Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsActs 12

Prayer was made.

The Church prayed incessantly for her chief Pastor, and was heard of God: and all Christian people are warned thereby to pray for their Bishops and Pastors in prison.

Two chains.

^◦ These chains are famous for miracles, and were brought from Hierusalem to Rome by Eudoxia the Empress, wife to Theodosius the younger, where they were matched & place with another chain that the same Apostle was tied with by Nero, & a Church founded thereupon, named Petri ad vincula, where they are religiously kept and reverenced until this day, and there is a Feast in the whole Church for the same, the first of August, which we call, Lammas day.

• ◦ S. Peter's chains.

His Angel

^[1] If proper Angels (saith S. Chrysostom) be deputed by our Lord to such as have only charge of their own life, (as one of the just said ^[2] , The Angel which hath delivered me from my youth upward) much more are supernal Spirits at hand to help them unto whom the charge and burden of the world is committed. Chrys. in laud. Pauli. ho. 7, to. 3.

• 1 Patronage of Angels.
• 2 Gen. 48, 16.

Tell James.

^◦ He willeth them to shew this to S. James Bishop of Hierusalem and to the Christians, that they might see the effect of their prayers for him, & give God thanks. For S. James no doubt published common prayer for S. Peter.

• ◦ Public prayer for S. Peter the head.