Subj : June 11th - St. Barnabas To : All From : rich Date : Sun Jun 10 2018 10:09:09 From: rich June 11th - St. Barnabas (Died c. 60) St. Paul is called the =E2=80=9CApostle to the Gentiles=E2=80=9D. It is too= often forgotten that his colleague in his early mission to the Gentiles was St. Barnabas. Barnabas's given name was Joseph. He was a Jew of the Tribe of Levi= , a tribe whose male members were dedicated to divine service. Although he was a native of Cyprus, he moved to the Holy Land, and it was there that he became one of the early disciples of the living Christ. The Acts of the Apostles tell us that the earliest followers of Christ in Jerusalem showed wonderful charity to each other, even selling their property to provide for their needy members. Acts mentions one such donor by name: Joseph Barnabas. (The disciples had probably given him the nickname Barnabas because he had a special gift of inspiring other people. Barnabas means =E2=80=9Cson of Encouragement=E2=80=9D.) Before long St. Peter received a special heavenly revelation that the preachers of the Word needed no longer to restrict their message to Jews, but could now approach Gentiles as well. Soon the report came back to the Church in Jerusalem that some Christian teachers in Antioch had made converts of a number of pagans. Barnabas, as =E2=80=9Ca go= od man, full of the Holy Ghost and faith=E2=80=9D, was sent to Antioch to stud= y the new development. He was enthusiastic about it. Able to make converts himself of a number of non-Jews, he went off to Tarsus to seek the assistance of Saul, who from an anti-Christian, Jewish persecutor had become a zealous champion of the Christian faith. Barnabas and Saul spent a very successful year evangelizing at Antioch. But note well that it was Barnabas who first defended the genuinity of Saul's conversion, and who first welcomed him to the official apostolate. While they were at Antioch, the Holy Spirit ordered the Christian leaders there to impose hands upon the pair and commission them to travel west on their new mission to both Gentiles and Jews. Taking with them John Mark (the future St. Mark the evangelist), they first went to Barnabas's homeland, Cyprus, where they began a fruitful preaching career. (This was where Saul changed his name to Paul.) Then they turned back to Asia Minor, again with remarkable missionary success, although not without persecution. They ended up back in Antioch. St. Paul, with the approval of the church leaders in Jerusalem, now charted a 2nd missionary journey, planning to revisit the churches already established and to carry the Gospel still farther afield. This time Paul took over the leadership. After a disagreement between them, Barnabas went back to Cyprus and continued there the work he had earlier begun. The Acts of the Apostles tell us nothing further about Joseph Barnabas. Legend says that he died a martyr in Cyprus, presumably before AD 60. He left no writings: the famous so-called =E2=80=9CEpistle of Barnabas=E2=80=9D was not his but another's, for it was not written= until 130. The Church honors St. Barnabas with the title =E2=80=9Capostle=E2=80=9D. Th= at word, which means =E2=80=9Cone sent=E2=80=9D, was first used in the New Testament= of any Christian missionary, and only later restricted to =E2=80=9CThe Twelve=E2= =80=9D who had been chosen especially by Our Lord, (plus St. Paul, because of his special calling). The title is applied to Barnabas in the broader sense. There can be no doubt, however, that St. Barnaby (as he is called in English), was =E2=80=9Ca good man=E2=80=9D. He spent his wealth t= o help the poor and his lifeblood to spread the Gospel. Truly he was =E2=80=9Cone sent= by God=E2=80=9D. Saint Quote: He who truly loves God prays entirely without distraction, and he who prays entirely without distraction loves God truly. But he whose intellect is fixed on any worldly thing does not pray without distraction, and consequently he does not love God. --St. Maximos the Confessor Bible Quote: Let love be without dissimulation. Hating that which is evil, cleaving to that which is good, Loving one another with the charity of brotherhood: with honour preventing one another. [Romans 12:9-10] DRB <><><><> Prayer in the Time of Illness Almighty Master, Physician of our souls and bodies, who both humbles and uplifts, who chastises and heals; visit me with Your mercy in my time of illness. Stretch forth Your arm that is full of health and healing, and heal me, and allow me to leave my sick-bed. Banish my weakness and pains, heal my wounds, quench my fever, and prevent a relapse. If I am guilty of sins or transgressions, loose, remit and forgive them for the sake of Your love toward mankind. Yes, O Lord, pity me, Your creature, through Jesus Christ our Lord with Whom You are blessed , together with Your all-holy, gracious and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and forever. - Amen. --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .