June 11 2022

First reading Acts 11:21-26,13:1-3

He was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith

A great number believed and were converted to the Lord.

The church in Jerusalem heard about this and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. There he could see for himself that God had given grace, and this pleased him, and he urged them all to remain faithful to the Lord with heartfelt devotion; for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. And a large number of people were won over to the Lord.

Barnabas then left for Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. As things turned out they were to live together in that church a whole year, instructing a large number of people. It was at Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians.’

In the church at Antioch the following were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. One day while they were offering worship to the Lord and keeping a fast, the Holy Spirit said, ‘I want Barnabas and Saul set apart for the work to which I have called them.’ So it was that after fasting and prayer they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

Responsorial Psalm 97(98):1-6

The Lord has shown his salvation to the nations.

Sing a new song to the Lord

for he has worked wonders.

His right hand and his holy arm

have brought salvation.

The Lord has made known his salvation;

has shown his justice to the nations.

He has remembered his truth and love

for the house of Israel.

All the ends of the earth have seen

the salvation of our God.

Shout to the Lord, all the earth,

ring out your joy.

Sing psalms to the Lord with the harp

with the sound of music.

With trumpets and the sound of the horn

acclaim the King, the Lord.

Gospel Matthew 10:7-13

You received without charge: give without charge

Jesus said to his apostles, ‘As you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. You received without charge, give without charge. Provide yourselves with no gold or silver, not even with a few coppers for your purses, with no haversack for the journey or spare tunic or footwear or a staff, for the workman deserves his keep.

‘Whatever town or village you go into, ask for someone trustworthy and stay with him until you leave. As you enter his house, salute it, and if the house deserves it, let your peace descend upon it; if it does not, let your peace come back to you.’

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The work of encouragement

Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Barnabas, known as “son of
encouragement” (Acts 4:36). In today’s first reading, we could see the
reason for this title. Barnabas, seeing God working in and through the
church in Antioch, “urged them all to remain faithful to the Lord with
heartfelt devotion”. The first reading described how Barnabas went to
Tarsus to look for Saul and recognised that God was also at work in this
man’s life. He brought Saul back to Antioch, although some people were
still suspicious of his past as the persecutor of the early church.
Barnabas encouraged him to be involved in the mission, which later led
Saul or Paul to become the apostle to the gentiles.

Barnabas responded to the call of Jesus to go out and proclaim the
Kingdom of God by encouraging others to stay faithful and to use their
talents for the mission. Today, we can follow in the footsteps of St.
Barnabas by encouraging others to keep their faith, pray, support the
good that others are doing, etc. By being a Barnabas to others, we are
actively working for the Kingdom of God.

Question for reflection:
How can I be a Barnabas to those around me today?

Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Sandra Seow FMVD.