June 11, 2026 Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle Gospel: Matthew 5:20–26
Today is Thursday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time. The Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Barnabas the Apostle. The Roman Martyrology tells us that Saint Barnabas (first century) is frequently mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. He introduced Saint Paul to the Twelve Apostles and accompanied him on his first missionary journey. Saint Barnabas was also present at the Council of Jerusalem; although he was not one of the Twelve, he has long been venerated with the title of “Apostle.” Traditions regarding his death vary: one holds that he was martyred in his native Cyprus, while others record that he died in Salamis, Greece; there is also an improbable claim that he was the first Bishop of Milan. His name is included in the Roman Canon.
Today’s Gospel continues the Sermon on the Mount from Saint Matthew. In this passage, we hear mention of the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. What does this mean? We know that in the time of Jesus, the Pharisees were the “Rabbis” of Israel. They taught the people through parables; in interpreting the Law, they included ancestral prohibitions, customs, and what they called the traditions of the elders. They followed the logic of this world. The logic of this world told them that if they gave something to others, they must receive something commensurate in return. Thus, they would only invite those whom they considered close kin to share meals with them. The scribes were biblical scholars who, like the Pharisees, interpreted Scripture arbitrarily, seeing themselves as the very voice of God. They regarded themselves as righteous and supremely pure.
We can see our own reflection in these scribes and Pharisees. Whenever we interpret the Word of God according to our own ideas, or proclaim it in ways we deem fitting, and whenever we judge or insult our brothers and sisters as worldly people do, we become the scribes and Pharisees Jesus speaks of. For we too reject the Word of God. At such times, we are not proclaiming the Word of God; we are wounding Him. For every person is made in the image of God.
Today, as the Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Barnabas, we are invited to imitate his example: to remain faithful to the Sacred Word, to strive to accompany those brothers and sisters who have gone astray, so that they may experience the tender love and warmth of the Father proclaimed by Jesus of Nazareth, and following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, walk in the footsteps of Christ toward holiness.
O God, who decreed that Saint Barnabas, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit, should be set apart to convert the nations, grant that the Gospel of Christ, which he strenuously preached, may be faithfully proclaimed by word and by deed. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
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