In today’s Scriptures we hear two different stories about commissioning. In the Acts of the Apostles Peter leads the assembly in prayer that the Lord will choose and commission the person to replace Judas among the Twelve. In the Gospel Jesus prays that his chosen disciples might be consecrated, or made holy.

Jesus does not ask his Father to keep the disciples separate from the world, but instead sends them out into the world. While we might think that holy people are set apart from the world, we cannot hear today’s Scriptures without realizing that God’s holy, chosen people are commissioned to live in the midst of the world where they can reveal the love of God that makes the entire world holy.