Happy Easter! Yes, it is still Easter! During this Easter season as we walk with the resurrected Christ on the road to Emmaus and Pentecost, we are given a real treat in our Sunday readings. We hear stories of the earliest Christians, so early, in fact, that they would not have called themselves Christians. It is fascinating to learn their difficulties, their humanness. One of the unsung heroes of the Acts of the Apostles is Barnabas.
As Early Christian scholar John Francis Fenlon writes, “With the exception of St. Paul and certainly the twelve Apostles, Barnabas appears to have been the most esteemed man of the first Christian generation. St. Luke, breaking his habit of reserve, speaks of him with affection, ‘for he was a good man, full of the Holy Ghost and of Faith.’ His title to glory comes not only from his kindliness of heart, his personal sanctity, and his missionary labors, but also from his readiness to lay aside his Jewish prejudices; from his large-hearted welcome of the Gentiles, and from his early perception of Paul’s worth” (Fenlon, The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2.). That’s a pretty cool vouch. In thinking about and praying to Barnabas this week, I learned Barnabas literally means “bearer.” So, who are the Barnabases in my life?
I don’t consider my day-to-day work all that important, and even the mundane stuff couldn’t be done without the countless Barnabases in my life. You may know them! I’m thinking of that Barnabas, Roxanne, who edits this very blog and everything else I write with a joyous smile even though I hand it to her minutes before—and after—deadlines. There is Mary Ann in the Church Office who is pretty tough on the outside, but I know she is dedicated and devoted. (Mary Ann is also a wonderful lover of novels—ask her about them!) Betty, another Barnabas, is someone who always helps me and gets me out of jams—please don’t ask her about them! There’s Elena who, if she could feed me from a bottle, she would—that’s how helpless I am without her! These are just the people in the office, never mind the giving staff, the generous pastor, the personal friends and countless parishioners. It is overwhelming and deeply humbling. This week I encourage you to take a few minutes and think of all those unsung, unknown Barnabases that make your life a little easier.
I’ll be seeing you,
Elliot