The feast day of St. Barnabas is celebrated on June 11.
St. Barnabas was Jewish. He was given the name of Joseph at birth. He sold his property and gave the proceeds to the Apostles who named him Barnabas. Barnabas means ‘son of consolation’ or ‘man of encouragement’. The bible tells us he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. He lived in common with the earliest Christian converts. While he was not one of the original apostles, he is believed to be one of the 72 commissioned by Jesus to preach. He is given the honorary title of Apostle.
St. Barnabas was one of the first to welcome St. Paul as a disciple of Jesus. He persuaded the community to accept Paul. Barnabas was sent to Antioch, Syria to investigate a community of non-Jewish believers there and brought Paul there from Tarsus. The followers of The Way were first called Christians at Antioch. Barnabas, his cousin John Mark and the Apostle Paul traveled together on their first missionary journey. They went to Cyprus, Perga, Antioch, and Iconium, and Lystra in Lycaomia. After being stoned they returned to Antioch.
Paul and Barnabas attended the counsel of Jerusalem which was discussing whether Christians needed to be circumcised before baptism.
St. Barnabas preached in Alexandria and Rome before being stoned to death at Salamis in the year 61. He is considered the founder of the Cypriot Church.
Let us be about God’s business and He will look after ours.
Quote of St. Vincent de Paul; Feast day September 27
June is the Month of the Sacred Heart.