Saint Barnabas, Apostle
Thursday of week 10 in Ordinary Time
Gospel: Matthew 10:7-13In today’s Gospel, Jesus sends His disciples on mission with a simple but demanding instruction: “Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.” Everything essential in the Christian life is first received as a gift: faith, grace, forgiveness, vocation, hope, and salvation. None of these can be earned or possessed as personal achievements. Yet Jesus goes further. To communicate these gifts to others, we ourselves must become a gift. The disciples are not sent merely to distribute teachings or perform actions; they are sent to offer their very lives in service of the Kingdom. Grace flows most freely through those who have learned to live generously, without calculation or self-interest. On the feast of Saint Barnabas, we see a beautiful example of this reality. Barnabas became a gift to the early Church through his encouragement, generosity, trust, and missionary zeal. He gave not only what he possessed, but who he was. The Gospel reminds us that the more we receive Christ as gift, the more we are called to become gifts for others. In God’s Kingdom, grace is not something we keep; it is something that transforms us into instruments through which God continues to bless, heal, encourage, and bring life to the world. Let’s reflect: Am I receiving God’s grace as a gift and allowing it to transform me into a gift for others, freely sharing my time, love, faith, and life without calculation or self-interest?
Don Giorgio