Today is the feast day of St. Barnabas. He is the patron saint of Cyprus, Antioch, and against hailstorms. He is also invoked as a peacemaker. But who was St. Barnabas and what can we learn from him?
Barnabas was a Jew, a native of Cyprus, and was of the tribe of Levi. He likely served in the Temple as a priest, depending on his age at his conversion to Christianity. His given name was Joseph, but the Apostles called him Barnabas, which means “Son of Encouragement”. It’s a great nickname. His warmth and way of bringing out the best in others was infectious. That’s why he was given that name.
Likewise he was probably a wealthy man, for Luke presents him early in the book of Acts as a generous man who sold land to support the growing Church.
And Barnabas was credited for the introduction that arguably changed the course of Western History and certainly that of the Church. Barnabas smoothed the way for the Church’s most zealous missionary, St. Paul. After Barnabas’ introduction, Paul was accepted and trusted by the disciples.
Then, led by the Holy Spirit, the church in Antioch sent Barnabas and Saul on a mission to other Gentile cities. On this first missionary journey, Barnabas was the apparent leader, but he encouraged Saul (who became known as Paul on this trip) to exercise his considerable gifts.
From this brief account, we can see that Barnabas showed the following characteristics:
- He found joy in the giving of himself to others
- He saw people through God’s eyes
- He lived out the belief that God is at work in every person
- He rejoiced when individuals joined God on his mission in the world
- He saw mistakes as learning opportunities, not terminal experiences
- He understood that we need to use the gifts that God gave us.
We are all called to be like Barnabas and to give our lives to the service of God and the Word. Let us pray that we may strive to seek not our own glory, but the well-being of the Church. May we be filled with the Holy Spirit so that we can be made aware of the gifts that God has given each one of us, and may we have the strength and courage to use these gifts to benefit others. And may we always desire to give of ourselves completely and generously to those in need.
