Barnabas
Though not named among the twelve apostles of the evangelists, Barnabas emerges in the Acts of the Apostles as one of the most significant of their number. He sold his estate and gave the proceeds to the Church, since all things were to be held in common, and clearly became a leader. He is described as a Levite from Cyprus so, like his friend Paul, was from the Greek world rather than that of Palestine, and he introduced Paul to the leaders of the Church in Jerusalem. He was sent to Antioch apparently to guide the Christians there in their relations with non-Jewish converts, promoting the concept of all being one in Christ. He broke with Paul to go to Cyprus and tradition has it that he was martyred there in the year 61. EH
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/4xhpruzx
Remember your word to your servant, O Lord,
by which you have given me hope.
This is my comfort when I am brought low. Psalm 119
Strong and merciful God,
stand with the oppressed
against the triumph of evil
and the complacency of your people,
and establish in Jesus Christ
your new order of generosity and joy,
for he is alive and reigns now and for ever. Amen. CW:DP
Music: https://tinyurl.com/ycn4djk5
O Lord, open my lips.
And my mouth will declare your praise.
Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
make haste to help me, O Lord.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to you, O Christ, Alleluia!
HYMN: Maud Coote
Tune: Aurelia https://tinyurl.com/2p97kzdx
1 The ‘Son of Consolation’,
Saint Barnabas the good,
Filled with the Holy Spirit
And faith in Christ the Lord,
In lowly self-oblation,
To make an offering meet,
Laid down his earthly riches
At the Apostles’ feet.
2 The Son of Consolation,
In following his Lord
Attained the martyr’s glory,
And entered his reward:
With him is faith now ended,
For ever lost in sight,
Where love made perfect fills him
With praise and joy and light.
3 All sons of consolation,
How great their joys will be
When Christ the King shall tell them
‘You did it unto me’:
The merciful and loving
The loving Lord shall own,
And set them as his jewels
Around the Father’s throne.
PSALMS
Psalm 59 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y7xjmm3n)
1 Deliver me from mine enemies, O God *
defend me from them that rise up against me.
2 O deliver me from the wicked doers *
and save me from the blood-thirsty men.
3 For lo, they lie waiting for my soul *
the mighty men are gathered against me,
without any offence or fault of me, O Lord.
4 They run and prepare themselves without my fault *
arise thou therefore to help me, and behold.
5 Stand up, O Lord God of hosts, thou God of Israel,
to visit all the heathen *
and be not merciful unto them that offend of malicious wickedness.
6 They go to and fro in the evening *
they grin like a dog, and run about through the city.
7 Behold, they speak with their mouth, and swords are in their lips *
for who doth hear?
8 But thou, O Lord, shalt have them in derision *
and thou shalt laugh all the heathen to scorn.
9 My strength will I ascribe unto thee *
for thou art the God of my refuge.
10 God sheweth me his goodness plenteously *
and God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.
11 Slay them not, lest my people forget it *
but scatter them abroad among the people,
and put them down, O Lord, our defence.
12 For the sin of their mouth, and for the words of their lips,
they shall be taken in their pride *
and why? their preaching is of cursing and lies.
13 Consume them in thy wrath, consume them, that they may perish *
and know that it is God that ruleth in Jacob,
and unto the ends of the world.
14 And in the evening they will return *
grin like a dog, and will go about the city.
15 They will run here and there for meat *
and grudge if they be not satisfied.
16 As for me, I will sing of thy power,
and will praise thy mercy betimes in the morning *
for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.
17 Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing *
for thou, O God, art my refuge, and my merciful God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
Psalm 60 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yaj9c4se)
1 O God, thou hast cast us out, and scattered us abroad *
thou hast also been displeased; O turn thee unto us again.
2 Thou hast moved the land, and divided it *
heal the sores thereof, for it shaketh.
3 Thou hast shewed thy people heavy things *
thou hast given us a drink of deadly wine.
4 Thou hast given a token for such as fear thee *
that they may triumph because of the truth.
5 Therefore were thy beloved delivered *
help me with thy right hand, and hear me.
6 God hath spoken in his holiness, I will rejoice, and divide Sichem *
and mete out the valley of Succoth.
7 Gilead is mine, and Manasses is mine *
Ephraim also is the strength of my head; Judah is my law-giver;
8 Moab is my wash-pot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe *
Philistia, be thou glad of me.
9 Who will lead me into the strong city *
who will bring me into Edom?
10 Hast not thou cast us out, O God *
wilt not thou, O God, go out with our hosts?
11 O be thou our help in trouble *
for vain is the help of man.
12 Through God will we do great acts *
for it is he that shall tread down our enemies.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
Psalm 61 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ycmkl8hs)
1 Hear my crying, O God *
give ear unto my prayer.
2 From the ends of the earth will I call upon thee *
when my heart is in heaviness.
3 O set me up upon the rock that is higher than I *
for thou hast been my hope,
and a strong tower for me against the enemy.
4 I will dwell in thy tabernacle for ever *
and my trust shall be under the covering of thy wings.
5 For thou, O Lord, hast heard my desires *
and hast given an heritage unto those that fear thy Name.
6 Thou shalt grant the King a long life *
that his years may endure throughout all generations.
7 He shall dwell before God for ever *
O prepare thy loving mercy and faithfulness, that they may preserve him.
8 So will I alway sing praise unto thy Name *
that I may daily perform my vows.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
Psalm 59 (Gregorian Tone 1f)
2 Rescue me from my foes, O God;
protect me from those who attack me.
2 O rescue me from those who do evil,
and save me from bloodthirsty men.
4 See, they lie in wait for my life;
the strong band together against me.
For no offense, no sin of mine, 0 LoRD,
5 for no guilt of mine they rush to take their stand.
Awake! Come to meet me, and see!
6 LORD God of hosts, you are Israel’s God.
Rouse yourself and punish the nations;
show no mercy to evil traitors.
7 Each evening they come back;
howling like dogs, they roam about the city.
8 See how their mouths utter insults;
their lips are like sharpened swords.
“For who,” they say, “will hear us?”
9 But you, LORD, will laugh them to scorn.
You make a mockery of all the nations.
10 O my Strength, for you will I watch,
for you, 0 God, are my stronghold,
11 the God who shows me merciful love.
Now God will proceed before me;
God will let me look upon my foes.
12 Do not kill them lest my people forget;
rout them by your power, lay them low.
It is you, O Lord, who are our shield.
13 For the sins of their mouths and the words of their lips,
let them be caught in their pride;
for the curses and lies that they speak.
14 Consume them, consume them in anger,
till they are no more.
Then they will know that God is the ruler
over Jacob and the ends of the earth.
15 Each evening they come back;
they howl like dogs and roam about the city.
16 They prowl in seard1 of food;
they growl till they have their fill.
17 As for me, I will sing of your strength,
and acclaim your mercy in the morning,
for you have been my stronghold,
a refuge in the day of my distress.
18 O my Strength, to you I will sing praise,
for you, 0 God, are my stronghold,
the God who shows me merciful love.
Psalm 60 (Gregorian Tone 2)
3 O God, you have rejected us, and broken us.
You have been angry; come back to us.
4 You have made the earth quake, torn it open.
Repair what is shattered, for it sways.
5 You have inflicted hardships on your people,
made us drink a wine that dazed us.
6 For those who fear you, you gave the signal
to flee from the face of the bow.
7 With your right hand, grant salvation, and give answer,
that those whom you love may be free.
8 From his holy place God has spoken:
“I will exult, and divide the land of Shechem;
I will measure out the valley of Succoth.
9 Mine is Gilead, mine is Manasseh;
Ephraim I take for my helmet,
Judah is my scepter.
10 Moab is my washbowl;
on Edom I will toss my shoe.
Over Philistia I will shout in triumph.”
11 But who will lead me to the fortified city?
Who will bring me to Edom?
12 Have you not cast us off, O God?
Will you march with our armies no longer?
13 Give us aid against the foe,
for human help is vain.
14 With God, we shall do bravely,
and he will trample down our foes.
Psalm 61 (Gregorian Tone 8)
2 Listen, O God, to my cry!
Attend to my prayer!
3 From the end of the earth I call you;
my heart is faint.
Set me high upon the rock
too high for me to reach,
4 you, my refuge and mighty tower
against the foe.
5 Then will I dwell in your tent forever,
and rude in the shelter of your wings.
6 For you, 0 God, have heard my vows;
you have given me the heritage of those
who fear your name.
7 Day upon day you will add to the king,
his years from age to age.
8 May he ever sit enthroned before God:
bid mercy and truth be his protection.
9 So I will sing to your name forever,
and day after day fulfill my vows.
PRAYER
O God our refuge,
in the midst of violence be a tower of safety
for all who cry out to you.
Strengthen our faith in your mercy,
that we may sing your praise from generation to generation;
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. BCW2018
THE WORD OF GOD
READING: Genesis 45:1-15
Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Send everyone away from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence.
Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me.” And they came closer. He said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me; do not delay. You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. I will provide for you there, since there are five more years of famine to come, so that you and your household and all that you have will not come to poverty.’ And now your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my own mouth that speaks to you. You must tell my father how greatly I am honored in Egypt and all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, while Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them, and after that his brothers talked with him.
HYMN: Charles Wesley
Tune: Savannah https://tinyurl.com/3z8br6yu
1 Jesus, Lord, we look to Thee;
let us in Thy name agree;
show Thyself the Prince of Peace;
bid all strife forever cease.
2 By Thy reconciling love
ev’ry stumbling block remove;
each to each unite, endear;
come, and spread Thy banner here!
3 Make us of one heart and mind,
courteous, merciful, and kind,
lowly, meek, in thought and word,
altogether like our Lord.
4 Let us for each other care,
each the other’s burden bear;
to Thy church the pattern give,
show how true believers live.
5 Free from anger and from pride,
let us thus in God abide;
all the depths of love express,
all the heights of holiness.
READING: Acts 11:19-30
Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, and they spoke the word to no one except Jews. But among them were some men of Cyprus and Cyrene who, on coming to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists also, proclaiming the Lord Jesus. The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number became believers and turned to the Lord. News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast devotion, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for an entire year they met with the church and taught a great many people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called “Christians.”
At that time prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them named Agabus stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine over all the world, and this took place during the reign of Claudius. The disciples determined that, according to their ability, each would send relief to the brothers and sisters living in Judea; this they did, sending it to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
HYMN: John Ernest Bode
Tune: Angel’s Story https://tinyurl.com/4c4bfkek
1 O Jesus, I have promised
to serve Thee to the end;
be Thou forever near me,
my Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
if Thou art by my side,
nor wander from the pathway
if Thou wilt be my Guide.
2 O let me feel Thee near me,
the world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle,
the tempting sounds I hear;
my foes are ever near me,
around me and within;
but, Jesus, draw Thou nearer,
and shield my soul from sin.
3 O let me hear Thee speaking
in accents clear and still,
above the storms of passion,
the murmurs of self-will;
O speak to reassure me,
to hasten or control!
O speak, and make me listen,
Thou Guardian of my soul!
4 O Jesus, Thou hast promised
to all who follow Thee
that where Thou art in glory
there shall Thy servant be;
and, Jesus, I have promised
to serve Thee to the end;
O give me grace to follow,
my Master and my Friend!
READING: Matthew 8:1-4
When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him, and there was a man with a skin disease who came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing. Be made clean!” Immediately his skin disease was cleansed. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
CANTICLE: Te Deum
(Chant by Joe Cox: https://tinyurl.com/ybzyundx)
We praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee, the Father everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud,
the Heavens and all the Powers therein.
To thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth;
Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory.
The glorious company of the apostles praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise thee.
The noble army of martyrs praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world
doth acknowledge thee,
the Father, of an infinite majesty,
thine adorable, true, and only Son,
also the Holy Ghost the Comforter.
Thou art the King of glory, O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man,
thou didst humble thyself to be born of a Virgin.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death,
thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come to be our judge.
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants,
whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy saints,
in glory everlasting.
PRAYER 1
Our Heavenly Father promises to hear the prayers of those who have faith in his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. As we pray for the church and for the world let us also pray that, like Barnabas, we will be a source of strength and encouragement to those we meet in our daily lives.
Let us pray for God’s church throughout the world that she will welcome all who turn to her and enfold in love and prayer those who suffer for their faith that they might be freed to worship God without fear.
Let us pray for the healing of the nations in a world bruised and torn apart by war, oppression and injustice. We pray especially for all those who seek to bring peace and reconciliation where there is conflict and hatred that they may bear fruit and hasten the coming of God’s kingdom on earth.
Let us pray for people on the fringes of our own communities; those isolated by poverty, mental illness or because of their colour or religion. May God’s all embracing love reach out to them through his appointed people so that we are brought into fellowship with them, our brothers and sisters.
Let us pray for ourselves and for each other that we will find strength and encouragement in our fellowship to grow in faith and, like Barnabas, to follow the example of love that Jesus has given us.
Heavenly Father, you have called us to serve you; give us the grace and strength to respond to your call and fill us with your love, the love that knows no limits. We offer these prayers to you in the name of your Son, our friend and Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
(Traditional chant: http://oremus.org/chant/LP-1940.mp3)
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
God of the outsider,
your Spirit is scattered abroad,
fluent in new languages of grace:
give us the faith of Barnabas
to see your presence
in the stranger and the unclean
and to celebrate your desire
to draw all people to yourself;
through Jesus Christ, who laid down his life for the world. Amen. PIC
Music: https://tinyurl.com/y9efvwm5
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen. 2 Cor. 13:14
BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.
BCW2018 Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 2018
CW:DP Common Worship: Daily Prayer, material from which is included here,
is copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2005 and published by Church House Publishing
EH Exciting Holiness, Ed. Brother Tristram SSF © European Province of the Society of Saint Francis, 1997
PIC Prayers for An Inclusive Church, Steven Shakespeare
The main scripture readings are from the New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The traditional language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). Psalms marked Gregorian are from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles ©2010, 2018 The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved. ©2020 as recorded for the Chants and Rants YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@chantsandrants. The canticle is from Liturgy of the Hours as recorded for Sing the Hours https://www.youtube.com/c/SingtheHours
Musical links are usually either to artists’ albums posted on Spotify or to recordings made available at smallchurchmusic.com. Audio stripped from YouTube videos is footnoted accordingly above.
Compilation © 2026 Stephen T. Benner. All links worked at the time they were created, but I cannot accept responsibility for their content or any damage resulting from their use. The linked content is under the control of the respective content creators and is subject to change at any time. Any copyright texts included in this compilation are provided for non-commercial purposes related to study or worship. Please contact the respective copyright holders for permission to use the texts in other contexts.
Oremus 