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Prodigal Daughter
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| Joined: | Wed Nov 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania USA |
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| First Name: | Deborah/PD | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Baptized Catholic, received First Communion, left during Confirmation year. ... |
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Posted: Sun Jul 15th, 2007 11:51 am |
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This morning we went to Mass at the Carmelite monastery as we often do when my dh has a concert/gig. After Mass they had a box with brown scapulars, pamphlets and statues. I would like to wear the scapular but have some hesitation about it. I am concerned that I won't be as devoted as I am supposed to be. I also don't quite understand what it means to be devoted to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Are there certain prayers that go with it? How is it practically worked out in your daily life?
I have read some pamphlets etc. on it but I would so much rather hear from people who have personally experienced it.
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"Man should tremble, the world should vibrate, all Heaven should be deeply moved when the Son of God appears on the altar in the hands of the priest."
St. Francis of Assisi
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DrDave
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| Joined: | Mon Nov 6th, 2006 |
| Location: | Mildura, Australia |
| Posts: | 226 |
| First Name: | Dave | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Cradle - Lapsed - Renewed Catholic |
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Posted: Sun Jul 15th, 2007 11:57 pm |
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To the best of my understanding, a scapular is just a thing, I very much doubt that a piece of material on a string will be offended if you don't take full advantage of it.
That said, we as humans "living in a material world" as the song says would be wise to use those material things made available to us to help us keep our thoughts and mind oriented on the immaterial world.
When it comes down to it that's all a scapular, or statue, or rosary beads do, they are tools we use to remind us of where our head is supposed to be at. Often when the pamphlets you speak of talk of the graces imparted by using this scapular, they are in reality talking about the graces that come from living the interior life that the scapular is designed to help you cultivate.
So rather that wondering whether you "will be devoted enough" to wear the scapular, rather ask yourself "will not wearing the scapular help you become more devoted than wearing it will?"
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Prodigal Daughter
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| Joined: | Wed Nov 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 200 |
| First Name: | Deborah/PD | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Baptized Catholic, received First Communion, left during Confirmation year. ... |
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Posted: Mon Jul 16th, 2007 10:01 am |
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Thanks Dr. Dave.
I was actually hoping to get responses from people who've had personal experience with wearing a scapular. Like I said, I've read a lot about the importance of sacramentals and have read about the brown scapular in particular.
After spending years trying to live the Christian life under the burden of a "desacramentalized" mentality where all things of earth are bad and only things of heaven are good, I am trying to find a balance.
We have purchased several statues and have tons of rosary beads. I wear a crucifix and miraculous medal. All of these things are such a blessing. They are not only a reminder to us of the real, visible church which Christ established, but as the CCC says they "prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it."
So I ask dear friends, how have you been blessed by sacramentals, especially the scapular?
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"Man should tremble, the world should vibrate, all Heaven should be deeply moved when the Son of God appears on the altar in the hands of the priest."
St. Francis of Assisi
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Annie
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| Joined: | Wed Feb 14th, 2007 |
| Location: | Columbus, Ohio USA |
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| First Name: | Annie | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | nothing, Quaker, Mennonite, Presbyterian, Methodist, Anglican, Catholic |
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Posted: Mon Jul 16th, 2007 10:40 am |
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To wear the scapular properly there is a special blessing ceremony to go through. Ask a priest about it. I don't think he has to be a Carmelite himself, he just needs to know the blessings, which are specific for the scapular, general blessings such as when the bless a rosary won't do. There are also rules about what you have to do to wear the scapular, such as never taking it off. And when you can replace it with a new one (the new one does not also have to be blessed since it is replacing one that was).
Note that the scapular is somewhat fragile (they have plastic encased ones that are very uncomfortable) and for this reason the 4-way medal can be used in its stead if you have already been invested with the brown scapular. But you can't just wear a 4-way medal and think you are getting the benefits of the scapular.
Hope this helps.
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Annie
Ora et labora
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Tina in Ashburn
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| Joined: | Mon May 21st, 2007 |
| Location: | Ashburn, Virginia USA |
| Posts: | 281 |
| First Name: | Tina | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Cradle Roman Catholic, Ukranian Catholic, presently practicing as Roman Latin ... |
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Posted: Mon Jul 16th, 2007 01:36 pm |
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Dear Deborah, I have worn the Brown Scapular since I was a child. Wearing the Brown Scapular is like wearing the brown habit of a Carmelite, which is why it must be worn on the back and front, and must be made of brown wool. [there's an option to use a scapular medal for certain circumstances but I prefer the real thing]. Just like any Marian devotion or practice, it involves putting yourself in the care of Mary, striving for childlike humility, daily asking for her help in prayer.
There are some days I have to admit that I'm less devoted than others in getting my prayers done. There were years in fact were I was unfaithful in my duties to God. However for some reason I've always worn the scapular [except at a very bad time early in life when I put everything religious in a drawer and closed it away from my sight]. At this point, I'm much more settled and devoted in the practice of Catholicism. I often wonder if the way my life has turned out is because Mary has looked out for me. There were really long periods in my life had I died I'm pretty sure I'd have gone straight to hell. I do not deserve God's patience but I believe that Mary has won this for me.
There are conditions to wearing the scapular, one is observing chastity according to our state in life. And I think say 3 Hail Marys daily, though some argue about this precise condition.. If you are already saying a daily Rosary then that certainly covers it. Years ago wearers were expected to say the Little Office. Then eventually the rules changed so a Carmelite could commute this for you upon request to only having to say the Rosary.
There are also other scapulars for other intentions among which include the Green Scapular which includes a daily prayer for someone that needs conversion. You can get the intended to wear it or put it someplace that they frequent like their room or office. There are a bunch of other scapulars.
You may have heard of that great work that will help you understand devotion to Mary. It is St. Louis de Montfort's little book "True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin".
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Tina
Arlington Diocese
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Sindone
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Posted: Thu Jul 19th, 2007 11:24 am |
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Dear Deborah,
The Brown Scapular is first of all connected to the Carmelites, as you may well know, have a long tradition of imitating Mary in her contemplative spirituality, silence and faithfulness to the end. For the Gospel stressed few times that Mary "kept all these things and pondered them deep in her heart" (See Luke1,2).
It is also called the garment of Mary. To be clothed with the scapular is to remind us of the virtues of Mary which we are asked to imitate. And the scapular is also connected to the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. If you would like to understand more, you should look up the information on the Immaculate Heart on EWTN. When we speak of the Immaculate Heart, it means the Heart which is pure and free from all stains of sins, that it is capable of comtemplating God, of containing Jesus in the fullest way. Therefore, by wearing the scapular is actually reminding us to strive to have a heart like the Heart of Mary so that we may comtemplate God as she did.
We must remember that the Heart of Mary was first mentioned in the Gospel (Luke 2).
Last edited on Thu Jul 19th, 2007 11:26 am by Sindone
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Tina in Ashburn
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| Joined: | Mon May 21st, 2007 |
| Location: | Ashburn, Virginia USA |
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| First Name: | Tina | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Cradle Roman Catholic, Ukranian Catholic, presently practicing as Roman Latin ... |
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Posted: Thu Jul 19th, 2007 07:14 pm |
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Deborah is asking for personal stories.
Doesn't anybody wear the scapular? Hello???
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Tina
Arlington Diocese
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Katy
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | DFW, Texas USA |
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| First Name: | Katy | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Non-denom/Bible churches, Catholic since Easter 2005 |
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Posted: Thu Jul 19th, 2007 11:15 pm |
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| I was given one on the night I came into the Church, Easter Vigil 2005, but I do not wear it. It is still in its package in a drawer. I am not quite sure what I think of it. I am also interested to hear what others have to say about it. Last edited on Thu Jul 19th, 2007 11:16 pm by Katy
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Lord, by Your cross and resurrection, You have set us free. You are the Savior of the World.
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BettyBoopToo
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| Location: | Camas/Washougal, Washington USA |
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| First Name: | Betty | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Fist Baptist/Calvary Babtist/Secular Confusion/ Roman Catholic |
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Posted: Thu Jul 19th, 2007 11:49 pm |
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Tina in Ashburn wrote: Deborah is asking for personal stories.
Doesn't anybody wear the scapular? Hello???
Tina, you just have a way of making me (((((giggle))))) I was scrolling down through here asking myself, what is Deb asking and mumbling to myself and! You said it. 
Deb, I have a scapular and I do wear it. It's like a constant reminder for me to be forever vigilant to my devotion to Our Lady. Every day I ask her to please help me to learn to be as much like her as I possibly can. Teach me how to pray, be a better loving mother, a wife, treat others as I should in charity and love,learn to be humble and just try and live my life as a constant prayer, conteplating all things holy and disireable to Our Lord. I try to adapt devotions that I feel will assist me on my journey to try as hard as I can to be as holy a God would like me to be, as I pray for others to become holier than I. It's such a wonderful freedom to be able to experiance the many choices we have in devotion's, prayers, etc. I no longer have to pick and choose doctrines or worry whether my interpretions of scripture are correct. It's all layed out and now I am free to concentrate on my prayer, faith and devotions. (((((That's True Freedom))))))
I also don't quite understand what it means to be devoted to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Here is a short definition from NewAdvent that might help.
Just as devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is only a form of devotion to the adorable Person of Jesus, so also is devotion to the Holy Heart of Mary but a special form of devotion to Mary. In order that, properly speaking, there may be devotion to the Heart of Mary, the attention and the homage of the faithful must be directed to the physical heart itself. However, this in itself is not sufficient; the faithful must read therein all that the human heart of Mary suggests, all of which it is the expressive symbol and the living reminder: Mary's interior life, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love for her God, her maternal love for her Divine Son, and her motherly and compassionate love for her sinful and miserable children here below. The consideration of Mary's interior life and the beauties of her soul, without any thought of her physical heart, does not constitute our devotion; still less does it consist in the consideration of the Heart of Mary merely as a part of her virginal body. The two elements are essential to the devotion, just as soul and body are necessary to the constitution of man. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07168a.htm
In my instructions it says that once your cloth scapular wears out you can then use a medal one that will last for a very long time. The blessing that was done on the original cloth one extends to the new medal.
http://www.allpatronsaints.com/catalog/scapular_medals_105.aspx
Are there certain prayers that go with it? How is it practically worked out in your daily life?
People are enrolled in the Scapular only once by a priest or authorized person. I received my scapulars from the Sisters in Portland that my Mom, Sister & I are Donne's for.
The Scapular holds us to live as authentic Christians in line with the teaching of the Gospel, to receive the Sacraments, to profess our special devotion to the Blessed Virgin, which should be expressed each day, at least by saying the Hail Mary three times.
The Scapular is a sign approved by the Church for over seven centuries; It stands for the decision to follow Jesus like Mary, be open to God and to his will in our lives, be guided by faith, hope, and love, to pray at all times. To discover God present in all that happens around us.
I just wanted to add this for the benefit of others on the forum that they would not mis interpret the devotion to the scapular in a negative way. I would like to also mention what it is not; A magic Charm, an automatic guarantee of salvation, an excuse for not living up to the demands of the christian life.
Devotion to our lady in any form or example is always an enormous blessing, she just leads you into a deeper loving understanding faith with her son; Do what ever he tells you!
God Bless
Betty
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Patience
"Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent."
St. John of the Cross
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Prodigal Daughter
Member
| Joined: | Wed Nov 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 200 |
| First Name: | Deborah/PD | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Baptized Catholic, received First Communion, left during Confirmation year. ... |
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Posted: Mon Jul 23rd, 2007 12:49 pm |
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Thank you Betty, Tina, et. al.,
I have been away for a few days and it was nice to come home to all of your kind responses. I really like the way you put it Betty about the scapular not being a magic charm. I am sure it is tempting for those who receive it, to think of it in that way because it says "Whoever dies wearing this scapular will not suffer eternal fire." I think the word wear means much more than just putting the scapular on in the morning. It means living living the life of devotion which is associated with it.
Like Katy, mine is still sitting in the package. I do want to learn more about it in hopes that one day, I will be so led to "wear" it and participate in the life of devotion associated with it.
Betty gave just the kind of personal story I was hoping to hear. I would love to hear more from others who wear the scapular.
-What circumstances caused you to decide to wear it?
-How has wearing it impacted your devotion to Christ?
-After having worn it for a number of years, would you recommend it and why?
Thanks in advance for sharing your personal stories. 
____________________
"Man should tremble, the world should vibrate, all Heaven should be deeply moved when the Son of God appears on the altar in the hands of the priest."
St. Francis of Assisi
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Prodigal Daughter
Member
| Joined: | Wed Nov 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 200 |
| First Name: | Deborah/PD | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Baptized Catholic, received First Communion, left during Confirmation year. ... |
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Posted: Fri Jul 27th, 2007 11:54 am |
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Yesterday I went for my monthly spiritual direction appointment. I highly recommend this experience to anyone who feels so enclined. The priest I go to is so gentle and kind. I have learned so much and am ever so grateful for the time he takes to share his wisdom and listen to me.
I brought the brown scapular with me and asked him if he thought I was "ready to wear it." He said there was no question as to whether I was ready, but whether or not I felt that it would be helpful to me in my devotional life. His approach with it is to not be legalistic about what kind of prayers to pray because that can lead to palagianism (the belief that it is our works rather than God's grace which carry us on the road to heaven). He said to think of it as a next step and a reminder that you belong to Christ.
It was beautiful becasue what I have been thinking about since this post is how I am ready for the next step in my relationship to Mary. This summer as I mentioned elsewhere, I have been asking for her intercession more (since my primary role has been wife, mother, and homemaker) and as a result feel closer to her. Because of this, I have wanted to show my gratitiude by having even more devotion to our Blessed Mother. Fr. G. thought that sounded like a good reason to wear the scapular.
Another thing he said about the scapular is that for him it is like a wedding ring. When he puts it on each day, it reminds him that he belongs to Christ and when he is tempted, he feels the wool rubbing on his skin and that helps him to remain chaste and pure in thought and deed (my words translating his).
So I left the appointment and went inside the sanctuary of his beautful old parish and said my pennance. While staring at their large statue of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, I kissed the scapular and put it around my neck, carefully tucking it in. It was a beautiful moment that I hope I do not soon forget. All day I rememberd my love for Christ and my gratefulness for His Mother. When I arrived home and began my household chores, I pondered these things in my heart and did notice an inexplicable joy welling up inside as I folded the laundry.
Last edited on Fri Jul 27th, 2007 12:08 pm by Prodigal Daughter
____________________
"Man should tremble, the world should vibrate, all Heaven should be deeply moved when the Son of God appears on the altar in the hands of the priest."
St. Francis of Assisi
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Juan
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Posted: Fri Jul 27th, 2007 06:55 pm |
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Before we begin, "Yes, Tina, I do wear the brown scapular."
This morning we went to Mass at the Carmelite monastery as we often do when my dh has a concert/gig. After Mass they had a box with brown scapulars, pamphlets and statues. I would like to wear the scapular but have some hesitation about it. I am concerned that I won't be as devoted as I am supposed to be.
Bod Rod put it well when he said that a scapular should remind you of your devotion.
I also don't quite understand what it means to be devoted to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
To me, its just a complicated way of saying one is devoted to Jesus Christ. In order to understand the Immaculate Heart of Mary, one must first understand the Sacred Heart of Jesus. They go hand in hand.
The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a symbol of God's undying love for us. It is a symbol of God loving us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to live, suffer and die for our redemption.
The Immaculate Heart of Mary is a symbol of her love for her Son. It represents what our love should be but isn't. It is a symbol of the love we should strive to have for Christ.
To be devoted to the Immaculate Heart of Mary means to endeavor to love Christ with Mary's Heart. Therefore we pray to Mary that she may intercede for us for that grace.
Are there certain prayers that go with it?
The Little Office of Mary
It is a rather complicated prayer modeled after the Liturgy of the Hours. I opted for the Rosary.
How is it practically worked out in your daily life?
It is devotion to Christ. It is the life of a Christian. In my opinion, it is the singular most effective devotion to Jesus Christ outside of the Mass.
I have read some pamphlets etc. on it but I would so much rather hear from people who have personally experienced it.
Those pamphlets are probably written by people who personally experienced it.
Thank you Betty, Tina, et. al.,
I have been away for a few days and it was nice to come home to all of your kind responses. I really like the way you put it Betty about the scapular not being a magic charm. I am sure it is tempting for those who receive it, to think of it in that way because it says "Whoever dies wearing this scapular will not suffer eternal fire."
Matthew 7
21 Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Not all who call themselves Christian understand what it means to be Christian. Not all who wear the Scapular understand what it means to wear the Scapular.
I think the word wear means much more than just putting the scapular on in the morning. It means living living the life of devotion which is associated with it.
You took the words out of my mouth. Literally, that was what I was getting ready to say.
Like Katy, mine is still sitting in the package. I do want to learn more about it in hopes that one day, I will be so led to "wear" it and participate in the life of devotion associated with it.
I pray that you join us soon. I don't leave home without mine.
It takes an effort to keep the Scapular on. It is so light, you barely feel it. And when you remove your other garments, it generally attaches to them and comes off. Unless you look for it, you will find yourself forgetting whether you have it on or not.
Betty gave just the kind of personal story I was hoping to hear. I would love to hear more from others who wear the scapular.
-What circumstances caused you to decide to wear it?
I am a devotee of St. Louis De Montfort. After I read his Secret of the Rosary, I looked for more of his books. I found the "Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary" booklet and I followed its instructions for investiture.
It just so happened that a friend of mine knew a group of people who were all reading the book at the same time, so I was investitured with them.
-How has wearing it impacted your devotion to Christ?
I kind of see it the other way around. I believe it is God's grace which led me to wear the Scapular. I don't know how to explain it except to say:
John 6
44 No man can come to me, except the Father, who hath sent me, draw him; and I will raise him up in the last day.
God's grace is of the supernatural order and so generally we don't feel it.
-After having worn it for a number of years, would you recommend it and why?
Absolutely. It is a sign of love for Mary and for Jesus through Mary. It is a sign of your devotion to God. It is a sign of your desire to be what God wants you to be. It is a sign of love for God and man. It is many, many wonderful things and it is a gift from God to you.
Thanks in advance for sharing your personal stories.
You're welcome. May God bless you for your interest.
Sincerely,
Juan
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