Acts 11:22-26; 13:1-3 / Matthew 10:7-13 (2020)
St. Barnabas was not one of the twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus, but the book of the Acts of the Apostles named him as an apostle (Acts 14:14).
Together with St. Paul, they preached the Good News to the gentiles. But there are some distinct characteristics about them.
St. Paul wrote epistles but there was none from St. Barnabas in the New Testament. There are quotes from St. Paul in Acts and in other passages in the New Testament, but there seems to be nothing written of what St. Barnabas said.
Yet it can be said that St. Barnabas was as much a man of words as he was of action.
His name means "son of encouragement" and he was given that name when he converted to Christianity and sold his goods and property and gave the money to the apostles.
Indeed he lived up to that name as he was the first to take in St. Paul after his conversion when others were still suspecting him.
In the 1st reading, we heard that St. Barnabas was sent to Antioch to look into the great numbers of conversion, and when he was there, more people were won over to the Lord.
He then went to look for St. Paul to help out in the work in Antioch and it was there that the disciples were first called "Christians" and that became the most identifiable term.
In word and in deed, St. Barnabas was a sign of encouragement for others in their faith and in their lives.
May we follow the example of St. Barnabas and be for others an encouragement and consolation in word and in deed.