1. A method for message handling in a messaging system, comprising: receiving, from application programs, messages associated with transactions and placing the received messages in a repository for subsequent retrieval; receiving requests of prepare and commit for the transactions; processing each prepare request as it is received; processing each commit request as a two-phase operation comprising a commit phase and a release phase, wherein the commit phase is processed as soon as it is received and the release phase is processed only when the release phase processing is complete for all transactions for which a prepare request was received prior to the prepare request for the instant transaction.