Son of Encouragement!

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

St. Barnabas, Apostle

Acts 11:21-26;13:1-3; Mt 5:13-16

Today’s Gospel highlights that we are the salt and the light of the world. 

By retaining its saltiness, the salt stays relevant for use.

By illuminating the place where it is lit, the light that is not hidden shows its significance. 

In essence, the originality of salt and light is about retaining their uniqueness.

Jesus extends the analogy of salt and light to the life of a Christian. 

We cannot call ourselves Christians without asserting our uniqueness to the fullest.

This requires that the Christian presence be impactful and unique, following the model of Christ. 

The life of St. Barnabas, whose feast we celebrate today, exemplifies how a Christian ought to be the salt and the light. 

Acts 4:36-37 gives us a short but insightful description of St. Barnabas. It reads, ‘Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’) sold a field he owned, and brought the money, and put it at the apostles’ feet.’

Though this is the first mention of St. Barnabas, the meaning of his name fits what we know of his actions. 

When St. Paul came to Jerusalem after his conversion, most of the Christians there wanted nothing to do with him. They had known him as a persecutor and an enemy of the Church. But Barnabas was willing to give him a second chance. He brought him to other Christians, vouching for him (Acts 9:26-27; Acts 11:25-26). 

Later, Paul and Barnabas went on a missionary journey together, taking Mark with them. Partway, Mark turned back and went home. When Paul and Barnabas were about to set out on another such journey, Barnabas proposed to take Mark along, and Paul was against it, saying that Mark had shown himself undependable. Barnabas wanted to give Mark a second chance, and so he and Mark went off on one journey, while Paul took Silas and went on another. Mark responded well to the trust given to him by the ‘son of encouragement.’ Hence, we find Paul speaking of him later as a valuable assistant (2 Tim 4:11; Col 4:10; Phil 24).

St. Barnabas became the salt through his radical discipleship, which parted with everything for the love of the Lord. 

He became the light when he could illuminate the paths of others through encouragement and persuasion. 

Let us pray that we may be inspired by the example of St. Barnabas to be the salt and the light of the world!

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar