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Acts 11: 21-26, 13:1-3
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 Barnabas 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.
For a whole year they met with the Church
and taught a large number of people,
and it was in Antioch that the disciples
were first called Christians.
Now there were in the Church at Antioch prophets and teachers:
Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger,
Lucius of Cyrene,
Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,
“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul
for the work to which I have called them.”
Then, completing their fasting and prayer,
they laid hands on them and sent them off.
The Word of the Lord.
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Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Barnabas, whose name means, “son of encouragement.”
Interestingly, his birth name isn’t Barnabas, but Joseph. Barnabas receives his new name from the Apostles after proving himself to be a man of deep faith and character.
We first encounter Barnabas in the Acts of the Apostles after he sells a large field of land and gives the proceeds to the Apostles.
But his greatest contribution, which forever changes the direction of the Church, is playing the role of bridge builder between Saint Paul and the Apostles.
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Prior to his conversion, Paul was known for persecuting Christians. He even consented to the death of Saint Stephen, the first known Christian martyr.
But after his dramatic conversion, Paul wanted to join the community of believers. Many were skeptical of his motives; so, he needed someone who could vouch for him.
That man was Barnabas.
As we heard in our first reading, “Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the Church… It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.”
Paul and Barnabas then partnered in ministry, risking their lives by travelling 1,400 miles across Greece and Turkey together.
The fact that Barnabas not only vouched for Paul, but also ministered with him, was a sign that he must’ve loved and forgiven Paul for his past transgressions. He was no longer a threat, but a brother.
In the years thereafter, Paul travelled another 10,000 miles on foot, not including many other days at sea. It’s quite possible that his remarkable ministry would’ve never been considered credible had he not met Barnabas.
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Maybe there’s a word in that for us.
Some people are called to do “great” things for God like Saint Paul did. But Barnabas reminds us that even simplest gestures like welcoming a brother can change the world.
May we embrace his good spirit and humbly encourage someone else today.
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Image credits: (1) bethanyum.org (2) The Apostles Paul and Barnabas, Nicholaes Berchem, 1650 (3) Good and Godly DNA with LA