JUNE 11, 2016 : MEMORIAL OF SAINT BARNABAS, APOSTLE

Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle
Lectionary: 580/364

Reading 1ACTS 11:21B-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.

Responsorial PsalmPS 98:1, 2-3AB, 3CD-4, 5-6

R. (see 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

AlleluiaPS 119:36A, 29B

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees;
and favor me with your law.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelMT 5:33-37

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
Do not take a false oath,
but make good to the Lord all that you vow.
But I say to you, do not swear at all;
not by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
nor by the earth, for it is his footstool;
nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Do not swear by your head,
for you cannot make a single hair white or black.
Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’
Anything more is from the Evil One.”

www.usccb.org

Meditation: Let what you say be simply Yes or No

How forceful are honest words! (Job 6:25) Jesus addressed the issue of honesty and truthfulness in one's conduct and speech. What does it mean to be true to one's word? To be true to oneself and to others requires character. Unfortunately many people today miserably fail here. No wonder we don’t trust many in positions of leadership and influence. God is the source of all truth and there is nothing false or deceitful in him. His word is truth and his law is truth. His truth liberates us from illusion, deceit, and hypocrisy.  Jesus told his disciples thatthe truth will make you free (John 8:32).

Why is it so hard to be true and to speak the truth? Truth demands commitment - that we live our lives according to it and be faithful witnesses of the truth. Jesus teaches his disciples the unconditional love of truth. He speaks against bearing false witness and all forms of untruthfulness and swearing unnecessary oaths to God. A disciple's word should be capable of being trusted without verbal rituals to give it validity. Christ's disciple must speak truthfully without "stretching" the truth by adding to it or by compromising the truth by speaking untruth or by leaving out what is necessary to convey what is truthful.

Thomas Aquinas said: People could not live with one another if there were not mutual confidence that they were being truthful to one another... (In justice) as a matter of honor, one person owes it to another to manifest the truth. Are you true to God, to yourself, and to others? And do you allow God's word of truth to penetrate your mind and heart and to form your conscience?

"Set a watch, Lord, upon my tongue, that I may never speak the cruel word which is not true; or being true, is not the whole truth; or being wholly true, is merciless; for the love of Jesus Christ our Lord."

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: The Light of Truth, by Chromatius (died 406 AD)

"By the grace of gospel teaching, the law given by Moses acquired an advantage. The law prescribes that one must not swear falsely; but according to the gospel one must not swear at all. The Holy Spirit had seen fit to order this through Solomon when he said, 'Do not accustom your mouth to oaths' (Sirach 23:9). And again: 'Even as a well-chastised servant is not deterred from envy, whoever swears and does business will not be purged from sin' (Sirach 23:11). Therefore it is absolutely inappropriate for us to swear. What need is there for us to swear when we are not allowed to lie at all and our words must always be true and trustworthy, so much so that they may be taken as an oath? On this, the Lord not only forbids us to swear falsely but even to swear, lest we appear to tell the truth only when we swear and lest (while we should be truthful in our every word) we think it is all right to lie when we do not take an oath. For this is the purpose of an oath: Everyone who swears, swears to the fact what he is saying is true. Therefore the Lord does not want a gap between our oath and our ordinary speech. Even as there must be no faithlessness in an oath, in our words there must be no lie. For both false swearing and lying are punished with divine judgment, as the Scripture says: 'The mouth that lies kills the soul' (Wisdom 1:11). So whoever speaks the truth swears, for it is written: 'A faithful witness will not lie' (Proverbs 14:5). (excerpt from TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 24.2.2–4)

[Note: Chromatius was an early Christian scholar and bishop of Aquileia, Italy. He was a close friend of John Chrysostom and Jerome. He died in 406 AD. Jerome describead him as a "most learned and most holy man."]

www.dailyscripture.net

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, MATTHEW 5:33-37
Weekday
(1 Kings 19:9a, 11-16; Psalm 27)

KEY VERSE: "It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna" (v 30).
TO KNOW: Jesus taught his disciples about the sacredness of the marriage contract as written in the Law of Moses (Ex 20:14). As with the prohibition against murder (Mt 5:21-22), Jesus said that sin begins in the mind and heart. Jesus illustrated this by saying that his followers must gouge out their "eyes" or cut off their "hands." Of course he wasn't speaking literally, but used Semitic hyperbole to demonstrate his point. If lustful thoughts ("eye") or deeds ("hand") were occasions of sin, they should be ruthlessly eliminated. This was an indication of how relentless one must be in eradicating sin. It would be better to sacrifice passion and pleasure than to risk being destroyed in "Gehenna." This refuse dump, with its never-ending smoldering fire, was a graphic portrayal of eternal punishment. In Dante's Inferno, there is a sign over the gates of Hades that reads: "All hope abandon ye who enter here."
TO LOVE: What is my attitude towards graphic sex and violence in the media?
TO SERVE: Holy Spirit, help me to be pure in mind and heart.

Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle

Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, came to the faith soon after Pentecost, and took the name Barnabas (“son of encouragement”). Although he was not one of the chosen Twelve Apostles, Barnabas is mentioned frequently in the book of Acts, and is considered an Apostle. Barnabas introduced Paul to the Apostles. Like Paul, Barnabas believed in the Church's mission to the Gentiles, and was Paul's companion on his first missionary journey to Cyprus and Asia Minor. Paul and Barnabas argued over taking Barnabas' cousin John Mark on their second journey because Mark had deserted them on their first journey. Paul and Barnabas separated, and Barnabas and Mark went on to evangelize in Cyprus. Barnabas was possibly the author of some apocryphal works. Tradition says that he preached in Alexandria and Rome, and was stoned to death at Salamis about 61 AD. He is considered the founder of the Church in Antioch. At the time of his death it is said that he was carrying a copy of the Gospel of Saint Matthew, which he had copied by hand.

SHAVU'OT BEGINS AT SUNSET

Shavu'ot, the Feast of the Weeks, is the Jewish holiday celebrating the harvest season in Israel. Jews read the book of Ruth at this time. Shavu'ot is the second of the three major festivals with both historical and agricultural significance (the other two are Passover and Sukkot). Shavuot tells the story of the yearly harvest when all Jews made a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. They brought an offering of the First Fruit of the harvest as a gesture of thanksgiving. Shavu'ot also commemorates the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai. While the Passover freed the Jews physically from slavery, the giving of the Torah redeemed them spiritually from bondage to idolatry. Shavuot means "weeks", as it is held seven weeks after Passover. Shavu'ot is also known as Pentecost (Greek), because it falls on the 50th day after Passover. The Christian holiday of Pentecost occurs 50 days after Easter.

www.togetherwithgodsword.com

Saturday 11 June, 2016

Sat 11th. St Barnabas. 1 Kings 19:19-21. You are my inheritance, O Lord—Ps 15(16):1-2, 5, 7-10. Matthew 5:33-37.

Readings

God’s invitation.

‘Yes, but …’ is not an appropriate response to God’s invitation. The invitation addressed to all human beings to know, love and serve God calls for a wholehearted unqualified ‘yes’ on our part — the kind of response that Mary made when Gabriel told her that she would become the mother of Jesus who, in St Paul’s words, is ‘the “yes” to all God’s promises’ (2 Cor 1:20). There is nothing to recommend in the example of the lukewarm people of Laodicea (Rev 3:14-16) or in any variant of St Augustine’s prayer — ‘Lord, make me chaste, but not yet’. It has been well said that to offer God less than anything is to settle for less than God. In the words of today’s Gospel reading: ‘All you need to say is “yes” if you mean yes, “no” if you mean no’ (Mt 5:37). 

www.pray.com.au

MINUTE MEDITATIONS 

Joy of Evangelizing

Talk about your relationship with the Lord. Be joyful. Laugh with the other person. Mention the ways in which you've grown in relationship to Christ, but be sensitive to the individual’s journey of faith. Perhaps quoting a Bible verse won't be as important as simply being present to him or her.

— from Created to Relate

June 11
St. Barnabas

Barnabas, a Jew of Cyprus, comes as close as anyone outside the Twelve to being a full-fledged apostle. He was closely associated with St. Paul (he introduced Paul to Peter and the other apostles) and served as a kind of mediator between the former persecutor and the still suspicious Jewish Christians.

When a Christian community developed at Antioch, Barnabas was sent as the official representative of the Church of Jerusalem to incorporate them into the fold. He and Paul instructed in Antioch for a year, after which they took relief contributions to Jerusalem.

Later, Paul and Barnabas, now clearly seen as charismatic leaders, were sent by Antioch officials to preach to the Gentiles. Enormous success crowned their efforts. After a miracle at Lystra, the people wanted to offer sacrifice to them as gods—Barnabas being Zeus, and Paul, Hermes—but the two said, “We are of the same nature as you, human beings. We proclaim to you good news that you should turn from these idols to the living God” (see Acts 14:8-18).

But all was not peaceful. They were expelled from one town, they had to go to Jerusalem to clear up the ever-recurring controversy about circumcision and even the best of friends can have differences. When Paul wanted to revisit the places they had evangelized, Barnabas wanted to take along John Mark, his cousin, author of the Gospel (April 25), but Paul insisted that, since Mark had deserted them once, he was not fit to take along now. The disagreement that followed was so sharp that Barnabas and Paul separated, Barnabas taking Mark to Cyprus, Paul taking Silas to Syria. Later, they were reconciled—Paul, Barnabas and Mark.

When Paul stood up to Peter for not eating with Gentiles for fear of his Jewish friends, we learn that “even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy” (see Galatians 2:1-13).

Story:

Barnabas is mentioned by name as one of the generous members of the idyllic and extremely poor Church in Jerusalem: "The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. . . . There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need.

"Thus Joseph, also named by the apostles Barnabas (which is translated 'son of encouragement.), a Levite, a Cypriot by birth, sold a pieace of property that he owned, then broguht the moeny and put it at the feet of the apostles" (Acts 4:32, 34-37).

Comment:

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."

www.americancatholic.org

LECTIO DIVINA: SAINT BARNABAS, APOSTLE MT 10: 7-13

Lectio Divina: 

 Saturday, June 11, 2016

1) OPENING PRAYER

Lord our God,
prompted by the Holy Spirit,
the church of Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas
on their missionary mission among pagans.
Let your Church everywhere send
good, zealous men and women as missionaries.
Fill them with the Holy Spirit and with faith,
that they may touch the hearts of people
and win them as disciples and friends
of Jesus Christ our Lord.

2) GOSPEL READING - MATTHEW 10,7-13

Jesus said to his disciples: 'And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of Heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those suffering from virulent skin-diseases, drive out devils. You received without charge, give without charge.

Provide yourselves with no gold or silver, not even with coppers for your purses, with no haversack for the journey or spare tunic or footwear or a staff, for the labourer deserves his keep.

'Whatever town or village you go into, seek out someone worthy and stay with him until you leave. As you enter his house, salute it, and if the house deserves it, may your peace come upon it; if it does not, may your peace come back to you.'

3) REFLECTION

• Today is the feast of Saint Barnabas. The Gospel speaks about the teachings of Jesus to the disciples on how to announce the Good News of the Kingdom to “the lost sheep of Israel” (Mt 10, 6). They have to: a) cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out devils (v. 8); b) announce gratuitously what you have received gratuitously (v. 8); c) provide yourselves with no gold or silver, no sandals, or staff, no haversack, or two tunics (v. 9), d) seek a house where you can be received until the end of the mission (v.. 11); e) be bearers of peace (v. 13).

• At the time of Jesus there were various movements which, like him, were seeking a new way of living and of living together with others, for example, John the Baptist the Pharisees, the Essenes and others. Many of them formed communities of disciples (Jn 1, 35; Lk 11, 1; Ac 19, 3) and had their missionaries (Mt 23, 15). But there was a great difference! The Pharisees, for example, when they went on mission, they provided for their needs. They thought that they could not trust the food that people would offer them, because this was not always “ritually pure”. Because of this they always carried a haversack and money so as to be able to take care themselves of what they would eat. In this way the observance of the law of purity, instead of helping to overcome divisions, weakened even more the living of the community values. The proposal of Jesus is different. His method was seen in the counsels which he gives to the apostles when he sends them on mission. Through the instruction, he tries to renew and to reorganize the communities of Galilee in a way that they would once again be the expression of the covenant, an example of the Kingdom of God.

• Matthew 10, 7: The announcement that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Jesus invites the disciples to announce the Good News. They should say: “The Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand!” What does it mean that the Kingdom is close at hand? It does not mean the closeness of time, in the sense that it suffices to wait for a short time and then the Kingdom will come. “The Kingdom is close at hand” means that it is already within reach of the people, it is already “in your midst” (Lk 17, 21). It is good to acquire a new look, so as to be able to perceive its presence or proximity. The coming of the Kingdom is not the fruit of our observance, as the Pharisees wanted, but it becomes present, gratuitously, in the actions which Jesus recommends to the Apostles: to cure the sick, to raise the dead, to cleanse the lepers, to drive out demons.

• Matthew 10, 8: To cure, to raise, to purify, to drive out. The sick, the dead, the lepers, the possessed, were the excluded from living together with others, and they were excluded in the name of God. They could not participate in the life of the community. Jesus orders to accept these persons, to include them. The Kingdom of God becomes present in these gestures of acceptance and including them. In these gestures of human gratuity is shown God’s gratuitous love which reconstructs the human living together and mends interpersonal relationships.

• Matthew 10,9-10: Do not take anything. On the contrary of the other missionaries, the Apostles can take nothing: “Provide yourselves with no gold or silver, not even with coppers for your purses, with no haversack for the journey or a spare tunic or footwear or a staff, for the labourer deserves his keep”: The only thing which you can and should take is Peace (Mt 10, 13). This means that they have to trust in the hospitality and in the sharing of the people. Because the disciple who does not take anything with him and takes peace, indicates that he trusts people. He believes that he will be received, and the people will feel appreciated, valued, and confirmed. The labourer has the right to his nourishment. Doing this, the disciple criticizes the laws of exclusion and recovers the ancient values of sharing and of community living together.

• Matthew 10, 11-13: To live together and to integrate oneself in the community. Arriving to a place, the disciples have to choose a house of peace and they should remain there until the end. They should not go from one house to the next, but rather live in a stable way. They should become members of the community and work for peace, that is, to reconstruct the human relationships which will favour Peace. By means of this practice, they recover an ancient tradition of the people, they criticize the culture of accumulation, typical of the politics of the Roman Empire and they announce a new model of living together.

• Summary: The actions recommended by Jesus to announce the Kingdom are the following: accept the excluded, trust the hospitality, encourage sharing, live stably and in a peaceful way. If this happens then we can and should cry out openly to the four corners of the world: The Kingdom is among us! To proclaim the Kingdom does not consist, in the first place, in teaching truth and doctrine, catechism and Canon Law, but to lead persons to a new way of living and of living together with others, to a new way of thinking and of acting starting by the Good News, brought by Jesus: God is Father and Mother, and therefore, we are all brothers and sisters.

4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS

•Why are all these attitudes recommended by Jesus signs of the Kingdom of God in our midst?

• How can we do today what Jesus asks of us: do not take with you a “haversack”, do not go from house to the next?”

5) CONCLUDING PRAYER

Sing a new song to Yahweh,
for he has performed wonders,
his saving power is in his right hand and his holy arm. (Ps 98,1)

www.ocarm.org