Saint Barnabas, Apostle
Wednesday of week 10 in Ordinary Time
First reading Acts 11:21-26,13:1-3
Saint Barnabas offers us a compelling example of what it means to live a life wholly surrendered to God. The Scriptures describe him as “a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith,” and from this interior disposition flowed an outward fruitfulness that brought many to the Lord. Barnabas was not driven by personal ambition or prestige; rather, he possessed a generous and discerning heart that recognized the workings of grace, even when others could not. He stood by Saul, later Paul, when the early Christian community doubted him, choosing to believe in the power of God’s mercy and transformation. In Antioch, he nurtured a young Church, teaching and guiding with patience and zeal, and when the Spirit called him and Paul to mission, he responded without hesitation. His life challenges us to be encouragers in our own time: to see the good in others, to foster communion instead of division, and to build up the Body of Christ with gentleness and courage. The witness of Saint Barnabas reminds us that true apostolic fruitfulness does not come from our own plans or strength, but from being filled with the Spirit and walking in faith—a path that continues to bear fruit wherever hearts are open to God.
Don Giorgio