Saint Barnabas, Apostle-Memoria
We celebrate today the memoria of Saint Barnabas the apostle. He was one of the early converts in Jerusalem. He accompanied St Paul in his first missionary journey. He also went to Cyprus with Mark the Evangelist, to preach the Gospel of salvation. Acts 13:1-12. After St Paul’s conversion, it was him who went to Tarsus to bring Paul to Antioch, where they witnessed so powerfully to the Gospel that they were first called Christians.
St Barnabas’ was so faithful to the cause of the Gospel that he was numbered among the Apostles. Today’s first reading from Acts 11:24 tells us that he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. He was probably martyred in Cyprus around the year 61.
He once spoke to the people of Antioch to remain faithful to the lord, and his words were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit so much so that , Acts 11:24 says that a large company was added to the Lord.
As the scripture said, Barnabas was a good man full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. This would remind you of something we heard on the Pentecost day in Acts 2:4, which says that the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit. And then St Peter spoke words flowing from the love that had filled him. And those who heard him were moved to repentance, and three thousand souls were added to the Lord.
In the same way, filled with the Love of God, Barnabas witnessed to the message of salvation and a large company was added to the Lord.
Maybe God is saying something to us here about how to witness to him today when there is a massive falling away and rejection of the Christians faith. Perhaps, God is inviting us to witness to his great love with deeds and words flowing directly from his love.
As a good man, Barnabas cooperated with grace and lived a good life. He was not just a good person, he had faith and lived it out. Like Barnabas, we are called not just to be good people but good people with faith and filled with the Holy spirit. I think this is what the world is looking for. This is a unity of life that makes our witnessing carry the life of God. But this can only be possible through the help of the Holy Spirit. For by the arms of the flesh we can never prevail in our Christians vocation. It is the spirit that gives us life and leads us into all truth.
This memoria, seems to invite us to return to the foundation upon which the early Christians stood and by who’s power they preached and witnessed to the Gospel. I think this is the way Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel will be fulfilled in our midst, the healing of the sick, the raising of those dead in sin and the granting of freedom to those oppressed by all manner of evil.
It is the Holy Spirit that makes all this possible. But we are to patiently allow the Holy spirit lead us in the path he has mapped out for each of us. As we strive to follow him more closely, our little and big efforts to witness to the Gospel will flow from his love poured into our hearts. St Barnabas was filled with the Holy spirit, and with love he witnessed to the Gospel. And the scripture told us that a large company were added to the Lord. St Peter too was fill by this same spirit of love, he spoke words filled with the burning love of the Father, and again we were told that three thousand were added. We to have received this same spirit.
Maybe we could ask God to fill us afresh with the Holy Spirit, and so enable us to act and speak in love, so that our witnessing will carry the life of God. However, we may not always see outcome of our witnessing. But we need to trust in the one who prospers and causes the seed of faith we have sown to grow and blossom. Maybe there are people for whose conversions, you have been praying. As you continue to pray for them in love, your prayer will carry the life of God and in his time God will make all things beautiful.
Let us pray
Eternal Father, fill us with your spirit as you filled St Barnabas, that we may witness with love for the salvation of our brothers and sisters. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
St Barnabas- Pray for us.