June 11, 2019 (Tuesday of Week 10 Year 1: St Barnabas AP-Memorial)
Give without pay
Dear friends in Christ, today we celebrate the Feast of St Barnabas the Apostle. He was born in Cyprus and was one of the early converts in Jerusalem. He vouched for St Paul before the elders in Jerusalem and accompanied him on his first missionary journey. He later went on a different mission with John Mark his cousin who is the writer of one of the Gospels. He was believed to have been martyred at Salamis in Cyprus before the year 61.
Our first reading today (Acts 11:21-26:13:1-3) gives a little background into the person of this apostle. He was one of the trusted hands in the early church. Once the news came about the conversion to Christianity in Antioch, he was chosen to go there to encourage the converts. “When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad; and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose…” One could see from this line of scripture, what a man he was. He saw and he rejoiced in what God has done in the community. He went on to encourage them to remain faithful. The passage tells us of his own inner disposition, “For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.” His presence in the community also encouraged more people to join them. He then went in search of Saul, a new convert himself, and brought him to Antioch where they worked together for the first time instructing the community. It was from there, God led them both on the first missionary journey as the Holy Spirit made demand of them, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Every Christian open to the workings of the Spirit will always find company with the early Apostles who were willing at any short notice to give up anything for the sake of the gospel. Their mission was not hampered by the thoughts of what tomorrow will be like, except for the spread of the kingdom. God wants to use each and everyone of us, for the sake of the kingdom, our disposition for mission is necessary and Jesus tells us how in the Gospel.
The gospel passage of today (Matthew 10:7-13) is on the mission of the apostles. Their send-forth by Jesus to change the world. The message is simple, “Preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” This is the most important reason why they have been called and chosen. To convince the world to give more than a passing glance to the things that are eternal. Their mission will involve signs, but that is not all. The master says, even those signs are not theirs. “You received without pay, give without pay.” The assurance is that God will provide their needs. God will open doors ahead of them to shelter them and make meals ready in homes where they visit. If they are refused somewhere, move on to the next. How worried are we today about tomorrow and next and many years to come that we even deprive others of their today? Are we not too preoccupied about monetising our gifts and talents?
Let us pray: Lord help us to see your care for us all and open our hearts to respond to the needs of others by worrying less of the future. Amen. May the Almighty God bless you, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.