JUNE 11TH, ST. BARNABAS, APOSTLE

Month in honor of the Most Sacred Heart of OLJC.

Today is the Ninth and Last Day (or Eighth Day for the tardy) of the Novena to the Sacred Heart.

Barnabas the Levite, whose name means 'son of encouragement', was of the people of Cyprus and was sent with Saint Paul the Apostle to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He sold a field he owned and brought the money from it to the Apostles. Having been sent to Antioch to preach, he gave new strength by his exhortations to many who had been converted to belief in Christ. Thence he set forth with St. Paul and travelled through many cities and countries, to the great benefit of his hearers. Finally he left Paul, and with John, who was surnamed Mark, he took ship to Cyprus. There, in the seventh year of Nero's reign, he added the crown of martyrdom to the dignity of the apostolic office.