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Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 04-26-15, Fourth Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday
USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 04-26-15 | Revised New American Bible

Posted on 04/25/2015 7:14:49 PM PDT by Salvation

April 26, 2015

Fourth Sunday of Easter

 

 

Reading 1 Acts 4:8-12

Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said:
“Leaders of the people and elders:
If we are being examined today
about a good deed done to a cripple,
namely, by what means he was saved,
then all of you and all the people of Israel should know
that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean
whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead;
in his name this man stands before you healed.
He is the stone rejected by you, the builders,
which has become the cornerstone.

There is no salvation through anyone else,
nor is there any other name under heaven
given to the human race by which we are to be saved.”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29

R. (22) The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his kindness endures forever.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2 1 Jn 3:1-2

Beloved:
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us
is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.

Alleluia Jn 10:14

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;
I know my sheep, and mine know me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Jn 10:11-18

Jesus said:
“I am the good shepherd.
A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
A hired man, who is not a shepherd
and whose sheep are not his own,
sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away,
and the wolf catches and scatters them.
This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd,
and I know mine and mine know me,
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father;
and I will lay down my life for the sheep.
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.
These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice,
and there will be one flock, one shepherd.
This is why the Father loves me,
because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own.
I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again.
This command I have received from my Father.”



TOPICS: Catholic; General Discusssion; Prayer; Worship
KEYWORDS: 4thsundayofeaster; catholic; easter; goodshepherdsunday; jn10; msgrcharlespope; prayer
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Archdiocese of Washington

The King of Love My Shepherd Is – A Homily for the 4th Sunday of Easter

By: Msgr. Charles Pope

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/ff341/thechristianplace/jesus_christ_good_shepherd.jpg

On this fourth Sunday of Easter we turn a corner of sorts. Up until now we have been reading of the resurrection appearances themselves. Today we begin to see how the risen Lord ministers to us as the Good Shepherd. In effect, the Lord gives us four basic pictures or teachings of how, as the King of Love, He shepherds us. Here, then, are four portraits of His love:

I. Passionate love – Jesus says, I am the Good Shepherd, a good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Purely gratuitous love is a hard thing to come by in human relationships. In one sense we are too needy to be able to give it purely. In another sense our motives tend to be a mixture of self-love and love of the other. This is our human condition, and few of us rise above it in a consistent way.

But Jesus loves us purely, gratuitously, and for our own sake. His love is passionate in the sense that it is sacrificial. He lays down His life for us, doing it though we are still sinners and often alienated from Him. He dies for us though we cursed, mocked, and ridiculed Him.  He loves us and lays down His life for us though He gets nothing out of it.

Hired shepherds, on the other hand, work for pay; above all else they seek their own good. When there is a danger to the sheep, hired shepherds will not risk themselves to rescue the sheep. Theirs is a service based on pay; it is subordinated to their own needs and safety.

Only one Shepherd died for you. In this world there are many politicians, musicians, movie stars, and organizations that seek our loyalty, our votes, our membership, and our dues. They also make us promises in return, even as they want to influence us and exercise leadership over us. None of this is necessarily wrong. People form relationships and seek leaders for any number of reasons. But note this important difference: none of these leaders or “shepherds” ever died for you. Only Jesus died for you.

There remains this problem: many Christians have greater loyalty to political  leaders, musicians, movies stars, and the like than to Jesus Christ. Too many people tuck their faith under their politics, giving greater credence to what popular figures say than to what Jesus says in His Word and through His Church.

Only Jesus died for you. Human beings too easily bring along their own needs and agendas. Only Jesus Christ loves you perfectly; only He died for you. Only He is deserving of the role of Chief Shepherd of your life.

II. Personal love – Jesus says, I know my sheep and mine know me. No one knows you the way Jesus Christ does, because He knew you before He ever formed you in your mother’s womb (cf Jer 1:4). He has always thought about you; He created you; He knit you together in your mother’s womb and every one of your days was written in His book before one of them ever came to be (cf Ps 139).

You’ve never been unloved. No matter what you think you may have done to cancel His love, He knew you would do it before He ever made you—and yet still He made you. Do not doubt His love for you or that He knows you better than you know yourself.

An old hymn says,

Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me,
And on His shoulder gently laid,
And home, rejoicing, brought me.

Jesus also says that His sheep know Him. And that is both our invitation and our call. We often like to quote the 23rd Psalm “The Lord is my Shepherd.” But this is not a slogan, nor is it merely a psalm of consolation. It is a psalm of confession: that I am one of the Lord’s sheep. The Lord says, “My sheep know me.” He does not say that we merely know about Him.

Do you know Him? To be in the Lord’s flock is to be in a life-changing, transformative relationship with the Lord. To know the Lord is to see our life changed by that very relationship.

III. Persistent love – The Lord says, I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold, These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd. Jesus is not content merely to shepherd a few thousand Jewish disciples in the Holy Land. He wants His love to spread to the whole world. He wants to embrace and hold close everyone He has ever made. He wants to call every human person into a saving relationship.

Part of our journey as disciples, as sheep of the Lord, is to experience the call to evangelize. But that call will only take flight when Christ’s love for all people fills our heart.

Christ has a persistent love to embrace and hold everyone close to Him. Do you sense that love? He wants to draw others to Himself, through you.

IV. Powerful love – Jesus says, I lay down my life, in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, I lay it down on my own. I have the power to lay it down, and I have the power to take it up again.

We see how Jesus does this for Himself. But as Lord and Shepherd of our life He does it for us, too. Our old self was crucified and died with Him. We have also risen with Him to new life. And this life is the totally new and transformed life that Christ died to give us.

He has the power to crucify our old and sinful self as well as the power to raise it up again. And it is not merely our old self that rises; it is a new and transformed humanity that the Lord takes up on our behalf. He has the ability to do this, for His love powerful.

I am a witness of this and I pray that you are as well. He has the power!

Thus, as King of Love, Jesus the Risen Lord shepherds us with a love that is passionate, personal, persistent, and powerful. No one loves you more than Jesus does, with His Father and the Holy Spirit. He is the King of Love and He is your Shepherd. Here is the final line of the beautiful hymn “The King of Love My Shepherd Is.”

And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever
.

Here is a performance of that hymn, one of my favorites. Its peaceful strains amount to a kind of musical onomatopoeia (a word, or in this case a song, that sounds like what it describes).


21 posted on 04/25/2015 7:58:33 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Video I

Video II

22 posted on 04/25/2015 8:07:34 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Sunday Gospel Reflections

4th Sunday of Easter
Reading I: Acts 4:8-12 II: 1 John 3:1-2


Gospel
John 10:11-18

11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
12 He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
13 He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me,
15 as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd.
17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again.
18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again; this charge I have received from my Father."


Interesting Details
One Main Point

Safe in God's Hands
As a good shepherd, Jesus did more for His sheep by dying for them. The two images of Jesus as the good shepherd, and Jesus as the crucified, say essentially the same thing: he gave up His life for us. The door to salvation was thrown open to welcome everyone. Salvation is for all who hear and faithfully follow the voice of the Good Shepherd. Jesus promises in return to care for and protect His flock. Therefore, the safest place to be is in the hands of God.


Reflections
  1. The sheep recognize their shepherd by his voice. Can you hear Jesus' voice? In your daily life, how can you recognize and follow Jesus' voice among different voices around you? Do you think that you are safe in God's hands?
  2. Jesus called us for the unity of the world. It is a dream which every one of us can help Jesus to realize. Think of your family, relatives, friends and people around you. Do you willingly want to help them to hear, answer and obey only one "shepherd?" Do you consider this calling as "a means for service" or as "a career?"
  3. The image of the good shepherd remind us of the Church. Vatican II teaches "the Church is a shepherd, the sole and necessary gateway to which is Christ." Think of the many challenges the Church has to face in today's life and ask yourself what you can do to respond to the Church's call.
  4. Contemplate Saint Paul's saying:
    "The more clearly we see him,
    the more deeply we know him,
    the more we become like him."

23 posted on 04/25/2015 8:12:52 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Do not grieve over the temptations you suffer. When the Lord intends to bestow a particular virtue on us, He often permits us first to be tempted by the opposite vice. Therefore, look upon every temptation as an invitation to grow in a particular virtue and a promise by God that you will be successful, if only you stand fast.

-- Saint Philip Neri

24 posted on 04/25/2015 8:14:52 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Just A Minute Just A Minute (Listen)
Some of EWTN's most popular hosts and guests in a collection of one minute inspirational messages. A different message each time you click.

25 posted on 04/25/2015 8:21:04 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Regina Coeli

 

This prayer, which dates from the twelfth century, is substituted for the Angelus during Easter Season.

In Latin

In English

Regina coeli, laetare, alleluia: Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia. Resurrexit sicut dixit, alleluia. Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.

 

V. Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, Alleluia,

R. Quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia.

 

Oremus: Deus qui per resurrectionem Filii tui, Domini nostri Iesu Christi, mundum laetificare dignatus es: praesta, quaesumus, ut per eius Genetricem Virginem Mariam, perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum.

R. Amen.

Queen of Heaven rejoice, alleluia: For He whom you merited to bear, alleluia, Has risen as He said, alleluia. Pray for us to God, alleluia.

 

V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.

R. Because the Lord is truly risen, alleluia.

 

Let us pray: O God, who by the Resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, granted joy to the whole world: grant we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may lay hold of the joys of eternal life. Through the same Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

 


26 posted on 04/25/2015 8:21:57 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Information: St. Marcellinus

Feast Day: April 26

Born: Rome, Italy

Died: 25 October 304 at Rome, Italy

27 posted on 04/26/2015 7:43:44 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Interactive Saints for Kids

St. Radbertus

Feast Day: April 26
Born: (around) 790 ::Died: 860

 

St. Radbertus was born in France. No one knows who his parents were. They left their newborn infant on the doorstep of the Notre-Dame of Soissons convent. The nuns loved and cared for the baby. They named him Radbertus.

When he was old enough for school, Radbertus was sent to the monks of St. Peter nearby. The boy loved learning and especially enjoyed the Latin classics. When he grew up, he spent many years in quiet study.

Then he felt God calling him to become a monk. He joined a community led by two good and pious abbots, St. Adalhard and his brother, Abbot Wala. Radbertus tried hard to be a holy monk and often went with the two abbots on their journeys. After they died, he wrote stories about their life called biographies.

Radbertus became a Scripture scholar (a person who learns especially about the Word of God). He wrote a long explanation about the Gospel of St. Matthew. He wrote explanations on other parts of the Bible, too. But his most well-known work is called "The Body and Blood of Christ."

He was a very good teacher and helped to make the monastery at Corbie one of the most famous places of learning in those days. He traveled all over Europe, speaking at councils, and acting as peacemaker in both political and religious disagreements. conflict.

Radbertus did not think he would make a suitable priest but he was made the head and abbot of the Corbie monastery for seven years. Although he did his best, his term as abbot was very difficult for him.

Then he insisted on returning to his life of prayer, meditation, study and writing. He spent the rest of his life as a hermit at the monastery at Saint Riquiet at Cenula. He wrote a lot about history, philosophy and religious studies.

Radbertus died in 860.


28 posted on 04/26/2015 7:52:16 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
John
  English: Douay-Rheims Latin: Vulgata Clementina Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
  John 10
22 And it was the feast of the dedication at Jerusalem: and it was winter. Facta sunt autem Encænia in Jerosolymis, et hiems erat. εγενετο δε τα εγκαινια εν ιεροσολυμοις και χειμων ην
23 And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch. Et ambulabat Jesus in templo, in porticu Salomonis. και περιεπατει ο ιησους εν τω ιερω εν τη στοα σολομωνος
24 The Jews therefore came round about him, and said to him: How long dost thou hold our souls in suspense? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Circumdederunt ergo eum Judæi, et dicebant ei : Quousque animam nostram tollis ? si tu es Christus, dic nobis palam. εκυκλωσαν ουν αυτον οι ιουδαιοι και ελεγον αυτω εως ποτε την ψυχην ημων αιρεις ει συ ει ο χριστος ειπε ημιν παρρησια
25 Jesus answered them: I speak to you, and you believe not: the works that I do in the name of my Father, they give testimony of me. Respondit eis Jesus : Loquor vobis, et non creditis : opera quæ ego facio in nomine Patris mei, hæc testimonium perhibent de me : απεκριθη αυτοις ο ιησους ειπον υμιν και ου πιστευετε τα εργα α εγω ποιω εν τω ονοματι του πατρος μου ταυτα μαρτυρει περι εμου
26 But you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep. sed vos non creditis, quia non estis ex ovibus meis. αλλ υμεις ου πιστευετε ου γαρ εστε εκ των προβατων των εμων καθως ειπον υμιν
27 My sheep hear my voice: and I know them, and they follow me. Oves meæ vocem meam audiunt, et ego cognosco eas, et sequuntur me : τα προβατα τα εμα της φωνης μου ακουει καγω γινωσκω αυτα και ακολουθουσιν μοι
28 And I give them life everlasting; and they shall not perish for ever, and no man shall pluck them out of my hand. et ego vitam æternam do eis, et non peribunt in æternum, et non rapiet eas quisquam de manu mea. καγω ζωην αιωνιον διδωμι αυτοις και ου μη απολωνται εις τον αιωνα και ουχ αρπασει τις αυτα εκ της χειρος μου
29 That which my Father hath given me, is greater than all: and no one can snatch them out of the hand of my Father. Pater meus quod dedit mihi, majus omnibus est : et nemo potest rapere de manu Patris mei. ο πατηρ μου ος δεδωκεν μοι μειζων παντων εστιν και ουδεις δυναται αρπαζειν εκ της χειρος του πατρος μου
30 I and the Father are one. Ego et Pater unum sumus. εγω και ο πατηρ εν εσμεν

29 posted on 04/26/2015 10:05:30 AM PDT by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex
22. And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.
23. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.
24. Then came the Jews round about him, and said to him, How long do you make us to doubt? If you be the Christ, tell us plainly.
25. Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
26. But you believe not, because you are not of my sheep, as I said to you.
27. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
28. And I give to them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
30. I and my Father are one."

AUG. And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication. Encænia is the feast of the dedication of the temple; from the Greek word signifying new. The dedication of any thing new was called encænia.

CHRYS. It was the feast of the dedication of the temple, after the return from the Babylonish captivity.

ALCUIN. Or, it was in memory of the dedication under Judas Maccabeus. The first dedication was that of Solomon in the autumn; the second that of Zorobabel, and the priest Jesus in the spring. This was in winter time.

BEDE. Judas Maccabeus instituted an annual commemoration of this dedication.

THEOPHYL. The Evangelist mentions the time of winter, to show that it was near His passion. He suffered in the following spring; for which reason He took up His abode at Jerusalem.

GREG. Or because the season of cold was in keeping with the cold malicious hearts of the Jews.

CHRYS. Christ was present with much zeal at this feast, and thenceforth stayed in Judea; His passion being now at hand. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.

ALCUIN. It is called Solomon's porch, because Solomon went to pray there. The porches of a temple are usually named after the temple. If the Son of God walked in a temple where the flesh of brute animals was offered up, how much more will He delight to visit our house of prayer, in which His own flesh and blood are consecrated;

THEOPHYL. Be you also careful, in the winter time, i.e. while yet in this stormy wicked world, to celebrate the dedication of your spiritual temple, by ever renewing yourself, ever rising upward in heart. Then will Jesus be present with you in Solomon's porch, and give you safety under His covering. But in another life no man will be able to dedicate Himself.

AUG. The Jews cold in love, burning in their malevolence, approached Him not to honor, but persecute. Then came the Jews round about Him, and said to Him, How long do you make us to doubt? If You be the Christ, tell us plainly. They did not want to know the truth, but only to find ground of accusation.

CHRYS. Being able to find no fault with His works, they tried to catch Him in His words. And mark their perversity. When He instructs by His discourse, they say, What sign show You? When He demonstrates by His works, they say, If you be the Christ, tell us plainly. Either way they are determined to oppose Him.

There is great malice in that speech, Tell us plainly. He had spoken plainly, when up at the feasts, and had hid nothing. They preface however with flattery: How long do you make us to doubt? as if they were anxious to know the truth, but really only meaning to provoke Him to say something that they might lay hold of.

ALCUIN. They accuse Him of keeping their minds in suspense and uncertainty, who had come to save their souls.

AUG. They wanted our Lord to say, I am the Christ. Perhaps, as they had human notions of the Messiah, having failed to discern His divinity in the Prophets they wanted Christ to confess Himself the Messiah, of the seed of David; that they might accuse Him of aspiring to the regal power.

ALCUIN. And thus they intended to give Him into the hands of the Proconsul for punishment, as an usurper against the emperor. Our Lord so managed His reply as to stop the mouths of His calumniators, open those of the believers; and to those who inquired of Him as a man, reveal the mysteries of His divinity: Jesus answered them, I told you, and you believed not: the works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me.

CHRYS. He reproves their malice, for pretending that a single word would convince them, whom so many words had not. If you do not believe My works, He says, how will you believe My words? And He adds why they do not believe: But you believe not, because you are not of My sheep.

AUG. He saw that they were persons predestinated to eternal death, and not those for whom He had bought eternal life, at the price of His blood. The sheep believe, and follow the Shepherd.

THEOPHYL. After He had said, You are not of My sheep, He exhorts them to become such: My sheep hear My voice.

ALCUIN. i.e. Obey My precepts from the heart. And I know them, and they follow Me, here by walking in gentleness and innocence, hereafter by entering the joys of eternal life.

And I give to them eternal life.

AUG. This is the pasture of which He spoke before And shall find pasture. Eternal life is called a goodly pasture: the grass thereof wither not, all is spread with verdure. But these cavilers thought only of this present life. And they shall not perish eternally; as if to say, you shall perish eternally, because you are not of My sheep.

THEOPHYL. But how then did Judas perish? Because he did not continue to the end. Christ speaks of them who persevere. If any sheep is separated from the flock, and wanders from the Shepherd, it incurs danger immediately.

AUG. And He adds why they do not perish: Neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. Of those sheep of which it is said, The Lord knows them that are His, the wolf robs none, the thief takes none, the robber kills none. Christ is confident of their safety; and He knows what He gave up for them.

HILARY. This is the speech of conscious power. Yet to show, that though of the Divine nature He has His nativity from God, He adds, My Father which gave Me them is greater than all. He does not conceal His birth from the Father, but proclaims it. For that which He received from the Father, He received in that He was born from Him. He received it in the birth itself, not after it; though He was born when He received it.

AUG. The Son, born from everlasting of the Father, God from God, has not equality with the Father by growth, but by birth. This is that greater than all which the Father gave Him b; viz. to be His Word, to be His Only-Begotten Son, to be the brightness of His light.

Wherefore no man takes His sheep out of His hand, any more than from His Father's hand: And no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand. If by hand we understand power, the power of the Father and the Son is one, even as Their divinity is one. If we understand the Son, the Son is the hand of the Father, not in a bodily sense, as if God the Father had limbs, but as being He by Whom all things were made.

Men often call other men hands, when they make use of them for any purpose. And sometimes a man's work is itself called his hand, because made by his hand; as when a man is said to know his own hand, when be recognizes his own handwriting. In this place, however, hand signifies power. If we take it for Son, we shall be in danger of imagining that if the Father has a hand, and that hand is His Son, the Son must have a Son too.

HILARY. The hand of the Son is spoken of as the hand of the Father, to let you see, by a bodily representation, that both have the same nature, that the nature and virtue of the Father is in the Son also.

CHRYS. Then that you may not suppose that the Father's power protects the sheep, while He is Himself too weak to do so, He adds, I and My Father are one.

AUG. Mark both those words, one and are, and you will be delivered from Scylla and Charybdis. In that He says, one the Arian, in we are the Sabellian, is answered. There are both Father and Son. And if one, then there is no difference of persons between them.

AUG. We are one. What He is, that am I, in respect of essence, not of relation.

HILARY. The heretics, since they cannot gainsay these words, endeavor by an impious lie to explain them away. They maintain that this unity is unanimity only; a unity of will, not of nature, i.e. that the two are one, not in that they are the same, but in that they will the same. But they are one, not by any economy merely, but by the nativity of the Son's nature, since there is no falling off of the Father's divinity in begetting Him.

They are one whilst the sheep that are not plucked out of the Son's hand, are not plucked out of the Father's hand: whilst in Him working, the Father works; whilst He is in the Father, and the Father in Him. This unity, not creation but nativity, not will but power, not unanimity but nature accomplishes.

But we deny not therefore the unanimity of the Father and Son; for the heretics, because we refuse to admit concord in the place of unity, accuse us of making a disagreement between the Father and Son. We deny not unanimity, but we place it on the ground of unity. The Father and Son are one in respect of nature, honor, and virtue: and the same nature cannot will different things.

Catena Aurea John 10
30 posted on 04/26/2015 10:05:55 AM PDT by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex


Dogmatic Sarcophagus
The earliest known depiction of the Trinity creating Eve
350 A.D.
Vatican Museum, Rome

31 posted on 04/26/2015 10:06:55 AM PDT by annalex (fear them not)
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CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Sunday, April 26

Liturgical Color: White

During an address given this day in 1968,
Pope Paul VI stressed the importance of
Latin in the Liturgy. He reaffirmed that
Vatican II did not intend to abandon the use
of Latin when permitting use of the
vernacular in the liturgy.

32 posted on 04/26/2015 1:27:29 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

Day 116 - Feeding the Four Thousand // The Demand for a Sign // The Leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod

Today's Reading: Mark 8:1-21

1 In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him, and said to them, 2 "I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days, and have nothing to eat; 3 and if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come a long way." 4 And his disciples answered him, "How can one feed these men with bread here in the desert?" 5 And he asked them, "How many loaves have you?" They said, "Seven." 6 And he commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. 7 And they had a few small fish; and having blessed them, he commanded that these also should be set before them. 8 And they ate, and were satisfied; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 9 And there were about four thousand people. 10 And he sent them away; and immediately he got into the boat with his disciples, and went to the district of Dalmanutha.

11 The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, to test him. 12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation." 13 And he left them, and getting into the boat again he departed to the other side.

14 Now they had forgotten to bring bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 And he cautioned them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." 16 And they discussed it with one another, saying, "We have no bread." 17 And being aware of it, Jesus said to them, "Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They said to him, "Twelve." 20 "And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" And they said to him, "Seven." 21 And he said to them, "Do you not yet understand?"

Today's Commentary:

A sign from heaven: Jesus refuses to perform miracles on demand, especially not for Pharisees who are plotting to destroy him (3:6). They are like the Israelites in the wilderness who refused to believe in God, even after seeing numerous signs in Egypt.

Jesus rehearses the figures: In both miracles of the loaves (6:35-44; 8:1-10). While the symbolism of these numbers is nowhere made explicit, they most likely signify the nations who hear the gospel. The twelve (8:19) leftover baskets from the first episode represent the twelve tribes of Israel that Jesus gathers into the Church (Mt 15:24; 19:28). The seven (8:20) baskets of the second miracle represent the seven Gentile nations who once occupied the land of Canaan alongside Israel (Deut 7:1) and to whom Christ subsequently offers salvation. Jesus' previous conversation with the Syrophoenician (Canaanite) woman in 7:24-30 already established the point that Israel's leftover bread would be given to Gentiles. Together these figures point to the international dimensions of the New Covenant.


33 posted on 04/26/2015 1:32:59 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
Catholic Culture

http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/pictures/4_sunday_easter_C.jpg

 

Daily Readings for:April 26, 2015
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Almighty ever-living God, lead us to a share in the joys of heaven, so that the humble flock may reach where the brave Shepherd has gone before. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

o    Spring or Summer Sunday Dinner (Sample Menu)

ACTIVITIES

o    Can Catholic Parents Thwart a Religious Vocation?

PRAYERS

o    Prayer for Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life

o    Book of Blessings: Blessing Before and After Meals: Easter Season (2nd Plan)

o    Book of Blessings: Blessing Before and After Meals: Easter (1st Plan)

o    Serran Prayer for Vocations

·         Easter: April 26th

·         Fourth Sunday of Easter

 

Old Calendar: Third Sunday after Easter

I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep (Jn 10:11-15).

Click here for commentary on the readings in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.


Sunday Readings
The first reading is taken from the Acts of the Apostles 4:8-12. This excerpt is a sequence of what was described in last Sunday's first reading. Peter had cured a cripple-from-birth and told the people that it was not by his own power that he did this, but through the power of Jesus of Nazareth, whom the Jews had crucified.

The second reading is from the first Letter of John 3:1-2 in which he sets out in a couple of sentences the basic effect of the Incarnation. Already in this life men are made children of God. Because we are God's children here below we shall see him as he is in the future life.

The Gospel is from St. John 10:11-18. The image of Christ as our Good Shepherd has always appealed to human nature. One of the earliest paintings of Christ in the Roman catacombs represents him as carrying an injured sheep on his shoulders. This is a manifestation of love which touches our innermost feelings. We do not mind being likened to sheep in this context. There is something guileless about a sheep, and at the same time a lot of foolishness. Does not this describe the vast majority of men, even many of those who openly oppose Christ? Is there not something very sheeplike about the man who, because God gave him a limited intellect, thinks he knows all things and needs no further help from God? The sheep who thinks it knows as much, and even more, than the shepherd and sets out to fend for itself, is no more foolish than the man who thinks he can do without God's revelation and God's Church.

http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/pictures/sun_shepherd.jpgIndeed we all act like sheep on many occasions, when it comes to the things that concern our spiritual welfare. We often ramble off from the flock to nibble at little bits of forbidden pasture. However, we have a Shepherd who understands us, one whose patience and love are infinite. He is always ready to go after us when we stray too far; his voice is constantly reaching out to us in missions, retreats, sicknesses, crosses and other various ways. How many times have we already felt his loving grace calling and helping us back to the safety of his fold?

There are many who are not so fortunate as we, who either through no fault of their own or through their own fault do not hear his voice and do not know or follow him. This is an opportunity he gives us to show how we appreciate all he has done for us. He died on the cross for all men. He wills all men to profit by his death, and his statement "them also I must bring" is a direct appeal to us to cooperate with him in this work. Every Christian is a missionary. The very fact of living the Christian life in its entirety, in the midst of our fellowmen, is of itself a powerful example to outsiders. It influences for good the lax Christian and the non-Christian. It makes them stop and think and look into their consciences. This is generally the first step on the road back to God.

The devout Christian will not stop at good example only. If he truly loves God, he must truly love his neighbor and must want him to have a share in his own good fortune. He knows there is welcome and room in heaven for all men, and he knows that the greater the number there the greater will be God's eternal glory. He will strive then by every available means to help his neighbor into Christ's fold.

After good example, prayer will be his most potent weapon. Day in, day out the devout Christian must pray for the conversion of his fellowmen who are wandering aimlessly in the barren desert of this life far from God. He must also learn all he can about the truths of his faith in order to be able to help honest enquirers. He must also cooperate with any parochial or diocesan societies for the propagation of the faith, insofar as his family and financial state allow him.

The sermon preached by our Savior nearly two thousand years ago is still echoing and re-echoing around the world, calling on his faithful flock to do all in their power to help those other children of God who are still outside the fold. Do not shut your ears to this call of Christ today. Give him a helping hand by helping your fellowman to see the light of the true faith.

Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.


34 posted on 04/26/2015 1:52:53 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
The Word Among Us

Meditation: John 10:11-18

4th Sunday of Easter

I am the good shepherd. (John 10:11)

This is the fourth of seven “I am” declarations that Jesus makes about himself in the Gospel of John. In other ones, Jesus says that he is the bread of life, the light of the world, the resurrection and the life, the gate, the true vine, the way, and the door. Each of these declarations tells us something unique about Jesus and who he is as the Son of God.

Using the simple analogy of sheep and their shepherd, Jesus is telling us something central to our life of faith. Like a shepherd, he leads us, feeds us, protects us, and saves us from death. But there’s one mystery that this statement—or any of the others—doesn’t answer: why does God have such unending and boundless love for us?

The answer to this question is both simple and profound. God is love. It’s who he is. He can’t stop loving us. We are his children, and he will always care for us. He loves us so much, in fact, that he asked his Son to leave his heavenly home, take on a human body, and lay down his life for us.

Now risen in glory and enthroned with his Father, Jesus still cares more about us than he cares about himself. Like a good shepherd, he guides us to safety, restores our strength, and anoints us with his grace (Psalm 23). He is the “shepherd and guardian” of our souls (1 Peter 2:25). He is the “great shepherd” who gives his all to his sheep (Hebrews 13:20).

Jesus knows that his sheep are defenseless against the temptations of Satan, the “thief” who wants to steal, kill, and destroy us (John 10:10). He wants us to know it as well, so that we will cling to him and follow him like faithful, innocent sheep. Aren’t you glad that God is so faithful toward you? Today in prayer, tell the Lord how grateful you are. Tell him that you want to follow him wherever he leads.

“Jesus, you are my good shepherd. Come, Lord, and keep me safe.”

Acts 4:8-12; Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28-29; 1 John 3:1-2

Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion

Mass Readings:
1st Reading: Acts 4:8-12
Responsorial: Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 29
2nd Reading: 1 John 3:1-2
Gospel: John 10:11-18

1. In the first reading, Peter tells “the people and the elders” that it is in “the name of Jesus Christ” that “this man stands before you healed.” Why do you believe there is power in the name of Jesus, especially when we pray, and do you believe this power is available to us today? Have there been any times when you prayed for someone or something in the name of Jesus, and God answered your prayers?

2. In the first reading, Peter also says that there is no “other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.” What do these words mean to you?

3. In the Responsorial Psalm, our response is “The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.” As Christians, each of us is called to make Jesus Christ the cornerstone of our life, even when we are immersed in the busyness of our day? What steps can you take to make this call a greater reality?

4. The second reading exalts in the love the Father has bestowed on us (“lavished on us” in another translation). So much so that we can now be called “children of God.” How much time do you spend talking to God, your Father, in prayer during the week? Knowing that you are his beloved child, are there some steps you can take to spend more time in prayer with him?

5. In the Gospel, Jesus reveals himself as the Good Shepherd, who knows each one of us, and who gives his life for us. What experiences in your life can you say have been examples of how Christ was the “Good Shepherd” for you in a difficult time?

6. Jesus also goes on to say that not only does he “know mine” but “mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.” What do these words mean to you and how can you make them a greater reality in your Christian walk?

7. In the meditation, these questions are posed to us: “Why does God have such unending and boundless love for us?” and ““Aren’t you glad that God is so faithful toward you? How would you answer these questions, and how can your answers have a greater impact on how you live your life each day?

8. Take some time now to pray and thank the Lord for being the good and faithful shepherd who lays down his life for us, and watches over us and keeps us safe. Use the prayer at the end of the meditation as the starting point.


35 posted on 04/26/2015 1:56:40 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
A Christian Pilgrim

I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD

(A biblical refection on THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER [Year B] – April 26, 2015) 

Gospel Reading: John 10:11-18 

First Reading: Acts 4:8-12; Psalms: Psalm 118:1,8-9,21-23,26,28-29; Second Reading: 1 John 3:1-2 

Jesus-Good-Shepherd-15

The Scripture Text

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know My own and My own know Me, as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed My voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life, that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have power to take it again; this charge I have received from My Father. (John 10:11-18 RSV) 

The image of the shepherd is one of our most popular concepts of God. And the psalm of the shepherd (Psalm 23) is one of the most popular prayers of all time. But an overly sentimental picture of the shepherd might well obscure the strength of this divine title. Our sentimental concept comes from the countless pictures we have seen of misty-eyed shepherd, handsomely bearded and immaculately groomed. And the pastures in our mind are a combination of Alpine postcards and lush grasslands, with pretty lambs gambolling about.

The reality was that sheep territory was anything but lush grassland. The good land was reserved for other agricultural purposes and the sheep were out on the rocky outbacks where they had to scavenge for survival. And as for the shepherds in our Lord’s time, they were regarded as robbers dressed in smelly sheepskins, too dirty to be admitted to the local synagogue. Two features of the shepherd which Jesus took up were the dedication of the shepherd’s life to the flock, and his one-to-one relationship with the sheep.

Sheep are particularly timid and stupid animals, always needing a leader to show the way, a searcher when they stray and a healer when they are cut and bruised. The  oriental shepherd gives his whole time , “lays down his life”, for the flock, for he had to leave home for very long periods to lead the flock to far of pastures. The sheep become his family and he gets to know each of them as an individual. This expresses the desire of Jesus that each individual person would grow in intimate relationship with Him.

Jesus called Himself the good shepherd to contrast to the hired man. The hired man was concerned only about his own job or what he was getting out of it: the genuine shepherd had the concern of the sheep at heart. Originally the statement about the false shepherds was a criticism of the Jewish leaders who were failing to give proper leadership. But the criticism is valid for all time as there will always be false shepherds trying to beguile people away from following the voice of Jesus Christ.

The situation is particularly true today when traditional Christian culture is – directly or indirectly – under attack from the media advocates of secularistic humanism. There are also self-appointed shepherds who lead people away from the voice of Christ to a different understanding of life, to different values and standards of behavior. Whose voice do you follow? Whose values do you respect and aspire to? Does your “shepherd” offer a comprehensive meaning to life …… a meaning which will carry us through the dark valley of suffering and across the bridge of death?

Jesus said that there will be only one flock and one shepherd (John 10:16). This expresses His own unique position as the only true way to salvation, the only name in which we can be saved. A contemporary confused person regards all religions as more or less the same. But this is to underestimate the unique role of Jesus Christ, the one whom God raised from the dead, in which name alone is healing, and who is the keystone of all human history (see First Reading: Acts 4:8-12).

Jesus calls us to follow His way and this leads directly to the Father. His will was always perfectly united to the Father’s, as He demonstrated when He freely laid down His life in obedience to the Father’s will. In today’s second reading Saint John asks us to reflect of the love of God which raises us up to be children of God. To follow Jesus as our shepherd is the same as belonging to His family as a sister or a brother. Only heaven will reveal what all this means. For the moment we follow our risen Savior day by day on our journey of life. We are strengthened in prayer as our minds delight in the psalm’s description of what the shepherd does for us (See Psalm 23).

Prayer: God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, though Your people walk in the valley of darkness, no evil should they fear; for they follow in faith the call of the Shepherd whom You have sent for their hope and strength. Attune our minds to the sound of His voice, lead our steps in the path He has shown, that we may know the strength of His outstretched arm and enjoy the light of Your presence for ever. Amen. 

Note: Please also read the biblical reflection entitled “TO FOLLOW IN FAITH THE CALL OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD” (reading for April 29, 2012) in the blog: A CHRISTIAN PILGRIMAGE.

36 posted on 04/26/2015 2:08:52 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

Marriage=One Man and One Woman 'Til Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for April 26, 2015:

“Beloved, we are God’s children now.” (1 Jn 3:2) Young or old, we are always God’s children, His beloved sons and daughters. Because He loved us first, we can love others. Ask Him today for the grace to love your spouse and children.

37 posted on 04/26/2015 2:12:39 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Sunday Scripture Study

Fourth Sunday of Easter  - B

April 26, 2015

Click here for USCCB readings

Opening Prayer  

First Reading: Acts 4:8-12

Psalm: 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28-29

Second Reading: 1 John 3:1-2

Gospel Reading: John 10:11-18

 

QUESTIONS:

Closing Prayer

Catechism of the Catholic Church:  §§ 60, 609, 614, 649, 753-754

 

He did what he said he would do: He gave his life for his sheep, and he gave his body and blood in the Sacrament to nourish with his flesh the sheep he had redeemed (John 6:51).   ~St. Gregory

38 posted on 04/26/2015 2:22:50 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

Jesus, Our Good Shepherd

Pastor’s Column

4th Sunday of Easter

April 26, 2015

 

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want….

Though I walk through the valley of darkness, I shall not fear.”

                                                                                 Psalm 23

 

The 23rd psalm is one of the most beloved passages in all of Scripture, the Lord, our Good Shepherd.  We hear it sung at almost every funeral, and with good reason.  Our lives are filled with both mountains and valleys alike, and we are comforted to know that Christ is with us through it all. What are some of the characteristics of Jesus, our “Good Shepherd?” 

Jesus will guide us on a path we need to travel on, not necessarily the most pleasant one.  Notice that he promises to be our guide in green pastures (which we all want) as well as through dark valleys (which most of us would prefer to avoid).  Valleys and darkness are as essential to our growth as green pastures are, yet when we enter such a time of trial and difficulty, we can feel that God has abandoned us, our Shepherd no longer is with us, or our sufferings are meaningless.  Yet nothing could be further from the truth.  It is easy to follow Christ in the good times; the test is trusting him in the darkness.

The Good Shepherd remains by our side even when we can’t see him or sense him.  How easy it is to follow Christ when it is sunny and warm and we are in a place with lots of “green pastures!”  But love is proved by sacrifice and difficulties, not just in good times. Love that is not tested does not mature.  Our whole eternity is being decided precisely by our response to the times of both green pastures and darkness.  Earth is a time of testing, and we grow the most when we are deeply challenged.  Yet Jesus, the Good Shepherd, knows our limits and will give us no more than we can endure, if we trust him to the end. 

The teacher is always quiet while the test is being administered.  The spiritual life goes in cycles of light and darkness.  Jesus often allows us to have experiences of his presence and closeness, times when we are deeply fed so that during the tests (the times God seems to grow silent), we will remember our experiences of him and his words and persevere.  This is how it was with the disciples as the cycled through three years of his presence, the darkness of the crucifixion and abandonment, and the joy of the resurrection.  Christ the Good Shepherd is with us through it all.

                                    Father Gary


39 posted on 04/26/2015 2:35:09 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Reflections from Scott Hahn

The Shepherd’s Voice: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Fourth Sunday of Easter

Posted by Dr. Scott Hahn on 04.23.15 |

Good Shepherd 2

Readings:
Acts 4:8-12
Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 29
1 John 3:1-2
John 10:11-18

Jesus, in today’s Gospel, says that He is the good shepherd the prophets had promised to Israel.

He is the shepherd-prince, the new David—who frees people from bondage to sin and gathers them into one flock, the Church, under a new covenant, made in His blood (see Ezekiel 34:10-13, 23-31).

His flock includes other sheep, He says, far more than the dispersed children of Israel (see Isaiah 56:8; John 11:52). And He gave His Church the mission of shepherding all peoples to the Father.

In today’s First Reading, we see the beginnings of that mission in the testimony of Peter, whom the Lord appointed shepherd of His Church (see John 21:15-17).

Peter tells Israel’s leaders that the Psalm we sing today is a prophecy of their rejection and crucifixion of Christ. He tells the “builders” of Israel’s temple, that God has made the stone they rejected the cornerstone of a new spiritual temple, the Church (see Mark 12:10-13; 1 Peter 2:4-7).

Through the ministry of the Church, the shepherd still speaks (see Luke 10:16),and forgives sins (see John 20:23), and makes His body and blood present, that all may know Him in the breaking of the bread (see Luke 24:35). It is a mission that will continue until all the world is one flock under the one shepherd.

In laying down His life and taking it up again, Jesus made it possible for us to know God as He did—as sons and daughters of the Father who loves us. As we hear in today’s Epistle, He calls us His children, as He called Israel His son when He led them out of Egypt and made His covenant with them (see Exodus 4:22-23; Revelation 21:7).

Today, let us listen for His voice as He speaks to us in the Scriptures, and vow again to be more faithful followers. And let us give thanks for the blessings He bestows from His altar.


40 posted on 04/26/2015 3:53:28 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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