Wednesday of the 10th week in ordinary time

Acts 11: 21b-26;13. 1-3     Mathew 5: 17-19

Theme: A Faithful disciple

Today the church celebrates the memorial of St. Barnabas, an Apostle and a convert to the faith. He was one of the companions of St. Paul in his missionary journeys. He was a faithful follower of Christ, and he eventually shed his blood for the faith. Today the church celebrates him as a Martyr. The sacrifices that were made by our Ancestors in faith, continues to grow from one generation to the next. It is now our duty as Christians in our own time, to continue from where they stopped. This brings me to a very important question today, what role are you playing to ensure that the fruits planted by all those before us continue to grow? This is both individual and collective, we all have a role to play to make this a reality. It is not the responsibility of any individual or group of people, it is rather the responsibility of all of us, as Christians. It is never too late for us to be part of this crusade, accept this invitation today and begin to propagate the good news of the kingdom of God in your daily life.

Dear friends in Christ, in the 1st reading of today from the Acts of the Apostles, we see Barnabas exhorting the people to remain faithful to the Lord and be steadfast. He was simply teaching the people what he believed in and was practicing in his personal life. This is very clear from the life he lived and from the type of death with which he glorified Christ. One thing that is very clear here is the fact that, just like Jesus, he was teaching the people to practice what he was already doing in his own life. This is a challenge to all of us as Christians in our own time. We must make effort to practice what we teach and preach to others, just like St. Barnabas whose memorial we celebrate today did in his lifetime. The true test of our discipleship is seen in how we practice what we teach in our own lives.

In the gospel reading of today, Jesus encourages us to take the commandments of God serious in our lives and encourage others to do the same. It is our duty as children of God to continue to propagate the commandments of God, practice it in our lives and teach others to do the same in their lives. May God give us the grace to be faithful disciples, in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit, Amen. Peace be with you.