Joseph’s friend had a history

It was a bad history – full of hatred and even violence – and so people did not trust him when he had supposedly “seen the light.”

But Joseph stood up for his friend and because the people in charge trusted Joseph, they accepted his friend on his word.

After a while, Joseph’s friend moved back to his hometown and the two of them lost touch.

Some time later, Joseph was on a business trip and he discovered something truly wonderful: a tremendous opportunity. He immediately thought of his old friend as just the man for the job, so he tracked his friend down and the two of them got to work.

Joseph was right: his friend was perfect for the task. In fact, Joseph’s friend would prove incredibly successful and would be known as one of the greatest men who ever lived.

Joseph, also known as Barnabas, would always be esteemed as a great Apostle (although not one of the Twelve) and he would die gloriously for Christ. But his greatest contribution to Christianity may have been what he did for his friend Saul, who would be known as St. Paul the Apostle.

The memory of St. Barnabas is celebrated on this day.