_Ital._ San Parnabà. _Fr._ Saint Barnabé. (June 11.)
St. Barnabas is usually entitled the _Apostle_ Barnabas, because he was
associated with the Apostles in their high calling; ‘and,’ according
to Lardner, ‘though without that large measure of inspiration and
high authority which was peculiar to the TWELVE APOSTLES, properly so
called, yet he is to be considered as _Apostolical_, and next to them
in sanctity.’ For this reason I place him here.
St. Barnabas was a Levite, born in the island of Cyprus, and the
cousin-german of Mark the evangelist. The notices of his life and
character scattered through the Acts invest him with great personal
interest. He it was who, after the conversion of Paul, was the first
to believe in his sincerity, and took courage to present him to the
other apostles, ‘who were afraid of him, and would not believe that
he was a disciple.’ (Acts xv. 39.) Barnabas afterwards became the
fellow-labourer of Paul, and attended him to Antioch. We are told
that ‘he was a good man, full of the Holy Ghost and of faith;’ and to
this the legendary traditions add, that he was a man of a most comely
countenance, of a noble presence, grave and commanding in his step
and deportment; and thence, when he and Paul were at Lystra together,
‘they called Barnabas Jupiter, and Paul Mercurius.’ Subsequently,
however, Paul and Barnabas fell into a dispute concerning Mark, and
separated. The tradition relates that Barnabas and Mark remained for
some time together, being united by the ties of friendship, as well
as by those of kindred. Barnabas preached the Gospel in Asia Minor,
Greece, and Italy; and there is an old legendary tradition that he was
the first bishop of Milan. The legend also relates that everywhere he
carried with him the Gospel of St. Matthew, written by the hand of
the evangelist, preaching what was written therein; and when any were
sick, or possessed, he laid the sacred writing upon their bosom, and
they were healed; (a beautiful allegory this!) and it happened that as
he preached in a synagogue of Judea against the Jews, they were seized
with fury and took him, and put him to a cruel death. But Mark and the
other Christians buried him with many tears.
The body of St. Barnabas remained in its place of sepulture till
the days of the Emperor Zeno, when, according to Nicephorus, it was
revealed in a dream to Antemius, that the apostle rested in a certain
spot, and would be found there, with the Gospel of St. Matthew lying
on his bosom. And so it happened: the remains were found; the Gospel
was carried to the emperor at Constantinople; and a church was built,
dedicated to St. Barnabas.
* * * * *
It is, I presume, in consequence of his being the kinsman of St. Mark,
that Barnabas is more popular at Venice than elsewhere, and that
devotional figures of him are rarely found except in Venetian pictures.
He is represented as a man of majestic presence, holding in his hand
the Gospel of St. Matthew, as in a fine picture by Bonifazio; in his
church at Venice he is represented over the high altar, throned as
bishop, while St. Peter stands below.
* * * * *
He often occurs in subjects taken from the Acts and the life of St.
Paul. In the scene in which he presents Paul to the other apostles, he
is the principal personage; but in the scene at Paphos, where Elymas
is struck blind, and at Lystra, he is always secondary to his great
companion.
[Illustration: 84 Angel (Albert Dürer) _v._ p. 79.]
The Doctors of the Church.