Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle
Lectionary: 580/359
Lectionary: 580/359
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 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.
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.
AlleluiaMT 5:12A
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 5:1-12
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.
Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.
Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Meditation: "Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward is great in heaven"
What is the good life which God intends for us? And
how is it related with the ultimate end or purpose of life? Is it not our
desire and longing for true happiness, which is none other than the
complete good, the sum of all goods, leaving nothing more to be desired? Jesus
addresses this question in his sermon on the mount. The heart of Jesus' message
is that we can live a very happy life. The call to holiness, to be saints who
joyfully pursue God's will for their lives, can be found in these eight
beatitudes. Jesus' beatitudes sum up our calling or vocation - to live a life
of the beatitudes. The word beatitude literally means
"happiness" or "blessedness".
God gives us everything that leads to true happiness
What is the significance of Jesus' beatitudes, and why are they so central to his teaching? The beatitudes respond to the natural desire for happiness that God has placed in every heart. They teach us the final end to which God calls us, namely the coming of God's kingdom (Matthew 4:17), the vision of God (Matthew 5:8; 1 John 2;1), entering into the joy of the Lord (Matthew 25:21-23) and into his rest (Hebrews 4:7-11). Jesus' beatitudes also confront us with decisive choices concerning the life we pursue here on earth and the use we make of the goods he puts at our disposal.
What is the significance of Jesus' beatitudes, and why are they so central to his teaching? The beatitudes respond to the natural desire for happiness that God has placed in every heart. They teach us the final end to which God calls us, namely the coming of God's kingdom (Matthew 4:17), the vision of God (Matthew 5:8; 1 John 2;1), entering into the joy of the Lord (Matthew 25:21-23) and into his rest (Hebrews 4:7-11). Jesus' beatitudes also confront us with decisive choices concerning the life we pursue here on earth and the use we make of the goods he puts at our disposal.
Jesus' tells us that God alone can satisfy the deepest
need and longing of our heart. Teresa of Avila's (1515-1582) prayer book contained
a bookmark on which she wrote: Let nothing disturb you, let nothing
frighten you. All things pass - God never changes. Patience achieves all it
strives for. Whoever has God lacks nothing -God alone suffices.
Is God enough for you? God offers us the greatest good
possible - abundant life in Jesus Christ (John 10:10) and the promise of
unending joy and happiness with God forever. Do you seek the highest
good, the total good, which is above all else?
The beatitudes are a sign of contradiction to the
world's way of happiness
The beatitudes which Jesus offers us are a sign of contradiction to the world's understanding of happiness and joy. How can one possibly find happiness in poverty, hunger, mourning, and persecution? Poverty of spirit finds ample room and joy in possessing God as the greatest treasure possible. Hunger of the spirit seeks nourishment and strength in God's word and Spirit. Sorrow and mourning over wasted life and sin leads to joyful freedom from the burden of guilt and spiritual oppression.
The beatitudes which Jesus offers us are a sign of contradiction to the world's understanding of happiness and joy. How can one possibly find happiness in poverty, hunger, mourning, and persecution? Poverty of spirit finds ample room and joy in possessing God as the greatest treasure possible. Hunger of the spirit seeks nourishment and strength in God's word and Spirit. Sorrow and mourning over wasted life and sin leads to joyful freedom from the burden of guilt and spiritual oppression.
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."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Perfect blessedness is humility of spirit, by
Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD)
"'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven.' The Lord taught by way of example that the glory of
human ambition must be left behind when he said, 'The Lord your God shall you
adore and him only shall you serve' (Matthew 4:10). And when he announced
through the prophets that he would choose a people humble and in awe of his
words [Isaiah 66:2], he introduced the perfect Beatitude as humility of spirit.
Therefore he defines those who are inspired as people aware that they are in
possession of the heavenly kingdom... Nothing belongs to anyone as being
properly one's own, but all have the same things by the gift of a single
parent. They have been given the first things needed to come into life and have
been supplied with the means to use them." (excerpt from commentary ON MATTHEW 4.2)
MONDAY, JUNE 11, MATTHEW 5:1-12
(Acts 11:21b-26, 13:1-3; Psalm 98)
(Acts 11:21b-26, 13:1-3; Psalm 98)
KEY VERSE: "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven" (v. 12).
TO KNOW: Scholars note that there are five discourses, or sermons, given by Jesus in Matthew's gospel, which may parallel the five books of the Torah. The Sermon on the Mount is the first sermon (Matt 5-7). Matthew depicts Jesus as the authoritative teacher who, like Moses, went up a mountain to proclaim God’s law. At the time of Christ, blessings of health and material prosperity were seen as rewards for one's righteousness, whereas, affliction, sickness and poverty were considered to be punishments for sin. In the Beatitudes (v. 1-12), Jesus reversed this concept and announced that true happiness was not found in wealth and power. The anawim, the poor and the outcast, exemplified the attitude of trust and humility needed to enter God's reign. These poor lacked the basic necessities of life and they had no prestige or reputation to uphold. Because they were aware that they had nothing, they trusted God to provide for their needs. Jesus promises spiritual reward for all who are compassionate, just, and who humbly seek to do God's will despite persecution (see Micah 6:8).
TO LOVE: Do I share my material blessings from God with those in need?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, teach me to give generously and trust you for all my needs.
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 mission. 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.
Monday 11 June
2018
St Barnabas.
1 Kings 17:1-6. Psalm 120(121):1-8. Matthew 5:1-12.
Our help is from the Lord who made heaven and earth—Psalm
120(121):1-8.
‘Rejoice and be glad.’
The crowd listening to Jesus would have included people with
every need and suffering. To them came the proclamation of the Beatitudes,
beginning with a surprising expression of joy, ‘Happy are the poor in spirit!’
We are given a whole new perspective on their lives and the
world we live in. The traditional things such as wealth, success and power are
not so important. Those who mourn will be comforted; the meek shall inherit the
earth. In this altered vision of the world lay the power to change everything,
to bring about the reign of God.
We are told that a change in attitude, a new frame of mind can
become the first step towards achieving a just world.
Saint Barnabas
Saint of the Day for June 11
(c. 75)
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| Stained glass window of Saints Peter and Barnabas in the cathedral of Saint Corentin| photo by Thesupermat |
Saint Barnabas’ Story
Barnabas, a Jew of Cyprus, comes as close as anyone outside the
Twelve to being a full-fledged apostle. He was closely associated with Saint
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 his cousin John Mark, author of the Gospel, 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).
Reflection
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.”
Saint Barnabas is the Patron Saint of:
Cyprus
LECTIO DIVINA: SAINT BARNABAS,
APOSTLE MT 10: 7-13
Lectio Divina:
Monday, June 11, 2018
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.
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 Apostles: “As you go,
make this proclamation: 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Cure the sick,
raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have
received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper
for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or
walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. Whatever town or village you
enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. As you
enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon
it; if not, let your peace return 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 what they have received gratuitously (v. 8); c)
provide themselves with no gold or silver, no sandals, or staff, no sack, or a
second tunic (v. 9), d) seek a house where they 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; Acts 19:3) and had their missionaries (Mt 23:15). But there was a great
difference! The Pharisees, for example, when they went on mission, provided for
their needs. They thought that they could not trust the food that people would
offer them because it was not always “ritually pure.” Because of this they
always carried a sack and money so as to be able to take care of what they
would eat. In this way, the observance of the law of purity, instead of helping
to overcome divisions, weakened the living of community values even more. 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 this instruction,
He tries to renew and 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 is only 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 take a new look to be able to see its presence or
proximity. The coming of the Kingdom is not the fruit of our observance, as the
Pharisees wanted, but it becomes present 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 all 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 the disciples to accept these people, to include them. The kingdom
of God becomes present in these gestures of acceptance and inclusion. In
these gestures of human gratuity is shown God’s love, which reconstructs
communal living and mends interpersonal relationships.
• Matthew 10:9-10: Do not take
anything. Unlike other missionaries, the Apostles can take
nothing: “Provide yourselves with no gold or silver, not even with
copper for your belts, with no sack for the journey or a spare tunic or
footwear or a staff, for the laborer 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 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 laborer has the right to his
nourishment. In doing this, the disciple criticizes the laws of exclusion and
recovers the ancient values of sharing and of community living.
• Matthew 10:11-13: To live
together and to integrate oneself in the community. Arriving at 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 favor 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 hospitality, encourage sharing, and 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, of 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
acting, starting with 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 would you announce the Kingdom
among us today? To whom would you need or want to announce it?
• In making this announcement, by being
an example of the Kingdom in action, to go on this mission, it is an invitation
to the hearer to come closer to Christ and the Church. Action goes hand-in-hand
with knowledge and an understanding of what the community is about. What would
be your next steps in bringing someone closer to the community, Jesus, and His
Church?
• Do these instructions help us to
discern true disciples of Jesus from those who use His name to distort the
truth and build a big bank account for themselves?
FOR FURTHER KNOWLEDGE
Many religious orders other than the
Order of Carmelites, as communities, build on these missionary instructions of
Jesus as well. The Benedictines take a vow of stability, to not move from place
to place. Others, of the mendicant movement such as Franciscans and Dominicans,
rely on the material support of others. Take some time today to look into and
read about the various Orders and the ways they have chosen to announce the Kingdom
of God in the world.
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)
for He has performed wonders,
His saving power is in His right hand and His holy arm. (Ps 98:1)
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