A good man

Today we remember St Barnabas. In the first reading for today's memorial from Acts 11:21-26:13:1-3, we read about Barnabas' appointment to go to Antioch and to see for himself how this community of Jew and Gentile, male and female, rich and poor, regularly came together under the influence of the grace that God had given them and the faith they shared in Jesus Christ. He was also the one who decided to bring Saul down from Tarsus to witness the faith of this amazing community. This was a decisive moment in the making of St Paul the apostle to the Gentiles. And what does Luke, the author of Acts, say about this remarkable missionary, Barnabas. Luke wrote "he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith." In a sense he lived out the call of Jesus, as we read in today's gospel text from Matthew 5:13-16, to be "the salt of the earth" and the light of the world". The leaders in Jerusalem knew who they were looking for when they sent Barnabas to Antioch. Let us pray, that the church today can continue to find good people, full of faith, who can undertake the ongoing task of encouraging and supporting Christian communities, especially those found in places that are easily overlooked.