1st Sunday of the Great Fast
Sunday of the Triumph of the True Faith
Heb. 11:24-26, 32-40, & 12:1-2a

A reading - from the Letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews

Brothers and sisters: By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter; he wished to be ill treated along with God's people rather than enjoy the fleeting rewards | of | sin.

Moses considered the reproach borne by God's anointed greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the | re | ward.

What more shall I recount? I have no time to tell of Gideon (Gi-dee-un), Barak (Bar-ock), Samson (Sam-son), Jephthah (Jef-thah), of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, did what was just, obtained the | promi | ses;

They broke the jaws of lions, put out raging fires, escaped the devouring sword; the week they were made powerful, became strong in battle, and turned back foreign | in | vaders.

Women received back their dead through resurrection. Others were tortured and would not received deliverance, in order to obtain a better re | su | rrection.

Still others endured mockery, scourging, even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned; two, put to death at | swords | point;

They went about garbed in the skins of sheep or goats, needy, afflicted, tormented. The world was not worthy | of | them.

They wandered about in deserts and on mountains, they dwelt in caves and in holes of | the | earth.

Yet despite the fact that all of these were approved because of their faith, they did not obtain what had been | pro | mised.

God had made a better plan, a plan which included us. Without us they were not to be made | per | fect.

Therefore, since we for our part are surrounded by this cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every encumbrance of sin which clings to us and preserve in running the race which lies | a | head;

Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who inspires and perfects - our - faith.