St. Barnabas Novena
Contents
Show HideSt. Barnabas was an early Christian. He is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles as a companion of St. Paul. St. Paul also mentions St. Barnabas in some of the Epistles.
St. Barnabas was eventually martyred for his Christian faith. You can use this novena to seek intercession from this courageous martyr!
About St. Barnabas
The Acts of the Apostles tells of a Jewish man named Joseph who was born in Cyprus. Wishing to join with the Apostles, this man sold all of his belongings and gave the money to the Apostles.
The Apostles then gave him the name Barnabas, and he lived in common with them and the other early converts to the Christian Faith.
After St. Paul converted and returned to Jerusalem, it was Barnabas who introduced him to the Apostles and convinced the Apostles to accept Paul as a disciple.
When the Christians found success in preaching to non-Jews in Antioch, they sent Barnabas there to oversee the new community. Barnabas found this work to be too taxing to do alone, so he brought St. Paul to assist him.
After Barnabas and Paul worked in Antioch together for a year, they returned to Jerusalem to bring aid for the poor Christians there, from the new Christian community at Antioch. After this, they returned to Antioch along with St. Mark the Evangelist (a cousin of Barnabas).
Barnabas, Paul, and Mark then went on a missionary journey to Cyprus, Perga, and Antioch in Pisidia. Finding themselves opposed very strongly by the Jews, they began to preach to pagans.
After this, they went to Iconium and Lystra. Here, they were hailed as gods but then chased out of the city with stones. Then, they went back to Antioch in Syria.
Soon, the Christians began disputing whether or not new converts needed to uphold the Jewish rites. The young Church held a council on the matter in Jerusalem, so Barnabas and Paul traveled back to Jerusalem for this council. It was decided that new Christians did not need to be circumcised.
Barnabas and Paul then planned to travel back to Antioch, but the two of them had a disagreement about whether or not St. Mark should accompany them. Barnabas and Paul went separate ways. Barnabas then traveled with Mark to Cyprus, and the Acts of the Apostles says nothing more about Barnabas.
It is believed that the argument between Barnabas and Paul was eventually healed. Tradition holds that Barnabas went on to preach in Alexandria and Rome, following his separation from Paul.
While we don’t know definitively all the details of Barnabas’ death, Tradition holds that he was stoned to death for the Faith around the year 61 in Salamis.
St. Barnabas’ Feast Day: June 11th
Why Pray the St. Barnabas Novena?
St. Barnabas is the patron saint against hailstorms. You can seek his intercession if you are in danger from a hailstorm, or against a hailstorm in another area that concerns you.
St. Barnabas is also invoked as a peacemaker. You can ask for his prayers if you are seeking to make peace between yourself and someone else, or if you are hoping for a peaceful resolution to a conflict between two people that you know.
You can also ask St. Barnabas for prayers if you are working as a missionary, since he spent many years doing missionary work.
You can pray the St. Barnabas Novena for any intention!
St. Barnabas Novena Prayers
St. Barnabas Novena - Day 1
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Barnabas as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You that led him to join the Apostles and become a Christian.
St. Barnabas, you were eager to join the Apostles in their Christian Faith, as they began the work of preaching the Gospel throughout the world after Christ’s Ascension into Heaven. You willingly gave up worldly pursuits in order to serve God.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served!
You embraced your new Faith wholeheartedly. You not only strived to practice it well yourself, but also to preach the Good News to others.
Pray for me, that I may be zealous and devout in my Faith, as you were. Pray that I may always seek to practice my Faith to the best of my ability.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Barnabas, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Barnabas Novena - Day 2
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Barnabas as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue that led him to sell all of his belongings and give the proceeds to the Church.
St. Barnabas, you desired to become one of the followers of Christ. In your quest to serve God and become a member of His Church, you sold all of your belongings and gave the proceeds to the Church.
Please continue to bring my petitions before God!
You entered eagerly into the life of the early Church. The Apostles gave you the name of Barnabas and welcomed you into the common life with them and other early converts. You then spent the rest of your life preaching the Gospel.
Pray for me, that I may always work eagerly to serve the Church in my life. Pray that I may have a holy detachment from worldly things for the sake of heavenly reward.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Barnabas, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Barnabas Novena - Day 3
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Barnabas as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed as he worked with Your other followers to preach the Good News.
St. Barnabas, you lived in community with other early Christians from the time of your conversion. As you began the work of preaching the Gospel to others, you relied on the other early Christians for help and encouragement.
Please continue to bring my petitions before God Whom you worked to serve!
You especially relied on St. Paul and St. Mark as you worked to bring the Good News to others throughout the world.
Pray for me, that I may always take advantage of the help You give me through the gift of others in my life. Pray that I may be as tireless as you were in preaching the Gospel.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Barnabas, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Barnabas Novena - Day 4
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Barnabas as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in his work of preaching the Gospel in many distant lands.
St. Barnabas, you entered eagerly into your new life as a Christian convert. You began the work of preaching the Good News, and you persevered in this work through many difficulties.
Please persevere in bringing my petitions before God!
You set out on many missionary journeys and worked diligently to preach to those who had not heard the Good News of Christ. You continued in this work until you at last died for the Faith.
Pray for me, that I may always seek to preach the Good News when I have the opportunity in my life. Pray that I may never tire of working to glorify God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Barnabas, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Barnabas Novena - Day 5
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Barnabas as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed throughout his years of work as a missionary.
St. Barnabas, you were eager to devote your life to the service of the Church. You chose to wholeheartedly serve God through work as a missionary, preaching the Gospel throughout many lands.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served so wholeheartedly!
Throughout your missionary journeys, you worked to bring many into the Church. Despite opposition and trials, you persevered in preaching the Good News and doing all you could to serve the Church.
Pray for me, that I may always seek to bring others around me into the Church. Pray that I may never allow suffering to deter me from serving God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Barnabas, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Barnabas Novena - Day 6
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Barnabas as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in working together with his brothers in Christ for the good of the Church.
St. Barnabas, you worked with St. Paul and St. Mark on your missionary journeys to preach the Gospel. Throughout many years, you persevered in serving the Church, together with your brothers in Christ.
Please persevere in bringing my petitions before God!
Though you and St. Paul had a disagreement and parted ways, it is believed that you reconciled with him before your eventual martyrdom. And now you are often invoked for your help in peacemaking.
Pray for me, that I may always seek to live in peace with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray that I may always work for peace among others in my life whenever there is discord.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Barnabas, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Barnabas Novena - Day 7
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Barnabas as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed by persevering in his service to You, throughout many years of trials and difficulties.
St. Barnabas, you found your early missionary work too taxing to accomplish on your own. Rather than abandon the effort, you persevered through the difficulty and looked to your fellow Christians for help.
Please continue to bring my petitions before God Whom you served so unwaveringly!
You faced hostile opposition from some, and acts of violence from others as you preached. Ultimately, you were martyred for persevering in your Faith.
Pray for me, that I may persevere in my Faith as you did. Pray that I may be faithful in all difficulties, even to the point of death if necessary.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Barnabas, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Barnabas Novena - Day 8
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Barnabas as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You that he showed in courageously holding fast to his Faith amidst persecution and eventual martyrdom.
St. Barnabas, you faced hostilities on many occasions as you worked to preach the Gospel. Even when you were chased out of a city with stones, you steadfastly continued your work for the Church.
Please continue to bring my petitions before God with such steadfastness!
After many years of missionary work, you were finally faced with the choice to deny your Faith or to hold fast and be martyred. You courageously chose to die for your Faith.
Pray for me, that I may be as courageous in the practice of my Faith as you were. Pray that I may persevere in my Faith no matter what sufferings I might face.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Barnabas, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Barnabas Novena - Day 9
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Barnabas as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed by choosing to devote his life to serving Your Church.
St. Barnabas, you eagerly joined in the mission of the Apostles and began working to preach the Good News shortly after your conversion to Christianity. You faithfully continued this work for many years.
Please faithfully continue to bring my petitions before God!
You preached and worked to spread the Gospel throughout many distant lands. Despite opposition and difficulties, you continued working to serve the Church, until you finally gave up your life for your Faith.
Pray for me, that I may always seek to serve the Church as wholeheartedly as you did. Pray that I may faithfully serve God throughout my entire life.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Barnabas, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.