20250611 A “BARNABAS MINISTRY” IS NEEDED FOR A SYNODAL CHURCH
11 June 2025, Wednesday, St Barnabas, Apostle
First reading |
Acts 11:21-26,13:1-3 |
He was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith
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.’
A “BARNABAS MINISTRY” IS NEEDED FOR A SYNODAL CHURCH
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 11:21-26, 13:1-3; MT 10:7-13]
Today, the Church celebrates the memorial of St Barnabas. Although he was not one of the twelve apostles, he is given the title ‘apostle’, like St Paul. Indeed, St Barnabas was a true apostle of the Gospel. He came from Cyprus and was a Levite named Joseph, but the apostles gave him the name Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”). He must have been a person of some wealth because “He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.” Barnabas therefore was one of the earliest members of the primitive Church. He truly sought to live the life of Christ by sharing generously what he had with the rest of the community. (cf Acts 4:36f) It seems that Barnabas remained single, like Paul. (cf 1 Cor 9:5f) So much so that Luke would later describe Barnabas as “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.” (Acts 11:24)
What are the strengths of Barnabas? Firstly, Barnabas was a trailblazer – a man of passion and initiative. He was deeply committed to spreading the gospel, embarking on new paths not taken by others. He was an effective leader who was entrusted with the task of leading the young Church at Antioch and building up the community under his charge. In fact, it was at Antioch that “the disciples were first called “Christians.” (Acts 11:26) Before long, Barnabas was sent together with Paul on the first missionary journey from Antioch. (Acts 13:2f)
Barnabas was innovative and resourceful in his apostolic mission, never getting discouraged or resentful when things did not go his way. He persevered despite the difficult terrain he had to travel with his fellow brothers, such as when they set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. Indeed, he was a man who was always positive about people and situations, even when they appeared bleak. He was one who never gave up but continually sought new ways to overcome every trial and obstacle, seeing them as graces from God to grow in faith and strength. Despite the persecutions he faced with his fellow Christians, he encouraged the believers at Antioch. “They encouraged them to continue in the faith, saying, ‘It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God.'” (Acts 14:22)
When faced with new challenges after their successful missionary journeys converting the Gentiles, Barnabas and Paul had to confront the circumcision controversy at Antioch. “Certain individuals came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’ And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to discuss this question with the apostles and the elders.” Acts 15:1f)
It was Barnabas who took the lead in presenting the matter to the apostles, rather than Paul – probably because he had known the apostles since the very beginning of the primitive Church. “The whole assembly kept silence, and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they told of all the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the Gentiles.” (Acts 15:12) Once the matter was resolved, the mission to the Gentiles was affirmed, and the Gospel could now be freely preached to them without the requirement for them to be proselytes of Judaism.
Secondly, one of the most memorable strengths of Barnabas was that he was a nurturer. He was given the title, “Son of encouragement” for good reason – he was always encouraging of others, especially those who were considered failures or misfits, or those struggling in the mission of spreading the Gospel. Without Barnabas, there might never have been a Paul, the great apostle to the Gentiles.
When Paul was just converted by the Lord at Damascus, he was viewed with deep suspicion by the Christian community, for they knew him to be a fierce persecutor of the Church. Upon arriving in Jerusalem, “he attempted to join the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, brought him to the apostles, and described for them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus.” (Acts 9:26f) That was Barnabas – he could see in Paul his good intention and sincerity, even when others could not.
Later, while helping to grow the new Church in Antioch, Barnabas remembered Paul and brought him from Tarsus to assist in building the vibrant new community. He was willing to give Paul a chance to work alongside him, and for an entire year, “they met with the church and taught a great many people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians.'” (Acts 11:26) Barnabas was able to recognise Paul’s talents and strengths and passion for the Gospel.
Eventually, Barnabas chose Paul to be his teammate for his first missionary journey. Along the way, Paul, who was gifted for preaching, took over the leadership of the mission team. Barnabas, in his humility, stepped aside as the leader and allowed Paul to shine. He had the wisdom to recognise Paul’s abilities and charisms and chose to support him for the greater good of the Gospel. Barnabas was not insecure or attached to his position in the community. When he saw that Paul was a better leader, he stepped aside graciously and continued to offer his full support.
But Barnabas was not just encouraging of Paul, who was initially rejected by the Christians – he was also very supportive of John Mark, his cousin. (cf Col 4:10) When they set out on their first missionary journey, Barnabas invited John Mark to join them. However, early in the mission, at Pamphylia, for reasons that were not clear, John Mark left and went back to Jerusalem. (Acts 13:13) Luke described Mark’s departure as a desertion. (Acts 13:39)
Later, when Paul was preparing to undertake a second missionary trip, “Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. But Paul decided not to take with them one who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work. The disagreement became so sharp that they parted company.” (Acts 13:36-41) This separation between Paul and Barnabas was handled graciously, with both respecting each other’s assessment of the situation. There was no mention of bitterness or resentment on the part of Paul or Barnabas. They agreed to part ways and doubled-up the mission, with the addition of Silas with Paul.
Again, we see Barnabas as a man who never gave up on others – whether it was Paul or John Mark. He had the ability to see the good in people and encouraged them to develop their charisms. He refused to allow Paul’s past as a persecutor or John Mark’s earlier failure in abandoning the first missionary trip to define their legacies. Instead, he continued to encourage them, opening up new paths for them to give themselves to the service of the Gospel. Barnabas had hoped that Paul would do the same for John Mark. Indeed, Barnabas understood that failure is a tool God uses to help us grow through perseverance and correction. Indeed, John Mark eventually redeemed himself when he became a valued companion of Paul during later missionary efforts (cf Philemon 1:24). Even more significantly, Paul would later request for Mark during his last days. (cf 2 Tim 4:11) Mark was also seen alongside Peter in his later years (1 Peter 5:13), further demonstrating that he had matured into a faithful and trusted servant of the Gospel.
What does Barnabas offer to the Church today? Barnabas teaches us how to become a truly synodal Church – one that encourages and empowers each other according to each one’s charisms for the mission of the Church. Yet, crucially, he also reminds us to put people before mission. Barnabas never prioritised the mission over the person. He understood that the success of the mission depended on the strength and faith of the missionaries themselves.
Indeed, we must never forget that the mission is not more important than the members – for Barnabas, the mission was the members. He recognised that the Church thrives when its leaders and members are encouragers and healers in their community. Would Peter and the other apostles still be apostles unto death if not for Jesus’ forgiveness? So, too, without Barnabas, Paul and John Mark might have been cast aside. That is why we need a “Barnabas’ ministry” in our Christian communities, to give hope to those who have failed. When we step out in faith to accept them, God will work miracles in them and through them. He will accomplish great things with them. Truly, only through a Barnabas-style leadership could today’s disgraced John Mark become tomorrow’s great evangelist, and today’s ex-persecutor Saul be the apostle to the Gentile and secular world.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment