In today's Gospel reading, we see Jesus spending time in solitude and prayer. As He prayed, He listened to God in the depth of His being in order to know the Father's will and in this case, the appointment of the Twelve apostles.

The call to discipleship is a call to be as 'apostle' - one who responds to Jesus' call, ready to be sent out to witness, thus embracing the mission entrusted upon him or her. An essential requirement to be an apostle is also to have seen the Risen Christ. For us, it means that we open ourselves to experience the Risen Lord in our life. How can we do this?

The first reading from Colossians spells out clearly for us that to be witnesses of Christ, we have to be rooted in Christ, built on Him and hold Him by the faith received. This also means that we are to establish an intimate relationship with Christ and to put off our sinful nature, experience the resurrection from spiritual death so as to rise to a new life which entails compassion and forgiveness.