tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52620622011-04-21T22:52:59.833-05:00Catechumen: One who is learning the principles of Christianity.Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comBlogger3921100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-14315294585048456042007-10-01T08:22:00.000-05:002007-10-01T08:23:01.776-05:00

Probably not around much anymore…I’m not here much anymore. Or rather, I don’t have time to be here much anymore. I barely have time to check my email, much less blog or surf the web!This summer, I was in South Africa, and didn’t get much of a chance to blog; when I got back from South Africa, I spent the rest of the summer living at a woman’s monastery called St Barbara, which gave me even

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-30880113633604019842007-05-20T12:06:00.000-05:002007-05-20T12:10:57.164-05:00

Justified Hatred? The other day, Fr. Joseph over at Orthodixie posted a link to a page of hatred. . The contents of the page, inaccurate and ridiculous as they are, still raise the question: Can we justify hatred?Let’s say that I love God more then anything else in the world. I also love man, and hence I want him to be saved. Due to this love of the Good, I hate evil. But in my mistaken

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-87324120117454444892007-05-13T07:17:00.001-05:002007-05-13T07:17:09.100-05:00

Research Interests: Choice or Responsibility? As I am in the process of looking at and choosing PhD programs to which I will apply, I was instructed that I should state my “research interests” in any letter I send. Academically, I am interested in patristics, specifically Greek Patristics, and monasticism, usually in its early forms (Palestinian and Egyptian). These are the subjects of which I

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-10220831972641200692007-05-06T07:09:00.001-05:002007-05-06T07:09:52.098-05:00

To Receive or Not to ReceiveI have been sick and out of it this week, and I have not properly prepared to approach the chalice. I have not kept my prayer rule, done the preparatory canon, kept the Wednesday or Friday fasts, or been to church much this week.I know that these are not a legalistic requirement for approaching the chalice, but they are the only things I can offer to Christ to show my

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-26448924222415759492007-04-28T13:30:00.000-05:002007-04-28T13:33:28.016-05:00

One Step At A Time…I plan to go to South Africa this summer!Of course, I am not sure how/if this will actually happen, and while the last 10 days of my life have been the most stress-filled and sleepless weeks I can remember, I know that it will all work out in the end.Pretty stressed the other week, I wrote to my priest and told him that while I had been accepted to South Africa, I just found

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-18496338618156081792007-04-17T18:22:00.000-05:002007-04-17T18:23:57.365-05:00

So Much At Once A few months ago, I applied for a grant to go to South Africa with OCMC. I found out last night that, while I got into the program, I got absolutely no grant money. That leaves me with less then 8 weeks to raise $4,500 from a church 3,000 miles away. I’m pretty sure at this point that I will just drop out of the program; I said I would do it, and I sent in a down-payment, but

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-78522604675403859762007-03-31T11:32:00.000-05:002007-03-31T11:33:14.282-05:00

One Year Ago Today…One year ago today, I made a decision from which I will not turn back. I renounced Satan, and bowed myself before Christ, my king. I declared war on the enemy of my salvation, proclaiming that I would do all in my power to unite myself to Christ and crush Satan under my feet. I left all I had known in this world, declaring myself dead to its carnal lusts and pleasure,

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-35732792430934843282007-03-25T18:32:00.001-05:002007-03-25T18:32:37.643-05:00

This is Holy Here at St. Vladimir’s, my “community service” (obedience) is as breakfast cook. Last week, I mistakenly added twice as much flour to some muffins. Looking at the too-solid mess in the mixing bowl, I turned to throw it out just as my friend walked in: “No, wait, that’s holy. You can’t throw it out!”It’s gooey muffin batter. Holy is, well, the blessed bread, or the Eucharist, or

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-46761766091249494532007-03-17T15:44:00.000-05:002007-03-17T15:45:06.285-05:00

Saint’s Names Over on Fr. Joseph’s Orthodixie, there is a link to an excellent photographic slideshow of women with ikons of their patron saints. One thing I noticed about this display, however: all of the women pictured had female patron saints, and in fact the author of the show states that “Modern Orthodox women, therefore, have an automatic and deep connection to the women of the past.”But

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-49899077722445527342007-03-14T18:34:00.001-05:002007-03-14T18:34:21.960-05:00

A Day of Sorrow and JoyGive us this day our daily bread…This day has been one of joy and sorrow, containing more than any day should.Last night, as I rushed off to compline, I was met in the hall by a tear-stained face. She told me that one of the young men, a friend of hers, who graduated from St. Vladimir’s last year had just taken his own life. Fr. John announced it at compline to the whole

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-25787691727287916642007-03-13T12:59:00.001-05:002007-03-13T12:59:20.860-05:00

Changes in format A pox on Google for making me change blog formats yesterday…! But I believe everything (including archives) should be back up and working…sorry for the down-time.

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-29525588593545831782007-03-12T12:22:00.000-05:002007-03-12T12:23:24.989-05:00

To Save Sinners…Of Who I am Chief? The other afternoon, a friend and I were discussing St. Paul’s words to Timothy, “that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” (I Tim 1.15). He claims that those who will be saved in the end truly believe this about themselves. I am not so sure.I came up with a litmus test for this. Ask people, “Are you a better person then most

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1173101691561375122007-03-05T11:34:00.000-05:002007-03-05T08:34:51.580-05:00

Getting Better?I am growing in my spiritual life. If nothing else, I know this because I desire this growth, and work to cultivate it in my current situation; here, this means going to church daily and studying hard. But at the same time, I seem not to be getting better. I always thought that sins would become somehow more subtle, ‘fancier,’ or at least more interesting as I went on. Suffice

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1172410687953875072007-02-25T11:37:00.000-05:002007-02-25T08:38:07.970-05:00

I Don’t Go To Church, But I’m Very Religious!You all know people like this…the following is an excerpt from Fr. Alexander Schmemann’s book “The Eucharist” p. 144, 146 in the 2003 St. Vladimir’s Press Edition.“Meanwhile, ‘religoius feeling,’ which ino our day again dominates in religion, is so distinct from faith because it lives and is nourished by itself, i.e., through the gratification that it

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1171323249411180372007-02-12T18:33:00.000-05:002007-02-12T18:34:09.426-05:00

Scholarship & Goals I have the next few weeks to decide what the topic for my Master’s thesis will be. Originally, I had planned to answer the question, “What are the sources of tension between the monastery and the parish?” I had hoped to explore the different interpretations of the evangelical calling, comparing “Go ye therefore…” and the parish with “Be ye holy…” and the monastery. There

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1170701979823342102007-02-05T13:59:00.000-05:002007-02-05T13:59:39.843-05:00

A Letter of Encouragement Last night, after finally getting around to doing it, I sent a letter to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York in which I commended one of their priests.A few weeks ago while flying into New York, I noticed a man with a Roman collar board the plane and sit a row ahead of me. Three rows ahead of him was a young man in his mid-20s. The young man stared at the

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1170097070012907082007-01-29T13:57:00.000-05:002007-01-29T13:57:50.030-05:00

School Term has started again, bringing with it all the daily craziness.A regular reader recently asked me why I never post about school (specifically). I assure you, it is not because there is not enough food for thought thrown around this particular ivory tower! Rather, I do not want to post negative, or even questionable/gossip-like information about anyone or anything. I’m a student,

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1169069656571950112007-01-17T16:34:00.000-05:002007-01-17T16:34:16.600-05:00

Why Missions? An essay written for an application…“Go ye therefore…” There aren’t two ways about it. Missions are one of the most basic features of the Church, the importance of which springs both from the divine command and from the catholic nature of the Church. The heart of the Gospel is a call to missions. God himself had one Son, and he was a missionary, coming from heaven to a cave to

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1168302404861609562007-01-08T19:26:00.000-05:002007-01-08T19:26:44.876-05:00

Throwing Water in Church After an all-night vigil on Friday “night” (until 1:15AM on Saturday morning!) for Theophany, we did the Great Blessing of the Waters on Sunday morning after Liturgy. In other words, we threw water all over the church.I must say that I was not the only one laughing with child-like glee as our somber-looking Russian priests proceeded to douse us quite well with copious

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1168228189069219912007-01-07T22:46:00.000-05:002007-01-07T22:49:49.086-05:00

For those of you living in Sonoma County and following the local news, this was a response to the full-page ad in today's paper in which the pastor of the largest local Episcopal Church condemns another local church, St. John's, for breaking communion over issues of homosexuality. The majority of the letter is about the need to accept homosexuals in the Episcopal Church today. A shortened, 200

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1168043903417984152007-01-05T19:38:00.000-05:002007-01-05T19:38:23.453-05:00

I’m baaaaak A two week laptop-less vacation…does it get any better? Saying Goodbye On Saturday night, we danced. First it was square dance, then fancy Greek dance, then random attempts at laughingly spinning across the room. He did some cool moonwalk type stuff. It was funny. Then we hugged goodbye.On Sunday morning at the liturgy, he approached the chalice. “The Novice Euphrosymos receives…

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1166274527875318092006-12-16T08:08:00.000-05:002006-12-16T08:08:47.893-05:00

This n’ That Finals are over! 7 classes, 19 units. Done! Woohoo! Only a week and a few days until Christmas…I’m flying out to California in a few hours, relaxing at my parents house, sleeping, going to church…the life of a student rocks!I have a friend who is beginning to convert. I told him good luck, to pray a lot, and that it is really, really hard. I feel sorry for him: I think I feel

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1165361945063195472006-12-05T18:38:00.000-05:002006-12-05T18:39:05.086-05:00

Icky Sin Have you ever thrown up on yourself (or someone else!) in public? You know, in a nice situation, where you are sitting around, having a nice, normal conversation, and suddenly…! While never having personally shared in this experience, I have been in the presence of others who have. Of course, the person is embarrassed and apologizes most profusely, but no one else really holds it

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1165000916970322132006-12-01T14:21:00.000-05:002006-12-01T14:21:56.993-05:00

Those Who Have Ears…On Monday, I had the privilege of hearing a homily that hit home. Hard.While I probably remember my own reaction to it more then the words of the homily: the idea was that there are those (me, for example), who hear the words of truth and are too proud in her own opinions to allow those words to affect her life.To learn requires humility --- especially if that learning is

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1164592461144477972006-11-26T20:53:00.000-05:002006-11-26T20:54:21.163-05:00

Indian Orthodox: An Experience A number of years back, I was speaking with some Protestant missionaries to India who were at Biola for a conference. When I asked if there was any sort of historical Christian presence in India, they vehemently denied it; when I pressed them about the Malankarites, they claimed they were only a quasi-Christian group with dubious doctrines. Whatever!So, today I

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1163943861136258482006-11-19T08:43:00.000-05:002006-11-19T13:17:24.510-05:00

In One Piece When I was a very little child, the neighbors' dog used to bark. I had pet chickens to whom I was very attached (who the dog occasionally killed), so whenever I heard barking, I would cry, run into my room and put my pillow over my ears. Although I was quite young, I remember this overwhelming feeling of hopeless terror in the back of my throat.Last night, I had another

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1163537061742757422006-11-14T15:43:00.000-05:002006-11-14T15:44:21.756-05:00

Turning in Heresy In editing my dogmatics paper, I realized that I had stumbled into…non-Orthodoxy…while writing it; at least, I flat-out contradicted Orthodox thought in favor of Thomistic thought in a section on the relations between the divine Persons. In fact, I may have even flat out contradicted Christian thought in general with it, although as far as I can tell the arguments are valid.I

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1163080779092413562006-11-09T08:59:00.000-05:002006-11-09T08:59:39.116-05:00

Fasting: The Law An extraordinarily good homily was delivered the other day in chapel by a third-year student, and due to its particularly pointed message, I am able to offer a particularly pointed disagreement.The main point of the homily was that fasting and ascetic exercise will not save us, but that we should give to the poor, help orphans, and do good for our religion to be acceptable to

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1162859575917206502006-11-06T19:32:00.000-05:002006-11-06T19:32:55.936-05:00

Fear of TomorrowAs I debate my future, I find myself running into the same old problem as I have faced in the past: fear.I am interested in PhD programs, in academia, in pursuing the difficult work of theology, but I find my own fear nearly paralyzing. What if I fail? What if I end up with my PhD, but no faith? What if I get too tired of doing it and burn out? What if I don’t get accepted

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1162303110501563772006-10-31T08:57:00.000-05:002006-10-31T08:58:30.523-05:00

Blogger seems to not be working too well recently...sorry for the long pause... A Wound I have a wound --- a very gross and oozing one. In fact, if I leave it untreated, it will kill me. It is rather messy, and it tends to get all over everything. So, every once and a while, I go to the physician and have the messiness cleaned up. But I am a proud person, and the wound is really gross, so

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1161368892944300352006-10-20T13:21:00.000-05:002006-10-20T13:28:12.963-05:00

Conversion…again, and again, and…So, I came into this whole thing with a big misconception. I thought that when I converted to Orthodoxy, that would be the way it would be said: I converted . Come to find out, that’s the wrong tense of the verb. Rather, I am converting .Being here for the last month or so, I have not only realized how not Orthodox I am, but I have also realized how far I

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1160676503702579622006-10-12T13:08:00.000-05:002006-10-12T13:08:23.733-05:00

Frustrations Being a convert can have its good times and bad times. This is sure one of those times it would be nice to have been a ‘cradle.’I don’t get it. Eastern thought is beyond me. I am in a fascinating and dynamic dogmatics class right now. I have the feeling that large quantities of very useful and beneficial information, both spiritual and academic, are being taught in the class…for

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1159967344426968502006-10-04T08:08:00.000-05:002006-10-04T08:09:04.443-05:00

Familiarity Breeds Contempt It is often said around here by some that familiarity breeds contempt. Seminarians, among other things, seem to be known for getting sloppy about church etiquette, not respecting clergy, or generally being stuck-up know-it-alls when it comes to things ‘churchy.’ I mean, we go to church more in a week then half the Orthodox world does in a year, so we get to be

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1159315132138558272006-09-26T18:58:00.000-05:002006-09-26T18:58:52.156-05:00

Theology I graduated from Biola with a lot of units in theology/bible. I got 30 from Torrey of straight ‘Bible,’ not including classes like Trinity, Athanasius, and Thomas Aquinas, which add another 12. Then I had 18 units of theology from Oxford. So, I ended up with about 50 units of Bible/Theology. Funny; I thought I knew what theology was.I think I may be starting to see the breadth and

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1159100555293738602006-09-24T07:22:00.000-05:002006-09-24T07:22:35.323-05:00

OISM I spent the weekend at St. Tikhon’s Monastery/Seminary in Pensylvania at an OISM meeting. Firstly, let me say that St. Tikhon’s is nothing like St. Vladimir’s. That’s not a judgment so much as a clarification for any who might be confused about it.The Orthodox Inner-Seminary Movement is a wonderful idea. There were approximately 25 students from four Orthodox seminaries (St. Herman’s in

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1158407083616478132006-09-16T06:44:00.000-05:002006-09-16T06:44:43.636-05:00

Back to the Basics: How to Venerate Ikons Sometimes, I can get too caught up in hustle and bustle of it all to remember the one thing needful. The other day, I had class all morning (until 1:00), then choir rehearsal in the evening before dinner, then vigil afterwards and liturgy the next day. Basically, I had no time.Thankfully, as I was venerating the ikons at the beginning of vigil, I

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1157764939788084542006-09-08T20:21:00.000-05:002006-09-08T20:22:19.800-05:00

Sproznidkom! Greetings of the Feast!Today is the Nativity of the Mother of God. Joachim and Anna are freed from childlessness. That which is good is able to reproduce and multiply. The Church Year begins and is off with a bang.I too am beginning new things. Yesterday, I began seminary with Church History and Dogmatic Theology. Today, we have the day off (Yay for feasts!), after a

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1157152497603663362006-09-01T18:14:00.000-05:002006-09-01T18:14:57.616-05:00

A Broad Swath, or The Narrow Way In my last post, I spoke of the narrow Way of Christianity being a broad path. But if we are specifically told in Matthew 7:13 that “…broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction…[but]…narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life” How can the path to life be broad? There is one end of salvation and many means. The one end can be the narrow way --- salvation is

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1156872322870085662006-08-29T12:25:00.000-05:002006-08-29T12:25:22.886-05:00

The Way Wherein We Should Walk In his book, The Abolition of Man, C.S. Lewis speaks about a Christianized concept of the Tao. It is the path that good men take, despite their age, era, social status, or other external factors. It is the universal path of ‘what people should do.’In our rather strangely disconnected age, the Tao is often pronounced, but rarely modeled. When I was nine, I ‘

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1156356781896955472006-08-23T13:12:00.000-05:002006-08-23T13:13:01.930-05:00

Pain Coming…Tomorrow I’m going to have my tonsils out…from what everyone keeps telling me, it’s gonna hurt a lot. Did I ever mention that it’s not encouraging to keep telling someone how much something is going to HURT? ;-PSo, if you remember, pray for me.‘Cause I don’t like pain.

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1156128570600759002006-08-20T21:49:00.000-05:002006-08-20T21:49:30.626-05:00

Home, Family, and Friends Every time I come home, I realize all over again: I love it here! No, not my parents house (!), but the area in which I live. Trees, sky, birds, QUIET, coolness, fog…Sonoma County is the best in the world.I got to go to church today, sing in the choir, live in the liturgy (with 6 priests!), receive the Eucharist, and generally relax “at home.” When I go away, I am

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1155352672724421212006-08-11T22:17:00.000-05:002006-08-12T10:28:55.326-05:00

Syllabic Translations While I understand that the title of this article is…less then interesting, the topic is in fact one that probably deserves more attention then it has been receiving. For example, here are three translations of the Kontakion of the Akathist, perhaps one of the best-known hymns outside of the Pentecostarion:Unto you, O Theotokos, invincible Champion, your City, in

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1155099007410659742006-08-08T23:50:00.000-05:002006-08-09T17:45:46.676-05:00

G-rated Bible? This morning after liturgy, I was talking with Fr. J about various events in the Bible. He was mentioning some of the hymnography at vespers the other night for the Righteous Judith and how disgusting it was. I mean, she does walk back into camp with the enemy kings decapitated head in her hand! (Quick: what’s the story of Judith?)But, how clean is the Bible? Not very. There

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1154654471505853222006-08-03T20:21:00.000-05:002006-08-03T20:21:11.516-05:00

An Irony As is obvious, the frequency of posts is inversely proportional to my homework load. Sorry for the lull! Although I have at many points been told to stop being ironic and start being real, I must point out at least one irony that struck me today as I trepidatiously look forward to seminary. At Biola, and even more so at UCLA, I am able to carry my chokti in my hand and ‘play’ with it

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1153959505811997062006-07-26T19:18:00.000-05:002006-07-26T19:18:25.830-05:00

Aging Gracefully There is an older man, J, at the church where I have been attending. Now, he is not that “old” in years, but he has aged well. Even though I have only known him briefly, he has that kind of ambience which one acquires when one has habitually practiced good and fled from evil. Although I do not know how long he has been a Christian, I would suspect that it has been many years

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1153791787956579712006-07-24T20:43:00.000-05:002006-07-24T20:43:07.976-05:00

Yawwwn! In these last few weeks at UCLA, I have discovered something wonderful. Morning Liturgies. I can get to them, and back to school all before class starts. I really feel like I have accomplished a lot before 8:30 in the morning. Half the class is just waking up, but I’ve already gotten myself to and from church (on the bus, no less!) and have spent at least part of the day in prayer.

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1153443728022706802006-07-20T20:01:00.000-05:002006-07-20T20:02:08.040-05:00

Lord, Have Mercy! Last Sunday, H.G. Bishop JOSEPH asked us to pray specifically for the suffering people in Lebanon. Being as a-political as I am, I viewed this not as a request to pray for a specific political goal, but rather for the innocent people whose lives are endangered and futures uncertain due to the political upheaval of the region.So, the other day, while praying the Supplicatory

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1152821547831518792006-07-13T15:12:00.000-05:002006-07-13T15:12:27.843-05:00

Insensibility: Words from a Saint So, I sin. Then I go to confession. Then the priest absolves me. Then I sin. Then I go to confession. Then…It seems like a never-ending cycle. How do we break this habit of sin? Sometimes I swear, I can make my weekly confession lists and say them the week before. “So, yeah, Father, I’m gonna do this, that, and the other thing. Oh, and I’ll also do this

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1152308663714298772006-07-07T16:44:00.000-05:002006-07-07T16:44:23.726-05:00

A Gut Reaction With all of the theological thinking I do, it’s nice to be reassured that my “gut reactions” are still valid.The other day, as I was riding the bus across campus, sitting in the front “disabled” seats with my crutches upright beside me, an old woman flagged down the bus. The driver opened the doors, and s l o w l y an old, probably homeless, woman approached the bus. She

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1151528579649650822006-06-28T16:02:00.000-05:002006-06-28T16:03:38.296-05:00

Caring in LA As James pointed out today, people should care about their local communities. Yesterday, on my second day of class as a new student at UCLA, I encountered someone who cared.As one walks toward the UCLA medical center, there is a small brick boarder that rises above the walkway a scant two inches. As I was walking back from purchasing a week’s worth of groceries on my second day

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1151030768228740312006-06-22T21:45:00.000-05:002006-06-22T21:46:08.240-05:00

“…You’ll end up having more…” “Love is something if you give it away,Give it away, give it away,Love is something if you give it away,You end up having more.”The other day after vespers, I found myself with some extra time alone in church: I had nothing else to do, and I was relatively sure that everyone who might otherwise wander in was at the parish council meeting next door. So, I decided to

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1150672219783594952006-06-18T18:09:00.000-05:002006-06-18T18:10:19.806-05:00

PECUSA Other then pray, what do we do? In case you haven't heard the news...

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1150424517099122692006-06-15T21:21:00.000-05:002006-06-15T21:21:57.110-05:00

Death To The World…Again Technically, my SF is a hieromonk; he is a monk who is ordained as a priest. The other day, however, as I drove up to his monastery to ‘hang out,’ I was surprised to see a baptism service just beginning. Of course, I joined in the singing of the beautiful service, but somehow, it felt out of place.In an article I wrote while in Oxford, I pointed out what I believe to

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1150070759238927292006-06-11T19:05:00.000-05:002006-06-11T19:05:59.250-05:00

Too Smart For My Own Stupid Good Sometimes, random people ask me random theology questions. The other day, a co-worker, knowing I am a theology student, asked me if I believed in the Biblical account of creation. I hesitated, specifically not saying what was on the tip of my tongue: “Do you mean a literal six-day thingy that happened around 6000 years ago?” The asker was a self-proclaimed

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1149648468837753512006-06-06T21:47:00.000-05:002006-06-06T21:47:48.846-05:00

Complaining I find myself with no time this summer for anything: I barely make it too church! Between work (8 hours/day), the bus (4 hours/day), and the time it takes me to eat and get ready for work the next day, I find myself with about 30 minutes of time each day……the majority of which I spend forcing myself not to complain.I’ll post more when I have the time…

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Commencing [Mostly an entry for you fellow chums!] To commence something means to begin it. A few hours ago, I began.Even as I type this, I am wearing the ring. The words, “Bonvm Veritas Pvlcher” stand out whiter then even the white silver that surrounds them. Finally, we knelt, were hit with the Bible, and rose to end it all with a rousing chorus of “Gaudeamus Igitur.” I have waited four

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1148224324453998542006-05-21T10:11:00.000-05:002006-05-21T10:12:04.466-05:00

Unworthy In all those technical senses, I’m prepared to receive the Eucharist. I’ve done A,B, and C, and so I should receive today, right? But I don’t feel ‘ready.’It’s finals week, I’m graduating in 6 days (!!), and my mind is in two thousand different places. God and the state of my soul are, unfortunately, not the first on this list. I am not stressed (that has negative connotations), but

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1147458803321166482006-05-12T13:32:00.000-05:002006-05-12T13:33:23.333-05:00

An Orthodox Missiology We’ve all met Evangelicals who try to hand us tracts and ask us if we are ‘born again.’ Or we’ve answered the door to that friendly pair of young Mormon ‘elders’ who try to tell us about Moroni and becoming your own god. But what does evangelism look like for the Orthodox? What do (or should) we do?Recently, I have seen a spate of articles dealing with the subject of

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Praying Hard We all have our prayer lists: there are certain people for whom we pray every day. However, if you are like me, you are constantly fighting the urge to just repeat mindlessly the names from off of the list. But, then there are those times when you really want to pray especially for a specific person, be it a praise or a petition. How do you “pray hard” for someone?Here’s an

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1146709109266924552006-05-03T21:18:00.000-05:002006-05-03T21:18:29.276-05:00

On Not Cheating I had a math test today. I didn’t cheat on it. But I might as well have.This post could have alternatively be titled, “I Owe My Guardian Angel.” So, I had a major math test today. Most of the test involved memorizing and utilizing long and complex formulas (the class is “Advanced Statistics”); it was not testing knowledge of math so much as memorization of methods. Yours

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1146523386834690562006-05-01T17:42:00.000-05:002006-05-01T17:43:06.843-05:00

Food For Thought…I distinctly remember 4 years ago, doing Freshman Initiatives with my Torrey group. All 16 of us Wesleyans were sitting on the concrete in front of the chapel, and they had just handed us fairly simple instructions for a card game. I was smart, right? I mean, after all, I had just aced my first year of a college honors program. The instructions for the game were simple and

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1145978560372620612006-04-25T10:22:00.000-05:002006-04-25T10:22:40.383-05:00

Chrismation: The Holy Spirit Christ is risen!While I had thought a whole lot about the theology and implications of baptism before I was baptized, I had forgotten to think about the second, often overlooked mystery of chrismation.Chrismation is the reception of the Holy Spirit. It is the fulfillment of St. Paul’s promise that we as believers are temples of the Holy Spirit (I Cor 6:19). It is

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1145293138073436492006-04-17T11:58:00.000-05:002006-04-17T11:58:58.083-05:00

Baptism I got baptized on Saturday, chrismated, and received the Eucharist for the first time.In lieu of the many things I could say and will say in the future, I will encourage those who will soon be ending their own catechumenates with this: It’s more then worth it.Have a blessed Holy Week!

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1144768220432501982006-04-11T10:10:00.000-05:002006-04-11T10:10:20.443-05:00

I Don’t Care…And You Can’t Make MeThese last few weeks of Lent, I have been going to Confession (or whatever one calls it for a catechumen who isn’t receiving absolution). I remember my life confession: I was nervous and it was hard! Now, however, I have the opposite problem: confession is too easy. In short, I don’t care, and you can’t make me.Most of you know me, and most of you know that I

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1144686579215874152006-04-10T11:29:00.000-05:002006-04-10T11:29:39.233-05:00

The Countdown Begins…I am getting baptized in 5 days.Perhaps if I keep saying it to myself, it will sink in. Every time I do think about it, however, I feel as if I have an intravenous line of caffeine going straight into my brain. It’s a little like sticking your tongue into an electrical outlet. Or jumping into Lake Tahoe in the winter.Seriously, though, I am having the worst time focusing

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1144431045432353742006-04-07T12:30:00.000-05:002006-04-07T12:30:45.446-05:00

Fighting Like Christians I don’t know how many of you are following the current issues in the OCA. For those of you who aren’t, this may not make sense. For those of you who wish to decimate me for my thus-expressed political loyalites, please don’t. For those of you who are aware of the OCA/DOW current exchanges, I ask you to consider the following: While there are some who are watching

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1144029134192754042006-04-02T20:51:00.000-05:002006-04-02T20:52:14.206-05:00

St. Vladimir’s: A Visitor’s Candid Report I just got back from four days at St. Vladimir’s Seminary in New York, touring it as a potential graduate school. It is one of two schools to which I have been accepted, the other one being Catholic University of America. The following report is based on my impressions of the school; I know it is judgmental, but I feel as though this is

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1143763116629981472006-03-30T18:58:00.000-05:002006-03-30T18:58:36.640-05:00

Far, far away…As I type this, I am sitting in the women’s dorm at St. Vladimir’s. Regular posting will resume when I return…

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The KING and his FOUR WIVES Forward from a friend Once upon a time there was a rich King who had four wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to the finest of delicacies. He gave her nothing but the best.He also loved the 3rd wife very much and was always showing her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would leave him

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1142306315783364592006-03-13T22:18:00.000-05:002006-03-13T22:18:35.796-05:00

Seminary, here I come…I just got accepted to St. Vladimir’s! Woohoo!I’m visiting in two weeks. Anything I should watch out for?

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Prayer Appreciated I am in the process of telling my parents about my upcoming baptism. It is and will yet be a difficult and emotional process for both sides. My mom feels as if I am rejecting that in which I was raised. For my dad, all discussion of religion is painful and difficult. I have dreaded this discussion for years. Don’t leave comments with trite and canned answers; please, they

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1142012914037585552006-03-10T12:46:00.000-05:002006-03-10T12:48:34.050-05:00

The following is a letter I wrote to the editor of my school newspaper. It will probably not be printed in its fullness, but since I know many of you are Biolans, I encourage you to read the article in this week's paper as well as my response. Dear Sirs:I was insulted and disgusted by your recent article entitled, “Few Biolans celebrate season of Advent.” Aside from the obvious informational

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1141495252459215822006-03-04T13:00:00.000-05:002006-03-04T13:00:52.473-05:00

For I Knew and I Understood What I Did This week, on Wednesday, we will hear in the fifth canticle of the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete this poignant line: “When I examine my actions, O Savior, I see that I have gone beyond all men in sin; for I knew and understood what I did; I was not sinning in ignorance.”This is the painful and amazing part of Lent. How many times have I said to myself, “I

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Ki (Chi) I am taking a karate class this term taught by a good, practicing Anglo-Catholic. It is a fun class: hitting people is fun, being hit is fun, and wearing a gi is fun(ny). Now, given that I go to Biola (where Biblical and Protestant Christian truth really does rule the day) and that I know my teacher is pious, I generally trust that what we are taught accords with a Christian worldview

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1141063659881492582006-02-27T13:07:00.000-05:002006-02-27T13:07:39.893-05:00

All Good Things Must Come to an End…All argument and stupid jurisdictional stuff aside…all good things must come to an end. Like, for example, my catechumenate. In other words… ::: I’m getting baptized!!!:::Woohoo! Lazarus Saturday at St. Seraphim. That means this Lent is going to be killer, especially since I can’t make it to Pre-Sanctified Liturgies. But I’m getting baptized! After four

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The Western Rite Please, don’t beat me up if you disagree, and forgive me if I offend you! Yesterday at the club fair, I discovered that one of the students whom I had always thought was Roman Catholic (he prays the rosary, responds when I ask “How was Mass?” and other hints of the type) was actually Western Rite Orthodox.The Western Rite Church is the closest Orthodox church to Biola. No, I

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1139865273185390932006-02-13T16:14:00.000-05:002006-02-13T16:14:33.200-05:00

Judgment and the Rules of Church Yesterday, I attended a friend’s church, a nameless Orthodox church in the greater Los Angeles area. It being the Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican, I found my own judgmentalness ironic at first, but later it devolved into a more straightforward questioning of practice.At first, I kept running into the pews every time I tried to do anything. And I was the

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1139608878599277772006-02-10T17:01:00.000-05:002006-02-12T17:09:04.066-05:00

The Best Prayer Book: AN ADVERTISEMENT Last December, when I went home for Christmas and left most of my liturgical library in my dorm, I was unsure of what I would do for prayers without my wonderful and useful texts. I took to chanting daily vespers a while ago, both because it was an excuse to get good at chanting the tones, and because the variation kept me from getting bored with the texts

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1139022650404213122006-02-03T22:10:00.000-05:002006-02-03T22:10:50.416-05:00

SDAs and the Resurrection My roommate (who will only be my roommate for a few more days) and I speak about religious things quite frequently. We are both converts: she from Pentecostalism to Seventh Day Adventism, myself from Protestantism to Orthodoxy. So, we are both probably overly legalistic and irritating to others. Heck, but we get along great with each other!Anyway, I mentioned that

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1138640929041046572006-01-30T12:08:00.000-05:002006-01-30T12:08:49.053-05:00

Being Special: A brief review of a tour to Las Vegas This last week, I have been on a tour with the brass ensemble from Biola. We went to multiple locations, including (most interestingly), Las Vegas. I had a hard enough time burning 3 free hours there…Let’s summarize my Las Vegas experience this way: if I ever willing go to the strip again, I have given multiple people permission to put me

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1137819833869535292006-01-21T00:03:00.000-05:002006-01-21T00:03:53.880-05:00

Convert(ing) “Of Thy mystic supper, O Son of God, accept me today as a communicant, for I will not speak of Thy mysteries to Thine enemies. Neither like Judas will I give Thee a kiss, but like the thief will I confess Thee, “Remember me, O Lord, in Thy kingdom.”We say this prayer frequently enough, both at the end of the preparatory prayers for communion and the priest says it immediately

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1137384010425356322006-01-15T23:00:00.000-05:002006-01-15T23:00:10.436-05:00

Feeling Paganistic…Tomorrow, at around 4:30AM, I will drive myself to Los Angeles to return to school. It is the first time I will have driven the 9-hour trip all by myself, with no one else in the car. Needless to say, I am slightly nervous. As I was telling a friend, she smiled and said, “You should pray to St. Nicholas.”Firstly, let me say that I will pray to St. Nicholas, no matter what

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1137101745912496162006-01-12T16:35:00.000-05:002006-01-12T16:35:45.923-05:00

Praying for ME Being somewhat of a slacker (and having a relatively hard time keeping my prayer rule while at home), I had put aside the list of names of people for whom I pray on a daily basis. I figure I don’t have time, and hey, I need to pray for number one, right?That’s the sad part. I want to pray for me and only for me. My logical brain says that I should pray for other people and not

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1136394174546866162006-01-04T12:02:00.000-05:002006-01-04T12:02:54.556-05:00

To Teach the Heart and Spirit There are (at least) to parts to man: his mind and his heart. One of Fr. Jonah’s themes this last week was on the difference between belief and faith.Belief is what we know. It is an intellectual exercise. Personally, I cannot think of any of tenants of Orthodoxy that I still doubt in any major way. While I may have objections or questions (often harshly stated)

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1136249091136834182006-01-02T19:44:00.001-05:002006-01-02T19:44:51.136-05:00

Church: In Or Out Liturgy was on Thursday. There were about 5 people who had been in the choir, and I was one of them. With a choir of 5, every voice is important. The choir had all been there last year and we knew each other; we would just go around singing with each other, whether in service or out of it. So, after vespers on Thursday, I approach Fr. Jonah and ask for a blessing to stay

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1136249064069443712006-01-02T19:44:00.000-05:002006-01-02T19:44:24.083-05:00

OCF: West Coast College Conference If you are college age, and have not been to an OCF conference, you do not know what you are missing! This year, we were up at St. Nicholas Ranch in Dunlap, CA, right next to the Monastery of the Life Giving Spring of the Theotokos.We have awesome speakers. Fr. Jonah from St. John of San Francisco in Pt. Reyes was the key note speaker, delivering three

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1136157732481677462006-01-01T18:21:00.000-05:002006-01-01T18:22:12.496-05:00

Righteous Joseph I was unable to post this when I wrote it, so…Joseph spoke thus to the Virgin, ‘Mary, what is this doing that I see in you? I am at a loss and am amazed, and my mind is struck with dismay. Go quickly from me then and secretly. Mary, what is this doing that I see in you? Instead of honour, you have brought me shame; instead of gladness, sorrow; instead of praise, reproof. No

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1135015213837284832005-12-19T13:00:00.000-05:002005-12-19T13:01:04.780-05:00

Orthodox Pop Music Last Friday, James posted that he would like to see more good Orthodox modern music. With all due respect to those bloggers whose hit count outdoes me by a mile, I respectfully and strongly disagree.[::steps on soapbox::]To be blunt, most music that is produced is poor. I am not saying that there are not good songs, but (by definition), most music is just average. In one

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Vulnerability This semester has been killer. I don’t think I can remember the last time I worked that hard. It is over now, but it was long and hard. During the hard times, I survived mostly on the prayers of others; I should not have been able to accomplish all that I did. For the first time in a long time, I had to trust God in all things.This term has been a time of incredible

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1134270259908793682005-12-10T22:04:00.000-05:002005-12-10T22:04:19.920-05:00

Humble People I know posts have been spotty/bad recently; I’ll get back to a better schedule as soon as these last two crazy weeks of finals are over! I am very blessed to have truly humble people as examples in my life. They never talk about humility, but they live it in such clear ways that it humbles even me.Not being particularly humble myself (as my friends will attest!), I am never sure

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1133584261934181012005-12-02T23:30:00.000-05:002005-12-02T23:31:01.943-05:00

Prayer for a Friend I know there are those out there who pray well, and I am asking for your prayers.The father of two of my good friends here at Biola is dying of cancer; his name is Larry. He is a missionary-translator who works among the Mayo in Mexico, and he has 7 kids, of which my two friends are the eldest. They removed a tumor from his gallbladder two days ago, and discovered the

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1133225521985573222005-11-28T19:51:00.000-05:002005-11-28T19:52:01.996-05:00

Politics and Faith Contra many of the blogs I see around the web, I specifically don’t post political statements, articles, reviews, or opinions. This is mostly because I don’t a political agenda, but it is also because I am unsure of the role it should play in the life of a Christian.At Biola, many of my Protestant brethren confuse politics and religion, much to the detriment of their faith.

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1132621771827022792005-11-21T20:09:00.000-05:002005-11-21T20:09:31.836-05:00

St. John of the Cross and Spiritual Pride Since most of you who read this blog are chums, you must go and listen to the John Coe CL on St. John of the Cross. If you have ever became a Christian, wanted to be a Christian, or thought you were a good/bad Christian, you should listen to this.I think I’ve solved the major problem of converts. Or at least of this convert. If nothing else, I have

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1131941264687840422005-11-13T23:07:00.000-05:002005-11-13T23:07:44.700-05:00

Moslems and ChristiansThis week at Biola, we are having Moslem Awareness Week. It started tonight with one of the most fun ways of getting ‘chapel credit’ Biola has to offer: an interactive simulation where students walk through a series of rooms that resemble different Moslem countries and get a sample of daily life in each. Now, given that we have about 10 minutes in each country, it is not

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1131643550198540152005-11-10T12:25:00.000-05:002005-11-10T12:25:50.210-05:00

Maximos, Mysticism, and Monophysites Last week, I heard an awesome lecture on Maximos the Confessor’s Mystical Theology.It got me thinking about the relationship of information between mystical reflection and dogmatic theology. From what I understand, Maximos would argue that because he is able to remain fully himself (with a human nature) in his mystical experiences, and yet still be fully

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1131219095799773212005-11-05T14:31:00.000-05:002005-11-05T14:31:35.813-05:00

Go Read the Bible For the first time in a long time, I sat down this morning and rediscovered a habit I should have never forgotten: reading through an entire epistle in the Bible.While I admit that I did it for an assignment, I discovered again the beautiful Orthodoxy that emerges when we don’t take the Biblical books in little chunks and out-of-context ‘proof texts,’ but rather read an epistle

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1130632877497256162005-10-29T19:41:00.000-05:002005-10-29T19:42:46.240-05:00

Protestant, Just Like MeToday as I was preparing to go to an Antiochian college group meeting (St. John the Divine), I was brainstorming some intelligent questions I could pose to the group. Despite attending an Antiochian church, I very much consider myself OCA, and would have attended the meeting as such. Of course, the issue I would have then wanted to discuss would be jurisdictional

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1130111343380142322005-10-23T18:48:00.000-05:002005-10-23T18:49:03.386-05:00

Goods, Greater and Lesser I have a [completely hypothetical and fictitious!] friend, Sam. He is a marginal Catholic/Protestant, and goes to church a few times a year. From his neglect of it, he has a rather weak soul; one day, out of curiosity, he comes up to me [an obnoxiously zealous new convert] and says, “I hear you’re Orthodox. Can you tell me about it?” We talk over dinner, and he says

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1129513265208917682005-10-16T20:37:00.000-05:002005-10-16T20:41:05.213-05:00

I'm not that weird...Go take the belief.net quiz on "What's Your Faith?" At least this time I'm not Orthodox Jewish (I think I was last time on one of their tests!)1. Eastern Orthodox (100%) 2. Roman Catholic (100%) 3. Seventh Day Adventist (93%) 4. Orthodox Quaker (89%) 5. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (84%) 6. Hinduism (79%) 7. Mainline to Liberal Christian

Seraphimanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5262062.post-1129512149243215232005-10-16T20:22:00.000-05:002005-10-16T20:22:29.250-05:00

Through the Prayers of…One of the more frequent phrases we hear in the Church during any given service, especially if celebrated without a priest, is “Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us! Amen.”I have heard various interpretations of what this means, and who should use it. I was told by a monk that it is to be said only at monasteries, and it

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