20260611 A SYNODAL LEADER
11 June 2026, Thursday, 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.
The following reading is proper to the memorial, and must be used even if you have otherwise chosen to use the ferial readings.
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 | cf.1Th2:13 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Accept God’s message for what it really is:
God’s message, and not some human thinking.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Matthew 5:20-26 |
Anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.
‘You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not kill; and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I say this to you: anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it before the court; if a man calls his brother “Fool” he will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and if a man calls him “Renegade” he will answer for it in hell fire. So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.’
A SYNODAL LEADER
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Acts 11:21-26, 13:1-3; Ps 98:1-6; Mt 10:7-13]
In the Church today, we are seeking leaders to be synodal in practice. Gone are the days when leaders acted in an authoritarian way, dictating what they wanted done. Perhaps, in those days when people were generally less educated and informed, those in the elite groups of society who had received an education, like the priests, were able to act in such a manner. But today, our laity is well educated, highly sophisticated, and knowledgeable that it is impossible for a leader to lead his organisation or Church without consultation. Synodality is not exactly new in the Church, as there has always been consultation between the Pope and the bishops, the bishops and their priests, and priests with their parishioners. However, today, we seek to reinforce and strengthen the necessity for all leaders to journey with the groups at large, to find consensus as to what the Spirit is asking of us.
Today, as we celebrate the memorial of St Barnabas, we recognise that the strength of Barnabas was that he never worked alone, but always with the assistance and collaboration of others. He was very much aware of his limitations. But he must have been a generous man, not just in terms of sharing his wealth with the Church, but in recognising the talents and gifts of others. Indeed, we read in Acts 4:36 that Barnabas was a Levite named Joseph, originally from Cyrus. He apparently had some wealth, but because of his love for the Church and the spread of the Gospel, he sold a field and gave the money to the apostles for distribution.
As a consequence, he became known to the apostles, who entrusted him with greater responsibility. He was entrusted with the leadership of the Church at Antioch. “The church in Jerusalem heard about this and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.” Upon arriving at the Church in Antioch, “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 was quick to see the fruits of the Christians at Antioch and the conversion that was taking place. He was not jealous of their success in bringing about conversion. Rather, he was pleased with their success and encouraged them to remain faithful to the Lord. He was truly an encourager.
Again, Barnabas was not interested in drawing people to himself. Recognising the exponential growth of the Church, he “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 number of people.” Barnabas was once again putting the interests of the Christian community before his own. He was not seeking leadership for himself; his sole concern was the formation of the Christian community. He saw the talents in Paul and was quick to rope him in to help build up the community. He was not threatened by the missionary zeal of Paul. He was able to work with a team of prophets and teachers. St Luke noted, “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.”
Barnabas was open and receptive to the Holy Spirit. His sole concern was the spread of the Gospel. He did not care for personal credit, so long as the Gospel was spread. So “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.” Selected by the Holy Spirit for missionary work, Barnabas did not resist, nor did he insist on staying back to nurture the Church in Antioch, which was a more stable mission. He was able to let go of what he was doing in Antioch since the Lord wanted him to go on a new mission. He obeyed immediately. Taking John Mark, his cousin, along as a helper, their first stop was Barnabas’ native Cyprus (Acts 13:4) and its city of Paphos (Acts 13:6). After ministering in this city, they set sail to Pamphylia, from which John Mark returned to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13). By the time of their next stop in Pisidian Antioch, Paul had apparently taken over the leadership of the mission, and subsequent references to the duo changed from “Barnabas and Paul” to “Paul and Barnabas.” Barnabas again, did not feel slighted in the change of leadership, but he was happy to support Paul so long as the Gospel spread.
The return of John Mark to Jerusalem caused a strain in Paul’s relationship with Barnabas, as Paul did not want John Mark to accompany them on the next missionary trip. As a consequence, Barnabas and Paul parted company in their mission. Barnabas took John Mark with him to Cyprus, whilst Paul and Silas went to Syria and Cilicia (Paul’s ancestral homeland). From thereon, Barnabas is no longer mentioned in the Book of Acts. Such was the humility and magnanimity of Barnabas that he was not afraid of leadership challenges from people who were more capable than him. He was happy to allow Paul to outshine him in the mission. He was willing to play second fiddle because it was never about himself. He always gave people a second chance: just as he gave Saul a second chance, he also never gave up on John Mark, even when Paul did. He allowed failures to be turned into success, provided they were followed by perseverance and encouragement.
In hindsight, therefore, we assess Barnabas as a leader who impacted the lives of those with whom he worked. He took Saul who was totally rejected by the other apostles and persuaded them to recognise him. He recruited Saul and allowed him to develop his teaching and leadership skills. Barnabas was patient with those who worked with him. He was a great leader, not by doing the work himself, but because he had the good emotional intelligence to look for those who could complement his strengths. Without Barnabas and his gift of encouragement, there would be no success. Just as the Lord healed Peter and the apostles after their failure to recognise Him, so too, Barnabas did with Paul and John Mark, allowing them to live up to their calling for the mission. Barnabas, like a good synodal leader, knew how to journey with those who were hurt, wounded, and marginalised. He seemed to have special compassion for the weak because he knew how to listen to them and see the goodness in them. This is what the Church needs today: to welcome sinners and to rehabilitate church leaders who have failed in their responsibilities. We must never give up on them because, with God’s grace, they too can redeem ourselves from their failures and sins. Like Jesus and Barnabas, we must be ready to offer those who have experienced failure in life a second chance and an opportunity to redeem themselves.
Finally, Barnabas lived out the exhortation of our Lord to His apostles whom He sent on mission. Barnabas understood what it takes to proclaim the Gospel, just as the Lord 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.” Spreading the Gospel is more than preaching about Jesus; it is living out the life of the Gospel by attending to the sick, curing them, and healing them.
Barnabas was totally dependent on the Lord instead of clinging to his own wealth and resources. This was what the Lord asked of His disciples. They are called to depend on the Lord and the generosity of His people. This total dependence on the Lord for our mission is what Barnabas has taught us: “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.”
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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