Barnabas and blessing

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, the memorial of St Barnabas, resonate with the gifts of this early follower of Christ who models how to facilitate connection and conversion in Christian communities.

Antiochian Church

The Acts of the Apostles describes the establishment of the Church at Antioch under the guidance of Barnabas who introduces Paul to the mission of teaching in that city.

* [13:1–3] The impulse for the first missionary effort in Asia Minor is ascribed to the prophets of the Antiochene community, under the inspiration of the holy Spirit. Just as the Jerusalem community had earlier been the center of missionary activity, so too Antioch becomes the center from which the missionaries Barnabas and Saul are sent out.

The CCCB selection of the Gospel from Matthew 10.7-13 describes the commissioning of the Twelve and the way they are to relate to the people they encounter.

* [10:8–11] The Twelve have received their own call and mission through God’s gift, and the benefits they confer are likewise to be given freely. They are not to take with them money, provisions, or unnecessary clothing; their lodging and food will be provided by those who receive them.

The Antiochian Church in North America maintains that the Church is the living Body of Jesus Christ.

The Church of Antioch was established by the Apostles Paul and Barnabas in 42 A.D., with St. Peter serving for the next eight years as its first prelate. The Church of Antioch is one of the five ancient Patriarchates of the Christian Church, along with Alexandria, Constantinople, Jerusalem, and Rome. We are in full communion with our brothers and sisters in various other Orthodox Christian jurisdictions, such as the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and the Orthodox Church in America. Together we work to nurture the Orthodox Christians of this land—whether immigrants or native-born, cradle Orthodox, or converts—and to bring America to the ancient Orthodox Christian Faith.

Molly Mattingly researches the story of Barnabas and compares his qualities to those recommended for us by Pope Francis.

Barnabas preached by joy. From the accounts in the Acts of the Apostles, he was someone that people liked to be around. Today we hear, “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.” Isn’t that joy exactly how Pope Francis encourages us all to spread the Good News? In Barnabas’ case (and hopefully in ours too), it led to many people receiving the Gospel, overcoming cultural divides, and sharing in that joy

Don Schwager quotes Thomas Aquinas on the necessity of joy and offers a prayer for our openness to joy.

God reveals to the humble of heart the true source of abundant life and happiness. Jesus promises his disciples that the joys of heaven will more than compensate for the troubles and hardships they can expect in this world. Thomas Aquinas said: "No one can live without joy. That is why a person deprived of spiritual joy goes after carnal pleasures." Do you know the happiness of hungering and thirsting for God alone?
"Lord Jesus, increase my hunger for you and show me the way that leads to everlasting peace and happiness. May I desire you above all else and find perfect joy in doing your will."

The Word Among Us meditation suggests that, like Barnabas, we can take small steps that will make a big difference—and bring the peace of Christ into the world.

What was Barnabas’ secret? Well, he probably had an innate ability to relate to all kinds of people, but he probably didn’t rely on raw talent alone. The demands of missionary life called for more. So he also worked to develop his people skills more and more. You can imagine him sharing God’s peace in small ways every day so that he would be ready for the big challenges when they came along.

In a post by Franciscan Media, Barnabas is spoken of simply as one who dedicated his life to the Lord.

He was a man “filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. Thereby, large numbers were added to the Lord.” Even when he and Paul were expelled from Antioch in Pisidia—modern-day Turkey—they were “filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

Friar Jude Winkler comments on how the believers in Antioch became known as Christians. The Jewish technique of teaching to aim at the target underlies the expression of the Beatitudes, which are chosen as the Gospel today by the USCCB (Matthew 5.1-12).

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, quotes a book by Amy Howard, Juliette Landphair, and Amanda Lineberry to underline that we learn that our privileges and disadvantages can coexist, intersect, and impact the way we move through different environments.

We must work to dismantle systems of oppression while at the same time honoring our differences and celebrating our oneness! This takes a great deal of spiritual maturity. Unity, in fact, is the reconciliation of differences, not the denial of them. Our differences must first be maintained—and then overcome by the power of love (exactly as in the three persons of the Trinity). We must distinguish and separate things before we can spiritually unite them, usually at cost to ourselves, especially if we are privileged (see Ephesians 2:14-16).

Father Richard reiterates that God is a mystery of relationship, and the truest relationship is love. Infinite Love preserves unique truths, protecting boundaries while simultaneously bridging them.

References

(n.d.). CHAPTER 13 1 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and .... Retrieved June 11, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/acts/acts13.htm

(n.d.). Matthew, chapter 10 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved June 11, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/10

(n.d.). Creighton's Online Ministries - Creighton University. Retrieved June 11, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/online.html

(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 11, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/

(n.d.). 10th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily .... Retrieved June 11, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/

(n.d.). Saint Barnabas – Franciscan Media. Retrieved June 11, 2018, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-barnabas/

(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved June 11, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/