A Prayer for PriestsO my God, help those priests who are faithful to remain faithful; to those who are falling, stretch forth Your Divine Hand that they may grasp it as their support. In the great ocean of Your mercy, lift those poor unfortunate ones who have fallen, that being engulfed therein they may receive the grace to return to Your Great Loving Heart. Amen. Precious Blood of Jesus, protect them!
The Most Precious Blood of Jesus
July is traditionally associated with the Precious Blood of Our Lord. It may be customary to celebrate the votive Mass of the Precious Blood on July 1.
The extraordinary importance of the saving Blood of Christ has ensured a central place for its memorial in the celebration of this cultic mystery: at the centre of the Eucharistic assembly, in which the Church raises up to God in thanksgiving "the cup of blessing" (1 Cor 10, 16; cf Ps 115-116, 13) and offers it to the faithful as a "real communion with the Blood of Christ" (1 Cor 10, 16); and throughout the Liturgical Year. The Church celebrates the saving Blood of Christ not only on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, but also on many other occasions, such that the cultic remembrance of the Blood of our redemption (cf 1 Pt 1, 18) pervades the entire Liturgical Year. Hence, at Vespers during Christmastide, the Church, addressing Christ, sings: "Nos quoque, qui sancto tuo redempti sumus sanguine, ob diem natalis tui hymnum novum concinimus." In the Paschal Triduum, the redemptive significance and efficacy of the Blood of Christ is continuously recalled in adoration. During the adoration of the Cross on Good Friday the Church sings the hymn: "Mite corpus perforatur, sanguis unde profluit; terra, pontus, astra, mundus quo lavanturflumine", and again on Easter Sunday, "Cuius corpus sanctissimum in ara crucis torridum, sed et cruorem roesum gustando, Deo vivimus (194).
Catholic Word of the Day: LITANY OF THE PRECIOUS BLOOD, 09-25-12
ST. GASPAR: Founder of the Society of the Precious Blood
Mass in the Cathedral of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ (London, 9/18)
Devotion to the Drops of Blood Lost by our Lord Jesus Christ on His Way to Calvary (Prayer/Devotion)
Chaplet of the Most Precious Blood
Catholic Word of the Day: PRECIOUS BLOOD, 12-03-11
The Traditional Feast of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Catholic Caucus)
Devotion to the Precious Blood
DOCTRINE OF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,And More on the Precious Blood
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ
NOTHING IS MORE POTENT AGAINST EVIL THAN PLEADING THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus
Pope's Intentions
Universal: That sports may always be occasions of human fraternity and growth.
For Evangelization: That the Holy Spirit may support the work of the laity who proclaim the Gospel in the poorest countries.
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A
Commentary of the day
Saint Gregory of Nyssa (c.335-395), monk and Bishop
Catechetical Discourse 23-26 ; SC 453
"Although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike"
The fact that the all-powerful God has been able to humble himself even to the humility of the human condition constitutes a greater proof than the impact and supernatural character of miracles. Indeed, when divine power effects something of great sublimity this is, after a fashion, in conformity with and appropriate to God’s nature… On the other hand, that God descended even to our lowliness is, in a certain way, the expression of an overwhelming power that is not in the least restrained by what is contrary to its nature…
Neither the expanse of the heavens, the brightness of the stars, the governing of the universe, nor the harmony of created things reveal the splendid power of God so much as his indulgence, which leads him to lower himself to the weakness of our nature… God’s goodness, wisdom, justice and power are revealed in his plans on our behalf: goodness in his will to “save that which was lost” (Lk 19,10); wisdom and justice in his manner of saving us; power in the fact that Christ became “in the likeness of men” (Phil 2,7-8) and made himself conformable to the humility of our nature.
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A - July 6, 2014
Roman Rite
Zec 9:9-10; Rm 8,9.11-13; Mt 11,25-30
1) The gentle and humble[1] of heart.
After the journey of Lent and the Passion (the Way of the Cross) and Easter (the Way of Light), after the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity (Communion of Love and Light) and of the Body of Christ (the gift of His life for us), the Liturgy takes us back to "ordinary time." The Liturgy offers us the Word of God so as to continue the journey began in January, inviting us to follow Jesus and to listen to what he has to say in todays life.
Christs words in todays readings are truly comforting: "Come to me, tired and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls "(Mt 11, 29-30). To the humility of the incarnate Son of God we must respond with the humility of our faith. It is the humility to recognize that to live we need the merciful goodness of a God, who forgives every day. We become like Christ, the only One perfect to the greatest extent, possible, when we, imitating Him who is meek and humble in heart, become like Him people of mercy.
We must not, then, forget the words of the prophet Zechariah, Thus says the LORD:
Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion, shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass. He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; the warriors bow shall be banished, and he shall proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth."(Zec 9:9-10 - first reading of today's Mass). These are words that frame those of Jesus in todays reading as well as those of the beatitude when He says, "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth" (Mt 5:5). If we keep this beatitude joined to the invitation: "Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart" (Mt 11, 29), we infer that the beatitudes are not only a good ethics program that the master designs for his followers, but are also the self-portrait of Jesus. He is the true poor, the meek, the pure of heart and the persecuted for justice. He is the real king of peace that restores his subjects and protects them with the scepter of the Cross, scepter of powerful gentleness.
In fact, the higher test of the kingly meekness of Christ is his passion. No wrath, no threat: "Outraged did not revile, and suffering did not threaten" (1 Peter 2: 23). This side of the person of Christ was so stamped in the memory of his disciples that Paul, wanting to beg the Corinthians for something dear and sacred, writes to them: "I beseech you for the kindness and gentleness of Christ" (2 Cor 10 , 1). But Jesus did much more than give us an example of heroic meekness and patience. He made meekness the sign of true greatness. This will no longer mean to raise oneself lonely above the crowd, but to serve and uplift others. On the Cross, Saint Augustine says, he reveals that the real victory does not consist in making victims, but in being a victim, " Winner because victim (Victor quia victima)" (Confessions, 10, 43).
2) Humble of heart.
In a world where everyone says that we should always come forward, the Gospel invites us to step back. "Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and here you will find rest for your souls" (Mt 11, 29). "Gentle and humble" are two terms that Jesus applies to himself. And rightly so, because they indicate his attitude toward God and toward men, an attitude of confidence, obedience, and docility toward God and an attitude of welcoming, patience, discretion, availability, forgiveness and even service toward men. Even the addition of heart is not without importance: it indicates that the availability of Jesus to the Father and to the brothers and sisters - is rooted deeply in his heart and involves his entire Being.
Its true that for man humility, as well as poverty, seems a condition for having a relationship with God, moreover it is the essential condition to live it. But, as St. Francis of Assisi had sensed, it is equally true that humility is a characteristic of God.
When a human being kneels before God, the Lord of heaven, that is not humility, it's just realism. When God bends over the sick and the sinner, when he bows down to wash the feet of man, this is divine humility. By becoming incarnate, the Son of God does not deny his infinite dignity but manifests it in a sublime way, delicate and full of love. God bows down to give himself totally to man and to save him. He becomes "nothing" so that man can be everything.
This did not happen only once, more than two thousand years ago. It takes place every time he makes himself present in the Mass under the species of bread and wine to donate himself, to be eaten. Mass finds its completion in the Eucharistic Communion in which He totally gives himself so to disappear for each of us and for all of us.
God is humility because He is love, teaches St. Francis of Assisi, who knew God in a sublime way because he had experience of Him and because in the Church he meditated the Holy Scriptures. In fact, already in the Old Testament God says that "He (God) delights himself in being with the children of men." Lets think of the joy of the Father in being in the heart of Jesus. Lets also think of the joy of Jesus for the fact that God has been pleased to conceal his greatness to the big ones so as to reveal it to the little and the forgotten ones, to the point of becoming guarantor of our poor fragile human life and suffer its fate. St. Paul refers to this mystery when he says: " Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness and found human in appearance
Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name*that is above every name (Phil. 2, 6-9). Here is the humility of God: his Condescension in what is nothing before him and that is made possible only because he is the Almighty. Here is the humility of Jesus Christ: "Even he, the Son of God, is lowered to receive the love of the Father" (Pope Francis, homily of June 27, 2014).
In short, the Christian love, the love that the life of Jesus brings and that, according to St. John, is God himself, rests on humility.
3) Humility, foundation of spiritual life.
Lets finish by mentioning the fact that humility is the foundation of spiritual life in particular for the consecrated Virgins.
Spiritual life always involves the feeling of being nothing in front of God, a nothing that does not exclude the fact that the creature exists. It excludes, however, every feeling of opposition, every feeling of otherness, every feeling that gives a man the consciousness of being something independent from Him and not in Him and for Him. The creature for all that she is, is from God and in God.
Therefore with the recognition of God as the Lord, a certain annihilation of our inner self is implied. In the infinite light of God, man disappears like the sun that as soon as it is high above the horizon, eclipses the stars.
God reveals himself to us through creation, but his most perfect revelation is Jesus Christ. And Christ for Saint Francis of Assisi is humility. He cannot recover from the astonishment caused by his contemplation of the Christian mystery as a mystery of supreme humility: the humility of Christ in His birth, in His Passion and in the Eucharist.
The consecrated Virgins together with the Virgin Mary, model of discipleship and consecration, grow with special affection and devotion the humble filial confidence, the intercessory prayer and the contemplation of the mysteries of her Son Jesus. They testify in the Church that the fidelity of the Christian has his role in the faithfulness of God, who manifests the humility of his heart. Jesus didnt come to conquer men as the kings and the powerful of this world, but came to offer love with meekness and humility.
These women let themselves to be enveloped by the humble faithfulness and gentleness of Christ, the revelation of the Father's mercy. Their vocation is to serve God in the world with humble courage and with all the strength of their heart.
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Spiritual reading
St. Francis of Assisi
Letter to the General Chapter and to all the Friars
In lieu of the patristic reading this time Im proposing one of the most beautiful texts of the Franciscan writings;
Consider your dignity, brothers, priests, and be holy because He Himself is holy. And as the Lord God has honored you above all through this mystery, even so do you also love and reverence and honor Him above all. It is a great misery and a deplorable weakness when you have Him thus present to care for anything else in the whole world. Let the entire man be seized with fear; let the whole world tremble; let heaven exult when Christ, the Son of the Living God, is on the altar in the hands of the priest. O admirable height and stupendous condescension!
O humble sublimity! O sublime humility! That the Lord of the universe, God and the Son of God, so humbles Himself that for our salvation He hides Himself under a morsel of bread. Consider, brothers, the humility of God and "pour out your hearts before Him, and be ye humbled that ye may be exalted by Him. Do not therefore keep back anything for yourselves that He may receive you entirely who gives Himself up entirely to you.
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[1] To find out who are the gentle and humble that Jesus called blessed, it is useful to briefly review the various terms with which the word humble (praeis) is rendered in modern translations. The Italian has two terms mite and mansueto. The latter is also the term used in the Spanish translations, los mansos, the meek. In French the word is translated as doux, those who possess the virtue of gentleness. (There is not a specific term in French to say meekness, in the "Dictionnaire de spiritualité" this virtue is under the word douceur, sweetness).
In German there are different translations. Luther translated the term as Sanftmuetigen, mild and meek. In the ecumenical translation of the Bible, Bibel Einheits, the meek are those who do not act violently - die keine Gewalt anwenden- therefore the non-violent. Some authors emphasize the objective and sociological dimension and translate praeis with Machtlosen, the helpless, the powerless. The English usually translate praeis with gentle, introducing the gradient of kindness and courtesy.
Each of these translations highlights a true but partial component of the beatitude. We must keep them together and not isolate any to get an idea of the richness of the original term of the Gospel. Two constant associations in the Bible and in ancient Christian exhortation, help to grasp the "full meaning" of gentleness, one links gentleness to humility, the other gentleness to patience. The first association highlights the interior dispositions from which gentleness flows, the other the attitudes that we must have towards others: gentleness and kindness. These are the same traits that the Apostle emphasizes speaking of charity: "Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury (1 Cor 13: 4-5)T
(July 06, 2014) © Innovative Media Inc.
GOSPEL COMMENTARY MT 11: 25-30
Transparent liars
Fr. Jerry Pokorsky
The effects of original sin abound. Walking to the church one Sunday, I came across a mother with an unruly baby in her arms near one of the exits. Her two-year-old son was also standing at her side. On my shoulder I had placed a lightweight tree branch that had fallen, intending to toss it behind the church. I jokingly asked the two-year-old, “Did you break this branch?” The child’s response was immediate and exculpatory: “No, (pointing to his baby brother) Jason did it.” The lie (or perhaps merely a stated conclusion of faulty childish logic) was transparent and very amusing. I was amused. Mom wasn’t. Parents know that cute kids, without parental vigilance and gentle correction, quickly become not-so-cute in habitual misbehavior. My chuckles for the moment would need to be suppressed.
The customary interpretation of Christ’s teaching, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:3), is that we must become “childlike but not childish.” Christ seems to be referring to a child’s lack of adults’ crusty cynicism and negativity, the openness to goodness and truth, the ability to accept the almost unbelievable extent of God’s mercy, generosity and love Jesus is telling of. So it’s a convenient and reasonably satisfying distinction, but upon reflection it may be helpful to reconsider. In Sunday’s Gospel, Christ similarly teaches, “for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones.” What is it about being “childlike” and perhaps even a bit “childish” that prepares us to receive and live a life of faith and goodness?
Little children are capable of lying easily and blatantly or wildly misunderstanding the world around them. They might deny snitching cookies, for example, even when the cookie crumbs grace their tiny lips. This transparency of children may be one key to understanding these words of Christ. Unlike many adults, little children are usually not good liars. When they lie, they likely know they are lying (provided, of course, they know that what they’re saying is false). We know they are lying. And it’s a good guess they know we know they are lying.
One day in the parish school, I asked the children preparing for first penance if they knew, before they learned the Ten Commandments, that disobeying mom and dad, lying, cheating and throwing temper tantrums were wrong. They all agreed, affirming the teaching of St. Paul — and St. Thomas Aquinas — that the Commandments are written on our hearts as the “natural moral law.” So if we already know what’s wrong, why must we learn the Ten Commandments? A thoughtful child answered correctly: “To remind us.”
The seeds of bad habits and narcissism (and other psychological disorders, some of which may be rooted in habitual sin) have not yet come to full bloom in a child. This is why healthy and straightforward Christian formation at a very young age not only is relatively easy to sustain by churchgoing Catholic families, but is so necessary for character development. The dandelion sprouts of venial sin have not yet sunk deep, making it possible to root out the weeds of sin before they blossom into hardness of heart (to press a metaphor). Hence, in our parish (and in many parishes), the priests hear the confessions of the school children monthly during the school year, helping to direct them to a life of virtue.
A child usually has a simple view of morality. After hearing a heartfelt confession of sin, I often encourage the child by suggesting he knows something that many adults do not know, or refuse to know: the difference between right and wrong. For as we get older, we tend to convince ourselves that the norms of right and wrong blur and become much more complicated in a “complex and technological” world. This may be true with respect to the great questions of war and peace and economics. But it is not true with respect to the everyday rules of morality that form the foundation of our character, both personally and culturally. We never grow out of the need to abide by the Ten Commandments.
If little children at times transparently attempt to deceive their elders, they do not seem to deceive themselves and are responsive to prudent correction. But grown-ups frequently cultivate the delicate crafts of self-deception and denying personal responsibility for evil. Indeed, as we grow older and become more settled in our habits, we need increasing measures of God’s grace to recognize our sins, anesthetized away as we make them by adult rationalizations and self-justifications. This is why a priest greets the penitent with an invocation, “May the Lord who has enlightened every heart help you to know your sins and trust in His mercy.”
In our day, as in every age, we need to be reminded of how readily God’s wisdom is received by children. God’s law is not complicated, nor is it difficult to grasp or understand, if we open our hearts with childlike simplicity. Even sinning with a childlike simplicity without self-deception has its merits, provided we respond as children, accept correction and repent. A child has a sense of freedom and security within a loving family. By becoming childlike, even childish, in the presence of Christ, a path to happiness opens as true children of God.
Nevertheless, lest we become too sentimental with childish things, we might all agree the face of a child can say it all — especially the mouth part of the face.
Fr. Pokorsky is pastor of St. Michael Church in Annandale.
Year A - 14th Sunday in ordinary time
I am gentle and humble of Heart
Matthew 11:25-30
25 At that time Jesus said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants;
26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.
27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28 "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (NRSV)
Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus
My wisdom is not to be wasted in the minds of the proud. It is a very delicate, yet powerful gift that I give to the humble, yes to the little ones of my kingdom.
Who can be little but the wise man that follows the words of John the Baptist,“ I must decrease so that the Lord may increase.” And how can you decrease unless you empty yourself of your self-love and your egoism?
I am here to teach you my child. What really matters is not what you think of yourself, but what I think of you.
Your self-opinion is full of pride and arrogance, because you always think of yourself as being better than others. In the spiritual life, no one must claim credit for anything at all. If you really give yourself to me, it will not be you yourself acting and working in my kingdom, it will be I myself acting through you and directing your life and your work for the Glory of God. Therefore you will be deprived of your credit since all credit must be given to the one guiding you. However this is the part that humbles you and makes you little, when you can give all the power, the honor and the glory to the Lord your God and when you deprive yourself of honor and material rewards here, to start making your treasure in heaven.
In order to know me, you must know yourself first. You must understand that you are a sinner and depend totally on my mercy and grace. You must descend into your nothingness in order to perceive the heights of my being. You must see very clearly your own darkness in order to be able to see my light. You must become a nothing so that I can make you something, because when you think you are something I think of you as a nothing.
The spiritual life is like when you are climbing a ladder, the higher you are, the more dangerous will be your fall, and unless you remain humble and let me help you to ascend, you will always remain down.
Come to me accepting that you are heavily burdened, this way I can help you and give you rest. Do not be over confident about your self; choose to work for your salvation with fear and trembling as Saint Paul advises you.
Salvation is not something that you can accomplish by yourself; it is my work for you. So come humbly before me your Lord and Savior, let me work in your life, let me take you by the hand and guide you, let me be your company, until you find your self in my eternal presence.
Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary
We who live the West live in a time and place where almost every burden of manual labor has been eliminated. Not only that, but creature comforts abound in almost endless number and variety. Everything from air conditioning to hair conditioning, from fast food to 4G internet, from indoor plumbing to outdoor grilling, from instant computer downloads to instant coffee machines. You dont even have to write a letter anymore; just press send and its there. Yet despite all this, it would seem we modern Westerners still keenly experience lifes burdens, for recourse to psychotherapy and psychotropic drugs is widespread.
It is increasingly clear that serenity is an inside job. Merely improving the outside and amassing creature comforts is not enough. A large fluffy pillow may cushion the body (until we get bored with it), but apparently not the soul.
Today, Jesus wants to work on the inside just a bit and presents us a teaching on being increasingly freed of our burdens. He doesnt promise a trouble-free life, but if we will let Him go to work, we can grow in freedom and serenity. Jesus gives a threefold teaching on how we can experience greater serenity and freedom from our burdens. We do this by filiation, imitation, and simplification.
I. Filiation The Gospel today opens with these words: At that time Jesus exclaimed: I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.
Note how Jesus contrasts the wise and learned with the little ones. And in so doing Jesus commends to us a childlike simplicity before our heavenly Father, our Abba, our Daddy-God. This is the experience of divine filiation, of being a child of God, of being one of Gods little ones. The wise, learned, and clever often miss what God is trying to do and say, and because of this, they are anxious and stressful.
It is possible for a person to study a great deal, but if he doesnt pray (if he doesnt go before God like a little child), he isnt going to get very far. The Greek word translated here as revealed is ἀπεκάλυψας (apekalupsas) which more literally means to unveil. And only God can take away the veil, and He only does so for the humble and simple. Thus Jesus commends to our understanding the need for childlike simplicity and prayerful humility.
Half of our problems in life and 80% of the cause of our burdensome stress is that we think too much and pray too little. We have big brains and small hearts; and so we struggle to understand God instead of trusting him. Though our reason is our crowning glory, we must never forget how to be a little child in the presence of God our Father. No matter how much we think we know, it really isnt very much. Jesus first teaching is filiation, embracing a childlike simplicity before our Daddy-God.
What does it mean to be childlike? Consider how humble little children are. They are always asking why and are unashamed to admit that they do not know. Children are also filled with wonder and awe; they are fascinated by the littlest as well as the biggest things. Children know they depend on their parents and instinctively run to them at any sign of trouble, or when they have been hurt. They trust their parents. Not only that, but they ask for everything; they are always seeking, asking, and knocking.
And thus Jesus teaches us that the first step to lessening our burdens is to have a childlike simplicity with the Father wherein we are humble before Him, acknowledge our need for Him, and recognize our dependence on Him for everything. He teaches us to have a simplicity that is humble enough to admit we dont know much and want to learn from Him, a wonder and awe in all that God has done, and an instinct to run to God in every danger, or when we are hurt and in trouble. Above all, Jesus teaches us by this image to grow each day in our trust of Abba, and to have the confidence to ask Him for everything we need. The Book of James says, You have not because you ask not (4:2). An old spiritual says, I love the Lord; he heard my cry; and pitied every groan. Long as I live and troubles rise; Ill hasten to his throne.
Yes, run! Run with childlike simplicity and trust.
So here is the first teaching of Jesus on letting go of our burdens: grow in childlike simplicity and trust before God our loving Father and Abba.
II. Imitation - The text says, Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. Jesus commends to us two characteristics of Himself that, if we embrace them, will give us rest and relief from our burdens. He says He is meek and humble of heart. Lets look at both.
What does it mean to be meek? The Greek word is πραΰς (praus) and there is some debate as to how it is best interpreted. Simply looking at it as a Greek word, we can see that Aristotle defined praotes (meekness) as the mean, or middle ground, between too much anger and not enough anger. Hence the meek are those who have authority over their anger.
However, many biblical scholars think that Jesus uses this word most often as a synonym for being poor in spirit. And what does it mean to be poor in spirit? It means to be humble and dependent on God. By extension it means that our treasure is not here. We are poor to this world, and our treasure is with God and the things awaiting us in heaven. And here is a source of serenity for us, for when we become poor to this world, when we become less obsessed with success, power, and possessions, many of our anxieties go away. To the poor in spirit, the wealth of this world is as nothing. You cant steal from a man who has nothing. A poor man is less anxious because he has less to lose and less at stake. He is free from this worlds obsessions and from the fears and burdens they generate. And so Jesus calls us to accept His example and the growing experience in us of being poor in spirit.
Jesus also says that He is humble of heart. The Greek word here is ταπεινός (tapeinos) meaning lowly or humble and referring to one who depends on the Lord rather than himself. We have already discussed this at length above. But simply note here that the Lord Jesus is inviting us to learn this from Him and to receive it as a gift. The Lord can do this for us. And if we will learn it from Him and receive it, so many of our burdens and anxieties will be lifted.
Here then is the second teaching, which Jesus offers us so that we will see lifes burdens lessened. He teaches us to learn from Him and receive from Him the gifts to be poor in spirit and humble of heart. The serenity that comes from embracing these grows with each day, for this world no longer has its shackles on us. It cannot intimidate us, for its wealth and power do not entice us, and we do not fear their loss. We learn to trust that God will see us through and provide us with what we need.
III. Simplification The text says, Take my yoke upon you For my yoke is easy, and my burden light. The most important word in this sentence is my. Jesus says, MY yoke is easy, MY burden is light.
What is a yoke? Essentially yoke is used here as a euphemism for the cross. A yoke is a wooden truss that makes it easier to carry a heavy load by distributing the weight along a wider part of the body or by causing the weight to be shared by two or more people or animals. In the picture at left, the woman is able to carry the heavy water more easily with the weight across her shoulders rather than in the narrow section of her hands. This eases the load by involving the whole body more evenly. Yokes are also used to join two animals and help them work together in pulling a load.
What is Jesus saying? First, He is saying that He has a yoke for us. That is, He has a cross for us. Notice that Jesus is NOT saying that there is no yoke or cross or burden in following Him. There is a cross that He allows, for a reason and for a season.
Easy? But Jesus says the cross HE has for us is easy. Now the Greek word χρηστὸς (chrestos) is better translated well fitting, suitable, or even useful. In effect, the Lord is saying that the yoke He has for us is suited to us, is well fitting, and has been carefully chosen so as to be useful for us. God knows we need some crosses in order to grow. He knows what those crosses are, what we can bear, and what we are ready for. Yes, His yoke for us is well fitting.
But note again that little word, my. The cross or yoke Jesus has for us is well suited and useful for us. The problem comes when we start adding to that weight with things of our own doing. We put wood upon our own shoulders that God never put there and never intended for us. We make decisions without asking God. We undertake projects, launch careers, accept promotions, even enter marriages without ever discerning if God wants this for us. And sure enough, before long our life is complicated and burdensome and we feel pulled in eight directions. But this is not the my yoke of Jesus; this is largely the yoke of our own making. Of course it is not easy or well fitting; Jesus didnt make it.
Dont blame God; simplify. Be very careful before accepting commitments and making big decisions. Ask God. It may be good, but not for you. It may help others, but destroy you. Seek the Lords will. If necessary, seek advice from a spiritually mature person. Consider your state in life; consider the tradeoffs. Balance the call to be generous with the call to proper stewardship of your time, talent, and treasure. Have proper priorities. It is amazing how many people put their career before their vocation. They take promotions, accept special assignments, and think more of money and advancement than their spouse and children. Sure enough, the burdens increase and the load gets heavy when we dont ask God or even consider how a proposed course of action might affect the most precious and important things in our lives.
Stop yoking around. Jesus final advice, then, is Take MY yoke only my yoke. Forsake all others. Simplify. So stop yoking around. Take only His yoke. If you do, your burdens will be lighter. Jesus says, Come and learn from me. I will not put heavy burdens on you. I will set your heart on fire with love. And then, whatever I do have for you, will be a pleasure for you to do. Because, what makes the difference is love. Love lightens every load.
Image Credits: Above right From Goodsalt.com Used with Permission. Picture of Yoke from Seneca Creek JoineryThis video says we do need a yoke; God is preparing us to cross over to glory.
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