Today’s feast of St. Barnabas, the companion of St. Paul in his missionary journeys, invites us to appreciate and pray for those who collaborate in the mission of the Church. While we know very little about his life (his name means “son of encouragement”), we can imagine him as a faithful and loyal companion ready to assist his leader and friend, St. Paul, and most likely had encouraged or consoled Paul in the midst of persecution and trial.

St. Barnabas, thus, encourages us to collaborate with others, to labor with others, even if we prefer to do things alone, or are wary of possible conflicts or disagreements that come with working with others. The mutual support and encouragement that we receive from our fellow workers is of great value in the furtherance of our mission. We are called to synodality, to walk together with others in mission.

First Reading

Acts 11:21b-26; 13:1-3

In those days a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The news about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to go to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart, for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. And a large number of people was added to the Lord. Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch.

For a whole year they met with the Church and taught a large number of people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians. Now there were in the Church at Antioch prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, completing their fasting and prayer, they laid hands on them and sent them off.

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.

Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”