Homily: Feast of St. Barnabus

Feast of St. Barnabus (Acts 11:21b-26) “Leading with Love”

We might be puzzled that St. Barnabus is set apart as an apostle. We think of the twelve apostles but there were more than twelve. We have three main designations for those who follow Jesus in the Gospel. We have “the twelve.” These were those closest to Jesus. They symbolized the twelve tribes of Israel. Jesus felt he needed to restore the status of Israel as the chosen people, so he picked out twelve men to be leaders of the church.

There were people not among the twelve who were designated as apostles later. These individuals had special qualifications. Usually, they were people who had encounters with the risen Jesus, and they were people that were sent on special missions in the name of the Lord. Paul and Barnabus were in this group. Finally, there were disciples that represented people who wanted to learn about God from Jesus. These people would follow Jesus from place to place seeking wisdom.

Paul and Barnabus were picked out to go to Antioch to monitor the growth of the church there. The leaders of the church in Jerusalem did not want to squelch the growth of the emerging church in Antioch but they wanted to steer it on the right path. This was a very delicate thing to try and do. Talented leaders were needed. That is why Paul and Barnabus were chosen.

The names of people often described their special qualities. Barnabus is a name that means, “Son of Consolation.” Barnabus seems to be a man who was always positive. He was always trying to smooth over any arguments that might arise in the early church. We could call him a peace maker.

Perhaps that is why he and Paul would argue at times. Paul was known to be abrasive at times. He had definite ideas and was known to forge ahead to get things done. Barnabus probably rubbed him the wrong way at times. We are reminded that the church needs to push its agenda with love if we are to be faithful to Jesus.

Reflection Questions:

1.    Did I know about the different types of followers of Jesus? Does this surprise me?

2.   Did I know Paul could be impatient? Does this fit my picture of him?

 Dear Parishioners,

            We are trying to recruit new ministers to serve our church. One of the ministries we would like to see grow is connected to our grieving ministry. We need people to act as greeters, readers and acolytes at funeral liturgies. We also need people to help with funeral luncheons.

            Perhaps your family has been served by people who have exercised these ministries. If you could help us, call our office or sign up in the hallway of the Damien Center.

            May Our Lady pray for our world,

            Fr. Mark