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reading of the letter to the Hebrews
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Brethren now Christ has a superior
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Ministry for he is the mediator of a
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much better Alliance based on better
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promises in fact if the first Covenant
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were without defect there would be no
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attempt to establish a second one in
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effect God warns the days will come says
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the Lord when I will conclude a New
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Covenant with the house of Israel and
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with the house of Judah not like the
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Covenant that I made with their fathers
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in the day that I led them by the hand
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to bring them out of the land of Egypt
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for they did not remain faithful to my
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Covenant therefore I did not care for
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them says the Lord I will put my laws in
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their minds and I will engrave them in
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their hearts and I will be their God and
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they will be my people no one will teach
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their neighbor not even their brother
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will know from the least to the greatest
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for I will have mercy on their
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trespasses and I will remember their
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sins no more thus when speaking of a New
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Covenant he declared the first one old
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now what ages and becomes old-fashioned
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is about to disappear word of the Lord
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God proclamation of of the Gospel of
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Jesus Christ according to St Mark Glory
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To You Lord at that time Jesus went up
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the mountain and called those he wanted
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and they went to him then Jesus
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appointed 12 to stay with him and to
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send them out to preach with authority
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to cast out demons he therefore
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appointed the twel Simon whom he called
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Peter James and John sons of Zebedee
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whom he named boanerges which means sons
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of thunder Andrew Phillip Bartholomew
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Matthew Thomas James son of alfus
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Thaddius Simon the Canaanite and Judas
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Iscariot the one who later betrayed him
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word of Salvation Glory To You
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Lord my brothers and sisters in Christ
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in this liturgy we are invited to
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reflect on God's invitation to each of
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us an invitation that call us to a deep
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and transformative relationship with him
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today's readings taken from the letter
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to the Hebrews and the gospel of Mark
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challenge us to understand the New
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Covenant that Christ established with us
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and the way in which he chooses us to be
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his collaborators in the Plan of
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Salvation let's start by reading the
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letter to the Hebrews the author tells
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us of a New Covenant a better Covenant
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than the old based on more excellent
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promises he tells us but now he has
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obtained a more excellent ministry as he
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he is the mediator of a superior
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Covenant established on better promises
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what meaning does this have for us to
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understand we need to go back in time
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and reflect on the Old Testament the old
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Covenant was that between God and the
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people of Israel mediated by the law and
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the sacrifices of the temple but as we
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know this pact although holy and good
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was not capable of profoundly
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transforming the hearts of men he was
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like a shadow of what was to come the
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fullness of Salvation offered by Christ
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the old Covenant was based on obedience
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to a law written on Stones while the New
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Covenant mediated by Christ is
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established in a heart of Flesh capable
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of loving and forgiving the author of
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Hebrews reminds us that in this new
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covenant God writes his law in our
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hearts he no longer requires animal
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sacrifices but the perfect and eternal
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sacrifice of his son who by his death on
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the cross sealed this Covenant of mercy
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and love Jesus as the mediator of this
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Covenant offers us forgiveness and
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transformation not by the force of the
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law but by the force of his love it is
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no longer about blind obedience to
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external rules but about internalizing
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God's will in our hearts this
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transformation begins within us God no
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longer wants mechanistic obedience but a
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heart willing to live his will he wants
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to transform our lives and make us
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people who love as he loves who forgive
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as he forgives who have compassion as he
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has compassion the New Covenant is an
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invitation to a living experience of God
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in our hearts to a deep relationship
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with him that transforms us from the
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inside out now let's go to Mark's gospel
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where we see the moment when Jesus calls
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his disciples he goes up to the mountain
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and there chooses 12 men to be with him
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and to send them to preach it is
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interesting to note that Jesus chooses
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the TW not by their merits but but by
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his will he does not choose the wise the
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powerful or the religious leaders of the
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time he chooses simple men fishermen
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common people and from these people he
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begins to build his church the community
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of his followers this gesture of Jesus
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reveals something profound about his
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love and his vision for the kingdom of
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God Jesus does not call the perfect but
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the Willing he does not call those who
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have all the answers but those who have
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an open heart he does not call those who
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think they are capable but those who on
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the contrary recognize their limitations
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and their need for God each of those 12
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disciples had their weaknesses and
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failures Peter was impulsive James and
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John were hot-tempered Judas betrayed
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but in the heart of Christ there was a
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vision of a kingdom that would not be
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founded on human Perfection but on the
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grace of God he calls these men to be
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his collaborators in building the
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trusting them despite their failures
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that calling my brothers and sisters is
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the same for each of us today Jesus
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calls us to be his disciples not because
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we are perfect but because he loves us
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and wants us by his side he wants us to
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be part of his mission in the world the
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mission of spreading God's love and
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salvation just as he chose the 12 he
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chooses us too he does not look at our
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failures or limitations but at our heart
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willing to follow him Jesus calls us to
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be with him and to be sent this being
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with him is more than a physical
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presence it is a spiritual intimacy
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Jesus wants us to walk with him every
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day to learn from him to become like him
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and this being sent is more than a
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mission to preach words it is a mission
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to live the gospel to bring the good
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news of Christ to the world through our
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actions our attitudes our way of living
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what does this mean for us today first
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it means that as Disciples of Christ we
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are called to live according to the New
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Covenant this means that in our hearts
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we must have God's love compassion and
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mercy we need to allow God's law to be
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written in our hearts so that we can
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live according to his will not in a
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rigid way but with a transformed heart
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second we are called to be sent God did
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not choose us to be isolated or to keep
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his grace just for ourselves just as
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Jesus sent the 12 he also sends us to be
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his Witnesses in the world our calling
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is to be light in the darkness salt on
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the earth the world around us is full of
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need physical emotional and spiritual
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Jesus sends us to touch the lives of
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these people to be instruments of his
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mercy and peace I know that we often
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feel inadequate for this Mission we
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think I'm not good enough I have so many
7:55
flaws but remember Jesus does not call
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the go perfect he calls the willing and
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when we are willing to follow Christ he
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transforms us he enables us to do things
8:08
we could never do alone so my challenge
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to each of us today is this allow God's
8:14
New Covenant to transform your life open
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your heart so that God's law may be
8:18
written in it and as Disciples of Christ
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let us be sent to be Witnesses of his
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Mercy in the world that in every gesture
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in every word in every action we can
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reflect the love of Christ and build his
8:32
kingdom of peace and Justice that just
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as Jesus chose the twel he also chooses
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us and that we can respond to his call
8:40
with courage and confidence may God's
8:43
grace strengthen us and may his Mercy
8:45
transform us so that we may always be
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amen send Michael the Archangel defend
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Us in battle be our protection against
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the wickedness and snares of the devil
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may God rebuke him we humbly pray and do
9:10
thou o Prince of the Heavenly Host by
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the power of God cast into hell Satan
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and all the evil spirits who prowl
9:18
throughout the world seeking the ruin of
