Is There a Barnabas in Your Life?

ME

Good evening everyone! I know that tonight after mass there is CrossRoads, the CYM for 6-7 and 8 grade! Anyone going to Crossroads? Raise your hand! Is that fun!? Awesome! I love to hear that!

The readings for tonight are very rich. I love the story of Barnabas and Saul. And you know that Saul is the apostle Paul - right? Same person. Barnabas was a key friend, a companion of Paul. Many theologians believe that without Barnabas Paul would have not been accepted as one of the disciples. Barnabas was very well connected to the original apostles, very respected, and was also a true friend of Paul. Paul was not one of the original apostles, he didn’t live three years traveling across towns with Jesus like the other Apostles. So, when Paul arrived in Jerusalem in the year 38-39 the apostles were very skeptical of Paul. But Barnabas knew Paul’s conversion to the Chrisitan faith very well and helped him get connected to the Vine of the Apostles. So Saint Paul was accepted as a disciple of Jesus and he became part of the early church.

The first reading says:

When Saul/Paul arrived in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples,

but they were all afraid of him,

not believing that he was a disciple.

Then Barnabas took charge of him and brought him to the apostles,

and he reported to them how he had seen the Lord, …

… The Church … grew in numbers.

Paul had a critical role in spreading the Christian Faith.

But did you know that without Barnabas we might not have ever heard of Christianity? 

Paul needed a helper to get connected and accepted by the early church and he found it in Barnabas. By the way Barnabas in Greek means “son of encouragement.”

I am fortunate. In my life I had my Barnabas. When we moved here in 2010 I didn’t know anyone and my connection to the Faith was not very strong. In an effort to get to know more families at CTK I signed up to be a soccer coach for my son. Greg Donaldson was the other coach and he became my Barnabas. He introduced me to the vine of CTK, and helped me to remain in-it through the Men of Faith Group. Without Greg I don’t think I would be here today. 

YOU

Is there a Barnabas in your life? Someone that helps you stay connected to the vine of Jesus Christ?

What about you kids? Do you have good friends that help you to go to church, and stay close to God?

Parents, do you help your kids find their Barnabas?

GOD

What type of vine were the apostles, Barnabas, Paul and all the early Christians attached to?

The answer is that these early christians had such a profound experience of the resurrection of Jesus Christ that they became different people. They didn’t fear the oppressing power of the Romans anymore, they didn't fear death or being cursed by sin. They experienced a freedom in their soul that they described as life in heaven. They imagined that eternal life would be like that, the same as those powerful experiences in this life.

They described this profound and radical transformation as a deep change in their “SPIRIT”. Go figure! This is how the word Holy Spirit came about, as this powerful impulse of love, wind, breath that changed the orientation of their being.  The vine that they were deeply attached to was the Spirit of the Resurrected Christ.

And they didn’t let go of this vine because they didn't want to go back to the small spiritual life they had before. They experienced that being attached to the Resurrected Jesus Christ was the lifeline to produce fruit and meaning in their lives. And they were ready to die for it, as demonstrated by the Apostles and all the other martyrs. 

Also in the Old Testament the Spirit of God was present, but it wasn't personal and able to reach everyone like the Spirit of God in the New Testament that came through the incarnation and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

YOU

So, what vine are you attached to? 

What vine is the one that is responsible for your most frequent thoughts?

Jesus in today's gospel said:

“ I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,  because without me you can do nothing.” 

I have experienced life attached to the wrong vine and I don’t want that again!

If my life is not being transformed like those of the early Christians it is time to check which vine I am attached to.

A life lived attached to the vine of the resurrected Jesus Christ enhances the good that we experience and make us strong in our weaknesses. This is what the early Christians experienced and it is available to us too! Paul was thrown-off the horse when he saw the Resurrected Christ calling him. And this encounter transformed him from a persecutor to a deeply dedicated disciple.

WE

You might be thinking - that's great Deacon! But how do I do it? How do I get connected and stay connected to the vine of Jesus?

First of all, I need to believe in the words of the Creed that we profess each Sunday. Do you believe in the “visible and invisible” that we profess? 

Do you believe in the invisible Holy Spirit that comes to us from the Father and from Jesus? This is the same spirit that changed the inner life of the early Christians - they had no more fear of the principalities or the oppressing power of Rome, or death, or sin or weaknesses.

Have you seen the movie “Risen”?  There is a powerful line at the end of the movie that is a testimony to the experience of the resurrected Christ. The main character, a Roman soldier, finds himself leaving the army after a profound experience in seeing the resurrected Christ. He was asked, ”what are you going to do now?” He said,  “I don’t know what I am going to do. But, I do know that I will never be the same.”

Once we believe that transformation in our spirit is possible, we need to recognize that it is very hard to get connected to the vine of Christ and stay connected to this lifeline by ourselves. Paul couldn't do it either. 

You and I need a Barnabas just like he did that helps us to get into the church’s life and start living it from the inside. 

We need other people that we can exchange our experiences of faith to stay connected to Jesus's lifeline. Going to church on Sunday, and sending our kids to catholic school is not enough. Get involved and start living the church from the inside. 

You will discover that it is not a nice well-kept gated community. It is messy! But you will meet people that strive to stay connected to the vine of Christ.

The resurrected Christ was the tangible way the early Christians experienced God's power. Today we have the same tangible way in the Eucharist and in the Holy Spirit that Jesus left us after he ascended to Heaven. 

As you consume the Eucharist in a few minutes, you will be graphed in Jesus’s vine. This is a beautiful time to direct the spiritual power of the Eucharist to help you find your Barnabas.

As you look around the congregation, know that many other people are seeking for their Barnabas. And it might be you!