2nd week in Easter Time, Tuesday – 9th April 2024 – Acts 4,32-37; Jn 3,7-15
Example of Encouragement
The first reading concludes with a striking example of material sharing for the communal life of the early church. Their material sharing was simply an expression of the care which they felt for each other at a much deeper level. Barnabas sold a piece of property and gave the money to the church. His name means “son of encouragement” and he accompanies as prominent person in the book of the Acts of the Apostles. He vouched for Saul before the community of Jerusalem (Acts 9,27) and spent a year with Paul in Tarsus, where he was known as a prophet and a teacher (Acts 13,1). He accompanied Paul on his first missionary journey to Cyprus and parts of modern-day Turkey. He participated in the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) which decided that the Gentile Christians need not be burdened with the observance of Old Law. Salvation comes from Faith in Jesus and living for him alone. Barnabas, who was not one of the original twelve apostles, joined the Apostles in their mission to proclaim and witness the Resurrection of Jesus. He followed the counsel of Jesus to the young man: “Go, sell what you own and give the money to the poor; then, come, follow me” (Mk 10,21). Because of the generosity of the members of the early Church, there was no needy person among them.
