God’s Have Come Down to Us
Homily on Wednesday, 10th Week in OT, 11 June 2025; Memorial of St. Barnabas, DBPH Chapel, Talamban
Today we celebrate the memorial of St Barnabas, known today as the companion of St Paul. If, however, you try to read the Acts of the Apostles more attentively, you will notice that the name of Barnabas almost always gets to be mentioned first before the name of Paul. And as you read more, very soon you will realize that at the beginning of their apostolic partnership, St Paul was actually just the companion of St Barnabas.
St Barnabas, a Jew born in Cuprus, was first mentioned in chapter 4 of the Acts of the Apostle. His original name was Joseph. After his conversion to Christianity, he sold his property and gave the proceeds to the Apostles, who gave him the name Barnabas. And from then on he lived in Jerusalem together with the earliest converts to Christianity.
It was Barnabas who later on introduced Paul of Tarsus to the rest of the disciples. Together with Paul, Barnabas went to Antioch, in Syria where both received the laying on of hands for the preaching of the Gospel. And so after that Barnabas brought Paul along with him to preach the good news in the Diaspora. This would later be known as St Paul’s first missionary journey. Together Barnabas and Paul went first to the island of Cyprus where Barnabas was born, Then, they proceeded on to Perga, to Antioch in Pisidia, to Iconium and Lystra in Lycaonia before finally returning to Antioch in Syria.
Three events marked this missionary journey of Barnabas with Paul. First, they were rejected by the Jews in Antioch, Pisidia for which they began preaching to the gentiles.
Second in Lystra they performed a miracle on a man crippled from birth, and because of what they have done they were worshipped by the people as if they were gods who have come down in their midst in the form of men. To Barnabas they offered animal sacrifices thinking he was Zeus, and similarly to Paul whom they thought was Hermes since he was the spokesman.
Third, when Jews came to sabotage their mission both Barnabas and Paul where dragged out of the city where they were stoned nearly to death. But amazingly after that they just walked away and proceeded to Derbe where they were able to make numerous disciples. Then retracing their steps back to the towns and cities they have visited they finally completed their missionary partnership when they returned to Antioch in Syria.
It’s important also for us to know that in each church or community they established, Barnabas and Paul installed presbyters, known today as priests, whom they commended to the Lord with prayer and fasting. After their participation in the Council of Jerusalem, Barnabas went on with his own mission separate from Paul. Tradition says that he was martyred in his own native place in Cyprus.
Today we are honoured by the visit of Msgr Boy Salvador of Cagayan de Oro and of Fr Wilbert Dianon of DBFC Lawaan. Together with Fr Wilbert are four young men from China and Papua New Guinea preparing to enter the Prenovitiate in DBFC Lawaan. Let us pray for them that like St. Barnabas they may open themselves fully to the Lord to be formed by the Spirit into zealous apostles of the Gospel. GiGsss!
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