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In the records of the twelve tribes of Israel was Joachim, a man rich exceedingly; and he brought his offerings double, 1 saying: There shall be of my superabundance to all the people, and there shall be the offering for my forgiveness 2 to the Lord for a propitiation for me. 3 For the great day of the Lord was at hand, and the sons of Israel were bringing their offerings. And there stood over against him Rubim, saying: It is not meet for thee first to bring thine offerings, because thou hast not made seed in Israel. 4 And Joachim was exceedingly grieved, and went away to the registers of the twelve tribes of the people, saying: I shall see the registers of the twelve tribes of Israel, as to whether I alone have not made seed in Israel. And he searched, and found that all the righteous had raised up seed in Israel. And he called to mind the patriarch Abraham, that in the last day 5 God gave him a son Isaac. And Joachim was exceedingly grieved, and did not come into the presence of his wife; but he retired to the desert, 6 and there pitched his tent, and fasted forty days and forty nights, 7 saying in himself: I will not go down either for food or for drink until the Lord my God shall look upon me, and prayer shall be my food and drink.
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Susanna i. 4. ↩
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The readings vary, and the sense is doubtful. Thilo thinks that the sense is: What I offer over and above what the law requires is for the benefit of the whole people; but the offering I make for my own forgiveness (according to the law's requirements) shall be to the Lord, that He may be rendered merciful to me. ↩
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The Church of Rome appoints March 20 as the Feast of St. Joachim. His liberality is commemorated in prayers, and the lessons to be read are Wisd. xxxi. and Matt. i. ↩
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1 Sam. i. 6, 7; Hos. ix. 14. ↩
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Another reading is: In his last days. ↩
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Another reading is: Into the hill-country. ↩
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Moses: Ex. xxiv. 18, xxxiv. 28; Deut. ix. 9. Elijah: 1 Kings xix. 8. Christ: Matt. iv. 2. ↩
