11 June/Tuesday/ Barnabas, Apostle

Acts 11,21b-26; 13,1-3/Psa 98,1.2-3ab.3c-4. 5-6/Matt 10,7-13

First Reading   Acts 11:21-26,13:1-3

He was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith

 

A great number believed and were converted to the Lord.

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 all to remain faithful to the Lord with heartfelt devotion; for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. And a large number of people were won over to the Lord.

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. It was at Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians.’

In the church at Antioch the following were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. One day while they were offering worship to the Lord and keeping a fast, the Holy Spirit said, ‘I want Barnabas and Saul set apart for the work to which I have called them.’ So it was that after fasting and prayer they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

 

Responsorial Psalm     Psalm 97(98):1-6

 

The Lord has shown his salvation to the nations.

 

Sing a new song to the Lord

    for he has worked wonders.

His right hand and his holy arm

    have brought salvation.

 

The Lord has made known his salvation;

    has shown his justice to the nations.

He has remembered his truth and love

    for the house of Israel.

 

All the ends of the earth have seen

    the salvation of our God.

Shout to the Lord, all the earth,

    ring out your joy.

 

Sing psalms to the Lord with the harp

    with the sound of music.

With trumpets and the sound of the horn

    acclaim the King, the Lord.

 

Gospel Acclamation      Phil 2:15-16

 

Alleluia, alleluia!

You will shine in the world like bright stars

because you are offering it the word of life.

Alleluia!

 

Gospel     Matthew 5:13-16

Your light must shine in the sight of men

 

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes tasteless, what can make it salty again? It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled underfoot by men.

‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill-top 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.’

 

Reflection

The feast of the day is the reason for the choice of the First Reading. It speaks about one of the activities of Barnabas in Antioch. He was sent to the community of Antioch by the Jerusalem community as a result of the uneasiness of this community about the reports they received concerning the Antioch community. He was sent to Antioch to look at what was happening there and if possible put things right or bring the Antioch community in line with the Jerusalem tradition. Barnabas was to serve as a link between the two communities. The action of the Jerusalem community reflects their sense of responsibility for the other communities. In itself, it was a good thing but we also notice in the reading today that God wanted the Antioch community to take responsibility for the spread of the faith in the Gentile world. It became clear to Barnabas that it was through the Antioch community that the Lord will show salvation to the nations as expressed in our response to the Responsorial Psalm.

What Barnabas saw in Antioch made him encourage the community to persevere in the faith as they were practicing it. Furthermore, he saw the need to instruct the community further and to strengthen them in the faith. He realised he could not do this alone, so he went to fetch Paul from Tarsus to come and assist him. Although he was sent by the Jerusalem Church and could have decided to handle everything alone, he decided to associate Paul to his ministry. He was ready to take a risk by asking for the services of someone not approved by the Jerusalem Church. In this, Barnabas showed that he knew how to have confidence in people and entrust them with important tasks. He was not a selfish person but was willing to associate others to his ministry.

The work of all disciples of Christ should be done with an open spirit. The true disciple knows that the main artisan is Jesus himself who associates others to himself in the work of salvation. The disciple is to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Through his obedient ministry that is in line with the will of the Lord, he will draw other closer to Christ and to his kingdom. The disciple should learn to entrust the mission to the Lord so that he would guide and direct it.

At the prompting of the Holy Spirit, Barnabas and Paul were to be set aside for ministry among the Gentile nations. Once more, Barnabas showed his readiness to listen to the community and to the Spirit that spoke through the community. If we want to allow God to guide his Church, we need to learn from Barnabas and the Antioch community. We need to learn how to discern the will of God at every moment of our life. It is only in this way that our actions or ministry would be carried out in the spirit of the Lord.  

10 June/Monday10th Week in Ordinary Time,

            1Kgs 17,1-6/Psa 121,1-2.3-4.5-6.7-8/Matt 5,1-12 /

 

First Reading      1 Kings 17:1-6 ·

The Lord sends Elijah into the wilderness

 

Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord lives, the God of Israel whom I serve, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years except at my order.’

The word of the Lord came to him, ‘Go away from here, go eastwards, and hide yourself in the wadi Cherith which lies east of Jordan. You can drink from the stream, and I have ordered the ravens to bring you food there.’ He did as the Lord had said; he went and stayed in the wadi Cherith which lies east of Jordan. The ravens brought him bread in the morning and meat in the evening, and he quenched his thirst at the stream.

 

Responsorial Psalm         Psalm 120(121)

 

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

 

I lift up my eyes to the mountains;

    from where shall come my help?

My help shall come from the Lord

    who made heaven and earth.

 

May he never allow you to stumble!

    Let him sleep not, your guard.

No, he sleeps not nor slumbers,

    Israel’s guard.

 

The Lord is your guard and your shade;

    at your right side he stands.

By day the sun shall not smite you

    nor the moon in the night.

The Lord will guard you from evil,

    he will guard your soul.

The Lord will guard your going and coming

    both now and for ever.

 

Gospel Acclamation   cf. 2Thes 2:14

 

Alleluia, alleluia!

Through the Good News God called us to share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Alleluia!

 

Gospel        Matthew 5:1-12

How happy are the poor in spirit

 

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:

‘How happy are the poor in spirit;

    theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Happy the gentle:

    they shall have the earth for their heritage.

Happy those who mourn:

    they shall be comforted.

Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:

    they shall be satisfied.

Happy the merciful:

    they shall have mercy shown them.

Happy the pure in heart:

    they shall see God.

Happy the peacemakers:

    they shall be called sons of God.

Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right:

    theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven: this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.’

 

Reflection

King Ahab to whom the prophet Elijah presents a prophecy of God had turned away from Yahweh, the God of Israel to worship the Baal or the god of the pagans. Ahab’s decision to worship Baal was influenced by the claims of the priests of this god. Baal was claimed to be the god of fertility, of storm present in the dew and rain. Through the prophet Elijah, God decided to seal the heavens for a time. This was a challenge to Baal and to Ahab himself. If Baal was the god of storm, dew and rain then he should be able to pour out rain when God closes the heavens.

The challenge of God was a serious one and the one to endure the wrath of Ahab would be the prophet who pronounced the oath. In order to protect the prophet from the vengefulness of King Ahab, God ordered Elijah to go and hide himself in the Wadi Cherith, east of the Jordan. Elijah was not only to hide from King Ahab but his hiding place was also to provide him food and drink for the period of the drought. In his hiding place, he demonstrated that God could provide for his prophet even while the land of Israel experiences famine and drought. When the wadi dried up, God directed his prophet to travel to Zarephath where a widow provided for his needs.

The challenge that the prophecy posed to King Ahab also meant a challenge to Baal. The god, Baal must prove to be what he claimed to be – a god of fertility and storm. Elijah had to escape to the place God indicated to him to find refuge. This story teaches us how God protects his prophets and all who speak on his behalf. This is confirmed by the response to the Responsorial Psalm today, which says that our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Our help can come from no one else because the Lord is master of all.

When it is necessary for the man of God to remain in the place where God asks him to prophesy, God would offer him the protection he needs but when it is necessary for him to go away he would also do so. It is therefore important we discern the will of God for us at every moment. Such discernment helps us know what God wants of us at every moment. Following his will makes us “blessed” or “happy” as Jesus proclaimed in the Gospel Reading. Following his will makes it possible for us to do what he wants of us at every moment of our life. May the Lord help us discover his will and give us the grace to follow it faithfully.