CALLED TO BE A LIGHT SHINING ON MEN


ST. BARNABAS, APOSTLE

Reflection from Friar Nicholas Okeke, OP 

Acts 11:21-26,13:1-3; Ps 98: 1-6; Mt 5:13-16

Theme: Called to Shine the Light on the path of Men

We celebrate the memorial of St. Barnabas today. He was not one of the apostles of our Lord Jesus but got converted after the resurrection of the Lord and became committed to the Christian life. There are many indicators of his commitment to the Christian life from the beginning. In Acts 4:35, a mention is made of his selling a land that belonged to him and laying the money at the feet of the apostles. His zeal and commitment brought him early to the limelight, such that he became one of the leading figures in the new Christian community in Jerusalem. His devotion to the Lord and commitment to the faith is such that he was sent to Antioch to confirm and strengthen the new community of believers in Antioch. “The church in Jerusalem heard about this and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. There he could see for himself that God had given grace, and this pleased him, and he urged them to remain faithful to the Lord with heartfelt devotion; for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith.” He was filled with the Holy Spirit because he was devoted to the faith. These two are related; the more we practice the Christian faith with devotion, the more the Holy Spirit manifests his presence in us. The Spirit reinforces our faith by leading us deeper into the mystery of Jesus Christ, thereby increasing our faith and love for God.

 

Our devotion to the Christian faith is always in response to the love of God the Holy Spirit pours into our souls. The more we respond to his inspirations, the better we are attuned to his presence and the will of God. Devotion, therefore, is the promptitude and the love with which we attend to the things of God. This manifests in our eagerness to preach the Good News for the salvation of our neighbour and the love of God. The love reveals itself in our joy in seeing the progress of others in virtue. This is the manifestation of the blessed life in us. These describe the life of Barnabas. “Barnabas then left for Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. As things turned out they were to live together in that church a whole year, instructing a large number of people.” This self-sacrificing nature of the saint reveals his maturity in spiritual life. He was not just a shining example of Christian devotion, he also made others share his devotion to the truth as a teacher of the faith. We see the evidence of his promptness in following the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in his bringing Saul to Antioch, where they received formation for the missionary work of preaching the Gospel. We cannot deny the importance of faith community for our spiritual formation. The mission belongs to the Church and not to individuals, but the Church carries out the mission through individuals supported by the faith community. The laying on of hand implies this.  “So it was that after fasting and prayer they laid their hands on them and sent them off.”     

 

This intricate relationship between the faith community and the individual Christian was explained in the gospel when the Lord said that a lamp must be put on a lamp stand and not under a bushel or tub. “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hilltop cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lamp-stand where it shines for everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine in the sight of men, so that, seeing your good works, they may give the praise to your Father in heaven.” The Christian community or the Church is the City of God built on a hilltop that is the humanity of our Lord Jesus. It is a hill or mountain top because it is always a place of theophany or God’s revelation. In the Man Jesus Christ, “the Lord has made known his salvation; has shown his salvation to the nations.” Thus, each of us baptised into the Church is made a salt of the earth by the heavenly life and light we have received through our Lord Jesus Christ. The gift of faith has made us light for the world. Professing the Christian faith with devotion daily makes our light shine on men and on their path to guide them back to God. Putting the faith aside and living by the principles of this world makes us tasteless Christians and hidden lamps that guide no one’s path to God.

 

Let us pray: Grant us, Lord, through the prayers of St. Barnabas, to be devoted to the faith we profess in the name of your Son Jesus Christ and prompt in following the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that we may attain the heavenly Beatitudes you have promised us Christ Jesus our Lord. 

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