THE GENEROUS PREACHER
Text: Acts 11:21b-26; 13:1-3; Matthew 10:7-13
Professor Cris Hassold taught art history for over 50 years. She lived modestly, drove a Toyota Corolla, and dressed plainly. When she died, she left 36 people a surprise, 31 of whom were her students. Her estate was valued at $2.8 million, and she divided it among these 36 people. Each one received a “box from Cris.” Many were surprised, especially those who had not spoken to Prof. Hassold in a long time. The payments ranged from $26,000-$560,000.[1]
St. Barnabas had a similar mindset, but he didn’t wait until death to show his generosity. Strictly speaking, St. Barnabas was not an apostle, but this title was bestowed upon him from ancient times. His first name was Joseph, and Barnabas, meaning “son of consolation,” was seen as a surname. According to tradition, he was from the tribe of Levi and was called a Hellenist, since he was a Jewish person born in Cyprus, part of Greece.
He sold all his possessions and placed the money at the feet of the apostles. Our first reading today, in chapter eleven of the Acts of the Apostles, describes how he befriended St. Paul and introduced him to the apostles, even though they were still skeptical of him after his conversion. He brought him from Tarsus to teach at Antioch. They traveled together on the first missionary journey, as recounted in chapters 13 and 14.
Barnabas subsequently went with Mark to preach the faith in Cyprus, of which we learn in the First Letter to the Corinthians (9:5-6). There is no record of his death, but his body was found at Salamina in 488, and from ancient times his name has been mentioned in the Roman Canon of the Mass.
In the Gospel, our Lord sends out the apostles to proclaim that the kingdom is at hand and to continue His work of accompanying the people in their various needs, curing the sick, cleansing lepers, raising the dead, and driving out demons. He asks them to seek no remuneration in gold but to accept the hospitality of room and board where they bring their message and ministry.
May these zealous missionary efforts of the early church both edify and inspire all of us to see their lives of sacrifice to spread the Good News. It is always good for us to be reminded of the words of St. Francis of Assisi, especially in this special year dedicated to him, commemorating the 800th anniversary of his passing: “Preach the Gospel always, when necessary, use words!”
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/11/us/cris-hassold-professor-new-college-will.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare accessed 5/13/2026.
Photo by Diana Light on Unsplash