Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
Ashley McKinlessJune 10, 2025
iStock/wundervisuals

A Reflection for the Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle

Find today’s readings here.

When he arrived and saw the grace of God,
he rejoiced and encouraged them all
to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart,
for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith (Acts 11:23-24).

When I was in college, my friends would gently tease me about my propensity to bring up religion at parties: “How many drinks until Ashley starts talking to a stranger about God?” Although I had been raised Catholic and never left the church, it was in college that I began to take my faith seriously. After having a profound experience of Jesus’ mercy in confession, I switched my major from business to religious studies—and I wanted to talk about both the personal and intellectual parts of this faith that seemed so new to this cradle Catholic.

I imagine the first church leaders in Jerusalem, themselves Jews and accustomed to preaching about the Lord to other Jews, thought about sharing the Gospel in Antioch in the same way some Catholics today might think about bringing up Jesus at a frat party. What good can come from preaching to the rich and rowdy pagans there?

So when word got back to Jerusalem that “a great number” in Antioch “believed [and] turned to the Lord,” they sent Barnabas, whose memorial the church celebrates today, to get a hold on the situation, no doubt with a good deal of skepticism about the kind of faith he would find among the Gentiles. (This was before the Council of Jerusalem, where evangelizing the Gentiles became official church policy.)

But it seems that Barnabas, “a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith,” arrived in Antioch with an open mind and heart. He rejoiced when he “saw the grace of God” at work among the people, and even sent for then-Saul to come teach with him in Antioch. (Another reason to celebrate this lesser-known missionary apostle today: It was Barnabas who vouched for his formerly Christian-persecuting friend Saul and introduced him to the Twelve in Jerusalem.)

Barnabas offers important lessons for modern evangelizers and missionaries. God’s grace is often at work in people and places before the “official” church arrives. Instead of seeking to assert control over those places, we should, like Barnabas, rejoice in and encourage those who have begun to turn to the Lord.

I think of the digital world as a modern-day Antioch. There are plenty of places like YouTube, Reddit and TikTok where younger people are discovering and discussing the Catholic faith. Some Catholic leaders may see this as a cause for concern: An influencer or viral post without the imprimatur of a bishop does have the potential to lead people astray. But what if, instead of trying to import the hierarchy into these online communities, Catholic leaders celebrated what is good in them and then taught in a way that resonates with the platform’s unique culture?

I don’t know if I made any converts at bars or around dance floors. But I did talk to people with their own faith stories, questions about religion and a spiritual hunger, and I have no doubt that God’s grace was and is at work in each of them. Thinking back on my college zeal, I’m reminded that while it’s not our job to “save” anyone, we should never write off any person or place (fraternal or digital) as beyond saving and the reach of the good news.

The latest from america

Pope Leo XIV prays at the conclusion of an audience with pilgrims in Rome for the Holy Year 2025 in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican June 14, 2025. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)
Pope Leo called for a “commitment to build a world that is safer and free from the nuclear threat.”
Gerard O’ConnellJune 14, 2025
A Reflection for Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time, by Tim Reidy
The neverending delight of “Good for you!”
Joe PagettaJune 13, 2025
Protesters gather at the U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Prisons after federal immigration authorities conducted an operation on Friday, June 6, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
My Jewish family was sheltered in a Christian village in Nazi-occupied France. Now I am a naturalized American citizen, but can I count on similar courage and good will from my neighbors?
Pierre SauvageJune 13, 2025