20160611 FAITH AS THE KEY TO A POSITIVE APPROACH TO LIFE
Readings at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Red.
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First reading
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Acts
11:21-26,13:1-3 ©
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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.
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Responsorial
Psalm
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Psalm 97:1-6 ©
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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 shown
his salvation to the nations.
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.
The Lord has shown
his salvation to the nations.
All the ends of the
earth have seen
the
salvation of our God.
Shout to the Lord,
all the earth,
ring out
your joy.
The Lord has shown
his salvation to the nations.
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.
The Lord has shown
his salvation to the nations.
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Gospel
Acclamation
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Ps118:18
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Open my eyes, O Lord,
that I may consider
the wonders of your
law.
Alleluia!
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Or
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Ps118:36,29
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Bend my heart to your
will, O Lord,
and teach me your
law.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Matthew 10:7-13 ©
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And as
you go, proclaim that the kingdom of Heaven
is close at hand.
8 Cure
the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those suffering from virulent skin-diseases,
drive out devils. You received without charge, give without charge.
9
Provide yourselves with no gold or silver, not even with coppers for your
purses,
10 with
no haversack for the journey or spare tunic
or footwear or a staff, for the labourer deserves his keep.
11
'Whatever town or village you go into, seek out someone worthy and stay with
him until you leave.
12 As
you enter his house, salute it,
13 and
if the house deserves it, may your peace come upon it; if it does not, may your
peace come back to you.
FAITH
AS THE KEY TO A POSITIVE APPROACH TO LIFE
SCRIPTURE
READINGS: [ ACTS 11:21-26.
13:1-3; MT 10:7-13 ]
The
name “Barnabas” means a person of encouragement. Indeed, he was a
positive person. He was receptive and open to all possibilities. He
was not an insecure person. So when he arrived at Antioch and saw the
development of the Church, he was very positive towards them. “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.” He had
only words of encouragement, not condemnation. He was not looking at the
faults and weaknesses of the Christian community, of which we can be sure, was
not perfect. Antioch was the third largest city after Rome and
Alexandria. It was a pagan city, known for immoral activities and
commerce. Instead he worked with them.
Barnabas was receptive to
people who were different from him. He was a man who fostered unity.
He was able to accommodate people with different talents, strengths and
weaknesses. He did not come with certain rules to impose on them.
He brought out the best in them and encouraged them further. Indeed, he
was able to bring together Jews and Gentiles, who were non-believers and many
did not even have faith in God, together. Through his preaching and
pastoring, he brought all of them together, united by a common love for the
Lord, not by race, language or culture. Significantly, it was here that
they were called Christians, since the Christian faith no longer was the domain
only of the Jewish Christians.
He was open to new talents
and took risks in trusting people and delegating his work. He was clear
that he was not working for his kingdom but Christ’s. He saw the need of
the Christians to undergo more formation in the faith. It was a new
community and so fragile. So he took the risk of bringing Paul to
work with him. Paul was a very talented person and had a mind of
his own. Yet, Barnabas did not feel intimidated by him. With
humility, eventually, he allowed Paul to take the lead. He was not
envious when Paul eventually superseded him in preaching and in the
mission. Instead, he gave way to Paul to lead the mission to the
Gentiles. Besides grooming Paul to take over the mission from him, he,
with Paul, also groomed leaders for the Christian community. We
read that “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.”
So
great a man was Barnabas! His receptive attitude allowed him to influence
the life of the community. We read later that the community was generous
like him, outgoing, and when they heard from the prophets that their mother
church in Jerusalem was going through a financial crisis because of a famine,
they spontaneously made a collection to be sent there. We can be sure
that the early Christians imbibed his positive approach to the work of
mission. When they were praying one day, and “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.” Barnabas was proactive and missionary minded. He listened to
the community when they received the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
Whatever he did, it was always as a community. He did not act as if
he knew everything. But he listened and worked in union with the rest of
the community. This man, Barnabas, was truly selfless. He did not
care about his security or comfort. He was not interested in the
limelight or in power or glory.
What about us? Are we
positive in outlook like Barnabas? Are we open and receptive to others
and to the will of God? Are we those leaders that bring the best out of
others, especially those working with us and for us? Are we affirming and
encouraging, especially to those people around us? Are we willing to let
go of our position and power so that others who could do the job better be
given the position? Why is it that some people are always negative about
others and putting them down? Why is it that many Church leaders are not
willing to step down for others to take over? Although we say that we
want to serve Christ and extend the kingdom, in truth, it is about our
security, our interests and our comfort. When a leader is not empowering
and when a leader is unable to let go of controlling others, he stifles the
community and eventually the good members will leave because their talents are
not recognized.
If people are
inward-looking and clinging on to power and recognition, it is because they are
afraid to let go. They want security. If people are insecure, it is
because they never have enough, whether of love or things. If people are
envious of others, it is because they don’t see their own gifts which God has
blessed them with. If people see others as a threat, it is because they
are afraid to lose their power and wealth and recognition. Hence, they
need to be defensive and prove themselves to be good enough all the time.
Insecurity ultimately springs from the lack of love and the lack of
appreciation and gratitude for what they have received. We cannot
give what we have not got! This is the fundamental axiom of life.
We can only give what we have received from God.
But the irony is that we
have received. This is what Jesus said, “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 have received without charge, give without
charge.” If we have received freely, we too must give freely as well.
God’s gifts are never for us to keep but to share and give them
away. So why are we still so inward-looking and protective of our own
interests? He gives but not all are ready to give in return. This
is the crux of the problem. We are not ready to give what the Lord has
given to us. Why? Because we lack faith and trust in the
Lord’s providence and power! How to overcome insecurity if not to trust
in God, having a deep faith in Him and be filled with His Holy Spirit?
This was the case of St Barnabas. He was described as “a good man, filled
with the Holy Spirit and with faith.”
Like Barnabas, we are
called to be open to the grace of God who comes to us in different ways and
especially in situations we think are negative. Like the early Church,
the persecutions that took place when seen in the light of faith became golden
opportunities to spread the gospel. When the early Christians were
persecuted, they fled as far as Cyprus and Antioch. Indeed, Barnabas
showed himself to be a man who was ready to move whenever and wherever the Lord
sent Him. He did not intend to stay put in a particular place. He
went wherever he was needed.
Indeed, this is the kind of
attitude the Lord asks of us. “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.” We are called to depend
totally on the Lord. The responsorial psalm makes it clear that it is the
work of God. “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.” We must be
receptive to His Spirit at work in our lives. With God on our side, we
can accomplish everything in and through Him. He makes all things
possible.
Only those who rely on
God’s grace see the need for fasting and prayer. Those who rely on
themselves hardly pray. This is how we differentiate between those who
have faith in God and those who trust only in themselves. Barnabas and the
early disciples grounded their mission in prayer. They never did anything
without discernment, prayer and fasting. So, too, if we want to allow God
to work in and through us, let us be available to the Lord through prayer and
fasting.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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