It is 11June 2015. We celebrate the memorial of St. Barnabas the Apostle. Baranabas means son of encouragement. He truly encouraged the budding communities. St. Barnabas introduced St.Paul to St. Peter. He is the patron saint of Cyprus and Antioch. He is also invoked as a peacemaker and against hailstorms. The readings are from Acts.11:21b-26; 13:1-3 and the Gospel from Mt. 10:7-13. Our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles recounts some of the works done by St Barnabas in spreading the Gospel of Christ in various communities. The Spirit of God wanted to set apart Barnabas for the work of God. We are called to be like Barnabas and to give our life to the service of God and the Word. In the Responsorial Psalm we read, “The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.” (Ps.98:2b) The Gospel today sees Jesus sending out his Apostles and telling them how they should act. All those who have encountered the Risen Lord are sent out on an apostolate to invite others to be part of the Kingdom. All the gifts from God is free and to be shared with others. “Preach the message: The Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, and drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” (Mt.10:7,8). Our preaching and helping must not be for a monetary motive. Ministers of the Word must not be the persons interested in receiving. There is a holiness in giving. Our reference point in giving is God. We have so much to give to the people around. A distinctive quality of the Christian is seen in this giving. Thus far we have received so many blessings from the Lord. As God showered us with blessings, we have to be generous to others of our time, love, and possessions.