Tag: Barnabas

• Acts 14: Tenacity

  
  

  Acts 14: Tenacity

  Wednesday, October 15, 2025

  Iconium, Lystra, Antioch. Jews, Gentiles. Healings, beatings, curses, cures. Zeus, Hermes, the Living God. Hardships, celebrations. Mythology, mysticism, illusion, reality. In all of these places, with all of these people, in all of these philosophies and approaches, Paul and Barnabas journey together to deliver the good news that we are loved by the Living God. I am exhausted just reading about their missionary journey as we watch these two faithful disciples of Christ persuade and teach, heal and call. Despite the fact that they see much of their work undone, they continue to rejoice in the work they do as God’s servants asks of them. They are an amazing – and successful – pair. They bring many into the church.

  Paul and Barnabas have much to teach us who are discouraged when small details of the day become looming obstacles. They might show us that when we growl and complain about interrupted plans and schedules that we add to our own burden. We see that they do not fall into the trap of thinking that the world is an unjust, corrupt and unfair place. Rather than focus on the problems they navigate, they remain centered on doing God’s will. These two friends have discovered that tenacity and companionship are antidotes for anger and dejection. And they have learned that success comes most often and stays longest when they defer to God’s plan rather than their own.

  Paul is a familiar figure to us but perhaps we can learn something more about Barnabas as he and Paul model how to best react when we see others dismantle the work we have lovingly delivered to God.  http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02300a.htm

  Misunderstood by many, these two place their faith in God. Rejected by the tradition in which they had been raised, they place their hope in Christ.  forgotten by the fledgling churches they have founded, they allow the forgiveness and healing of the Spirit to work through them. Barnabas and Paul refuse to allow any failure to deter them. They follow Christ. And they hold on.

  And so we pray . . .

  Faithful and abiding God,

  We remember that you were the cornerstone that the builders rejected.

  We believe that you walk with us in our journey just as you walked with the apostles in theirs.

  We ask that you abide with us when the night grows darkest.

  We know that you rejoice with us as we celebrate our little successes.

  Lead us so that we remain faithful to you.

  Guide us so that we remain hopeful in you.

  Help us so that we react in love and not in anger when we see our work taken apart by others.

  Grant us the gift of tenacity that you gave to Paul and Barnabas, on the days when we find our journey long, and our resources low. 

  We ask all of this in Jesus’ name.  Amen.   

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  A re-post from September 20, 2011.

  Image from: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/36099234483087340/

  39.533225 -76.430369

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  October 15, 2025

  Antioch, Barnabas, celebration, discouragement, Iconium, joy, Lystra, Paul, stamina

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• Acts 13:41-52: Results

  
  

  Tuesday, April 21, 2020

  

  Acts 13:41-52: Results

  Contrary to what we may think, the practice of meekness does not create a world of submission and pain.  Faithful meekness trains us to handle obstacles and to persist through adversity.  True meekness teaches us to listen, to witness, and to respond as God directs.  Honest meekness turns the other cheek in an invitation to join Christ’s mystical body.  Authentic meekness steps forward into the world despite any threat to reputation, stamina or strength.

  Today’s Noontime is a snippet of the story of life in the early Church. Footnotes will tell us that Antioch was an important missionary center after the focus shifted away from Jerusalem and we see how jealousy begins to simmer when Paul and Barnabas attract more followers to The Way.  The result of their meekness in Christ is conflict . . . and at first glance this may seem to be a failure.

  There are three important elements in this story for us to remember.

  First, we see how thirsty people are to hear The Word.  Verse 44 tells us that nearly the entire city turns out to hear Paul and Barnabas speak.  The result of Christ’s meekness is celebrity.

  Second, when the missionaries are eventually forced out of the city by the jealous and powerful, Christ’s Word and Christ’s Way are easily dispersed throughout the Roman Empire, into the West and Europe.  The result of Christ’s meekness is endurance.

  Third, when looking at verses 51 and 52 we find that the disciples make a statement through their witnessing rather than through an act of aggression.  The result of Christ’s meekness is quiet power.

  A grain of wheat falls to the ground and bursts open so that the stalk may grow in fertile soil.  We see the grain of wheat being trod on here, and crushed into fertile ground.  Conflict and strife bear fruit through Christ and we see that the result of Christ’s meekness is not failure.  It is an abundant harvest.

  And so we pray.

  Good and Gracious God,

  Teach us to speak of you in such a way that we call others to follow you.

  Fill us with your Spirit in such a way that we find patience for the journey.

  Remind us of our redemption by your Son in such a way that we remember to thank you.

  Call us to our higher selves in such a way that we find power in you.

  Stay with us in such a way that we delight in the practice of meekness.

  Bless us in such a way that our meekness brings results for you.

  We ask this in Jesus’ name. 

  Amen.

  Tomorrow, rejecting idols . . . the importance of meekness . . .

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  Image from: https://www.cutlermiles.com/saints-paul-and-barnabas-in-lystra-jacob-jordaens/ 

  A re-post from April 21, 2020.

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  April 21, 2020

  Barnabas, conflict, discipleship, kernel of wheat, meekness, Paul, stamina, strength

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• Sirach 25: Worthy and Wicked

  
  

  Sirach 25: Worthy and Wicked

  Monday, August 26, 2019

  The book of Sirach is full of sound advice accompanied by a great sense of humor.  Harmony, friendship, mutual love.  Pride, dissembling, lechery.  These are qualities that Jesus ben Sirach juxtaposes as he delineates the difference between those who are worthy of praise and those who are wicked.

  Some of these verses make us laugh aloud and some of them inspire.  This chapter is followed by the famous dissertation of the ideal wife, which is often read out at Mass, and all of this is good advice when we move it to a 21^st Century context.  What does this say to us today?  What do we do about the worthy and the wicked?  What do we do about the conflict between worth and wickedness?

  Today we are presented with the contrast between those who are worthy because they live life honestly and well . . . and those who wound the heart and poison relationships.  We know how we are to live, what we are to say, what we are to do, what we are to believe.  But do we do what we know to be correct?  Do we inform our conscience so that we can make good and proper decisions?  How do we educate ourselves about what we are to do and what we are to say? How do we make of ourselves servants who are worthy and not wicked?

  Today is the feast of St. Mark, the author of the earliest and briefest of the Gospels.  He was a cousin of Barnabas – the man who accompanied Paul on some of his missions and who even helped to ease Paul’s introduction to the apostles.  Tradition holds that Mark founded the church in Alexandria, and we can see how and why.  His Gospel is simple and direct, burning with his love and his desire to educate us about the Word and to send the Word into the world.  Today’s Gospel reading is from chapter 16, verses 16-20 and it tells us about the result of conflict between worth and wickedness.  It tells us about the struggle that disciples endure.  Reflect on Sirach and Mark and ponder the mystery of this conflict between worth and wickedness . . . and the mystery becomes less clouded.

  From the MAGNIFICAT morning intercessions and prayer:

  Reward your servants, Lord!

  For all who have devoted themselves to the work of translating the word of God into the languages of the world: Reward your servants, Lord!

  For all those who labor to produce Bibles for the peoples of all nations: Reward your servants, Lord!

  For all who carry your word to places far away and difficult to reach: Reward your servants, Lord!

  God, the Father of lights, you flood the world with your word as with a river of light.  Catch up in the waters of life all those who hunger and thirst for knowledge of the truth and the right, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

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  Image from: http://strengthfortoday.wordpress.com/tag/quips-and-quotes/

  Written on April 25, 2008  and posted today as a Favorite.

  Cameron, Peter John. “Prayer for the Morning.” MAGNIFICAT. 4.25 (2008). Print.  

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  August 26, 2019

  Barnabas, Feast of St Mark, humor, Mark 16:15-20, Paul, wisdom, worth versus wickedness

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