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THE FOURTH MONTH IN THE NAME
OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, On this day is celebrated a commemorative festival of our holy
Lady the Virgin Maryam, the God-bearer.
Salutation to Maryam, who found seed without drinking the dew, and
without drinking from the fountain, and who appeared unto Isaac from out
of her icon. And on this day became a martyr the holy apostle and great
prophet Barnabas, which name, being interpreted, means “son of
consolation.” This blessed
and holy man was from the country of Cyprus, and was of the tribe of Levi,
and his original name was Joseph. And
the Lord chose him to be of the number of the Seventy-two disciples, whom
He sent out to preach before His Passion, and He called his name Barnabas.
Then the Holy Spirit Paraclete descended upon him when he was in
the chamber of Zion with the Apostles, and he preached the Name of our
Lord Jesus Christ. And he
owned a garden, and he sold it and brought the price thereof and gave it
to the Apostles. And when
Paul the Apostle believed, and our Lord Christ was mingling with the
Apostles, and many of them did [not] believe that Paul was a disciple of
Christ, this Barnabas came to the Apostles and brought Paul unto them.
And he became a witness to them on his behalf that Paul was a
disciple of our Lord Christ, and he told them how our Lord Christ had
appeared unto him and talked with him.
And Barnabas went with Paul to many cities, and they preached in
the Name of our Lord Christ. And
the Holy Spirit said unto the Apostles, “Separate ye for Me Barnabas and
Saul for the work.” And when they came into the city of Lystra and preached, and
Paul healed the paralytic who was therein, this Barnabas was with him.
And when the men of the city wished to offer sacrifices to them,
and called them “gods,” they would not accept the honoring of me, but
they rent their garments and confessed that they were men even as they
were. And after Barnabas had
gone with Paul to many cities, he separated from him, and he took Mark
with him to Cyprus, and they preached there, and converted very many of
the men thereof to the True Faith of Christ, and baptized them with
Christian baptism. And the
Jews of the country of Cyprus became envious of him, and they made
accusations against him before the governor, and before those who were in
authority. And they seized
him and gave him a severe and painful beating, and then they stoned him
with stones, and then they dragged his body out from under the stones, and
they burnt him with fire and he finished his martyrdom.
And the Apostle Mark the evangelist was with him, and God kept him
and preserved him to preach in the city of Alexandria and in all the
regions round about it. And
they took out [the body] of Saint Barnabas from the fire, and he was whole
and uninjured, and the fire had not touched him at all, and they carried
him out, and swathed him in costly cloths, and laid him in a cave outside
the city of Cyprus. Salutation
to Barnabas and salutation to Mark. Salutation
to our Shepherd like Whom there never hath been any and never shall be
any.
Glory
be to God Who is glorified in His Saints.
Amen. |
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