“The Old Rugged Cross” is the title of a well-known song written by George Bennard more than a century ago (1912). Afterwards, various famous artistes, including Jim Reeves and Elvis Presley re-echoed it. The lyrics are a resource for reflection on an important event such as ‘Good Friday.’ In the midst of economic hardship, physical suffering, spiritual persecution, excruciating pain, deep sorrows and ever-mounting troubles, the cross becomes a symbol of hope. Bennard translated his profound reflection about life and the glory of the cross into music. He sings:
“On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
the emblem of suffering and shame;
and I love that old cross where the dearest and best
for a world of lost sinners was slain.
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it some day for a crown.

O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
has a wondrous attraction for me;
for the dear Lamb of God left his glory above
to bear it to dark Calvary.”

The Cross is the principal symbol of Christianity and this is so because it reminds the world of the sacrificial love of Christ which he expressed to humankind through his passion and death. “As for us, we proclaim the crucified Christ,” says St. Paul (1 Corinthians 1:23). In addition, the Apostle says, “the message about Christ’s death on the cross is nonsense to those who are being lost; but for those who are being saved it is God’s power” (1 Corinthians 1:18). Paul addressed this message to the Jews who see the cross as a burden for criminals and suffering as punishment for sinners (Deuteronomy 21:20-23). Therefore, they think it is out of place to believe in someone who is crucified. On the other hand, the Greeks who were renowned thinkers and philosophers of the time saw the cross as a sign of foolishness. In all their knowledge they could not understand how God uses ‘foolish things’ to express his greatness.

St Theodore the Studite, one of the early Monks of the eastern church (Constantinople, presently Istanbul), sees a trace of the cross in the following Biblical events of the Old Testament: First, on the pile of wood on which Abraham placed his Son Isaac; second, on the wood of the ark in which Noah, his family and all animal species were saved. Furthermore, he sees the foreshadowing of the cross in the wooden staff of Moses, which changed water into blood, devoured the false snakes of the magician and divided the red sea for the salvation of the Israelites. Again, he sees an allusion of the cross in the staff of Aaron that blossomed on a single day and showed him to be the true priest.

The cross has a message for all believers today as it gives meaning to the trials and troubles in the world, and for standing as a symbol of love as well as a symbol of victory. The second chapter of the book of Sirach admonishes those who wish to serve the Lord to be prepared for temptations (2:1). Trials are an inevitable path towards the attainment of salvation and victory. Jesus emphasized this fact clearly to his followers when he says, “If anyone wants to come with me, he must forget himself, carry his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).

The cross brings to memory the sacrificial love of the one who hangs there. It is a clear proof of his love, that he laid down his life for us, and challenges us to do the same for our brothers and sisters (John 15:13; 1 John 3:16). The early Church Fathers interpret the four points of the cross as symbols of the love of Christ. According to them, the vertical points signify the height and depth of his love, the horizontal points expressing the width and breadth of that love. Their interpretation is closely connected to Paul’s words that prayed for the Ephesians to have the strength to grasp the breadth, length, height and depth of his love (3:18).

The message of the cross is indeed a paradox because it seems to contradict itself, but in that contradiction is found an inherent truth (death bringing forth new life). This shows how that which is negative turns into a positive. Likewise, suffering and pain can bring about unimaginable blessings. It is within this context that we can understand why the tree of death has turned into a life-giving tree. In the very beginning, a tree brought about the fall of Adam, but in the New Testament, a tree has brought about the glory of the new Adam, Jesus Christ. This is so because by his Cross he has redeemed the world. It speaks greatly about the temporal victory of evil over what is good. The Apostles saw in the cross the secret of their success. One of them exclaims, “As for me, however, I will boast only about the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14).

Good Friday is a day to pause and think of the meaning of the passion and death of Jesus Christ. It is also a time to reflect on how his wounds bring healing to many and how his death offers a ticket of salvation to everyone. The cross holds a place of pride in Christianity just as the incarnation and resurrection are important for Christian salvation. The hope of resurrection gives meaning to the passion and death, which is commemorated on Good Friday. The cross then becomes a symbol of hope.  Hope which blares out the message: No crown without a cross; no cross without a crown; no pain…no gain!

As we face the many trials and tribulations of life; as we struggle day to day with pain, illness, depression, anxiety, stress, financial hardship, uncertainty in its many forms…let us:
“cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it some day for a crown.”

Amen.

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Today’s readings describe conflicting notions of salvation, forgiveness, sin, punishment, and responsibility.

In Jeremiah, we are told that the old covenant of Moses depended on an intermediary, at first Moses himself, and then 70 elders. What we, the people of Israel, knew about God (YHWH) was handed down from God to this intermediary person, then persons. God’s word was enjoined on his people in the form of commandments and laws. Breaking these demanded punishment of some sort, cause and effect.

Therefore, it was up to the Levites, the elders, and the teachers to make sure God’s people were given the proper instruction to keep them from sinning.

And then the prophet Jeremiah is called upon to prepare the house of Israel, and the house of Judah, for the coming of a new covenant, one that will not need to be handed down. All people will know God, from the least to the greatest, without needing instruction.

In the Responsorial Psalm, we already see that this had been introduced to the house of Israel by David as he wrestles with his sins against the law and his people. David is asking for direct knowledge from God, but then he says he will teach transgressors and sinners will then return to God. Just a hint of what is to come after the Passion and Resurrection.

Then in the second Reading, the author of Hebrews shows us how we are supposed to perform the discovery of God and his mercy. It is Jesus who shows us the way: prayers and supplications, loud cries and tears. Perhaps the ultimate intermediary, but since Jesus in The Messiah, Son of God, it is in a path that because we are sons and daughters of God it is different from a “handing down.”

Finally, John describes Jesus presaging for us the cost of eternal life: direct salvation, but perhaps at a physical cost that should mean nothing to us if we hate life in this world.

All through the Old Testament we find varying visions of the good life, life eternal, abundant life, and the consequences of straying from the law. There is direct communion with God as we are instructed, but there is also an intricate path that has been laid out for us, interpreted for us, which we deviate from to our peril.

And don’t we all, even today, think that there is merit in this way of accessing God? We fear the fires of Gehenna and sometimes avoid sin by remembering the consequences. But Jesus told us time and again that we are already forgiven. All we need to do is acknowledge it. Of course part of that lesson is to remember that we must love our neighbor as our self. It’s just that at times, we think the burden is not light and we may resent that salvation is there for us. It’s up to us to make sure we admit it.

This is where I sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that there is bargaining involved. If I do this, this is the reward. If I fail to do that, there is a punishment. It’s still childish thinking. “If I pray hard enough for (something) God will grant it to me.” That’s a struggle! And unnecessary.

And so, as I see in today’s readings, sometimes I follow the right path, and sometimes I traipse down the rocky road. Why do I do that? Why do we do that? Sometimes the stumbling helps us to remember to get out of the rocks and onto the soft grass.

But the time of Lent also helps us to remember to get off the rocky path, out of the weeds, and onto the springy turf. One way to do this is to take the positive practice that we perform during Lent, such as reading all the Liturgy of the Hours every day and bring it into our daily lives. What is it that you have taken on in addition to your abstentions, that thing you do proactively? Perhaps you can make it a daily practice.

Jesus gives us a direct line to this practice: “Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be.”

Lord, as we come to the end of our Lenten observance, help us to follow you, because we truly want to serve you. And help us to remember that you have shown us the way, though we may have to recall it day by day.

Amen.

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May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be always acceptable to you O Lord, our God and our Creator. Amen.

Today we stand at the Second Sunday in the season of Lent. I think it is always good to remind ourselves of the purpose of Lent; for many it has become a time when we give something up. For some of us this is a way of showing devotion to God, for others however it has become nothing more than a tradition that is a part of our lives because “we’ve always done it”. However Lent is so much more!

Lent is one of the two great preparatory seasons of the Christian year (the other being Advent). During Lent, though we may give things up or take up practices as a sign of our devotion, their true purpose as acts of piety should be to help chasten our bodies and minds in anticipation of commemorating the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary and being partakers in the future promise of the glory promised us through his resurrection.

With this in mind, I am sure that many of you are left asking yourselves why we have read the transfiguration story during this time of penance and preparation; especially when the transfiguration already has its own feast day on the Church calendar. Well to put it quite simply the transfiguration is an event in which the Lord shows forth many great wonders concerning Himself, His sacrifice, and His glory.

Within the events of the transfiguration we see elements that point clearly towards the divinity of Christ. Most obviously the voice of the Father booms forth from heaven proclaiming that Christ IS the Son of God, not that he has become a Son of God as we may become. This clearly points out to us that Christ’s sonship goes beyond our own and that He in fact stands as eternal member of the Divine Trinity. If we couple this with the imagery of the bright clouds, Jesus’ face shining like the sun and the stark radiant whiteness of his garment we can see that the Scriptures point even more strongly to this point.

Another important element that we see within the transfiguration, especially for this time of year, is the message that Jesus has come as the fulfilment of the promises of the Old Law and Prophets and has come to redeem the living and the dead. At the transfiguration we witness two historical biblical figures conversing with the Saviour, namely Moses and Elijah. It will come as no surprise that in this instance Moses has come to represent the Old Law and all those who have passed away under the old covenant. Elijah however, may come as a bit more of a mystery to some of us; he represents the Prophets and through the fact that he did not taste death but was instead taken up to heaven represents all of those who are alive in Christ. The presence of these two great biblical figures and all that they represent shows forth to us that all the Law and the Prophets, the living saints and those who have passed beyond the veil bear witness to the divinity of Christ and stand ready to bear witness to His mission upon the earth.

It is my hope and prayer on this the second Sunday in Lent that we may all stand as Moses and Elijah, ready to witness to the miracle that is the life and work of Christ. We stand at the precipice of the commemoration of the greatest moments in human history. Each Lent I stand in awe of the great works of Christ and all that He has done for us. I am reminded constantly that I am but an imperfect human and that as such I am not worthy of the great sacrifice that He has performed for me. May we all this Lent strive to shed our sinful nature and walk a more Christlike life so that we may be at least fractionally worthy of all that the Lord has in store for His Faithful servants.

Let us pray that we deny ourselves and trust in Christ:

Merciful God, we thank you for sending your Son to suffer and give his life for all people.

Teach us, who have been born again, to forget ourselves and rely only on Christ our Saviour.

For he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

(Prayer thanks to the Lutheran Church of Australia Worship Planning Page)

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As we first enter the Lenten season, the focus almost always seemed to be about change. Questions such as, “What am I to give up for Lent?” or even, “What task or new habit can I incorporate in to my daily life?”. As we all know, change, though scary at times, is almost always good. Just as the change that came over Jesus in Mark 9:2-9

“Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.”

Peter, John and James witnessed a rare sight, the Transfiguration or change, of Jesus. Just as we experience change during these days of Lent, so did Jesus on top of the mountain. But what I find interesting is that these men still recognized Jesus as, well, Jesus. Though He was clothed in “dazzling white”. He was the same teacher, and friend, that these gentlemen had always known. They recognized Him still, and were humbled by the change that manifested in Him at the time.

Often times we fear change because we wonder, “Will my friends and family still love me?”. Or those around us may even question the changes, fearing this new person we have become, will not be as welcoming to those around us. But Jesus changed, and did Peter, John or James flee in fear? No, actually after Peter witnessed Jesus speaking with Moses and Elijah, he wanted to literally roll out the welcome mat. Not entirely understanding what was happening, but trusting Jesus, Peter wanted to build a dwelling for all three. He was so excited to be a witness to this special occasion, he sought some way to preserve the moment. If such an occurrence happened now, I can almost guarantee every one of us would want to do the same. But instead of constructing tents, we would quickly be updating our status on Facebook, or posting like a gazillion pics on Instagram. Or just as likely, our fingers would quickly be flying across our keyboards, sending out Tweets about what an awesome time we had hanging out with Jesus.

So, we know Peter, John and James had this life-changing experience on the mountain. They witnessed Jesus’ Transfiguration, as well as a booming voice in the cloud declaring exactly who Jesus is, and are instructed to listen to Him. When I first became a Christian, and was walking on wobbly stones in my faith, I often asked God, “Give me a sign, show me you are You”. Well as you can imagine, that didn’t happen. And honestly, if it had, I wouldn’t be so sure that I could have even believed my own eyes. Yet, don’t we all strive to witness the true face of God, to see with our own eyes that He really is just who He says He is, and can do what He unequivocally declares to be done? Yet as we read in the Bible, true visitations by our heavenly Father are rare. But, He is still just as real to us today as He was so long ago on top of that mountain.

As we use this time to manifest changes in ourselves, as we strive to develop a deeper relationship with our blessed Father, let us never forget that He is right here with us. He is sitting at the kitchen table as you sip that first cup of coffee. He is standing in the check out line at the store. He is in the car on our daily commute home in the evening. And, He is there when we finally decide to put our daily cares to rest, and before we close our eyes at night, whispering “Thank you God for another day.”.

Transfiguration Prayer:

Lord,

You met with Moses on the top of a mountain,

And when he descended his face was shining

And in your power he brought your laws to a needy people.

You met with Christ on top of a mountain

And he was transformed with brightness

And descended with renewed strength.

Lord, we want to meet with you and be transformed by you

And to bring your transformation to the world around us.

Help us to bring your presence to the lives of those burdened with sickness or pain,

And those weighed down with confusion or grief.

Bring your healing touch to those lives today,

And let us support those we know in need with a constant friendship.

Help us to bring your change to a troubled society,

Where people are unsure of so much and where change comes so fast.

Give us the grace to understand people’s problems and anxieties

And the strength to tackle difficult issues head on.

Help us to work together to transform a needy world,

Whether through giving or educating or leading by example.

Give us the wisdom to see through big and complex issues

And the love that will keep us going when problems are overwhelming.

Help us to always be a beacon for you,

Individually and together.

We don’t stand on any lofty mountain

But we have a God who is changing us every day

And through whom we can reach out to change a broken world.

Be with us today Lord and help us take whatever step is next for us.

We ask this through the power of your love.

Amen

Reading 1:MAL 3:1-4

R PsalmPS 24:7, 8, 9, 10

Reading 2: HEB 2:14-18

Gospel: LK 2:22-40 OR 2:22-32

Luke 2:22-40:

22When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), 24and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

25Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. 26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, 28Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, 29“Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; 30for my eyes have seen your salvation, 31which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” 33And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed 35so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” 36There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. 39When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.

Today,we as a church celebrate The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. This feast is celebrated exactly 40 days after the birth of the Lord. This Feast is also known by the name of ‘Candlemas’, as the church blesses candles and often hold candle processions on this day, to indicate the light of Christ in the world.

Today is a day of both shadow and light. But it is not limited to today. Shadow and light are the reality of our lives and our world each and every day. As human, sometimes we go into the darkness by our own choices or actions and at other times it may be as a result of someone else’s action or simply through the circumstances of lives.

Sometimes we hide in the darkness avoiding the light because we are  ashame or feel  guilty. We do not want to admit the truth of our lives to ourselves and we sure do not want another to see that truth about us – our thoughts or the things we have done and left undone. The shadows, we sometimes think will hide us. Other times we may live in the night of fear not knowing what will come next or how we will cope. We may experience times when we sense being powerlessness and life seems out of control. There are those times when the black hole of sorrow and grief sucks out the life and the light of our world and we seem unable to escape the darkness. Sometimes we experience the darkness of ignorance and confusion at those times. We can become blind to our own identity, lost on the path of life, seemingly without meaning or direction.

No matter how large we may sometimes feel the shadow in our life to be, or how dark the night may seem to us, the light of the Lord is still ever present.

Sacred Tradition says that Simeon was 270 years old when he met Jesus in the temple and that he was blind. Yet Simeon himself declares to God, “My eyes have seen your salvation.”

Yes, Simeon was blind. Yes, Simeon saw salvation. But he did not see with physical eyes. He saw with the eyes of his heart. Simeon experienced an inner seeing.

Christ is both the Light we see and the Illumination by which we see.

That Light and that Illumination are revelatory. They reveal mercy and forgiveness in the shadows of guilt and shame, presence and courage in the night of fear, compassion and hope in the blackness  of sorrow and loss, a way forward in the blindness of ignorance and confusion, and life in the darkness of death. The flame of God’s love consumes the darkness, fills us, and frees us to go in peace just as God promised. We have seen salvation and Simeon’s song now becomes our song.

Hence the link with the candles that we link with today. Our Lord Jesus is the one light which is eternal. No matter how dark we may at times see our lives as being, no matter the situation we may be facing, we know the Lord has been there first and is our ever loving and ever guiding light. All we need to do is reach out, let our faith see that light and to let it always guide us.

Let us pray to our Lord, the light of the world:

O Lord, We thank you for the light that shines from within! Help us this day and always to recognize the several points of light that shine within us: the light of faith, the light of hope, the light of love! Regardless of whether or not the sun is shining or the rain is falling in our lives, remind us that there is a light that you have given us that is eternal and which will never go out. Help us through our lives to brighten the world of the depressed, to glow in a world of darkness and to shine when others struggle to find joy. Remind us that we have a light and that you have commanded us to let our light shine. In a time of pain, may our light be a light of peace. In a time of hate, may our light be a light of love. In a time of poverty, may our light be a light of prosperity. In a time of scarcity, may our light be a light of abundance. Bless us  this day and always to be your shining light to the world. Help us to let that  light shine that all people might see your goodness, mercy and power, shining through what they see in us. Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour we pray. Amen.

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May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be always acceptable to you O Lord, our God and our Creator. Amen.

Before I begin my homily on today’s Gospel reading I’d like to take a little time to reflect on the lives of the Saints whose memorial we celebrate today. It’s impossible for us to know with any certainty how many have gone to dwell in the presence of God since Christ opened the path to do so through His atoning sacrifice. However, these saints of God both known and unknown play an important role in the life of Christians not only as intercessors but as examples of lives lived for Christ.

Two such saints, whose memory we keep today are Saints Timothy and Titus; some of you may have heard of these men but to many they will remain little known characters of the biblical narrative. Both Timothy and Titus were companions and co-workers with Saint Paul travelling with him on his journeys and faithfully ministering to the growing Christian community.

So what is it that these men preached on their journeys? Quite simply, like all the apostles, Paul and his companions preached salvation in Christ and it is this which the Gospel speaks of today albeit veiled in the allegory of parable.

The word parable is one that we often hear bandied around when we’re studying the scriptures but it’s one that we often don’t take the time to define to those who may not be familiar with the jargon of biblical analysis. In general terms a parable is a simple story told to illustrate a deeper, often spiritual meaning. The parable was a teaching method that Jesus used frequently. He was fond of taking images from the everyday life of those around him and using those images to convey the great mysteries of the Gospel.

I have heard it asked before why Jesus would choose to teach like this instead of simply “saying what He meant” and as it happens an answer to this is actually found within today’s Gospel. In the reading we find “With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.”

From this we learn that Jesus was using the parables as a means of keeping higher truths for those who were ready to hear them. We have to remember that Jesus preached in public where any could come and hear Him. By speaking in parables those without faith and no desire to learn would simply hear an interesting story being told whilst those with faith in their hearts would be able to digest that story and find hidden within it the gems of the Gospel. In private, with his closest followers though the Gospel’s author tells us that Jesus did speak and teach plainly.

So today we hear a story about farming; the occupants of Israel in the first century AD were typical of many cultures of the time; they were subsistence farmers and herders and so Jesus’ story of growing plants from seeds would have been easily understood and grasped. To us separated by distance and culture sometimes these stories feel far less familiar and their meaning can be hidden behind a thicker veil.

In this parable Jesus begins by making mention of the Kingdom of God; when we hear this term it’s easy to conjure up images of a throne and God sitting upon it ruling over the Earth. However often the meaning of this term is far more mystical and refers to the whole span of God’s interaction with his creation. For this reason Jesus using this term is a way to tell those of His listeners who are of faith that what follows will be about God’s plan for humanity or what is often termed the plan of salvation.

The parable that Jesus tells is of a man planting seed. The seed falling upon the ground seeming dies and lies inert until without notice new life springs forth. This story, though interesting if you’re into gardening does have a far deeper and significant meaning. In this case the man who is planting the seed is none other than Christ himself. What is it that Christ came to this earth to plant? He came to plant the seeds of the Gospel; He travelled, taught and preached so that Israel could hear the Gospel and carry it throughout the world. So in this parable Jesus tells us that the seed of the Gospel, though it may at times seem to fall on barren ground and be dead, will always spring forth new life when those of faith are attentive.

The seed laying in the ground seemingly dead has a double meaning; Jesus is the Word, the Gospel incarnate and we know that his ultimate faith was to die for our sins. In this parable He was reaching out to His followers and trying to prepare them for what lay ahead. That He would die and they would become disheartened thinking that the Gospel was dead but that in His death new life would rise.

It is through this great promise of a new life that we all find the hope of our salvation. We are all but seeds, we contain a divine potential to unite with God in total perfection, basking in His divine presence and worshipping Him in unending glory!

It is my constant prayer, that each and every one of us will live our lives in the hope of the resurrection and our ultimate salvation in Christ. May the abundant grace that God has given us flow out of us and may we always be prepared to share the great message of hope with all we come in contact with.

Let us pray:

Blessed Father, we thank you this day for the great gift that you have given us in the life, death and resurrection of Christ. May we all live worthy of this great promise and one day, when our mortal walk is over, return to you and dwell in your glory. May the example of Saints Timothy and Titus every be before us and guide us in our service; may we spread the Gospel as called and serve those people in our care in the spirit of these great saints. In the name of Christ, our Saviour. Amen.

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