Wishing
all a (belated) feast of Pentecost.
This
Sunday-June 09th, we were witness to one of the Great Feasts of our church- the
feast of
Pentecost which commemorated the descent of the Holy Spirit on the
apostles and the followers of Christ after the ascension of our Lord.
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| Icon of St Barnabas |
One of
the striking features that a person encounters in an Orthodox liturgy is the
smell of incense. During the liturgy, the Holy Altar, Evangelion Table, the
Baptismal font etc are censed (clearly, they are ‘set apart’ for liturgical
worship). Along with the above, the people are censed as well by the celebrant
priest, as an acknowledgement of them being created in the image and likeness
of their Creator. And while they are being censed, the faithful make a sign of
cross upon themselves, remembering and pondering the great love of the Creator
and to imitate the incarnate Son- our Lord and Saviour Jesus in our earthly
sojourn.
This
concept of acknowledging people in having been created in the image and
likeness of the Creator is so profoundly seen in our Indian traditions and
customs when we greet each other with ‘Namaste’. (meaning, ‘I bow before you’).
When we greet with a Namaste with folded hands we acknowledge the divine in the
other person.
For us,
this is easier said than done. In our day to day life we do face difficulty in
acknowledging the scope and potential of other person, and factors like his/her
surroundings, their past life, may cloud our opinion.
I
do not recollect the exact words, but I had read a quote as to how the packets
of flower seeds have pictures of flowers on the cover, meaning we should not be
disheartened if our present is inconsequential but ought to focus on what one
can become- what potential can one reach. Such also is the quality exhibited by
men of God and the infant church witnessed such was a man- St. Barnabas.
We
read about St. Barnabas in the Holy Scripture as a man called Joses who was
named by Apostles themselves as ‘Barnabas’ translated as Son of Encouragement
(Acts 4:36). Further, the qualities about St Barnabas as attested by the
Scripture is that he was ‘a good man, full of Holy Spirit and of faith’
(Acts 11:24). St. Barnabas could see the good in others, he could encourage them
and not let them slip through hopelessness if the society/community judged such
people thus. After Saul’s conversion, we read that the disciples were sceptical
of him (since Saul was infamous for persecuting the church). However, the Holy
Scripture points us that ‘Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles”
(Acts 9:27). When everyone else disbelieved, Barnabas trusted Saul and believed
that he could definitely reform for good.
Further
in Acts 11, verse 20 onward, we see some nameless pioneers of Christ who
preached Him in the city of Antioch. And who was sent to encourage these people?
The answer is Barnabas- the ‘good man’. The little things we do for God may
look ‘small’ for the world but not for Him. And He sends Barnabases to
encourage these simple hearted!
In
these verses we further read that Barnabas had departed to Tarsus to find Saul.
Where had Saul gone? Going back to Acts chapter 9 we see that after St.
Barnabas had brought Saul to the Apostles, Saul (later St Paul) was boldly
speaking about Lord Jesus Christ against the Hellenist and there was a danger
to his life. Hence, he was sent to Tarsus. Had Barnabas been one of those who crave
worldly honours, he would have gladly loved to be the ‘lone hero’ at Antioch by
being the spiritual guide to these evangelists. But it wasn’t so- he sought for
Saul and brought him to Antioch!
The
church owes it to St. Barnabas for utilizing St Paul and bringing him to
forefront.
The story of St. Barnabas doesn’t end there. In Acts 15:37 onward we
see St Barnabas and St Paul having a sharp argument over John called Mark, who had
deserted them in Pamphylia. St. Paul didn’t want to take a deserter with him;
however, St Barnabas recognizing that Mark has returned for good, was quick to
accept him back. If St Barnabas like St.
Paul, would have been judgmental of Mark, perhaps the history of the
Coptic Church in Alexandria (whose founder was St Mark) would have been
entirely different!
We see in Colossians 4:10, as to how later St Mark became St Paul’s
trusted aide.
The Church owes to it to the good man- St Barnabas who
recognized the good in these men when others lost hope on them!
St Barnabas’s life teaches us to look at the core aspect of the person-
that he/she is created in the image and likeness of the Creator- that they
might have fallen today but they do have a potential to rise. This surely would
help us to forgive those who wronged us, persist in hope that those who have
gone astray will return, encourage those are discouraged, welcome the one ‘who
comes in the name of the Lord’.
Namaste!
By the
prayers of our holy father among the saints- St Barnabas, may the Lord have
mercy upon us.
In Christ,
Rincy
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