TUESDAY JUNE 11, 2024
TUESDAY OF THE TENTH WEEK OF THE ORDINARY TIME B
MEMORIAL OF SAINT BARNABAS
Acts 11:21-26;13:1-3
Matthew 10:7-13
EMULATING THE GOODNESS OF SAINT BARNABAS
We celebrate the memorial of saint Barnabas, whom the church presents to us today. He is a companion of Saint Paul by divine designed, assigned as apostles of the gentile world. He was described in the scriptures as a “good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith.”
The qualities of being a good man is one that endeared him to the rest of the Christian community. Good man, they called him because of his attitude and character in the Christian community. And added to this is that he was full of the Holy Spirit and full of faith in God.
These are characteristics that we also must strive to imbibe and strive to exhibit in our Christian journey. Everyone knows what is good. It means to be striving to avoid error, to be kind, loving, peaceful, forgiving, helping and doing the right things always. As Paul and Barnabas were called to be sent on their journey, they gave in to it wholeheartedly without any resistance. Availability for the mission, to be used, to be an instrument before God is one of the things that demonstrates the goodness of saint Barnabas, and the fullness of the Holy Spirit and faith in him.
The gospel passage relates how the apostles were all given the mandate to go and proclaim the kingdom of God, with specific instructions of healing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing lepers, and in doing these being detached from material encumbrances. Never having spare tunic, nor sandals or thinking of oneself but being urgent in the task of calling people back to God.
This is the mission we have been assigned as well in this world. And to perfectly fulfill this mission we need to put on the cloak and virtues of the goodness of saint Barnabas, the virtues of goodness, openness to the Holy Spirit and filled with faith. Only by these can we fulfill these mandate of proclaiming the kingdom of God.
Let us reflect more on our mission and how we can adequately fulfill it. It is by following these ideals and virtues of these apostles, being focused, learning from their goodness, love and reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit can we succeed in this life.
Heavenly Father, like saint Barnabas, we desire to be good, to be filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. Father, we pray, give us your spirit in its fullness, guide our hearts to fear your name, may we be of service to our generation and our world, bringing joy, peace and progress into people’s lives and drawing them into friendship with you, our God through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
