Meditation of the Day

St. Barnabas

He was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. (Acts 11:24)

Those who love mystery novels know that overlooked, but ever-present,
details can be the key to solving the crime. St. Barnabas is one of those
often overlooked details. Much of the time when we read about Paul's
adventures in Acts, Barnabas is right there with him. But since Paul is so
famous, Barnabas remains in the background. So when we look more closely at
Barnabas, we may be surprised at how important a figure he was-and at how
wonderfully he lived out the gospel.

Without Barnabas, Paul may have remained an overzealous convert in faraway
Tarsus. It was Barnabas who first convinced the apostles to accept Paul
after his conversion. It was Barnabas who brought Paul to Antioch, enlisting
his help and placing him in his first leadership role. The two traveled
together, evangelizing, establishing churches, braving persecutions, and
working out what it meant to be a disciple in the pagan world outside
Jerusalem.

Barnabas was a generous soul. He gave much of his wealth to help the poor in
the Jerusalem church, and he gave John Mark a second chance when Paul was
ready to reject him (Acts 4:36-37; 15:36-41). His gift of gentle persuasion
also helped Jews and Gentiles overcome centuries of animosity as they forged
a new church in Antioch (11:19-26).

Luke tells us that Barnabas' real name was Joseph, but that the apostles
nicknamed him Barnabas, which means "son of encouragement" (Acts 4:36). It's
possible he earned this title because he had a talent for saying just the
right thing at the right time. It's also possible that he earned the name
because of his godly character. Dedicated, just, generous, and
steadfast-anyone who demonstrated these virtues must have been very welcome
among the first believers as they worked to build the early church.

In a world that is often hostile or indifferent to the gospel, those who
manifest a strong Christian character-even the "hidden" ones like
Barnabas-can play a vital role in evangelizing and in encouraging other
believers. May we all follow Barnabas' example and take up the call to
become sons and daughters of encouragement.

"Holy Spirit, help me to be open to your guidance and encouragement. By your
grace, may I become a source of encouragement for those around me."