We invariably show a craving for paying honors to the deceased relatives and friends. After all, it is so important to pay tribute to them and respect them. This helps to keep the connection between generations and is prerequisite spiritual life. Very little is required of us - to know when these days will be celebrated, only in this case we can adequately prepare for their holding.
What is Radonitsa?
Called Radonitsa or sometimes Radunitsa, this day is one of the special holidays set aside by the church to honor the dead. Such special days (there are 8 of them in a year) are celebrated on Saturdays, hence their name - "parental Saturdays".
However, Radonitsa stands apart in a series of these memorable days, since for the most part it almost always falls on Tuesday. The peculiarity of this most important parental day of the year is not only that it is celebrated on Tuesday, but also that it is in the first place among all memorial days in its importance.
There is no fixed date for Radonitsa, every year the time of this day changes depending on when Easter is celebrated. It is only necessary to count 9 days from the Bright Sunday of Christ and we will get the actual exact date of Radonitsa. That is, in other words, this is the first Tuesday after Krasnaya Gorka (Fomin Sunday). Thus, the date of parental day in 2017 falls on April 25th.
memorial days
In order to be able to honor the memory of the deceased relatives and friends in time, taking care of their souls by reading prayers and visiting the cemetery in order to maintain order at the graves, it is simply necessary to know the exact days of commemoration. Orthodox parental days in 2017 fall on the following dates: 
Now, knowing the parental days of visiting the cemetery in 2017, you will be able to competently prepare and arrange a memorial ceremony worthy of your deceased relatives and friends.
Origins and meaning of Radonitsa
According to many scientists and biblical figures, including John Chrysostom, the history of Radonitsa goes back to ancient times. Even in pagan times, it was a great feast of remembrance of the dead, held on a large scale. People, gathering on grave mounds, arranged a trizna (memorial feast) and noisy festivities, trying to appease the souls of the deceased. This holiday is so deeply rooted in the people's minds that the official church, after a long time, recognized this day, raising it to a special rank.
The meaning of this holiday is hidden in its name, which different Slavic peoples may sound different. These are Radovnitsa (some regions of Russia), and Graves, and Grobki (Ukraine), and Navi Day (Belarus).
The joy of resurrection on special days
However, in any case, "Radonitsa" in its origin is equated with the word "joy" and the concept of "kindred". What kind of joy can we talk about on such a mournful day? The Church explains: when visiting the temple and the graves of our ancestors on Radonitsa, we should not fall into despondency and longing, but rejoice for loved ones who have come before the face of the Lord. They are now close to God and their souls rejoice, being in love and happiness.
So, why shouldn't we, their descendants, rejoice for them by offering prayers? Putting the grave in order, we also perform some ritual action, symbolically meaning preparation for the resurrection of the soul.
The main thing that we must and can do on this day for deceased relatives is to devote sufficient time to prayers. If it is not possible to invite a priest to the grave in order to read the litia (funeral prayer service), then you can do it yourself. It is prayers that our relatives and friends need, and not excessive eating and drinking alcohol. This is what the Church teaches, and this must be done according to conscience and the dictates of the heart. 
Procedure and basic rules
In the morning on any parental day, the Orthodox go to church, taking with them a Lenten lunch, which is donated either to the church or to poor people who are in dire need of help. Having defended the funeral service, they usually go to cemeteries, where they also read prayers, clean up. Still very strong are such traditions as commemoration with food and drink right on the graves. Traditionally, this can be understood, but the church is against such actions. In principle, everyone acts according to their own ideas, but still it is not a charitable thing to arrange a drunken feast on the graves.
Radonitsa in Russia
By the way, in Russia, on Radonitsa, towels and tablecloths were spread directly on the grave hill, and, having laid out plentiful food, they were given a meal by the whole family. They ate and drank so much that sometimes they immediately fell asleep. The list of obligatory dishes included dyed yellow or green color eggs, dry pies according to a special recipe, pancakes, porridge.
Before the feast began, the head of the family rolled eggs over the grave and then buried one of them in the ground, as if allowing the deceased to join the Easter meal. Be sure to pour a glass of vodka on the grave, which is also not welcomed by the modern church. After dinner, to which the beggars were necessarily invited and treated, they remained at the cemetery for a short time, peacefully spending time in conversations, and only then they went home. In the evening, young people organized festivities with songs, dances and merry amusements.
Signs and beliefs for parent's day
among the people great importance attached importance to the weather that fell on Radunitsa. Especially looking forward to rain.
- It was believed that the rain on this day had a special power - to preserve and prolong youth and health, beauty, prosperity, happiness. Small children sang special songs calling for rain. In the event that it really rained, they washed themselves with its water, exposing their faces to the downpour. And the girls did it in a special way, skipping rain water through a gold or silver ring to be beautiful and happy.
- The rain foreshadowed a year rich in harvest.
- It was strictly forbidden to plant or sow anything - this led to the fact that it was possible to lose the entire crop.
- If on Radonitsa stood warm weather, said "parents breathed warmly."
Now we can take a different look at the meaning that this feast of commemoration has. And showing correct example to our children, we can hope that this tradition will continue to be passed on, uniting the representatives of the family into a single whole.
Parental Saturdays - days special commemoration deceased.
These days, at the Liturgy, prayers are read for the dead Orthodox Christians, funeral services are performed. Since almost all such days are associated with the Easter celebration calendar, the dates parental days change from year to year.
Parental Saturdays in 2019
9 days of special remembrance for the dead in 2019:
Universal Parent Saturdays
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Parental Saturdays are days of special commemoration of the departed. brief information about parent Saturdays 2019. The material can be printed in A3 and A4 format and used as a parish sheet, manual for the lessons of the defense industry.
These days the Church prayerfully commemorates all the dead Christians. A special, ecumenical memorial service is served in the temple.
1. Meatfare Saturday - March 2
A week before Lent, on Saturday before. On the day preceding the remembrance of the Last Judgment, Christians pray to the Righteous Judge to show His mercy to all the departed Christians.
2. Trinity Saturday - Saturday before the feast of the Holy Trinity - June 15
With God, everyone is alive. In the Church, we feel connected to all the dead Christians. Pentecost is the birthday of the Church. On the eve of this day, the Church prays for Christians who have crossed the threshold of earthly life.
Parental Saturdays of Great Lent
"Parental" Saturdays began to be called, because Christians prayerfully commemorated, first of all, their deceased parents. These days in the temple, after the Liturgy, a special funeral service is performed - a memorial service.
Throughout Great Lent, there are very few days when it is possible to celebrate the full Liturgy, and hence the main church prayer for the departed. In order not to deprive the dead of prayer intercession during this period, the Church established three special day to pray for them.
2nd week of Lent - March 23
3rd week of Great Lent - March 30
The 4th week of Great Lent is canceled in 2019, as it falls on April 6, the eve of the Feast of the Annunciation.
Private parenting days
These days of commemoration of the dead exist in liturgical practice only in Russian Orthodox Church.
1. Commemoration day for all those who died during the Great Patriotic War - May 9
After the liturgy, a thanksgiving service is performed for the gift of victory and a funeral litia.
2. Radonitsa - 9th day after Easter, Tuesday of St. Thomas' week - May 7
From that day on, the Charter of the Church again, after a long break for great post and Easter days, allows the church-wide commemoration of the dead.
3. Day of Remembrance of Orthodox soldiers, for the Faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland on the battlefield of those killed - September 11
The commemoration was established by decree of Catherine II during the Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774). In modern liturgical practice, it is often omitted.
4. Dimitrievskaya parental Saturday - November 2.
On the Saturday preceding the day of memory of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica (November 8). Installed by the right-believing prince Dmitry Donskoy after returning to Moscow from the battle on the Kulikovo field (1380).
Parental Saturdays are the time at which liturgies are served in all churches and temples, commemorating the departed. For such holidays, the Orthodox write notes with the names of their deceased relatives, so that the priests would mention them during the service.
Also on these days it is customary to visit cemeteries to pay tribute to the memory of their loved ones.
In addition to the usual ones, there are also Universal Parental Saturdays. At this time, all the dead are commemorated, including the missing, not buried properly, as well as the saints who died for the Orthodox faith.
Parental Saturdays in 2017
February 18 - Ecumenical meat-and-fat parental Saturday. It is so named because of the ban on the use of meat products. The holiday begins 7 days before the start of Lent before Easter. The people called Saturday the Small Maslenitsa, because it takes place a week before Maslenitsa. On this day, all Orthodox believers serve a memorial service for all the dead since the creation of the world. According to tradition, a special dish is prepared - kutya. It is a porridge with nuts, candied fruits or dried fruits, smeared with honey. The special meaning of this dish is that the grain, in order to give bread, must first decay, and then be reborn. Similarly, the human body must be interred in the earth so that the immortal soul can continue its journey in the Kingdom of Heaven. On this day, they visit the church, illuminate the kutya, and going to the cemetery is undesirable. In a temple or at home, it is worth praying for all the dead to help them ascend to the Lord:"Lord Jesus! Your servants pray to you for the repose of all those who have died now and who live in the Kingdom of Heaven. Rest the souls of the unburied, and grant them eternal rest under Your gaze. From the beginning of the created world to this day. We pray for everyone, for everyone who has died on earth and in water, in air and fire. Amen".
11th of March- parental Saturday of the second week (or second week) of Great Lent. 18th of March- parental Saturday of the third week (or third week) of Great Lent.
March, 25- Parental Saturday of the fourth week (or week) of Lent. During Lent, the Orthodox continue to pray for the souls of their dead relatives, visit the cemetery, where they also ask the Lord to have mercy on all the dead. During the fasting period, if parental Saturdays do not fall on significant church holidays, services are short. The Church has established 3 days of prayer, corresponding to each parental Saturday. Orthodox carry notes with the names of everyone they want to remember, and also bring food to the canon. This is an ancient tradition of commemorating the dead through the offered treat.
25th of April- Radonitsa. The name comes from the word "rejoice", because Holy holiday Easter continues. This day falls on a Tuesday, and after a memorial service and Easter hymns, Orthodox Christians visit the graves of their deceased relatives to commemorate the memory and pray for their souls:
“Our Lord Almighty. We believe in You and hope for the Kingdom of Heaven. Take to yourself the souls of our relatives (names), and guide us on the true path, and deliver us from the evil one, unclean thoughts, malice and grief inappropriate. Let us rejoice together, so that the souls of our loved ones ascend to You. Amen".
May 9 there is a commemoration of all the deceased warriors. This great day is celebrated all over the country. Noting main holiday Victory in the Great Patriotic War, all Orthodox Christians pray for the souls of the defenders who fell in battle. The liturgy also mentions all military personnel who gave their lives for the human race, for its prosperity and well-being.
June 3- Trinity parental Saturday. It is celebrated on the eve of the fast, just like the meat-packing one. On this day, a memorial service (night vigil) takes place, where they pray for the souls of all the departed Orthodox Christians since the creation of the world. The great martyrs are mentioned, who accepted death from unbelievers, without departing from their faith in Jesus Christ. This day also precedes the feast of the Trinity, or, as it is also called, Pentecost.
28 of October- Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday. The holiday is named in honor of Demetrius of Thessalonica, the holy great martyr. This day was originally reserved for the commemoration of the deceased soldiers who fought at the Battle of Kulikovo. Now Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday is the day of commemoration of all the dead Orthodox Christians.
Everyone Orthodox Christian sacredly honors church holidays and spends time in prayers. They open the soul to the Lord, purify the mind and help to embark on the righteous path. Words that come from the heart always resonate in Heaven, so the place for prayer words does not play a huge role. You can also pray at home in front of holy images, by candlelight, or simply at a moment of weakness and doubt.
February 18 - Ecumenical meat-and-fat parental Saturday. It is so named because of the ban on the use of meat products. The holiday begins 7 days before the start of Lent before Easter. The people called Saturday the Small Maslenitsa, because it takes place a week before Maslenitsa. On this day, all Orthodox believers serve a memorial service for all the dead since the creation of the world. According to tradition, a special dish is prepared - kutya. It is a porridge with nuts, candied fruits or dried fruits, smeared with honey. The special meaning of this dish is that the grain, in order to give bread, must first decay, and then be reborn. Similarly, the human body must be interred in the earth so that the immortal soul can continue its journey in the Kingdom of Heaven. On this day, they visit the church, illuminate the kutya, and going to the cemetery is undesirable. In a temple or at home, it is worth praying for all the dead to help them ascend to the Lord:
"Lord Jesus! Your servants pray to you for the repose of all those who have died now and who live in the Kingdom of Heaven. Rest the souls of the unburied, and grant them eternal rest under Your gaze. From the beginning of the created world to this day. We pray for everyone, for everyone who has died on earth and in water, in air and fire. Amen".
March 25 is the parental Saturday of the fourth week (or week) of Lent. During Lent, the Orthodox continue to pray for the souls of their dead relatives, visit the cemetery, where they also ask the Lord to have mercy on all the dead. During Lent, if parental Saturdays do not fall on significant church holidays, services are short. The Church has established 3 days of prayer, corresponding to each parental Saturday. Orthodox carry notes with the names of everyone they want to remember, and also bring food to the canon. This is an ancient tradition of commemorating the dead through the offered treat.
April 25 - Radonitsa. The name comes from the word "rejoice", because the bright holiday of Easter continues. This day falls on a Tuesday, and after a memorial service and Easter hymns, Orthodox Christians visit the graves of their deceased relatives to commemorate the memory and pray for their souls:
“Our Lord Almighty. We believe in You and hope for the Kingdom of Heaven. Take to yourself the souls of our relatives (names), and guide us on the true path, and deliver us from the evil one, unclean thoughts, malice and grief inappropriate. Let us rejoice together, so that the souls of our loved ones ascend to You. Amen".
On May 9, all the dead warriors are commemorated. This great day is celebrated all over the country. Celebrating the main holiday of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, all Orthodox Christians pray for the souls of the defenders who fell in battle. The liturgy also mentions all military personnel who gave their lives for the human race, for its prosperity and well-being.
June 3 - Trinity parental Saturday. It is celebrated on the eve of the fast, just like the meat-packing one. On this day, a memorial service (night vigil) takes place, where they pray for the souls of all the departed Orthodox Christians since the creation of the world. The great martyrs are mentioned, who accepted death from unbelievers, without departing from their faith in Jesus Christ. This day also precedes the feast of the Trinity, or, as it is also called, Pentecost.
October 28 - Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday. The holiday is named in honor of Demetrius of Thessalonica, the holy great martyr. This day was originally reserved for the commemoration of the deceased soldiers who fought at the Battle of Kulikovo. Now Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday is the day of commemoration of all the dead Orthodox Christians.
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What does the soul of the deceased do for 9 and 40 days, how should one pray for health and for the repose of the souls of loved ones, what did the holy fathers say about such a prayer, and how to help those who do not think about their salvation?
In response to the accumulated questions of readers, we provide detailed information about the coming days of special commemoration of the dead - parental Saturdays, a selection of relevant quotes from the holy fathers from the nun Livia, and information on how to pray for those who can only conditionally be called Orthodox people.
Sincere prayer can melt even the coldest ice...
Commemoration of the dead- a special tradition inherent in Orthodoxy, and distinguishes it from many other religious movements, including Christian ones. For example, declaring formal adherence to their version of the Bible, they completely reject the commemoration of the dead and all the rituals associated with it.
Saturday March 2 - a week before the start of Lent - before the Meat Week (Shrovetide week) for the Orthodox, a day of special veneration for the memory of the departed is set.
At the service on Friday under the Ecumenical Parental Saturday and on Saturday itself, women wear only dark scarves to the temple. Of the seven days of the year, intended for enhanced commemoration of the ancestors, two stand apart. Ecumenical Memorial Saturdays : Meat and meat.
The main meaning of the Ecumenical (common for the entire Orthodox Church) funeral services is in the prayer for the salvation of the souls of all deceased Orthodox Christians, regardless of their personal closeness to us. Remember your parents, ancestors: do not miss the service and remember!
On Rogozhsky during parental Saturdays and prayers is always lively "And we were just like you and you will be just like us"
This is what silent fraternal tombs in a separate monastic state on Mount Athos tell their visitors. For monks, this inseparable connection between the visible and invisible world is especially sensitive, according to the appropriate way of life, when all inner spiritual aspiration is directed to ascend into that future invisible and unknown world that will inevitably meet each of us and determine its place for endless ages.
“... On this day, we create a memory for all people who have died from the age in faith and piety, for the sake of the fact that many have raised a worthless death: in the sea, and impassable mountains, rapids and abysses, from gladness and inflamed, from warfare and studeniya, and otherwise suffered death. Therefore, for the sake of philanthropy, the holy fathers legitimized the memory of this from the Catholic Church, the apostolic tradition is acceptable.
On Saturday, we create a memory for souls, because Saturday is a day of rest, the dead come to rest from worldly temptations. The holy fathers commanded to make remembrance for the departed, saying that alms and services are given to those who are weak and benefit.
Memorial cross in the village of Slobodischi, erected by the forces of the Rogozhsky Cossacks The Tale of St. Macarius the Great.
St. Macarius asked, having found on his way the dry skull of the wicked Elin: do they ever have some weakness in hell.
The same one answered him We also have much weakness when Christians pray for their dead. And Gregory, the verbose, with the prayer of Tsar Trajan, delivered him from hell. And the queen of saints for the sake of the confessor of husbands stole from torment the bogomerzsky Theophilus Theodore.
The Great Athanasius says, if a person dies of a holy life, do not deny alms and candles on the tomb, invoking Christ God, set fire, that is, it is pleasant to God and brings a lot of retribution. If a person is sinful, sins are allowed, if he is righteous, he accepts a large reward.
A memorial prayer placed by the Rogozhsky Cossacks on one of their worship crosses The holy fathers say that they know each other's souls in a place of light, they know everyone, and those whom they have never seen before, as St. John Chrysostom presenting the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. But they see not in a bodily way, but in some other way, and they all have the same age.
A verb about that Great Athanasius:
And until the general Resurrection, the saints are granted to know each other and rejoice. Sinners are deprived of this. It is known that the souls of the righteous and sinners dwell in excellent places. The righteous rejoice in hope, but the sinners are tormented and saddened by the hope of the evil ones. But this is only still in part, and not in a perfect way, until the general Resurrection.
The cross erected at the Rogozhsky cemetery according to the project of the ataman of the Rogozhskaya Cossack village in memory of all the Old Believers buried in the cemetery It is also fitting to know that baptized babies, if they introduce themselves in this way, will enjoy eternal food, while unbaptized and pagans will not go either to the Kingdom or to hell, but they will eat special place. As the soul departs from the body, it no longer remembers a single earthly care, but only cares about those there.
Tretiny We create according to the dead, for the sake of the fact that on the third day a man of his kind changes.
nines because on the ninth day the whole body melts, only the heart is preserved.
fortieth day- when the heart is already dying.
You should not be afraid of death, you need to prepare your life for the Terrible Judgment In conception, this happens to an infant: on the third day, the heart is painted. In the ninth the flesh is formed. AT fortieth – perfect view imagined. Glory to our God, now and forever, and forever and ever, amen.” (Lenten Triodion, synoxarion for Meat-Feast Saturday).
Instructing us to spiritual knowledge, the holy fathers remind us that the one last hour of death, as soon as it comes, will determine the whole value of the human life lived. To be ready to meet that hour with a bright mind, faith and hope. The great battle then arises, on the border of eternity.
The evil spirits know that the first judgment is now being decided on the human soul, and with terrible force they attack that soul in order to keep it for themselves. Then there is no time for repentance by a grave unrepentant sinner, but they will clearly reveal, to others for fear and edification, all their internal indecency, from crafty thoughts and deeds that they kept in this life in the recesses of hypocritical hearts.
The memorial cross, installed by the Rogozhsky Cossacks, made according to the author's project of Dimitri Vlasov Many earthly despots and blasphemers died in terrible agony and frenzy of mind, such as Ulyanov-Lenin, who, according to eyewitnesses, did not recognize anyone in the last hours and asked for forgiveness in his room near cabinets and chairs for the crimes committed.
There is a story about one famous American actress that, dying, she ordered to give her her favorite dress, and she died, clinging to it even with her teeth with an irresistible iron grip.
Rogozhskoe cemetery. Photo by Deacon Alexander Govorov The other, a Jewish banker, in front of the dumbfounded heirs, managed, with incredible dexterity and speed for the last minutes of his life, to extract from a cache under his own mattress and swallow a precious masonry with diamonds ...
When they understood what the matter was and tried to take countermeasures, the last diamond was already buried in his womb. With that he died.
The holy fathers say that all this life, like a long road, a person carries what he collects along it. If sins and passions - in their place, virtues and striving for perfection - in their own. No matter how many people and where not to go, everyone comes to one of their grave mounds.
An old coffin-domovina, which prudent Old Believers tried to make for themselves during their lifetime One should never forget about this, but, in pious reflection, remember and think about the inconstancy of the present age, in which even the most wise person cannot know for himself exactly what this day or night is preparing for him, and whether eternity is waiting for him now. . Therefore, the teachers also legitimized church memorial Saturdays for us, so that we looked at them with our souls, as at a mirror in which our eternal spiritual essence is reflected, and, remembering this, retreated from all sin.
Ural. Worship cross in the city of Rezh on the site of the Old Believer cemetery How to pray for health and peace?
Some time ago, a custom-made prayer service to the Monk Paisius the Great took place on Rogozhsky. The service was led by the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Eminence Metropolitan Kornily.
On the eve of the next Parents' Saturday, we decided to give some important thoughts about the rules and practice of praying in the ROCA for those who are in the Church and outside of its fence.
Prayer around the head
The pious tradition of ordering prayers for one reason or another has been inherent in Orthodox Christians for centuries, but in recent times on Rogozhsky, such additional services do not occur as often as they used to.
Despite the fact that the service adds about an hour and a half to the already long Sunday service, there are always many who want to join and write notes about health (there are no prayers for the dead).
Vladyka Cornelius himself leads the prayers, and often he is also their organizer. For example, during fasts, especially Great, he announces prayers almost every Sunday.
Lenten, organized on the initiative of Metropolitan Kornily In addition to worldly concerns, the biggest drawback of the established practice in Moscow is the lack of information about such prayers in advance. The most active parishioners hear about the plans through word of mouth in the morning, and some after Vladyka's sermon. To what saint and for what reason the divine service will take place - usually immediately acquires mutually exclusive versions ... As a result, not all those present at the Liturgy know that immediately after the service there will be a good opportunity to pray purely for their relatives, which means that you should not rush to leave the church.
Sermon by Metropolitan Kornily after a prayer service with a wish to pray more fervently for peace on Earth Holy Father Paisios the Great, pray to God for us!
In this case, the reason for the delay turned out to be very serious: a prayer service was ordered to St. Paisius the Great who has grace from God to ease the afterlife of Orthodox Christians who have died without repentance. They especially pray to him for those who were baptized in Orthodox faith, but for one reason or another, he is removed from attending divine services and confession.
A large image of the Monk Paisios the Great adorns the vault of the northern facade Pray for the enlightenment of truants
A cursory survey of those present in the temple showed that people are well aware of all kinds of prohibitions and restrictions on persons whom we have the right to indicate in notes on health and repose, but not everyone remembers their “rights”. We now remind readers of the "Old Believer Thought": in the Church there is a legal way of praying for those who do not go to church.
Council of the Metropolis of the Russian Orthodox Church, held on February 4-5, 2015, reminded in his decision about the ancient patristic practice, according to which the Old Believers are not forbidden to perform prayers for health, including those who are heterodox and excommunicated. In addition to home prayer, custom-made prayers are intended for this.
On Church Prayer for the Heterodox and the Excommunicated
8.1. Do not forbid the clergy to perform prayers for the health of the heterodox and excommunicated, guided by the admonition of the Apostle Paul: “I ask you to make prayers, petitions, intercessions, thanksgiving for all people, for kings and for all those in authority, in order to lead us a quiet and serene life in all piety and purity, for this is good and pleasing to our Savior God, who wants all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:1-4); as well as the interpretation of St. John Chrysostom: “Do not be afraid to pray for the pagans; and He (God) wants it. Just be afraid to curse others. Because He doesn't want it. And if it is necessary to pray for the pagans, then obviously for heretics, because it is necessary to pray for all people, and not to persecute them ”(The Creation of St. John Chrysostom. Interpretation of the 1st Epistle to Timothy of the Apostle Paul. Conversation 6, volume 11, p. 659).
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