Shortly after Jesus began his mission, he realised that he had a lot of work to do. It was a big task for just one person. So he decided to recruit some assistants. But being very busy himself, he went along to a Recruitment Agency and let them do all the work of recruiting. They placed the ads in the local newspapers and got 12 applications. They conducted the interviews and forwarded on their recommendations to Jesus for his decision.

Simon, also know as Peter; a fisherman, is volatile, prone to opening his mouth and putting his foot in it. When caught in a tight corner is liable to deny essentials. Not Recommended.

Andrew, brother of Peter and also a fisherman; could be too selective about who he lets have access to you. Not Recommended.

James and John, both brothers and work as fisherman for their father. Brought their mother along to the interview and she did all the talking. It was she in fact that asked for the top positions for her sons. Not Recommended.

Philip: can be a bit slow in understanding things. Not Recommended.

Thomas: prone to severe doubts. He looks for concrete evidence for everything. Not Recommended.

Matthew; a tax collector. His fellow country men regard him as having sold himself for financial gain and therefore would not trust him. Not Recommended.

Bartholomew: too sceptical a person. Not Recommended.

James also known as James the Younger: a bit too young - may be suitable when he is a little older. Not recommended.

Simon the Zealot: a political extremist. Because of his extreme views, his presence could be distributive in the group. In fact any team that included him and Matthew the tax collector would be bound to lead to internal conflict. Not recommended

Jude: what can we say - just a hopeless case.

Judas Iscariot: ambitious, known in high Temple places, very good at making and handling money. Highly Recommended.

Despite this report, Jesus went ahead and gave the jobs to these twelve. Why I wonder? Would you have trusted them to do the job? Jesus did.

In the twelve, there was an extraordinary mixture - people with no extraordinary gifts, people with different value systems. They had no great wealth; they had no academic backgrounds; they held no social positions. Jesus chose them from among ordinary people, people who did everyday things.

And yet this ordinary group did extraordinary things. They proclaimed the Kingdom of God. They cured all kinds of diseases and sickness.

Jesus asked them to bring healing, hope and meaning into people's lives. And this they did with his grace and his help. Jesus chose them not for what they were but for what they were capable of becoming under his influence and in his power. Jesus took what these ordinary people could offer and used it for greatness.

Jesus picked this motley gang and gave them the mission to proclaim the Gospel beginning in Jerusalem.

And you can see the same thing happening in the Old Testament times. He chose a small and insignificant tribe - an ordinary group of people and made them extraordinary. They proclaimed God's Love for his people. They preached by their lives the Coming of the Messiah, the Saviour, Jesus Christ. They responded to God's special gift of relationship in their time and culture.

The apostles and the other disciples - ordinary people with the everyday loves and joys; with the everyday hassles and problems - they responded to Jesus' gift of relationship in their time and culture and achieved extraordinary results.

And we’re all here today celebrating Mission Sunday, because they, these ordinary people accepted their role in the great mission of Jesus. They in their own time and culture responded to God's invitation to spread the Word.

And as we gather to celebrate God's Word in our time and culture, maybe we need to remind ourselves that we are the descendants and successors of those twelve that Jesus chose nearly 2,000 years ago. We are the descendants of those whom Jesus commissioned to preach his Word. Not only are we their descendants, but Jesus still invites us to do the very same through his Word and his Sacraments and through how we live our lives. No we can’t all pack our bags and go off to far flung foreign parts to preach. But we can by the way we live preach the Good News of Christ to those around us who do not believe. We can in various ways assist those who do pack their bags and go.

Jesus invites us to be his helpers, his missionaries despite the 'Not Recommended' sign that we might or others might label us with.

He chooses us and challenges us to reach out to people in need, to care for one another, to try and make the world a better place but more importantly to live as witnesses to Christ message of salvation.

In the morning when half asleep and with half open eyes I look into the mirror to shave, I can see the traits that the Recruitment Agency might have seen in those original apostles - the doubter, my capacity to open my mouth and put both my feet into it, the wanter of the cosy position; the sceptic.

But when I open my eyes fully and see Jesus standing beside me, I see the great things that can be accomplished - a place of love and care, of justice and mercy, a place of God's presence in our lives - God's Kingdom and my 'ordinariness' disappears along with the 'Not Recommended' sign.

Fr Paddy