Saint Barnabas, apostle

Commentary of the day
Saint Gregory the Great (c.540-604), Pope, Doctor of the Church
Homilies on the Gospel, no. 30 ; PL 76, 1220 (trans. ©Cistercian publications Inc., 1990)

Saint Barnabas, the apostle who announces that the Kingdom of heaven is near

“How can I love one I do not know?”... While we cannot see God, there is something we can do to open a way for the eye of our understanding to come to him. It is certain that we can see now in his servants one whom we can in no way see in himself. When we see them doing astonishing things, we can be sure that God dwells in their hearts... None of us can look directly at the rising sun by gazing at its orb. Our eyes are repelled as they strain to see its rays. But we look at mountains bathed in sunlight and see that it has risen. Because we cannot see the Sun of righteousness (Mal 3,20) himself, let us see the mountains bathed in his brightness, I mean the holy apostles. They shine with virtues and gleam with miracles... The power of his divinity is in itself like the sun in the sky; in human beings it is like the sun shining on earth...

We make our way by foot on earth without stumbling if we love God and our neighbor with our whole heart (Mt 22,37f.)... That is why the Holy Spirit was given a second time to the disciples. First it was given by the Lord while he was still dwelling on earth, and later while he is watching over us in heaven (Jn 20,22; Acts 2,2): on earth that we may love our neighbors, from heaven that we may love God. Why first on earth and later from heaven, except for the reason given us openly by John: “How can one person who does not love his brother whom he sees love God whom he does not see?” (1Jn 4,20). Let us love our neighbors, my friends, let us love the one who is near us, so that we may be able to reach the love of the one who is above us... so that they may be found completely worthy to rejoice in God with them.

'Just as suffering and dishonor usually give birth to virtues, so pleasure and self-esteem usually give birth to vices.'

St. Mark the Ascetic

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/3569727/posts?page=3

Saint of the Day — Saint Barnabas!

Church Fathers: The Didache and the Epistle of Barnabas
[Turks allow] First services after 1974 at church of founder of Church of Cyprus [Saint Barnabas]
Saint Barnabas - Apostle

Information: St. Barnabas

Feast Day: June 11

Born: Cyprus

Died: 61 AD, Salamis, Cyprus

Major Shrine: Monastery of St Barnabas in Famagusta, Cyprus

Patron of: Cyprus, Antioch, against hailstorms, invoked as peacemaker

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: June 11th

Memorial of St. Barnabas, apostle

MASS READINGS

June 11, 2018 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

O God, who decreed that Saint Barnabas, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit, should be set apart to convert the nations, grant that the Gospel of Christ, which he strenuously preached, may be faithfully proclaimed by word and by deed. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Old Calendar: St. Barnabas; Corpus Christi

St. Barnabas, designated by the Holy Spirit to share the charge and mission of the twelve Apostles, is venerated by the Church as one of them. He played an important part in the first extension of Christianity outside the Jewish world. It was Barnabas who presented St. Paul to the other Apostles when, after his long retreat in Arabia, he came to Jerusalem for the first time after his conversion to submit for Peter's approval the mission to the Gentiles entrusted to him by the Master Himself. Barnabas was Paul's companion and helper on his first missionary journey and returned with him to Jerusalem, but left him when he set out on his second journey and went to Cyprus. The name of St. Barnabas is mentioned in the Canon of the Mass.

St. Barnabas
Strictly speaking, Barnabas was not an apostle, but the title has been bestowed upon him since very early times. His first name was Joseph; Barnabas (etymology: "son of consolation") was a surname. He belonged to the tribe of Levi. He was a Hellenist, that is, a Jew who lived outside of Palestine and spoke the Greek tongue. Born in Cyprus, he embraced the faith soon after the death of Christ, becoming a member of the original Jerusalem community. His first noteworthy deed was to sell his belongings and place the money at the feet of the apostles.

It is to his lasting credit that he befriended the neo-convert Paul and introduced him to the apostles when everyone was still distrusting the former persecutor. More noteworthy still was his service to the universal Church by being the first to recognize Paul's potential for the cause of Christ; it was Barnabas who brought him from Tarsus to teach at Antioch. The first missionary journey (about 45-48 A.D.) the two made together, and Barnabas seems to have been the leader, at least at the beginning (Acts 13-14). Barnabas' appearance must have been dignified and impressive, otherwise the inhabitants of Lystra would not have regarded him as Jupiter.

He was present with Paul at the Council of Jerusalem (ca. 50). While they were preparing for the second missionary journey, there arose a difference of opinion regarding Mark; as a result each continued his labors separately. Barnabas went to Cyprus with Mark and thereafter is not referred to again in the Acts of the Apostles or in any other authentic source. From a remark in one of Paul's letters we know that he lived from the work of his own hands (1 Cor. 9:5-6). The time and place of his death have not been recorded. It is claimed that his body was found at Salamina in 488 A.D. His name is mentioned in the Canon of the Mass since ancient times.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Patron: Antioch; Cyprus; against hailstorms; invoked as peacemaker.

Symbols: Dalmatic; three stones; book and staff; St. Matthew's Gospel; pilgrim's staff and wallet; burning pyre; cross; hatchet; ax; lance;
Often portrayed as: middle-aged bearded apostle, often bearing a book or olive branch; standing on or near a pile of stones while holding a book; stones; with Saint Paul.

Things to Do:

Read the passages from the Acts of the Apostles about St. Barnabas: Acts 4:36-37; 9:26-29; 11:27-30; 12:24-25; 13:1-12; 13:27-30; 13:44-52; 14:1-14; 14:21-23; 14:36-40.
Read the Catholic Encyclopedia's account of the life of St. Barnabas.

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Monday, June 11

Liturgical Color: Red

Today is the Memorial of St. Barnabas.
He was a companion of St. Paul and
worked with him to spread the Gospel
message to the Gentiles. He helped
establish the Church in Antioch before
undergoing a martyr's death.

Catholic Culture

Meditation: Matthew 5:1-12

Saint Barnabas, Apostle (Memorial)

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (Matthew 5:9)

Have you ever met someone who has a knack for putting people at ease? When everyone else is arguing, they are calm. When everyone else is reacting, they are peacefully sizing up the situation. They seem to know exactly how to defuse tension and get people talking to each other.

It seems that St. Barnabas, whose feast we celebrate today, was such a person. Scripture tells us that when the recently converted Paul asked to join the apostles in Jerusalem, Barnabas persuaded them to trust Paul (Acts 9:26-30). That was no small feat, since Paul—formerly Saul—had a reputation of persecuting Christians. Think how differently things might have turned out if they had rejected him!

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.

You have undoubtedly found yourself in a few tense situations. So how can you be an agent of Jesus’ peace in them? First, and most important, pause to pray. You might say, “Lord, help me keep my emotions under control. Guard my thoughts and my speech. Fill me with your peace.”

Second, be careful not to jump in right away. Listen first. Consider what may be behind a person’s words. Many disagreements can be resolved by hearing out the other person’s views. Sometimes it isn’t even necessary to agree.

Finally, speak positively. Try not to take a side if you can at all help it. If someone is angry, let them know that you understand their feelings. You may want to draw them aside to blow off steam more privately. If someone is troubled or upset, offer to pray with them. If someone is disagreeing with you, seek common ground instead of highlighting your differences. Like Barnabas, you can take small steps that will make a big difference—and bring the peace of Christ into the world.

“Lord, make me a peacemaker.”

Acts 11:21-26; 13:1-3
Psalm 98:1-6

#29 should have been

The Word Among Us

Regnum Christi

June 12, 2018 – True Leadership

11 Jun 2018

Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Father Shawn Aaron, LC

Matthew 5:13-16g

Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything but is thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

Introductory Prayer: Father of love, source of all blessings, you have led me throughout my life, and you lead me still. Thank you for your paternal care. Jesus, Son of God, you died for me on the cross to pay for my sins and manifest your unconditional love for me. Thank you for showing me the way home to the Father. Holy Spirit, sweet guest of the soul, you heal me and strengthen me and set me on fire from the most intimate depths of my soul. Thank you for your loving presence within me.

Petition: Lord, show me where I can make a difference.

1. The New Flavor of the Gospel: By calling us “the salt of the earth” Jesus meant that all his disciples, all those who would be called ‘Christians’ down through the centuries, would have the responsibility to work to give the new ‘taste’ of the Gospel to the earth and enlighten the entire world with Jesus’ teaching. Salt enhances the food we eat by accenting the natural flavor already present in the food. In like manner, we are called by God to enhance the world around us with the “saltiness” of our Christian lives. God created the world good, but sin has marred it. Through baptism God gives us the “salt” of his divine life – grace – so that, in turn, this grace of baptism will develop into a life of virtue and Christian charity by which we are called to “season” our environment. Do I have this awareness and desire which springs from my baptism?

2. Enlightening Minds and Hearts: Without light we are blind. The human eye is rendered useless where light is unable to penetrate. Analogously, all people have the power to know God who is truth, goodness and love. But without the particular light that is Jesus Christ, those faculties are clouded at best. Jesus wants you and me to be his light in contemporary society. By the way we live our life other people must see: They must see Christ. They must see the dignity of the human person and the noble calling each one of us has to live forever with God. They must see that love and mercy triumph over evil, suffering and death. The world needs our light because the world needs Christ.

3. The Shining Example of the Saints: What about humility? What about not letting your right hand know what your left hand is doing? Jesus reminds us that our lives and actions are meant to direct people’s gaze to God and not towards ourselves: “So that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” The world has needed to see Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta in action. It has needed to see the youthful vigor and the aged frailty of Pope Saint John Paul II. Their light has illumined our path towards God. This side of heaven, we will always need the example of the saints, and that is precisely what you and I are called to be.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, you have given me everything I need to be faithful. Grant me also the courage and the zeal to live what I believe and to testify to your faithful love in my thoughts, words and actions. Mother Most Pure, make my heart only for Jesus.

Resolution: Today I will speak to someone about Jesus, backing up my words with the sincerity with which I live my Christian commitments.

Homily of the Day

June 11, 2018

In the first reading we see the amazing spread of the Gospel message and the number of believers in the early Church, especially through the ministry and travels of St. Paul.

In the Gospel reading, the Beatitudes give us values to aspire for. The Beatitudes give us hope to move forward in very difficult times and challenges. The Beatitudes promise light and joy at the end of sorrow and pains in this life.

All want to experience the joys of the heavenly kingdom: the Beatitudes tell us that heaven will be enjoyed by the poor in spirit, the gentle and merciful, the pure of heart and the peace-makers, and those persecuted for justice’s sake.

In a way the Beatitudes also tell us that we can have a “foretaste” of the joy and glory of heaven even now in earth. We will be blessed if we live in poverty of spirit, in being merciful and pure of heart, in working for peace and in being ready to be persecuted for the cause of truth and justice. Indeed these choices are not the usual choices or preferences of men and women of this world. But we are men and women seeking and living the kingdom of God even while we live in this world.

Do we want to be among the “fortunate” in the kingdom of God, even now and forever in heaven?

One Bread, One Body

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St. Barnabas

Acts 11:21-26; 13:1-3
View Readings

Psalm 98:1-6

Matthew 10:7-13
Similar Reflections

ENCOURAGING YOURSELF OUT OF A JOB

"Barnabas went off to Tarsus to look for [Paul]." �Acts 11:25

Whenever a lowly underdog needed an advocate, the apostle Barnabas stepped forward. Barnabas was a champion for those who needed a second chance. Barnabas took Paul under his protection when Paul risked his life to return to Jerusalem (see Acts 9:27). Barnabas introduced Paul to the apostles and spoke glowingly on Paul's behalf. Without Barnabas' intervention, those in Jerusalem would have "refused to believe that [Paul] was a disciple" at all (Acts 9:26), given Paul's background of zealously persecuting disciples of Jesus. When the church in Antioch needed encouragement and instruction, Barnabas brought in Paul to provide it (Acts 11:25ff). Barnabas brought financial relief to Christians in Jerusalem who were suffering the effects of a famine (Acts 11:30).

When Barnabas was chosen as the leader of the first evangelical mission (Acts 13:2), he took along his young cousin Mark (Col 4:10). Barnabas' encouragement of Paul bore fruit as Paul stepped out and proclaimed God's Word in great power. Soon Barnabas lost his leadership job as Paul ascended to the top spot in the mission because of his powerful preaching.

When the pressure increased, Mark left the missionary team. Barnabas later took Mark under his wing when Paul refused to take Mark back (Acts 15:37ff). But Barnabas' advocacy for Mark meant the loss of his own job on the missionary team. At this point, Barnabas disappears from the pages of the Acts of the Apostles. Yet Barnabas' humble, selfless encouragement bore fruit again. Mark became a strong evangelist, even writing a Gospel. Barnabas decreased, but his prot�g�s increased greatly (Jn 3:30).

Prayer: Father, may I raise up disciples for Jesus as did Barnabas.

Promise: "The gift you have received, give as a gift." —Mt 10:8

Praise: St. Barnabas' great faith bore great fruit. He dedicated himself to following the promptings of the Holy Spirit, despite not knowing the end result beforehand.

Big brothers love their newborn siblings.