Barnabas, called also Joseph, a Levite, was born in Cyprus, and was the one designated by the Apostles, together with Paul, to preach the Gospel of Christ to the Gentiles. Having land, he sold it and brought the money to the Apostles. Being sent to Antioch to preach there, he met with a great number of people already converted to the faith of Christ, which filled him with much joy, and he multiplied his exhortations that they might persevere in the Faith. His word had great success, for he was looked on by all as a good man and one filled with the Holy Ghost. Travelling to Tarsus, there to seek Paul, he came with him as far as Antioch. They there passed one year with the faithful who formed the Church of the city, labouring to instruct them in the Christian life and in Faith. It was here that the followers of Jesus Christ were first called Christians. The disciples of Paul and Barnabas aided with alms the Christians in Judea, and sent these subsidies by the hands of Paul and Barnabas. Having performed this work of charity, joining to them John, surnamed Mark, they returned to Antioch.
While Paul and Barnabas were serving the Lord in the Church of Antioch, fasting and praying with the other prophets and doctors, the Holy Ghost spoke and said: “Separate Paul and Barnabas for the work to which I have called them.” Then with fasting and prayer, they imposed hands on them and let them depart. They went to Seleucia, and then to Cyprus. Besides this, they passed through many towns and countries preaching the Gospel everywhere with much fruit among all who heard them. After this, Barnabas separated himself from Paul and together with John surnamed Mark, returned to Cyprus. Here, about the seventh year of the reign of Nero, on the third of the Ides of June, he joined the martyr’s crown to the dignity of an Apostle. In the reign of the Emperor Zeno, his body was discovered on Cyprus. On his breast lay a copy of the Gospel of Saint Matthew written by Barnabas himself.
Dom Prosper Guéranger:
At Aquileia, the martyrdom of the saints Felix and Fortunatus, brothers. In the persecution of Diocletian and Maximian they were racked and had flaming torches held against their sides. These being extinguished by the power of God, boiling oil was poured over them, and as they persevered in confessing Christ, they were decapitated.
At Bologna, St. Parisius, confessor, a monk of the Order of Camaldoli.
At Rome, the translation of St. Gregory Nazianzen, whose sacred body after having been brought from Constantinople to Rome, and kept a long time in the church of the Mother of God, was by Pope Gregory XIII transferred with great solemnity to a chapel of the Basilica of St. Peter, most sumptuously decorated by his Holiness, and the next day placed with due honour beneath the altar.
And in other places, many other holy martyrs, confessors and virgins.
Thanks be to God.
While Paul and Barnabas were serving the Lord in the Church of Antioch, fasting and praying with the other prophets and doctors, the Holy Ghost spoke and said: “Separate Paul and Barnabas for the work to which I have called them.” Then with fasting and prayer, they imposed hands on them and let them depart. They went to Seleucia, and then to Cyprus. Besides this, they passed through many towns and countries preaching the Gospel everywhere with much fruit among all who heard them. After this, Barnabas separated himself from Paul and together with John surnamed Mark, returned to Cyprus. Here, about the seventh year of the reign of Nero, on the third of the Ides of June, he joined the martyr’s crown to the dignity of an Apostle. In the reign of the Emperor Zeno, his body was discovered on Cyprus. On his breast lay a copy of the Gospel of Saint Matthew written by Barnabas himself.
Dom Prosper Guéranger:
The promulgation of the new Alliance invited all nations to sit down at the marriage feast in the kingdom of God. Since that day the sanctifying Spirit is ever producing saints in every age, and at moments which correspond most mysteriously to the deep and hidden designs of Eternal Wisdom over the particular history of a people. Nor must we be astonished at this: for Christian nations having, as such, their appointed part in the advancing of the kingly sway of the Man-God, this vocation imposes duties on them and gives them rights superior to nature’s law. The supernatural order invests them with its inherent greatness and the Holy Ghost by means of His Elect fosters not only their birth, but likewise their development. This wondrous working of divine Providence, as presented on history’s page, is indeed admirable, where the hidden influence of sanctity in even the frail and lowly is ever being divinely used to over-rule the powerful action of the mighty, who seem, in men’s eyes, to be leading everything their own way. Now among the Saints strikingly appointed as channels of grace to nations, none are so particularly entitled to universal remembrance and gratitude as are the Apostles, for they are laid as foundation stones of the edifice of Christian society (Ephesians ii. 20), of which the Gospel is both the strength and primary law. The Church is ever watchful to prevent her sons falling into a dangerous forgetfulness of this. Hence no Liturgical Season is without its memory of some one or other of these glorious witnesses to Christ. But from the day that the world was delivered over to become the conquest of their zeal, the mysteries of man’s salvation being all consummated, their names are more closely pressed together on the sacred records. Each month of the Cycle now borrows its characteristic colouring from the brilliant triumph of some one of these.
The month of June all aflame with the fires of Pentecost, sees the Holy Ghost setting upon its predestined foundations the first layer of stones in the Church’s construction. To this month belongs the honour of proclaiming the memorable names of Peter and Paul in which are summed up all the services and trophies of the whole Apostolic College. Peter declared the Gentiles admitted to the grace of the Gospel. Paul was named their Apostle. But still, before rendering the homage so justly due to these two leaders of the Christian people, fitting is it that nations should throng in grateful veneration around the sainted guide given to Paul himself in the opening days of his apostolate — that is, around Barnabas, whose name is interpreted, the son of consolation (Acts iv. 36), and by whom the convert of Damascus was presented to the terrified Church, anon so sorely tried by the violence of Saul the persecutor. The 29th of June will derive its chief radiance from the simultaneous confession of the two Princes of the Apostles, united in death, as they had been one in life. Be then honour due, first of all, to him who first knit together this fruitful union by leading to the Head of the infant Church the future Doctor of the Gentiles. Barnabas presents himself before us as a herald. The feast which the Church is celebrating in his honour is a prelude to the gladness which awaits us at the end of this month so rich in light and in fruits of holiness.
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To you, Barnabas, we offer the gratitude of the nations. You watched, faithful Levite, beside the figurative Sanctuary of the days of expectation, observing the coming of the Lord God (Leviticus viii. 35) until at last the true Ark, the Incarnate Word, having appeared in Sion, you at once took your place at His side, to defend and serve Him, the Ark of Holiness, that had come to rally all nations, to give to them the True Manna, to establish among all a new Covenant: this was to require from the sons of the Old Testament the sacrifice of the privileges that had been theirs since the first prevarication of the Gentiles. Though a member of the favoured Tribe of Levi, you were prompt to abandon its sacred titles which you recognised to have been but limited, and to be now set aside. Yes, out-stepping mere precept, you did not hesitate to renounce all your family possessions and give them up, together with yourself, to the Church yet in her infancy and scorned by the Synagogue. Therefore, the Holy Ghost would not be out-done in generosity. To you He reserved the signal privilege of presenting to the Gentiles their Apostle. Saul was your friend. Blinded by the prejudices of his sect, he scorned to follow your example and the Faithful trembled at his very name, seeing in him their most relentless persecutor. But silently your intercession arose from Earth, and blending with that of Stephen, pleaded a strong prayer to Heaven for the murderer. The hour of grace had sounded, and you were were the first in Jerusalem to hear of its victory. On the strength of your testimony alone, the terrified assembly of believers opened their doors to the recent convert.
Thus appearing before the Church as guarantee for the future Doctor of the Gentiles, to you belonged the honour of leading him forth to the scene of his labours. Yours it was not to be numbered among the Twelve by our Lord, yet your authority was of a kind that almost equalled theirs. After the Baptism of Cornelius, you were delegated by the Apostles to Antioch to direct the evangelisation of the Gentiles. There Paul, the new labourer, was joined to you, and then did the word of salvation falling from your lips begin to produce conversions so numerous that the Faithful were then called for the first time Christians to distinguish them at once from both pagans and Jews. The emancipation of the nations was thus accomplished and Paul in the eyes of all, as also according to the language of the Holy Ghost Himself, was still but your disciple and client (Acts xi; xii. 25; xiii. 1): for which reason the Divine Spirit was pleased that you should share in common with him that solemn ordination by which he was constituted Apostle of the Gentiles. But very soon after this the greater good of souls required that your journeys and labours, until then inseparable from his, should be divided. Your Apostolate was then directed more specially to the island of Cyprus, so abused in pagan times by the demon of voluptuousness: there had you first seen the light and now you gladly devoted your sweat and even your blood to diffusing throughout this, your native isle, the purifying light of the Son of God.
But the Pentecostal fires burning in your breast urged you ever forwards and onwards to more distant missions. Of you was it written, as of Paul: “I have set you to be the light of the Gentiles, that you may be for salvation to the uttermost part of the Earth” (Acts xiii. 47). Thus Italy also heard your sweet voice, redolent of the joy and consolation of the Paraclete. She beheld your noble countenance, the serene majesty of which had made the pagans of another land mistake you for one of their gods veiled under human features (Acts xiv. 11). Bergamo, Brescia and other places, especially Milan, claim you as their Father. Then, Barnabas, from your exalted throne, look down and ever protect the Faith you deposited in these spots which, more fortunate than the fated cities of Cyprus, have remained faithful. Vouchsafe to protect the Order, so useful to the Church, which claims your powerful patronage: may its apostolate continue to carry out your own, and may its members deserve to the Day of Doom the high esteem in which it was held by Saint Charles Borromeo, your glorious successor in the See of Milan. In one word, Father of the Gentiles, extend your solicitude to all nations, for all, without distinction, were confided to you by the Holy Ghost: suffer them to enter into the way of light so exquisitely described in that precious Epistle which bears your blessed name. May the Gentile world become the true temple, of which that of Moriah was but a figure.Also on this day according to the ROMAN MARTYROLOGY:
At Aquileia, the martyrdom of the saints Felix and Fortunatus, brothers. In the persecution of Diocletian and Maximian they were racked and had flaming torches held against their sides. These being extinguished by the power of God, boiling oil was poured over them, and as they persevered in confessing Christ, they were decapitated.
At Bologna, St. Parisius, confessor, a monk of the Order of Camaldoli.
At Rome, the translation of St. Gregory Nazianzen, whose sacred body after having been brought from Constantinople to Rome, and kept a long time in the church of the Mother of God, was by Pope Gregory XIII transferred with great solemnity to a chapel of the Basilica of St. Peter, most sumptuously decorated by his Holiness, and the next day placed with due honour beneath the altar.
And in other places, many other holy martyrs, confessors and virgins.
Thanks be to God.
