Trong sách Tông Đồ Công vụ, chương 4, Thánh Luca đã ghi lại tóm lược về câu chuyện một người Lê-vi có tên gọi là Giuse đã bán một mảnh đất của gia đình và lấy tiền đó đạt dưới chân các Tông Đồ. Mặc dù Thánh Luca không ghi lại việc trở lại và theo Chúa Giêsu và làm môn đệ của Ngài như thế nào. Nhưng việc dám hy sinh bán thửa đất của gia đình mình đã là một bước xa hơn trong việc tự nguyện và dấn thân để theo Chúa Giêsu và Giáo Hội của Ngài, Cũng vì thế mà các Tông đồ đã đặt tên cho ông Giuse này một cái tên mới là Banaba, nghĩa là người có tài an ùi và khuyến khích.
Hôm nay giáo hội mừng ngày kính nhớ Thánh Banaba, chúng taghi nhớ công ơn những vị Tông đồ đã giúp nuôi sống và phát triển giáo hội ngay từ những ngày sơ khai của Giáo Hội, không phải chỉ có mộtmình Chúa Kitô là người đã có công thành lập giáo hội tiên khởi, nhưng Giáo hội cũng cần phải có những người quan trọng như thánh Banaba, một trong những vị Tông Đồ đã tận hiến chính bản thân mình mà con dâng cúng tất cả những gì mình có cho Giáo hội. Thánh Banaba cũng làmột trong những người đã đón nhận và đưa Thánh Phaolô đến các Tông Đồ và Giáo Hội lúc ban đầu và cũng nhờ Banaba mà Thánh Phaolô đã cơ hội để trở một tông đồ vĩ đại cũa giáo hội..
Lạy Chúa Cha hằng hữu, xin ban cho chúng con có được những ân sủng của Chúa Thánh Thần để động viện và an ủi chúng con, Xin cho chúng con có khả năng, sự khiêm tốn, có tấm lòng rộng lượng và can đảm để rao giảng Tin Mừng cho mọi người chung quanh bằng lời nói vàhành động, và cũng xin ban cho chúng con có được niềm ước muốn làkhuyến khích người khác cùng đến để nhận biết Chúa Giêsu Kitô vì Ngàilà nguồn gốc của tất cả chân lý, sự thật và cuộc sống của con người.
In Acts 4, Luke records in very brief fashion, how a Levite called Joseph sold a piece of land and gave the money to the Apostles. Though Luke does not record his conversion to Jesus, his sale of the land was a further step in his commitment to Jesus and his Church, so that the Apostles named him Barnabas, ‘son of encouragement’ or of consolation
Today we reflect on Barnabas, not just as an early Christian, but more importantly as an Apostle and as the one who brought Paul from Tarsus into the mainstream of the life of the Church.
Heavenly Father, grant us the grace to be people of encouragement and consolation, capable of proclaiming the Gospel by word and deed, and eager to encourage others to come to know Christ as the source of all truth and life.
Saint Barnabas originally named Joseph, was born on the isle of Cyprus and was a Jew of the tribe of Levi (see Acts 4:36). Nothing else is known about his early life. During Jesus’ public ministry, Joseph became His fervent follower and might have been one of the seventy-two disciples whom Jesus sent out on a mission (see Luke 10:1–24). After Pentecost, as the Church in Jerusalem began to grow, the Apostles changed Joseph’s name to Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement.” His name change might have occurred because Barnabas supported the Church when he “sold a piece of property that he owned, then brought the money and put it at the feet of the apostles” (Acts 4:37). This is the first mention of Barnabas in the New Testament.
Three years later, after Saint Paul had undergone his conversion to the Christian faith and spent three years fasting and praying in Arabia, he traveled to Jerusalem to consult with the Apostles. The Apostles and the Christian community were at first hesitant to receive him, for they were aware of the persecutions he had issued against the Church. Barnabas, however, “brought him to the apostles, and he reported to them how on the way he had seen the Lord and that he had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus” (Acts 9:27). After spending a short period of time in Jerusalem, Saint Paul returned to his hometown of Tarsus to avoid persecution. He remained in Tarsus for the next several years.
During that time, some of the Christians who left Jerusalem after the martyrdom of Saint Stephen traveled north to Antioch in Syria, where many Greek Gentiles lived. In Antioch, the Greek-speaking Christians began to preach the Word of God to the Gentiles. As a result, many of the Gentiles converted and accepted the faith. When the Apostles in Jerusalem heard about this, they sent Barnabas to minister to these new converts. Barnabas was so impressed that he went to find Saint Paul in Tarsus and brought him back to Antioch to help share the Good News. It was there, in Antioch, that the word “Christian” was first used, perhaps because the new converts were Gentiles who converted not to the Jewish faith, but directly to Christ.
After a year in Antioch, Paul and Barnabas returned to Jerusalem on a relief mission to assist those suffering from a famine. They brought with them money that was raised among the Christians in Antioch. After returning to Antioch, the Holy Spirit revealed to the Christian community that Paul and Barnabas were to be “set apart” for a special mission. The two were then ordained as bishops and sent forth on a mission, bringing with them Barnabas’ relative, John Mark, the Gospel writer. Over the next year, they traveled to Seleucia, Cyprus, Salamis, Paphos, Perga of Pamphylia, Antioch of Pisidia, Lystra, Derbe, Iconium, and back to Antioch, Syria. During this journey, they won many converts; some Greeks even tried to worship the two as gods. They also encountered opposition, including an unsuccessful attempt to kill Paul by stoning. The two later returned to Jerusalem to help settle disputes about Gentile converts before being sent off on another mission. Before the second journey, Barnabas and Paul disagreed about John Mark’s involvement in the mission, since John Mark had previously abandoned them for an unknown reason while in Pamphylia. The disagreement was so severe that Paul and Barnabas parted ways. Barnabas took John Mark with him to Cyprus, and Paul took Silas with him to Syria and Cilicia.
Nothing else is known for certain about Barnabas’ missionary activity with John Mark in Cyprus. Based on Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians and his letter to the Colossians, the disagreement the two had over John Mark did not have any lasting effect on their friendship. Even John Mark is later affectionately mentioned by Paul.
The only source we have that details Barnabas’ martyrdom comes from the fifth century, which makes its historicity uncertain. According to that tradition, Barnabas was preaching the Gospel around the year 61 and was arrested, dragged out of the city, and either burned to death or stoned. One tradition states that John Mark found his remains and buried them.
Another legend holds that in the year 478, Saint Barnabas appeared to the Archbishop of Cyprus and revealed the location of his burial to him. Archbishop Anthemios then found Saint Barnabas’ body incorrupt, holding the Gospel of Matthew. The Roman emperor then erected a church at the site and buried Saint Barnabas there. Though the church was later lost to history, excavations of the site have found a tomb believed to be that of Saint Barnabas. Saint Barnabas is the patron saint of Cyprus because he was the first missionary bishop on that island.
As we honor this great apostolic bishop, ponder the impact his ministry has had over time. Although the number of converts during his lifetime might have only been in the hundreds or thousands, the effect those converts had on subsequent generations multiplied over and over again. Saint Barnabas traveled, preached, baptized, celebrated the sacraments, and founded many Christian communities. He endured rejection, hardship, violence, and martyrdom, but he pressed on. His fervor stemmed from knowing his Lord, not only through his firsthand witness of Jesus’ ministry but also through his life of prayer and his reception of the Holy Spirit. Try to see his mission as one similar to yours. You, too, are called to zealously preach the Gospel to others. Do not hesitate to do so, no matter the cost. Pray that God uses you as He wills, and offer yourself to His service in imitation of this holy Apostle.
Prayer: Saint Barnabas, you listened to the Gospel from the mouth of Christ Himself, witnessed His miracles, and allowed His saving message to transform your life. As a result, you spent the rest of your life preaching the Good News and saving many souls. Please pray for me, that I will follow your example and dedicate my life to the mission to which I am called. Saint Barnabas, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.
Saint Barnabas Jun 11- 2026
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I want to imitate your patient love. When someone offends me or corrects me, I will not react in anger or rashly, but seek the truth in love. When I offend someone, I will seek out their forgiveness and make amends.
1. The Torah of the Messiah and True Righteousness: In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has just announced the principle that guides the New Covenant Torah. He has not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets, but to bring them to fulfillment and perfection. Jesus takes up six topics, sometimes called “antitheses,” because Jesus contrasts something found in the Old Covenant Torah, such as divorce, with his New Covenant teaching, such as fidelity in marriage. He calls attention to the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, who prided themselves on a meticulous observance of the Law of Moses and their traditions. But Jesus teaches that this type of righteousness is insufficient. It does not bring about entry into the Kingdom of Heaven that he is bringing and inaugurating on earth. True righteousness or justification is a primarily a gift from God. We need to welcome it and be empowered by it. Only with God’s grace can we live the New Covenant Torah faithfully and in such a way that it brings us into the Kingdom.
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