Friday, April 28, 2023

Saint Joseph : Seven Sundays Devotion

St Joseph shared the happiness - but also the sufferings - of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Seven Sundays Devotion honours the seven joys and sorrows of St Joseph. It starts on the seventh Sunday before March 19, i.e., the last Sunday of January or the first Sunday of February.


First Sunday
His sorry when he decided to leave the Blessed Virgin; his joy when the angel told him the mystery of the Incarnation.


Introductory Prayer

O chaste spouse of Mary,
great was the trouble and anguish of your heart
when you were considering
quietly sending away your inviolate spouse;
yet your joy was unspeakable,
when the surpassing mystery of the Incarnation
was made known to you by the angel.
By this sorrow and this joy,
we beseech you to comfort our souls,
both now and in the sorrows of our final hour,
with the joy of a good life and a holy death
after the pattern of your own life
and death in the arms of Jesus and Mary.

Reading Matthew 1:18-25
18 And this was the manner of Christ’s birth. His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, but they had not yet come together, when she was found to be with child, by the power of the Holy Ghost. 19 Whereupon her husband Joseph (for he was a right-minded man, and would not have her put to open shame) was for sending her away in secret. 20 But hardly had this thought come to his mind, when an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, and said, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take thy wife Mary to thyself, for it is by the power of the Holy Ghost that she has conceived this child; 21 and she will bear a son, whom thou shalt call Jesus, for he is to save his people from their sins. 22 All this was so ordained to fulfil the word which the Lord spoke by his prophet: 23 Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a son, and they shall call him Emmanuel (which means, God with us). 24 And Joseph awoke from sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, taking his wife to himself; 25 and he had not known her when she bore a son, her first-born, to whom he gave the name Jesus. 


Consideration
In the course of that pilgrimage of faith which was his life, Joseph, like Mary, remained faithful to God's call until the end. While Mary's life was the bringing to fullness of that fiat first spoken at the Annunciation, at the moment of Joseph's own "annunciation" he said nothing; instead he simply "did as the angel of the Lord commanded him" (Mt 1:24). And this first "doing" became the beginning of "Joseph's way."

In the words of the "annunciation" by night, Joseph not only heard the divine truth concerning his wife's indescribable vocation; he also heard once again the truth about his own vocation. This "just" man, who, in the spirit of the noblest traditions of the Chosen People, loved the Virgin of Nazareth and was bound to her by a husband's love, was once again called by God to this love.

"Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife" into his home (Mt 1:24); what was conceived in Mary was "of the Holy Spirit." From expressions such as these are we not to suppose that his love as a man was also given new birth by the Holy Spirit? Are we not to think that the love of God which has been poured forth into the human heart through the Holy Spirit (cf. Rm 5:5) molds every human love to perfection? 

Through his complete self-sacrifice, Joseph expressed his generous love for the Mother of God, and gave her a husband's "gift of self." Even though he decided to draw back so as not to interfere in the plan of God which was coming to pass in Mary, Joseph obeyed the explicit command of the angel and look Mary into his home, while respecting the fact that she belonged exclusively to God. 


Concluding Prayer

V. Pray for us, blessed Joseph,
R. That we may be made worth of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.
Almighty God,
in your infinite wisdom and love
you chose Joseph to be the husband of Mary,
the mother of your Son.
As we enjoy his protection on earth,
may we have the help of his prayers in heaven.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 Is. 7.14. ‘The virgin’ is a literal translation of the Hebrew; ‘a virgin’ would equally express the sense of the original prophecy.
 The text here is more literally rendered ‘he knew her not till she bore a son’; but the Hebrew word represented by ‘till’ does not imply that the event which might have been expected did take place afterwards. (Cf. Gen. 8.7, Ps. 109.2, Dan. 6.24, I Mac. 5.54.) So that this phrase does not impugn the perpetual virginity of our Lady. Nor is any such inference to be drawn when our Lord is called her ‘first-born’ Son, which refers to his position as redeemable under the old law (Lk. 2.23).
 Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation "Redemptoris Custos" 17.
 Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation "Redemptoris Custos" 19.
 Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation "Redemptoris Custos" 20.



Second Sunday
His sorrow when he saw Jesus born in poverty; his joy when the angels announced Jesus' birth.


Introductory Prayer

O most blessed patriarch, glorious St Joseph,
who were chosen to be the foster father of the Word made flesh,
your sorrow at seeing the child Jesus born in such poverty
was suddenly changed into heavenly exultation
when you heard the angelic hymn
and beheld the glories of that resplendent night.
By this sorrow and this joy
we implore you to obtain for us
the grace to pass over from life's pathway
to hear angelic songs of praise
and to rejoice in the shining splendour of celestial glory.

Reading Luke 2:1-20
1 It happened that a decree went out at this time from the emperor Augustus, enjoining that the whole world should be registered; 2 this register was the first one made during the time when Cyrinus was governor of Syria.  3 All must go and give in their names, each in his own city; 4 and Joseph, being of David’s clan and family, came up from the town of Nazareth, in Galilee, to David’s city in Judaea, the city called Bethlehem, 5 to give in his name there. With him was his espoused wife Mary, who was then in her pregnancy; 6 and it was while they were still there that the time came for her delivery. 7 She brought forth a son, her first-born,✻ whom she wrapped in his swaddling-clothes, and laid in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 In the same country there were shepherds awake in the fields, keeping night-watches over their flocks. 9 And all at once an angel of the Lord came and stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone about them, so that they were overcome with fear. 10 But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; behold, I bring you good news of a great rejoicing for the whole people. 11 This day, in the city of David, a Saviour has been born for you, the Lord Christ himself. 12 This is the sign by which you are to know him; you will find a child still in swaddling-clothes, lying in a manger. 13 Then, on a sudden, a multitude of the heavenly army appeared to them at the angel’s side, giving praise to God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in high heaven, and peace on earth to men that are God’s friends. 15 When the angels had left them, and gone back into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Come, let us make our way to Bethlehem, and see for ourselves this happening which God has made known to us. 16 And so they went with all haste, and found Mary and Joseph there, with the child lying in the manger. 17 On seeing him, they discovered the truth of what had been told them about this child.  18 All those who heard it were full of amazement at the story which the shepherds told them; 19 but Mary treasured up all these sayings, and reflected on them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds went home giving praise and glory to God, at seeing and hearing that all was as it had been told them.


Consideration
Journeying to Bethlehem for the census in obedience to the orders of legitimate authority, Joseph fulfilled for the child the significant task of officially inserting the name "Jesus, son of Joseph of Nazareth" (cf. Jn 1:45) in the registry of the Roman Empire. This registration clearly shows that Jesus belongs to the human race as a man among men, a citizen of this world, subject to laws and civil institutions, but also "savior of the world." 

10. As guardian of the mystery "hidden for ages in the mind of God," which begins to unfold before his eyes "in the fullness of time," Joseph, together with Mary, is a privileged witness to the birth of the Son of God into the world on Christmas night in Bethlehem...Joseph was an eyewitness to this birth, which took place in conditions that, humanly speaking, were embarrassing-a first announcement of that "self-emptying" (cf. Phil 2:5-8) which Christ freely accepted for the forgiveness of sins. Joseph also witnessed the adoration of the shepherds who arrived at Jesus' birthplace after the angel had brought them the great and happy news (cf. Lk 2:15- 16) . Later he also witnessed the homage of the magi who came from the East (cf. Mt 2:11). 


Concluding Prayer

V. Pray for us, blessed Joseph,
R. That we may be made worth of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.
Almighty God,
in your infinite wisdom and love
you chose Joseph to be the husband of Mary,
the mother of your Son.
As we enjoy his protection on earth,
may we have the help of his prayers in heaven.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 There is here an ambiguity in the Greek, and some have thought the sense to be, ‘This was the register which was made before Cyrinus was governor of Syria’. (The same doubt arises in Mt. 26.17.) This gives an excellent sense; St Luke would be explaining that this was not the well-known census of the year 6 a.d., which led to an insurrection (Ac. 5.37), but an earlier one. But the facts of Quirinius’ career are not fully recorded.
 ‘Discovered’; that is, to Mary and Joseph, according to the common usage of the Greek verb; the Latin, however, renders it as if the shepherds had discovered for themselves the truth of the angelic announcement.

 Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation "Redemptoris Custos" 9.
 Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation "Redemptoris Custos" 10.


Third Sunday
His sorrow when he saw Jesus' blood shed in circumcision; his joy in giving him the name Jesus.

Introductory Prayer
O glorious St Joseph, 
who faithfully obeyed the law of God,
your heart was pierced 
at the sight of the most precious blood
that was shed by the infant Saviour during his circumcision,
but the name of Jesus gave you new life
and filled you with quiet joy.
By this sorrow and his joy,
obtain for us the grace
to be freed from all sin during life
and to die rejoicing,
with the holy name of Jesus in our hearts and on our lips.

Reading Luke 2:21
21 When eight days had passed, and the boy must be circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name which the angel had given him before ever he was conceived in the womb.

Consideration
A son's circumcision was the first religious obligation of a father, and with this ceremony (cf. Lk 2:21) Joseph exercised his right and duty with regard to Jesus.

The principle which holds that all the rites of the Old Testament are a shadow of the reality (cf. Heb 9:9f; 10:1) serves to explain why Jesus would accept them. As with all the other rites, circumcision too is "fulfilled" in Jesus. God's covenant with Abraham, of which circumcision was the sign (cf. Gn 17:13), reaches its full effect and perfect realization in Jesus, who is the "yes" of all the ancient promises (cf. 2 Cor 1:20). 

At the circumcision Joseph names the child "Jesus." This is the only name in which there is salvation (cf. Acts 4:12). Its significance had been revealed to Joseph at the moment of his "annunciation": "You shall call the child Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins" (cf. Mt 1:21). In conferring the name, Joseph declares his own legal fatherhood over Jesus, and in speaking the name he proclaims the child's mission as Savior. 

Concluding Prayer

V. Pray for us, blessed Joseph,
R. That we may be made worth of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.
Almighty God,
in your infinite wisdom and love
you chose Joseph to be the husband of Mary,
the mother of your Son.
As we enjoy his protection on earth,
may we have the help of his prayers in heaven.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.


 Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation "Redemptoris Custos" 11.
 Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation "Redemptoris Custos" 12.


Fourth Sunday
His sorrow when he heard the prophecy of Simeon; his joy when he learned that many would be saved through the sufferings of Jesus.

Introductory Prayer
O most faithful St Joseph,
who shared the mysteries of our redemption,
the prophecy of Simeon,
touching the sufferings of Jesus and Mary,
caused you to shudder with mortal dread
but at the same time filled you with a blessed joy
for the salvation and glorious resurrection
that would be attained by countless souls.
By this sorrow and this joy,
obtain for us that we may be 
of the number of those who,
through the merits of Jesus
and the intercession of Mary the Virgin Mother,
are predestined to a glorious resurrection.

Reading Luke 2:22-35
22 And when the time had come for purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem, to present him before the Lord there. 23 It is written in God’s law, that whatever male offspring opens the womb is to be reckoned sacred to the Lord;  24 and so they must offer in sacrifice for him, as God’s law commanded, a pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons.  25 At this time there was a man named Simeon living in Jerusalem, an upright man of careful observance, who waited patiently for comfort to be brought to Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him; 26 and by the Holy Spirit it had been revealed to him that he was not to meet death, until he had seen that Christ whom the Lord had anointed. 27 He now came, led by the Spirit, into the temple; and when the child Jesus was brought in by his parents, to perform the custom which the law enjoined concerning him, 28 Simeon too was able to take him in his arms. And he said, blessing God: 29 Ruler of all, now dost thou let thy servant go in peace, according to thy word; 30 for my own eyes have seen that saving power of thine 31 which thou hast prepared in the sight of all nations. 32 This is the light which shall give revelation to the Gentiles, this is the glory of thy people Israel. 33 The father and mother of the child were still wondering over all that was said of him, 34 when Simeon blessed them, and said to his mother Mary, Behold, this child is destined to bring about the fall of many and the rise of many in Israel; to be a sign which men will refuse to acknowledge; 35 and so the thoughts of many hearts shall be made manifest; as for thy own soul, it shall have a sword to pierce it.

Consideration
This rite, to which Luke refers (2:22ff.), includes the ransom of the first-born and sheds light on the subsequent stay of Jesus in the Temple at the age of twelve.

The ransoming of the first-born is another obligation of the father, and it is fulfilled by Joseph. Represented in the first-born is the people of the covenant, ransomed from slavery in order to belong to God. Here too, Jesus - who is the true "price" of ransom (cf. 1 Cor 6:20; 7:23; 1 Pt l:19) - not only "fulfills" the Old Testament rite, but at the same time transcends it, since he is not a subject to be redeemed, but the very author of redemption.

The gospel writer notes that "his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him" (Lk 2:23), in particular at what Simeon said in his canticle to God, when he referred to Jesus as the "salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel" and as a "sign that is spoken against" (cf. Lk 2:30-34). 

"'It pleased God, in his goodness and wisdom to reveal himself and to make known the mystery of his will (cf. Eph 1:9). His Will was that all should have access to the Father, through Christ, the Word made flesh, in the Holy Spirit, and, thus become sharers in the diving nature (cf. Eph 2:18; 2 Pt 1:4) 

Together with Mary, Joseph is the first guardian of this divine mystery. Together with Mary, and in relation to Mary, he shares in this final phase of God's self-revelation in Christ and he does so from the very beginning. 

Concluding Prayer

V. Pray for us, blessed Joseph,
R. That we may be made worth of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.
Almighty God,
in your infinite wisdom and love
you chose Joseph to be the husband of Mary,
the mother of your Son.
As we enjoy his protection on earth,
may we have the help of his prayers in heaven.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.


 Ex. 13.2.
 Lev. 12.8.
 Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation "Redemptoris Custos" 13.
 Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dei Verbum, 5. 
 Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation "Redemptoris Custos" 5.


Fifth Sunday
His sorrow when he had to flee Egypt; his joy in being always with Jesus and Mary.

Introductory Prayer
O most watchful guardian of the Son of God,
glorious St Joseph,
great was your toil in supporting
and waiting upon the Son of God,
especially during the flight into Egypt!
Yet, how you rejoiced 
to have God himself always near you.
By this sorrow and this joy,
obtain for us the grace that would keep us safe from the devil
especially the help we need to flee from dangerous situations.
May we serve Jesus and Mary,
and for them alone may we live and happily die.

Reading Matthew 2:13-15
13 As soon as they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, and said, Rise up, take with thee the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt; there remain, until I give thee word. For Herod will soon be making search for the child, to destroy him. 14 He rose up, therefore, while it was still night, and took the child and his mother with him, and withdrew into Egypt, where he remained until the death of Herod, 15 in fulfilment of the word which the Lord spoke by his prophet, I called my son out of Egypt. 

Consideration
Herod learned from the magi who came from the East about the birth of the "king of the Jews" (Mt 2:2). And when the magi departed, he "sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under" (Mt 2:16). By killing them all, he wished to kill the new-born "king of the Jews" whom he had heard about. 

The Church deeply venerates this Family, and proposes it as the model of all families. Inserted directly in the mystery of the Incarnation, the Family of Nazareth has its own special mystery. And in this mystery, as in the Incarnation, one finds a true fatherhood: the human form of the family of the Son of God, a true human family, formed by the divine mystery. In this family, Joseph is the father: his fatherhood is not one that derives from begetting offspring; but neither is it an "apparent" or merely "substitute" fatherhood. Rather, it is one that fully shares in authentic human fatherhood and the mission of a father in the family. This is a consequence of the hypostatic union: humanity taken up into the unity of the Divine Person of the Word-Son, Jesus Christ. Together with human nature, all that is human, and especially the family - as the first dimension of man's existence in the world - is also taken up in Christ. Within this context, Joseph's human fatherhood was also "taken up" in the mystery of Christ's Incarnation. 

Concluding Prayer

V. Pray for us, blessed Joseph,
R. That we may be made worth of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.
Almighty God,
in your infinite wisdom and love
you chose Joseph to be the husband of Mary,
the mother of your Son.
As we enjoy his protection on earth,
may we have the help of his prayers in heaven.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.


 Os. 11.1.
 Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation "Redemptoris Custos" 14.
 Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation "Redemptoris Custos" 21.


Sixth Sunday
His sorrow when he was afraid to return to his homeland; his joy on being told by the angel to go to Nazareth.

Introductory Prayer
O glorious St Joseph,
you marveled to see the King of heaven
obedient to your commands.
Your consolation in bringing Jesus out of the land of Egypt 
was troubled by your fear of Archelaus.
Nevertheless, being assured by an angel,
you lived in gladness at Nazareth
with Jesus and Mary.
By this sorrow and this joy,
obtain for us that our hearts
may be delivered from harmful fears,
so that we may rejoice in peace of conscience
and may live with Jesus and Mary,
and, like you, may die in their company.

Reading Matthew 2:19-23; Luke 2:40
19 But as soon as Herod was dead, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in Egypt in a dream, 20 and said: Rise up, take with thee the child and his mother, and return to the land of Israel; for those who sought the child’s life are dead. 21 So he arose, and took the child and his mother with him, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But, when he heard that Archelaus was king in Judaea in the place of his father Herod, he was afraid to return there; and so, receiving a warning in a dream, he withdrew into the region of Galilee; 23 where he came to live in a town called Nazareth, in fulfilment of what was said by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene. 

40 And so the child grew and came to his strength, full of wisdom; and the grace of God rested upon him. 

Consideration
Work was the daily expression of love in the life of the Family of Nazareth. The Gospel specifies the kind of work Joseph did in order to support his family: he was a carpenter. This simple word sums up Joseph's entire life. For Jesus, these were hidden years, the years to which Luke refers after recounting the episode that occurred in the Temple: "And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them" (Lk 2:51). This "submission" or obedience of Jesus in the house of Nazareth should be understood as a sharing in the work of Joseph. Having learned the work of his presumed father, he was known as "the carpenter's son." If the Family of Nazareth is an example and model for human families, in the order of salvation and holiness, so too, by analogy, is Jesus' work at the side of Joseph the carpenter. In our own day, the Church has emphasized this by instituting the liturgical memorial of St. Joseph the Worker on May 1. Human work, and especially manual labor, receive special prominence in the Gospel. Along with the humanity of the Son of God, work too has been taken up in the mystery of the Incarnation, and has also been redeemed in a special way. At the workbench where he plied his trade together with Jesus, Joseph brought human work closer to the mystery of the Redemption. 

In the human growth of Jesus "in wisdom, age and grace," the virtue of industriousness played a notable role, since "work is a human good" which "transforms nature" and makes man "in a sense, more human." (Cf. Encyclical Letter Laborem Exercens (September 14, 1981), 9: AAS 73 (1981), pp. 599f.) 

What is crucially important here is the sanctification of daily life, a sanctification which each person must acquire according to his or her own state, and one which can be promoted according to a model accessible to all people: "St. Joseph is the model of those humble ones that Christianity raises up to great destinies;...he is the proof that in order to be a good and genuine follower of Christ, there is no need of great things-it is enough to have the common, simple and human virtues, but they need to be true and authentic." (Paul VI, Discourse (March 19, 1969): Insegnamenti, VII (1969), p. 1268.) 

Concluding Prayer

V. Pray for us, blessed Joseph,
R. That we may be made worth of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.
Almighty God,
in your infinite wisdom and love
you chose Joseph to be the husband of Mary,
the mother of your Son.
As we enjoy his protection on earth,
may we have the help of his prayers in heaven.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.


 No such prophecy has survived to us. But an obscure village is often regarded by its more important neighbours as typical of an unfashionable or provincial outlook; cf. Jn. 1.46. The prophecy (Is. 53.3) that our Lord would be despised by men was fulfilled when his contemporaries spoke of him scornfully as ‘a prophet from Nazareth’ (like our ‘wise men of Gotham’). Some think the word should be, not Nazarene, but Nazirite; cf. Gen. 49.26.
 ‘Grace’; or perhaps ‘favour’, as in 52, below.
 Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation "Redemptoris Custos" 22.
 Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation "Redemptoris Custos" 23.
 Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation "Redemptoris Custos" 24.


Seventh Sunday
His sorrow when he lost the Child Jesus;
his joy in finding him in the temple.

Introductory Prayer
O glorious St Joseph,
pattern of all holiness,
when you lost the child Jesus, 
you sought him sorrowing for the space of three days,
until with great joy you found him again in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the doctors.
By this sorrow and this joy,
we ask you, with our hearts upon our lips,
to keep us from ever having the misfortune
of losing Jesus through mortal sin.
Grant also that we always may seek him with unceasing sorrow,
when we commit a serious sin,
until we find him again,
ready to show us his great mercy
in the sacrament of Penance.

Reading Luke 2:41-40
41 Every year, his parents used to go up to Jerusalem at the paschal feast. 42 And when he was twelve years old, after going up to Jerusalem, as the custom was at the time of the feast, 43 and completing the days of its observance, they set about their return home. But the boy Jesus, unknown to his parents, continued his stay in Jerusalem. 44 And they, thinking that he was among their travelling companions, had gone a whole day’s journey before they made enquiry for him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances. 45 When they could not find him, they made their way back to Jerusalem in search of him, 46 and it was only after three days that they found him. He was sitting in the temple, in the midst of those who taught there, listening to them and asking them questions; 47 and all those who heard him were in amazement at his quick understanding and at the answers he gave. 48 Seeing him there, they were full of wonder, and his mother said to him, My Son, why hast thou treated us so? Think, what anguish of mind thy father and I have endured, searching for thee. 49 But he asked them, What reason had you to search for me? Could you not tell that I must needs be in the place which belongs to my Father?  50 These words which he spoke to them were beyond their understanding;

Consideration
Joseph, of whom Mary had just used the words "your father," heard this answer. That, after all, is what all the people said and thought: Jesus was the son (as was supposed) or Joseph" (Lk 3:23). Nonetheless, the reply of Jesus in the Temple brought once again to the mind of his "presumed father" what he had heard on that night twelve years earlier: "Joseph...do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit." From that time onwards he knew that he was a guardian of the mystery of God, and it was precisely this mystery that the twelve- year-old Jesus brought to mind: "I must be in my Father's house." 

Concluding Prayer

V. Pray for us, blessed Joseph,
R. That we may be made worth of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.
Almighty God,
in your infinite wisdom and love
you chose Joseph to be the husband of Mary,
the mother of your Son.
As we enjoy his protection on earth,
may we have the help of his prayers in heaven.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.


 The phrase used is, ‘in the things which are my Father’s’, and some would translate, ‘about my Father’s business’.
 Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation "Redemptoris Custos" 15.

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