God’s Living Word Today - Thursday, June 11, 2020 (St. Barnabas, Apostle)

God’s Living Word Today - Thursday, June 11, 2020 (St. Barnabas, Apostle)

[Acts 11:21b-26; 13:1-3 and Matt 10:7-13]
In those days a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The news about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabus to go to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain faithful to the LOrd in firmness of heart, for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. And a large number of people was added to the Lord. Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch. [Acts]

Today the Church celebrates St. Barnabas, Apostle. Barnabas lived in the first century and preached the gospel in Antioch. He was a missionary companion of St. Paul and attended the first church council in Jerusalem. St. Barnabas was martyred on, and patron of, the island of his birth, Cyprus.

     There are moments in the history of Christianity that were pivotal for the future of the Church which can easily escape us.  St. Paul might have remained a tentmaker in Tarsus if it hadn't been for St. Barnabas who remembered the conversion experience of Saul, the former zealous bounty hunter of Christians.  Barnabas knew talent and took Paul under his wing (Acts 9:27) until things got too hot for Paul (his conversion made him suspect to Jew and Christian) He (Paul) had to get away from Jerusalem.  He returned to Tarsus and was a tentmaker by trade [Acts 18:3].  When Barnabas needed somebody to help with the preaching in Antioch, he knew just the man to get! The rest is history, as the saying goes.  

     We generally use the word "apostle" to refer to one of THE TWELVE.  However, others like Paul, Barnabas and Mary Magdalen have been considered "apostles" as well.  The word comes from Greek and means someone who is sent to do something.  Some of the apostles were personally chosen by Jesus, but others were appointed either by the original twelve or by their successors. Paul and Barnabas are examples.  We profess faith in a church that is one, holy, catholic and APOSTOLIC.  We owe a lot to St. Barnabas for his role in making that ministry possible. 

Father Dennis