June 11
Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle
Lectionary: 580
The first reading for this memorial is proper.
Reading 1
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 Psalm
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.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Go and teach all nations, says the Lord;
I am with you always, until the end of the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus said to the Twelve:
"As you go, make this proclamation:
'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the 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."
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/0611-memorial-barnabas.cfm
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
Your prophets remind us in
season and out of season of our responsibilities toward You and toward the
world of people. When they disturb and upset us, let it be a holy disturbance
that makes us restless, eager to
do Your will and to bring justice and love around us.
We ask You this through Christ our Lord.
Gospel Reading - Matthew 5: 17-19
Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think
that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish
but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the
smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until
all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of
these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the
Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be
called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”
Reflection
Today’s Gospel (Mt 5: 17-19)
teaches how to observe the law of God in its complete fulfillment (Mt 5:
17-19). Matthew writes in order to help the communities of converted Jews
overcome the criticism of the brothers of their own race who accused them,
saying, “You are unfaithful to the Law of Moses.” Jesus Himself had been
accused of infidelity to the Law of God. Matthew has Jesus’ clarifying response
to His accusers. Thus, Matthew sheds some light to help the communities solve
their problems.
Using images of daily life, with simple and
direct words, Jesus had said that the mission of the community, its reason for
being, is that of being salt and light! He had given some advice regarding each
one of the two images. Then follow the brief verses of today’s Gospel.
•
Matthew 5: 17-18: Not one dot, nor one stroke is
to disappear from the Law. There were several different tendencies in the first
Christian communities. Some thought that it was not necessary to observe the
laws of the Old Testament, because we are saved by faith in Jesus and not by
the observance of the Law (Rm 3: 21-26). Others accepted Jesus, the Messiah,
but they did not accept the liberty of spirit with which some of the
communities lived the message of Jesus. They thought that, being Jews, they had
to continue to observe the laws of the Old Testament (Acts 15: 1, 5). But there
were Christians who lived so fully in the freedom of the Spirit, who no longer
looked at the life of Jesus of Nazareth, nor to the Old Testament that they
even went so far as to say, “Anathema Jesus!” (1 Cor 12: 3). Observing these
tensions, Matthew tries to find some balance between both extremes. The
community should be a place where the balance can be attained and lived. Jesus’
answer to those who criticized Him continued to be relevant for the
communities: “I have not come to abolish the law, but to complete it!” The
communities could not be against the Law, nor could they close themselves off
in the observance of the Law. Like Jesus, they should advance and show in
practice, the objective thst the Law wanted to attain in people’s lives, that
is, in the perfect practice of love.
•
Matthew 5: 17-18: Not one dot or stroke will
disappear from the Law. It is for those who wanted to get rid of the law
altogether that Matthew recalls the other parable of Jesus: “Anyone who breaks
even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same
will be considered the least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but the person who keeps
them and teaches them will be considered great in the Kingdom of Heaven.” The
great concern in Matthew’s Gospel is to show that the Old Testament, Jesus of
Nazareth, and the life in the Spirit cannot be separated. The three of them
form part of the same and unique plan of God and communicate to us the
certainty of faith: The God of Abraham and of Sarah is present in the midst of
the community by faith in Jesus of Nazareth who sends us His Spirit.
Personal Questions
•
How do I see and live God’s law: as a freedom to
do anything I please, as an imposition which restricts me, or as a guide to
grow in love?
•
What can we do today for our brothers and
sisters who consider all of this type of discussion as obsolete and not
relevant?
•
How does this view of the Law and the
Commandments affect me? As a line which defines sin, as rules to avoid vice, or
as a guide in attaining virtue?
Concluding Prayer
Praise Yahweh, Jerusalem, Zion, praise your God.
For He gives strength to the bars of your gates, He
blesses your children within you. (Ps 145: 12-13)
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