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Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John Capistrano, Feast Day October 23

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St. John of Capistrano
St. John of Capistrano

 

The feast day of St. John Capistrano is celebrated on October 23.  He is the patron saint of chaplains, military chaplains and judges.

St. John was born in 1386.  He was the son of a German knight.  He was well educated studying civil and church law.  By the age of 26 he became governor of Perugia.   When a battle broke out against the Malatestes he tried to broker peace.  He became a prisoner of war.  During his time in prison, he encountered St. Francis of Assisi in a dream and experienced a conversion.  When released from prison he joined the Franciscans of Perugia.  Four years later he was ordained a priest.

St. John Capistrano was known for his preaching.  Great crowds gathered to hear him.  He was instrumental in reviving the faith.  He was a student of St. Bernadino of Siena who introduced him to the devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus.

During the crusades he preached in Hungary.  He visited the kings of Europe uniting them and their armies against invading forces.  In 1456, he led a Christian army to Belgrade.  When it appeared that they would be overpowered by the Muslims, he ran to the front line holding a crucifix crying

“Victory, Jesus, Victory!“

The Christian army won a great victory and Belgrade was freed from the siege.  Several months later,  St. John died at Villach in Austria after a painful infection.  He was canonized in 1724.

The following quote is taken from the treatise written by St. John Capistrano called “Mirror of the Clergy”.

Those who are called to the table of the Lord must glow with the brightness that comes from the good example of a praiseworthy and blameless life.  They must completely remove from their lives the filth and uncleanness of vice.  Their upright lives must make them like the salt of the earth for themselves and for the rest of mankind.  The brightness of their wisdom must make them like the light of the world that brings light to others.  They must learn from their eminent teacher, Jesus Christ, what he declared not only to his apostles and disciples, but also to all the priests and clerics who were to succeed them, when he said:  “You are the salt of the earth.  But what if salt goes flat?  How can you restore its flavor?  Then it is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”

 

Quote of St. John Capistrano

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary.

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Faith, patron saints, Pope, Prayer, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John Paul II, Feast Day October 22

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St. John Paul II

 

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John Paul II,

Feast Day October 22

The feast day of St. John Paul II is celebrated on October 22.  He is the patron saint of youth.

Karol Jozef Wajtyla (pronounced Voy-tee-ya) was born to Karol and Emilia Wojtyla in Wodowice, Poland on May18, 1920. His mother died when he was nine years old. His sister Olga died before he was born. His brother Edmond, a doctor, died when he was twelve. He was very close to his father, who raised him. When he was 21, his father died, leaving him alone, with no family.

Young Karol studied drama in Krakow’s Jagiellonian University. The university closed due to the Nazi occupation in 1939. In 1942, he had a call to the priesthood. He studied in an underground seminary in Krakow. At the same time he also was a member of the underground “Rhapsodic Theater”.

Karol was ordained on November 1, 1946. He was sent to Rome where he finished his doctorate in theology with a thesis on the works of St. John of the Cross, a Carmelite saint

He wished to become a Carmelite priest himself. However, he was turned down twice. The first time, he was denied entry due to the war. The second time he applied, his bishop told him, he was not meant to be a contemplative (private prayer) priest, his charismatic (public prayer) talent was needed working with the public. During his early priesthood he worked as a chaplain to university students as well as vicar to several parishes.

On Jan 13, 1964 he became a Cardinal. He was a participant in the Vatican Council II (1962-1965).

On October 16, 1978, he was elected Pope. As Pope he chose the name of John Paul II. As Pope of the Catholic Church he will be remembered for many things. He established the World Youth Day Celebration. This event brought millions of young people together in a different country to celebrate their faith. In 1993, Youth Day was held in Denver, USA. In 2000 he led the celebration in Rome for the Great Jubilee year. Although unofficial, this is why he is considered the patron of youth.

As Pope he canonized many saints, including his fellow citizen Sister Faustina from Poland. John Paul II gave her Divine Mercy Devotion an official feast day, the Sunday following Easter. This devotion focuses on the mercy and forgiveness Jesus offers us.

Another Devotion John Paul II encouraged was the Rosary. The Rosary focuses on the life of Jesus. In 2002 he added a fourth set of mysteries to be meditated on which is called the Luminous Mysteries. This includes the Baptism of Jesus, The Wedding at Cana, The Institution of the Word, The Transfiguration, and The Eucharist.

In 1981 he survived an attempted assassination. He credited his devotion to Our Lady of Fatima for his survival. He publicly forgave his attacker.

John Paul II is remembered for his successful efforts to end communism, and for bringing together people of all faiths.

John Paul II died Parkinson’s disease on April 2, 2005.

John Paul II was Pope for 27 years. Many Catholics give him the title John Paul the Great, and Patron of Youth.   His message of hope often included  the message of Jesus when he stilled the water: “Be Not Afraid” (Mat: 14).

He received the title of Blessed in 2000. His first miracle was the cure of Sister Marie Perre Simon who was a French nun suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is the illness John Paul II died from on April 2, 2005.  The second miracle of Pope John Paul II was the curing of a brain aneurysm of Floribeth Mora Diaz of Costa Rica.

On  Divine Mercy Sunday, April 27, 2014, Pope Francis canonized Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII.  Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI con-celebrated the Mass.

 

Place your talents and enthusiasm at the service of life.

Quote of St. John Paul II

 

St. John Paul II in Art

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary.

 

Saint of the Day, Spirituality

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Gaspar del Bufalo, Feast Day October 21

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St. Gaspar del Bufalo

 

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Gaspar del Bufalo, Feast Day October 21

The feast day of St. Gaspar del Bufalo is celebrated on October 21.  He is the founder of the Missionaries of the Most Precious Blood.

St. Gaspar was born in Rome on Jan. 6, 1786.  He was well educated in the faith by his pious mother.  At the age of two, he almost died.  It was through the intercession of St. Francis Xavier that he was cured of his illness.

At the age of 18, he organized a program to minister to the marginalized in the society.  He offered religious instruction to the poor in the area and became the catechist of orphans and poor children.  At the age of 22 he was ordained a priest.

Because St. Gaspar refused to take an oath of allegiance to Napoleon, he was exiled and imprisoned.  His response was the following:

“I would rather die or suffer evil than to take such an oath.

I cannot, I must not, I will not!”

St. Gaspar spent five years in jail for refusing to take the oath.  While imprisoned he envisioned a religious community dedicated to the precious blood of Christ.  After his release, he founded the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Most Precious Blood in Giano.

When a cholera epidemic broke out in Rome St. Gaspar ministered to the victims even though he was in ill health himself.

St. Gaspar died Dec. 28, 1837.

 

We must let it be known how the Blood of Christ cleanses the souls and sanctifies them, particularly by means of the sacraments.

Quote of St. Gaspar del Bufalo

 

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

 

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Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Paul of the Cross, Feast Day October 20

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St. Paul of the Cross

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Paul of the Cross, Feast Day October 20

The feast day of St. Paul of the Cross is celebrated on October 20.

St. Paul of the Cross was born in the Ovada in the Republic of Genoa on Jan. 3, 1694.  His parents had 16 children, of whom only six survived.

When St. Paul was young he fell into a river.  He was rescued by a beautiful woman he believed to be the Blessed Virgin.

He was called to the religious life early. He had a tender devotion to Our Blessed Lady, and the Sorrowful Heart of Mary. St. Paul of the Cross worked as a hospital chaplain for 21 years before founding the Passionist Order after having a vision.  In the vision, he saw himself clothed in the habit that his community would wear: a long, black robe with a white symbol stitched in the center and a white cross above a white heart that held the words, “passion of Jesus Christ.”  His brother John Baptist joined the order also.  The new community was grounded in poverty and solitude and had a mission to encourage people to meditate on the suffering and death of Jesus.

The mission of St. Paul of the Cross was to reach out to the poor and abandoned people, preaching the message of faith, compassion and loving redemption. He was a popular preacher, poet, and mystic.  He became known for miracles.  St. Paul was given supernatural gifts.  He could see into the future and heal sick people through his prayer and touch.  St. Paul of the Cross was known as a very holy man and considered a saint.

At the age of 81, St. Paul of the Cross died in Rome in the year 1775.

The universal Church feast (memorial) of St Paul of the Cross is celebrated worldwide on October 19th. In the USA it is celebrated on October 20, because of the memorial of the North American Martyrs on the 19th.

 

Carry a bouquet of the suffering of Jesus

on the altar of your heart.

Quote of St. Paul of the Cross

 

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

 

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Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Laura of Cordoba, Feast Day October 19

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St. Laura of Cordoba
St. Laura of Cordoba

 

The feast day of St. Laura of Cordoba is celebrated on October 19.  She was a widow and martyr.

St. Laura lived in Spain in the ninth century.   It’s culture was primarily Muslim.  After her husband died she became a nun at Cuteclara .  She eventually became the abbess.

St. Laura is one of the 48 Martyrs of Cordoba.  She was captured and scalded to death by being placed in a vat of boiling lead.

It is You Jesus, stretched out on the cross, who gives me strength and are always close to the suffering soul.  Creatures will abandon a person in  his suffering, but You, O Lord, are  faithful.

Quote of St. Faustina

 

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

 

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Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Luke the Evangelist, Feast Day October 18

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St. Luke the Evangelist

The feast day of St. Luke the Evangelist is celebrated on October 18.  He is the patron saint of physicians and surgeons.

St. Luke was born in Antioch, Syria.  He did not know Jesus.  However, he converted from paganism and became a companion of St. Paul.  He accompanied him on his missions and into prison two different times.

St. Luke is the author of the third Gospel.  His gospel focuses on the merciful heart of Jesus.  We also learn about the childhood of Jesus in his Gospel.   Three canticles (hymns)  were preserved by St. Luke:  The Benedictus, the Magnificat and the Nune Dimittis (Canticle of Simeon).

Icon Painted by St. Luke Public Domain Image
Icon Painted by St. Luke

Legend tells us that St. Luke was also an artist and painted the portrait   of the Blessed Virgin.

St. Luke became the patron saint of physicians because he was a physician.

St. Luke died in Achaia (Greece) at the age of 84.  It is unknown if he was a martyr.

 

Virtues are formed by prayer.  Prayer preserves temperance.  Prayer suppresses anger.  Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy.  Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit and raises man to heaven.

 

Quote of St. Ephrem;  Feast day June 9

 

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

 

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Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Ignatius of Antioch, Feast Day October 17

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St. Ignatius of Antioch

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Ignatius of Antioch, Feast Day October 17

The  feast day of St. Ignatius of Antioch is celebrated on October 17.  He is known as a church father and martyr.

At birth, St. Ignatius was named Theophorus.  He became the third Bishop of Antioch in around year 70.  The Roman Emperor Dometian declared that he was ‘god’ and required homage.  Those who refused were executed.

St. Ignatius led the Christians in Antioch by encouraging prayer and fasting.   Emperor Trajan had Ignatius arrested and sent to Syria in chains to be executed.   St. Ignatius was able to dictate letters to the six local churches while imprisoned.  Most of what we know about St. Ignatius is from his writing.

St. Ignatius had a devotion to the Bless Virgin Mary.  He wrote the following:

He who is devoted to the Virgin Mother will certainly never be lost.

In the letters that survived, St. Ignatius warned of false teachers.  He focused on unity and the dangers of heresy.  He also emphasized the importance of the Eucharist and the humanity of Christ.

St. Ignatius was fed to the lions in the Amphitheater in Rome in the year 107.  His last words were:I am the wheat of the Lord.  I must be ground by the teeth of these beasts to be made the pure bread of Christ.

Quote of St. Ignatius of Antioch

 

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

 

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patron saints, Sacred Heart, Saint of the Day, Visionary

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Feast Day October 16

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St. Margaret Mary

 

The feast day of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque is celebrated on October 16.  She is known as the Apostle of the Sacred Heart.

St. Margaret Mary was born to Claude and Philiberte Lamyn on July 22, 1647 in Lhautecour, France.  She was the fifth of seven children.  She was baptized with name of Margaret and added the name of Mary when she was confirmed in the faith in 1669.   From an early age Margaret had a strong devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.   Margaret’s father died when she was eight years old.  She was sent to a school run by Urbanist Nuns at Chavolles.

Margaret became very ill and was unable to walk.  After consecrating herself to the Blessed Virgin, she promised that if cured, she would be one of her daughters.  She was immediately cured.

Thrust into poverty after her father’s death, she considered marriage, which caused her internal conflict.  Her desire to become a nun prevailed.  She joined the Visitation Order in 1671.

St. Margaret Mary began having visions on Dec. 17, 1073.  They continued until June 1675.  Jesus appeared to her giving her the task of encouraging and teaching a devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  This included a Holy Hour on Thursdays to reflect on how the Apostles abandoned Him  during the Agony in the Garden.  It also encouraged receiving communion on 1st Fridays.

After suffering many years of from doubt and despair, St. Margaret Mary died at the age of 43.    She had served two terms as assistant supervisor.    With the help of St. Claude de la Columbiere, the  feast day  became popular.  The Sacred Heart symbolizes the boundless love given by Jesus in the Eucharist and His Passion and death

 

I need nothing but God and to lose myself to the Heart of Jesus.

Quote of St. Margaret Mary

 

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

 

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Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Teresa of Avila, Feast Day October 15

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St. Teresa of Avila

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Teresa of Avila,

Feast Day October 15

St. Teresa of Avila’s feast day will be celebrated on October 15th. She is known as being the patron saint of writers and headache sufferers.

Born in Avila, Spain in 1515, she was sent to a convent at the age of 16, because her father believed her to be “out of control”. At first she hated it, later she came to enjoy it, in part because they were less strict than her father.

Eventually, she decided to become a Carmelite nun. She practiced meditation and mental prayer. She fell ill with malaria and almost died. She awoke paralyzed, which lasted for three years. She found it very difficult to pray during this time. However at the age of 41 a priest convinced her to go back to prayer. She suffered many distractions and found it very difficult. As she began her prayer life anew, God gave her spiritual delights including ecstasies, and the prayer of union. She eventually became known as a mystic.

At the age of 43 she decided to form a new convent which met with much resistance. Her confessor St. John of the Cross helped to begin the reformed order of the Discalced (barefoot) Carmelites.

St. Teresa was known for her honest dialogue with God.    She wanted the nuns in her order to have the proper attitude and discipline in their prayer life.  But she too could be frustrated with life.   Every moment of her life was a prayer,  even the difficult ones.  She is known for the following exclamation.

“If this is the way you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few!”

St. Teresa has written many books. These include: The Interior Castle, The Life of Teresa of Jesus, and The Way of Perfection.  Her spirituality has led many to a much deeper prayer life.  She has been proclaimed a Doctor of the Church.

St. Teresa died on October 4 at the age of 67.

The following prayer is attributed to St. Teresa of Avila:

 

Let nothing disturb you.
Let nothing make you afraid.
All things are passing.
God alone never changes.
Patience gains all things.
If you have God you will want for nothing.
God alone suffices.

 

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

 

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Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St.Callistus I, Feast Day October 14

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St. Callistus I Pope and Martyr
St. Callistus I
Pope and Martyr

 

The feast day of St. Callistus I is celebrated on October I.  He is honored as a Pope and martyr of the faith.

St. Callistus was a slave for a Roman who worked for Caesar.  He was put in charge of the bank by his master.  He manged to lose the money deposited and in fear he fled.  He was caught and sent to prison.  He was released and told to try to recover the money.  This time, he was arrested after getting into a brawl in a Jewish synagogue.  He was then sent to Sardenia to work in the mines.  The mistress of the emperor was able to influence his release.

Callistus became superintendent of the cemetery of St. Callistus.  He was ordained a deacon by the Pope and became the friend and adviser of the Pope.  When the pope died, Callistus was elected to be Bishop of Rome with a majority vote.  This led to a schism with his rival St. Hippolytus who became the first anti-pope.  Hippolytus accused Pope Callistus of sympathizing with heretics.  He also disagreed with Pope Callistus’ teaching about the power of Divine Mercy in the sacrament of confession.

In the year 236, both Pope Callistus and Hyppolytus were martyred during an uprising in Rome.  They were both canonized as saints.  It is believed that Hyppolytus made peace with the church before his death.

St. Callistus is the first pope after St. Peter to be honored as a martyr.

“God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us.”

Quote of St. Augustine;  Feast Day August 28

 

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

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Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Alexandrina Maria da Costa, Feast Day October 13

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Bl.. Alexandrina Maria da Costa

 

 

The feast day of  Bl. Alexandrina Maria da Costa is celebrated on October 13. She is known for living on the Eucharist alone for three years. She is the patron saint of the bedridden and paralyzed.

Alexandrina was born on March 30, 1904. in Balasar, Portugal. She worked in the fields to earn money. She nearly died of an infection when she was twelve.

 

On Holy Saturday, at the age of 14, she and a friend were sewing when three men broke into her home threatening to rape them. In an attempt to escape she jumped out of a window and fell 4 meters. She had many injuries and the doctors predicted her paralysis would get worse. She was able to attend church until the age of 19 although she was quite hunched over. At the age of 21 she became totally paralyzed and bedridden.

Alexandrina prayed for a miraculous healing so that she could be a missionary. Eventually she realized that God wanted her to spend her time in prayer. She accepted her affliction as God’s will and offered herself as a “victim soul” for the conversion of sinners. She suffered from paralysis for over 30 years.

 

Describing her situation she stated the following:

“Our Lady has given me an even greater grace; first abandonment, then complete conformity to God’s will and finally the thirst for suffering.”

For 3 1/2 years Alexandrina experienced the mystical gift of feeling the pains of Christ on the Cross. Every Friday, for three hours she relived the “Passion of Jesus”. Her paralysis was overcome, but she suffered great pain. Alexandrina knew Jesus wanted her to suffer in joy so she was known for her smile.

For 13 years Alexandrina was nourished only by the Eucharist. Unable to keep anything down including water, she began a “fast” for Jesus. She offered her suffering for the salvation of souls. As news of her fast spread, pilgrims began to visit asking her for prayers. This tired her and increased her suffering but she promised to pray for everyone.

 

Because of the skepticism surrounding her fast, Alexandrina agreed to be admitted to a hospital where she would be examined. She was permitted the Eucharist daily. The disbelief of the doctors caused her great suffering, but after a month they certified that she had had nothing to eat or drink except the Eucharist. She kept a picture of St. Jacinta of Fatima by her bed.

In her prayers Jesus told her:

“You are living by the Eucharist alone because I want to prove to the world the power of the Eucharist and the power of my life in souls.”

Bl. Alexandrina died on October 13, 1955. She declared…

“I am happy because I am going to heaven.”

She was beatified by Pope John Paul II.  On her tombstone, Bl. Alexandrina requested the following statement:

“Sinners, how much I want to tell you. Do not risk losing Jesus for all eternity for He is so good. Enough with sin. Love Jesus, love Him!”

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

 

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Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Maria Teresa Fasco, Feast Day October 12

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Bl. Maria Teresa Vasce
Bl. Maria Teresa Vasce

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Maria Teresa Fasco, Feast Day October 12

The feast day of Bl. Maria Teresa Fasco is celebrated on October 12.

Known as Marietta as a child, Bl. Maria Teresa was born on Dec. 27, 1881 in Torriglia, Italy.  Her mother died when she was eight years old.  Her older sister Luigia helped raise her.  The family was not poor and she received a good education.

The parish Marietta attended was under the pastoral care of Augustinian Friars.  She taught singing and was involved in religious education.  Marietta studied the spirituality of St. Augustine and was drawn to it.  When the Augustinian Nun St. Rita of Cascia was canonized in 1900 it made a great impression on her.  She applied to the Augustinian monastery at Casci against her families wishes.  She was denied entry because they felt she was used to the comforts of city living.  They did not believe  she would do well living a rural life.   However, she applied a second time and was accepted.

Maria Teresa became disillusioned when younger nuns joined who had a lack of  discipline.  Tension in the monastery grew between the younger and older sisters.  Maria Teresa left the community for a time in 1910.  She returned in 1911 determined to reform the monastery.  She began writing letters to supervisors explaining the situation.  Their response was to make her the Director of Novices!  In 1920 she was elected Abbess.  She served as Abbess for 27 years.  The monastery became a good example of the Augustinian way of life.

 

Sister Maria Teresa started an orphanage for girls and helped to build a larger church to receive pilgrims coming to learn about St. Rita. She referred to the orphans as her “bees”.  Sister Maria Teresa enjoyed teaching the orphans. Her newsletter called “From the Bees to the  Roses”  is still published today.

 

During World War II when Nazi troops forced their way into the monastery she was not intimidated.  They departed after speaking to her.

Sister Maria Teresa suffered from health problems.  including painful breast cancer which required two surgeries.  She also had asthma, diabetes, heart problems and poor circulation.  She had difficult walking.  She died peacefully on January 18, 1947 before the new basilica was completed.

“I am leaving this world with faith, hope and love!  I hope to find you there…where Good reigns and where we will live forever!”

 

Sister Maria Teresa was beatified by St. John Paul II in 1997.

 

I love Him even if it costs much,

I love Him because it is worth much,

I love Him at all cost.

Quote of Bl. Maria Teresa Fasce

 

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

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