Acts

Martyrdom of James and Peter’s Imprisonment

About that time, King Herod decided to persecute some members of the Church.

He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword,

and when he saw how much it pleased the Jews, he arrested Peter as well. This happened during the festival of the Unleavened Bread.

Herod had him seized and thrown into prison, guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. He planned to bring him to trial before the people after the Passover feast.

Meanwhile, while Peter was in prison, the whole church prayed earnestly for him.

On the night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, chained with a double chain, while guards kept watch at the prison gate.

Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the prison cell. The angel tapped Peter on the side and woke him, saying: “Get up quickly!” At once, the chains fell from Peter’s wrists. The angel said:

“Put on your belt and your sandals.”

Peter did so.

The angel added: “Now, put on your cloak and follow me.”

Peter followed him out, yet he did not realize that what was happening with the angel was real; he thought he was seeing a vision.

They passed the first guard and then the second, and they reached the iron door leading out to the city, which opened by itself for them. They went out and headed down a narrow alley when suddenly the angel left him.

Then Peter regained his senses and said: “Now I know that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s grip and from everything the Jews had planned for me.”

Peter then found his bearings and went to the house of Mary, the mother of John, also known as Mark, where many people were gathered and praying.

When he knocked at the outside door, a young woman named Rhoda came to answer it.

Recognizing Peter’s voice, she was so overwhelmed with joy that, instead of opening the door, she ran inside to tell everyone that Peter was at the door.

They said to her:

“You are crazy!”

As she insisted, they said:

“It must be his angel.”

Meanwhile, Peter kept knocking, and when they finally opened the door, they were surprised to see him.

He motioned to them with his hand to be quiet and told them how the Lord had released him from prison.

And he said to them:

“Report this to James and to the brothers.”

Then he left and went somewhere else.

At daybreak, there was a big commotion among the soldiers over what had happened to Peter.

Herod started a search for him and, when he couldn’t find him, he had the guards question and execute him. After that, he left Judea and went down to Caesarea, where he stayed.

Death of Herod

At that time, Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. By general agreement, they came before him and, after gaining the support of Blastus, the king’s treasurer, they asked for peace because their country received food from Herod’s territory.

On the appointed day, Herod, dressed in royal robes, sat on his throne and addressed them.

The crowd responded loudly:

“A god is speaking, not a man!”

The angel of the Lord immediately struck Herod because he did not give honor to God, and he died after being eaten by worms.

Meanwhile, the word of God was spreading and growing.

Barnabas and Saul completed their mission and returned to Jerusalem, bringing along John, also called Mark.