The Memorial of Saint Barnabas the Apostle
The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. The report concerning them came to the ears of the assembly which was in Jerusalem. They sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. Who, when he had come, and had seen the grace of God, was glad. He exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they should remain near to the Lord. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and many people were added to the Lord.
Barnabas went out to Tarsus to look for Saul. When he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they were gathered together with the assembly, and taught many people. The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
Now in the assembly that was at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them."
Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
Sing to the Lord a new song, For he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
The Lord has made known his salvation. He has openly shown his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his loving kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
He has remembered his loving kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Burst out and sing for joy, yes, sing praises!
Sing praises to the Lord with the harp, With the harp and the voice of melody. With trumpets and sound of the ram's horn, Make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.
For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
"You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, 'You shall not murder;' and 'Whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' But I tell you that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause will be in danger of the judgment. Whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' will be in danger of the council. Whoever says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.
"If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you, Leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Agree with your adversary quickly while you are with him on the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison. Most certainly I tell you, you shall by no means get out of there until you have paid the last penny.
Saint Barnabas earned his nickname "Son of Encouragement" for good reason—he had an extraordinary gift for seeing potential in others and creating space for them to flourish. When the early Church was suspicious of the converted persecutor Saul, Barnabas vouched for him and brought him into ministry.
Notice how Barnabas operates in Acts: he sees the grace of God at work in Antioch and rejoices rather than feeling threatened. When the community grows beyond what he can handle alone, he doesn't try to control everything—he seeks out Saul and invites him into partnership. This is leadership that multiplies rather than hoards, that builds up rather than tears down.
The contrast with Jesus's words in Matthew couldn't be sharper. While Barnabas embodies encouragement and reconciliation, Jesus warns us about the deadly power of our words and anger. The progression he describes is chilling: from anger to insult ("Raca!") to character assassination ("You fool!"). Each step moves us further from the kingdom and deeper into isolation.
What emerges is a profound truth about human relationships: we can either be builders or destroyers, encouragers or discouragers. Every interaction presents this choice. When a coworker makes a mistake, when our spouse leaves dishes in the sink, when someone cuts us off in traffic—these ordinary moments become opportunities to practice either the way of Barnabas or the destructive path Jesus warns against.
The urgency in Jesus's teaching about reconciliation reminds us that broken relationships don't heal themselves. They require the kind of intentional, humble action that Barnabas modeled—seeing the best in others even when it's costly.
Who in your life could use the gift of encouragement that Barnabas offered? What relationship needs the kind of urgent attention Jesus describes? How might you practice being a "son or daughter of encouragement" in your ordinary interactions today?