The holy apostle Barnabas was a good man and “full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.” He was counted among the first of the faithful at Jerusalem, preached the Gospel at Antioch and introduced Saul of Tarsus, just converted, to a number of the brothers. He accompanied Paul on his first trip to Asia to evangelize. He was present at the Council of Jerusalem. Having returned to the island of Cyprus, his native land, he spread the Gospel there.
Bartholomew the Apostle, who is believed by many to be the same as Nathanael, was born in Cana of Galilee and was taken to Christ Jesus by Philip at the Jordan. Afterwards, the Lord called him to follow him and he joined the Twelve. After the Ascension of the Lord it is said that he preached the Gospel in India and there was crowned with martyrdom.
Receiving the Spirit as He came in fiery tongues, you preached the coming of the Word in the flesh. While one of you was beheaded for the Gospel, the other endured stoning for the sake of the faith. You have been sent to adorn the choirs of heaven, O Bartholomew and Barnabas. We honor your memory and ask that you intercede with God to forgive our sins.
O Bartholomew, apostle of the Lord, you appeared to the world as a shining star. You enlightened with the splendor of your teachings and the wonder of your miracles all those who honor you.
O Barnabas, you became a perfect and faithful servant of the Lord. You were the first of the seventy disciples, worthy to be the companion of Paul in his preaching. You proclaimed to all that Christ is the Savior. Therefore, we celebrate your holy memory with hymns and songs.
Acts 11: 19-30
In those days, those in the community who had been dispersed by the persecution that arose because of Stephen went as far as Pheonicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, making the message known to none but the Jews. However, some men of Cyprus and Cyrene among them who had come to Antioch began to talk even to the Greeks, announcing the good news of the Lord Jesus to them. The hand of the Lord was with them and a great number of them believed and were converted to the Lord. News of this eventually reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem, resulting in the sending of Barnabas to Antioch. On his arrival he rejoiced to see the evidence of the Lord, since he himself was a good man filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. Thereby large numbers were added to the Lord. Then Barnabas went off to Tarsus to look for Saul; once he had found him, he brought him back to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and instructed great numbers. It was in Antioch that the disciples were called Christians for the first.
At about that time, certain prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them named Agabus was inspired to stand up and proclaim that there was going to be a severe famine all over the world. (It did in fact occur while Claudius was emperor.) This made the disciples determined to set something aside, each according to his means, and send it to the relief of the brothers who lived in Judea. They did this, dispatching it to the presbyters in the care of Barnabas and Saul.
Luke 10: 16-22a
The Lord said to his disciples: “He who hears you, hears me. He who rejects you, rejects me. And he who rejects me, rejects him who sent me.”
The seventy-two disciples returned in jubilation saying, “Master, even the demons are subject to us in your name.” Jesus said in reply: “I watched Satan fall from the sky like lightning. See what I have done; I have given you power to tread on snakes and scorpions and all the forces of the enemy, and nothing shall ever injure you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice so much in the fact that the devils are subject to you as that your names are inscribed in heaven.”
At that moment Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said: “I offer you praise, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because what you have hidden from the learned and the clever you have revealed to the merest children. Yes, Father, you have graciously willed it so.”
Romans 8: 22-27
Brothers and sisters: We know that all creation groans and is in agony even until now. Not only that, but we ourselves, although we have the Spirit as first fruits, groan inwardly while we await the redemption of our bodies. In hope we were saved. But hope is not hope if its object is seen; how is it possible for one to hope for what he sees? And hoping for what we cannot see means awaiting it with patient endurance.
The Spirit too helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in speech. He who searches hearts knows what the Spirit means, for the Spirit intercedes for the saints as God himself wills.
Matthew 10: 23-31
The Lord said to his disciples: “When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. I solemnly assure you, you will not have covered the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
“No pupil outranks his teacher, no slave his master. The pupil should be glad to become like his teacher, the slave like his master. If they call the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household! Do not let them intimidate you. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, and nothing hidden that will not become known. What I tell you in darkness, speak in the light. What you hear in private, proclaim from the housetops.
“Do not fear those who deprive the body of life but cannot destroy the soul. Rather, fear him who can destroy the soul. Rather, fear him who can destroy both body and soul in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for next to nothing? Yet not a single sparrow falls to the ground without your Father’s consent. As for you, every hair of your head has been counted; so do not be afraid of anything. You are worth more than an entire flock of sparrows.”
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com
Wednesday, June 10 –
