Alexander of Cyprus, Praise of Barnabas the Apostle

Laudatio Barnabae apostoli An encomium of Alexander the monk for the holy Apostle Barnabas, at the prompting of the presbyter and key-holder of his ve

boorish and violent. But when he saw the great works of wonders being done through the apostles and the multitude of the people being added daily to t

the Lord ordained for Himself. Then Paul recounted to them what had happened to him on the road, and that he had seen the Lord and that He had spoken

to be circumcised and to keep the law. But when Mark saw them honored by all and that after so many tortures and dangers they were strong and whole, c

Jesus Christ, and to keep His commandments and to do them and to abstain from every evil thing for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Chr

being pleased, he knew it to be divinely inspired and having ordained Mark, he sent him as most capable to Alexandria, which is by Egypt and Libya an

to recall him from the abyss of impiety, but when they saw him contradicting and becoming more audacious against the orthodox faith, then they pronoun

ruling city and to be judged by the ecumenical patriarch against those of Antioch, he was numbed with fear, suspecting the machinations of Knapheus N

and he permitted the patriarch to hold a hearing with the resident synod concerning the matters between the parties and to discuss the issue at hand.

The Cypriots of Constantia on the eleventh of the tenth month, Mesori, but according to the Asians, that is, according to the Paphians, on the ninetee

Laudatio Barnabae apostoli An encomium of Alexander the monk for the holy Apostle Barnabas, at the prompting of the presbyter and key-holder of his venerable

his church, in which is also related the manner of the revelation of his holy relics.

Your fatherly love of learning has set before us, who are most poor, a very great subject for a discourse, O best of fathers and most proven father of ascetics; for it has proposed to us for praise the divine and truly thrice-blessed and most distinguished among the apostles, the son of consolation and luminary of the world, Barnabas of many hymns. But I, setting my own lack of education against this exceedingly great subject, for a very long time declined the obedience, dreading the undertaking; for what discourse can attain to apostolic perfection? For not only for me has such an undertaking become impossible, but it is also difficult for the many; for I think that all human nature falls short in narrating the good deeds of the greatest apostle Barnabas; and if anyone should attempt to say anything about him, he will fall far short of the measure of the worth of the deeds, even if he happens to be very wise and knowledgeable and most powerful in words, and he will be found plunging into an abyss of wonders. For each of the just has received one gift or another from the Holy Spirit, but the apostles together received the whole treasure of gifts and demonstrated every virtue.

How then shall I, wretched one, submerged by countless passions, be able to swim across the apostolic sea? For, to speak in the words of Scripture, I am of a weak voice and slow of tongue, and I am not eloquent, that I should narrate the superhuman virtues of the divine apostle Barnabas; for he achieved all virtues together precisely, as no one else achieved any one of the others. For this reason I postponed obedience for a long time, knowing my own unworthiness was not sufficient for the narration of the man's most glorious achievements. But having recently recalled the divinely inspired Scripture, which says that a disobedient son will be in destruction, but the obedient will be outside of it, with much fear I barely roused myself to the fulfillment of your command, considering it better to be accused of inadequacy, rather than to be condemned for complete insolence. Only strive together with me in prayers that the all-holy Spirit may become a helper to my discourse; for what is said by us, who are nobodies, will be pleasing, I think, also to him who is being praised, just as the offering of the two mites of the poor widow once pleased his Master; for it is not the quantity of things given to God that is acceptable, but that which is offered with a good intention, whether small or great, is holy. And in praising Barnabas, I shall praise the sacred priesthood of all the apostles together; for their calling is one and their glory the same, and their rank is one and their dignity the same, and their struggles are equal and their crowns do not differ, and their way of life is common; of these the rewards are also of equal honor.

Come therefore, if it seems good, having drawn the divine Barnabas into our midst through our discourse, let us weave for him the encomia as best we can; for I am a most ardent admirer of the man; and I know and am persuaded that also to you he is most sweet and simply

Laudatio Barnabae apostoli Ἀλεξάνδρου μοναχοῦ ἐγκώμιον εἰς τὸν ἅγιον Βαρνάβαν τὸν ἀπόστολον, προτραπέντος ὑπὸ τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου καὶ κλειδούχου τοῦ σεβασμίου

αὐτοῦ ναοῦ, ἐν ᾧ ἱστορεῖται καὶ ὁ τρόπος τῆς ἀποκαλύψεως τῶν ἁγίων αὐτοῦ λειψάνων.

Μεγίστην λόγων ὑπόθεσιν προέθετο τοῖς πτωχοτάτοις ἡμῖν ἡ πατρικὴ ὑμῶν

φιλομαθία, ὧ πατέρων ἄριστε καὶ ἀσκητῶν δοκιμώτατε πάτερ· προεβάλετο γὰρ ἡμῖν εἰς εὐφημίαν τὸν θεσπέσιον καὶ ὡς ἀληθῶς τρισμακάριον καὶ ἐν ἀποστόλοις ἐπισημότατον υἱὸν τῆς παρακλήσεως καὶ φωστῆρα τῆς οἰκουμένης, Βαρνάβαν τὸν πολυΰμνητον. Ἀλλ' ἐγὼ πρὸς ταύτην τὴν ὑπερλίαν ὑπόθεσιν τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ ἀπαιδευσίαν ἀντεξάγων, τὴν ὑπακοὴν ἐπὶ πλεῖστον χρόνον παρῃτησάμην, τὴν ἐγχείρησιν ὀρρωδῶν· ποῖος γὰρ καὶ λόγος ἐφικέσθαι δύναται τῆς ἀποστολικῆς τελειότητος;Οὐ μόνον γὰρ ἐμοὶ ἀδύνατον τὸ τοιοῦτον καθέστηκεν ἐγχείρημα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς πολλοῖς δυσχερές· οἶμαι γὰρ πᾶσαν ἀνθρώπων φύσιν λείπεσθαι πρὸς διήγησιν τῶν τοῦ μεγίστου ἀποστόλου Βαρνάβα ἀγαθῶν πράξεων· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπιχειρήσειέ τις περὶ αὐτοῦ λέγειν τί, παρὰ πολὺ μὲν τοῦ μέτρου τῆς ἀξίας τῶν πραγμάτων ἀπο λειφθήσεται, κἂν λίαν σοφὸς καὶ ἐπιστήμων τυγχάνῃ καὶ περὶ λόγους δυνατώτατος, εὑρεθήσεται δὲ βυθῷ θαυμάτων ἐγκυβιστούμενος. Ἄλλος μὲν οὖν ἄλλο τι τῶν δικαίων ἕκαστος παρὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου εἴληφε χάρισμα, οἱ δὲ ἀπόστολοι πάντα ὁμοῦ τῶν χαρισμάτων ὑπεδέξαντο τὸν θησαυρὸν καὶ πᾶσαν ἀρετὴν ἐπεδείξαντο.

Πῶς οὖν ὁ τάλας ἐγώ, ὑπὸ μυρίων παθῶν καταπεποντισμένος, δυνήσομαι τὴν ἀποστολικὴν θάλασσαν διανήξασθαι; Ἰσχνόφωνος γὰρ γραφικῶς εἰπεῖν καὶ βραδύγλωσσος, καὶ οὐκ εὔλαλός εἰμι ἐγώ, ἵνα τὰς ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον ἀρετὰς τοῦ θεσπεσίου ἀποστόλου Βαρνάβα διηγήσωμαι· πάσας γὰρ ὁμοῦ οὗτος τὰς ἀρετὰς κατώρθωσεν ἀκριβῶς, ὡς οὐδεμίαν τῶν ἄλλων οὐδείς. ∆ιατοῦτο ἀνεβαλόμην ἐπὶ πολὺ τὴν ὑπακοήν, εἰδὼς τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ ἀναξιότητα μὴ ἐπαρκοῦσαν πρὸς διήγησιν τῶν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς εὐκλεεστάτων κατορθωμάτων.Μνησθεὶς δὲ ἔναγχος τῆς θεοπνεύστου Γραφῆς, λε γούσης ὅτι δὴ υἱὸς ἀνήκοος ἐν ἀπωλείᾳ ἔσται, ὁ δὲ ὑπήκοος ἔσται ταύτης ἐκτός, μόλις μετὰ πολλοῦ τοῦ δέους διανέστησα ἐμαυτὸν εἰς τὴν τοῦ ὑμετέρου ἐπι τάγματος ἐκπλήρωσιν, κρεῖττον ἡγησάμενος περὶ ἐλλεί ψεως ἐγκληθῆναι μᾶλλον, ἢ περὶ τελείας ἀγνωμοσύνης κατακριθῆναι. Μόνον συναγωνίσασθέ μοι ἐν ταῖς προ σευχαῖς ἀρωγὸν τοῦ λόγου μοι γενέσθαι τὸ πανάγιονΠνεῦμα· ἀρέσει γάρ, ὡς οἶμαι, καὶ τῷ εὐφημουμένῳ τὸ λεγόμενον παρ' ἡμῶν τῶν μηδαμινῶν, ὡς ποτὲ ἤρεσε τῷ αὐτοῦ δεσπότῃ ἡ τῶν δύο λεπτῶν τῆς πενιχρᾶς χήρας προσκομιδή· οὐ γὰρ ἡ ποσότης τῶν διδομένων τῷ θεῷ εὐπρόσδεκτος, ἀλλὰ τὸ μετὰ γνώμης ἀγαθῆς προσφερόμενον, εἴτε μικρόν, εἴτε πολύ, εὐαγές.Βαρνάβαν δὲ ἐπαινῶν, πάντων ὁμοῦ τῶν ἀποστόλων τὸ ἱερὸν ἱεράτευμα ἐπαινέσομαι· ὧν γὰρ ἡ κλῆσις μία καὶ ἡ δόξα ἡ αὐτή, καὶ ὧν ἡ τάξις μία καὶ τὸ ἀξίωμα τὸ αὐτό, καὶ ὧν οἱ ἀγῶνες ἴσοι καὶ οἱ στέφανοι οὐ διαλλάττουσι, καὶ ὧν ἡ πολιτεία κοινή, τούτων ἰσότιμα καὶ τὰ βραβεῖα.

∆εῦτε τοίνυν, εἰ δοκεῖ, ἑλκύσαντες εἰς μέσον διὰ τοῦ λόγου τὸν θεσπέσιον Βαρνάβαν, καθὼς οἷον τέ ἐστιν ὑφάνωμεν αὐτῷ τὰ ἐγκώμια· καὶ γὰρ εἰμὶ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς θερμότατος ἐραστής· οἶδα δὲ καὶ πέ πεισμαι ὅτι καὶ ὑμῖν γλυκύτατος καὶ ἁπλῶς