Gospel
Matthew 5:13-16
13 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt lose its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is good for nothing any more but to be cast out, and to be trodden on by men. 14 You are the light of the world. A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all that are in the house.
16 So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Today is the Feast of Saint Barnabas, and the Gospel is quite fitting. You see, Saint Barnabas traditionally has a reputation for being quite bold in his teaching… even somewhat strident and offensive. Although, we have no idea of its authenticity, one of the earliest writings of the Church is the Epistle of Barnabas. For centuries, it was believed to have been written by Saint Barnabas, himself, but now it is believed to have been written perhaps by one of his disciples and attributed to him. Regardless, it was very influential in the early Church. Saint Barnabas at least seems to have continued in the tradition of his teacher, Saint Paul, in railing against the Judaisers – those who would impose Jewish customs and beliefs on Christianity. Saint Paul was also very critical of Jewish religious leaders and political officials. The Epistle of Barnabas goes further though, often seeming to condemn the Jewish race as especially inclined to evil. Given his background, we may well be skeptical of the authenticity of the document. We must remember though, that much of the document is quite insightful and solid in doctrine and that one may criticize most what is most familiar… there was also a great persecution of Christians by Jews at the time, and harsh feelings were to be expected.
When we look back on history, we may wonder, why couldn’t they just live and let live… be tolerant and try to get along? However, our Lord did not promise this; He said He would bring the sword! This stands in sharp contrast to the way Jesus is usually portrayed - “Prince of Peace”, “Lamb of God”, who would not even break a bruised reed, etc. We are used to the gentle Jesus, the “uniter not the divider.” How can we understand this Jesus who is the sword of division. Well, first it is important to understand that Jesus brought a new covenant and a new Church with a new understanding of God, a new Sabbath, etc. This was symbolized by the tearing in two of the veil of the Temple. The new Church would be given to both Jews who accepted Christ and to Gentiles… but all had to choose, whether to accept Jesus and become Christian or remain as they were, not believing in Him…. and this would, and continues to cause much division.
Before I get too deep into this, I think I should explain that I grew up with a lot of Jewish folks. Among them have been some of my best friends. I dated two Jewish girls in college and just after and would have married one, but we could not reconcile our religious beliefs. For her, to marry a Christian would cause great conflict in her family and the religious community she grew up in. Catholics must have the assurance from a non-Catholic spouse that their children will be raised Catholic. That was an extreme scandal for her parents and grandparents. Her mother even asked to “borrow” her Bible and basically threw it down by the cat’s litter box. I had always been very accepted by Jewish people, but marriage was a different circumstance.
I still have immense respect for Judaism and a true love for the Jewish people based on mutual respect. But, I came to understand then, that there are some lines that a religious Jew will refuse to cross as tenants of their faith. The same is true for Christians, Muslims, etc. We can live in brotherhood, but we don’t compromise on our religion and to convert to another religion is a very big deal and a serious matter of conscience. I don’t know if this is true of all Jewish belief, but she explained to me that if she converted to Catholicism, she would be, essentially, erased from the family tree and completely ostracized - no one in her family or who attended her Synagogue would ever speak to her again or even mention her name. I have tremendous respect for those who do convert to Christianity, especially the Holy Apostles.
Perhaps Saint Barnabas, if his epistle is authentic, was deeply hurt by how he had been treated. I do not know. Regardless, he is a great saint and I pray to him daily. Let us pray for the conversion of all peoples into the one True Church.
Judson Carroll is the author of several books, including his newest, A Daily Catholic Devotional, Reflections on the Daily Mass Readings July-December, 2024 It is Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D3ZTXQB4
and
Confirmation, an Autobiography of Faith. It is also Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C47Q1JNK
His new podcast is The Uncensored Catholic https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-uncensored-catholic
Good Morning Judson! Insightful and interesting article.