20220611 FAITH AS THE KEY TO A POSITIVE APPROACH TO LIFE
11 June, 2022, Saturday, St Barnabas, Apostle
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 |
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 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.
Gospel Acclamation | Mt28:19,20 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Go, make disciples of all the nations.
I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.
Alleluia!
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.’
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. 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 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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