The Feast of St Barnabas

Acts 11:21-26.13:1-3, Mt. 10:7-13. Today we celebrate “a good man”, who nourishes his goodness with the Gospel values; very much in love with the growth of the young Christian faith. God inspires him to take the tough option of pairing himself with Paul. Obviously, it takes a whole lot of trust to muster the courage to invite Paul at that given time, considering his activities before conversion, this helped him to gain entry to the Christian community in Jerusalem. As portrayed in today's first reading, Barnabas had the sort of unselfish and encouraging personality that made him a great ambassador for the Gospel and earned him the name "Son of Encouragement". How much do we trust that in spite of our natural human differences, we can always carry the Gospel together and allow it to transform us to others’ admiration and edification? Barnabas and Paul promoted this trend of ‘new Christian living’. They placed the Good News at the centre and the result was the name “Christians”.

Today's Gospel presents Jesus as the guidance to His twelve Apostles, with the urgency and goodwill that their mission required. They were to be zealous with the message and in the ministry of healing and practice a sober, purposeful lifestyle and unconcerned for trappings of wealth and status. The life of Barnabas encourages us that God is always at work in new and creative ways among us and it is a great gift to be able to recognise divine inspiration wherever it is found, to celebrate and encourage its effects. Barnabas had this gift of noticing where the Lord was a work because, as today's first reading puts it, "he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith" (Acts 11:24). We need to be open to the Spirit, in order to recognise the work of the Spirit.

May the Lord help us to persevere in the process of our transformation in Christ to the end so that we may become lovely, generous and filled with the Holy Spirit like St Barnabas! Amen!! Remain safe and have a pleasant day!!!