SAINT BARNABAS.
[JUNE 11.]
This
festival is not of primitive
antiquity, being unnoticed
in the ancient Lectionaries
and Sacramentaries. In the
Calendar of the Venerable
Bede it is the 10th instead
of the 11th of June; and in
the Eastern Church the name
of St. Barnabas is
associated with that of St.
Bartholomew, the latter
being also commemorated on
August 25th. The day was
omitted from the English
Calendar of 1552, but the
Service was retained. In
Fothergill's MS. it is
stated that the day was not
observed because St.
Barnabas was not one of the
twelve. [Hence we find
Bishop Wren in 1636 giving
direction that "ministers
forget not to read the
collects, epistles, and
gospels appointed for the
Converts of St. Paul...and
for St. Barnaby's Day."
Card. Doc. Ann. ii. 202.]
The
name of St. Barnabas derives
its chief lustre from his
association with St. Paul;
yet, independently of this,
he was one worthy to be
ranked among the saints of
the Church as an Evangelist,
Apostle, and Martyr.
The
Apostle St. Barnabas was
born at Cyprus, but was a
Jew of the tribe of Levi,
and his original name was
Joses or Joseph. Some of the
Fathers record that he was
one of the seventy
disciples, and that he was
brought up with St. Paul at
the feet of Gamaliel. After
our Lord's Ascension he
received the name of
Barnabas, or "Son of
Consolation," from the
Apostles; and showed his
zeal for Christ by selling
his property that the
Apostles might distribute
the proceeds among the poor;
an act which possibly
originated the name by which
he has ever since been
known. St. Chrysostom hands
down a tradition that he was
a man of very amiable
disposition but commanding
aspect. Having brought St.
Paul to the Apostles he was
associated with him for
about fourteen years, and on
several missionary journeys.
After their separation
nothing further is recorded
of St. Barnabas in Holy
Scripture; but the
traditions of the Church
represent that he spent the
remainder of his life among
his fellow-countrymen at
Cyprus, and that he was
stoned by the Jews at
Salamis under circumstances
somewhat similar to those
which brought St. Stephen to
his death. What was supposed
to be the body of St.
Barnabas was discovered four
centuries after his
martyrdom, a Hebrew copy of
St. Matthew's Gospel lying
next his heart, which was
believed to have been
written by himself. An
Epistle is extent, bearing
the name of St. Barnabas,
which is considered by many
scholars to be authentic.
The
Gospel for the day is
evidently selected with
reference to the act of St.
Barnabas in consoling the
poor disciples in their
poverty. He acted upon the
command of our Lord in the
spirit with which the
example of the Good
Samaritan is commended to
us, and showed his love by
going and doing likewise.
Introit.—Thy friends
are exceeding honourable
unto me, O God: greatly is
their beginning
strengthened. Ps. O Lord,
Thou hast searched me out
and known me: Thou knowest
my downsitting and mine
uprising. Glory be.
