Angels by your side

[Weedy]

Angels by your side

May you walk the path before you
With angels by your side,
And may the peace and love of God
Within your heart abide.
--Clay Harrison

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August 1st - “Feast of Saint Peter in Chains

About that time King Herod laid hands upon some members of the church
to harm them. He had James, the brother of John,* killed by the sword,
and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews he proceeded to
arrest Peter also. (It was [the] feast of Unleavened Bread.) He had
him taken into custody and put in prison under the guard of four
squads of four soldiers each. He intended to bring him before the
people after Passover.

Peter thus was being kept in prison, but prayer by the church was
fervently being made to God on his behalf. On the very night before
Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter, secured by double chains, was
sleeping between two soldiers, while outside the door guards kept
watch on the prison. Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him and a
light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him,
saying, “Get up quickly.” The chains fell from his wrists.

The angel said to him, “Put on your belt and your sandals.” He did so.
Then he said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.” So he followed
him out, not realizing that what was happening through the angel was
real; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first guard,
then the second, and came to the iron gate leading out to the city,
which opened for them by itself. They emerged and made their way down
an alley, and suddenly the angel left him.

Then Peter recovered his senses and said, “Now I know for certain that
[the] Lord sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and
from all that the Jewish people had been expecting.” When he realized
this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who is called
Mark, where there were many people gathered in prayer. When he knocked
on the gateway door, a maid named Rhoda came to answer it. She was so
overjoyed when she recognized Peter’s voice that, instead of opening
the gate, she ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the
gate.

They told her, “You are out of your mind,” but she insisted that it
was so. But they kept saying, “It is his angel.” But Peter continued
to knock, and when they opened it, they saw him and were astounded.

He motioned to them with his hand to be quiet and explained [to them]
how the Lord had led him out of the prison, and said, “Report this to
James and the brothers.” Then he left and went to another place. At
daybreak there was no small commotion among the soldiers over what had
become of Peter. Herod, after instituting a search but not finding
him, ordered the guards tried and executed. Then he left Judea to
spend some time in Caesarea. – Acts 12:1-19

O God, who did loose from his chains thy blessed Apostle Saint Peter,
and madest him to go forth of his prison without hurt: we beseech thee
to loose us from the chains of our sins, and of thy mercy to ward off
from us all manner of evil. – Sarum Missal


Saint Quote:
“When we hear people talk of riches, honors and amusements of the
world, let us remember that all things have an end, and let us then
say: ‘My God, I wish for You alone and nothing more.’”
--Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

Bible Quote:
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in thy sight,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. [Psalm 19:14] RSVCE


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Hymn: Quodcumque in orbe

Peter, whatever thou shalt bind on earth.
The same is bound above the starry sky;
What here thy delegated power doth loose,
Is loosed in heaven's supremest court on high:
To judgment shalt thou come,
when the world's end is nigh.

Praise to the Father, through all ages be!
The same to thee, O coeternal Son!
And Holy Ghost, one glorious Trinity;
To whom all majesty and might belong;
So sing we now, and such be
our eternal song. Amen