Ne sancto Petro ad vincula
The Fourfold Significance of the Feast
The feast of Saint Peter in Chains is established to commemorate the miraculous liberation of the Apostle and the divine judgment upon his persecutor, Herod.
The feast of Saint Peter the Apostle, known as 'Saint Peter in Chains,' is thought to have been established for four reasons: to commemorate Peter's liberation, to commemorate Alexander's liberation, to destroy pagan rites, and to obtain absolution from spiritual chains. The first reason, therefore, is to commemorate Peter's liberation. As the Scholastic History tells us, Herod Agrippa went to Rome and became very close to Gaius, the nephew of Tiberius Caesar. One day, while Herod was in a chariot with Gaius, he raised his hands to heaven and said, "If only I could see the old man die and you become lord of the whole world." But Herod's driver heard this and immediately told Tiberius. Because of this, Tiberius Caesar was indignant and had Herod locked in prison. One day, while he was leaning against a tree with an owl sitting in its branches, a fellow prisoner skilled in augury said to him, "Don't be afraid; you'll soon be set free and raised up so high that you'll stir up envy in your friends, and you'll die in that very prosperity." However, as soon as you see an animal of this kind above you, you won't live past the fifth day. After some time, Tiberius died and Gaius was raised to the empire. He indeed freed Herod from his chains and, having magnificently elevated him, sent him as king into Judea; and when he had arrived, he laid hands on some from the church to afflict them. But after James, the brother of John, had been killed by the sword by him before the days of Unleavened Bread, seeing that this was pleasing to the Jews, he arrested Peter during the days of Unleavened Bread and threw him into prison, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover. But an angel, standing by him in the night, miraculously freed him from the bonds of his chains and ordered him to go free for the ministry of preaching. However, the king's crime did not allow for a delay in vengeance; on the following day, he had the guards brought to him so that he could punish them with dire penalties for Peter's escape. Yet he was prevented from doing this, so that Peter's release wouldn't harm anyone. Stirred to anger, he went down to Caesarea, where he was struck by an angel and died. Indeed, as Josephus reports in Book XIX. of the Antiquities, when he had arrived in Caesarea and the men of the whole province had gathered unanimously to him, he, dressed in a shining robe miraculously woven from gold and silver, proceeded to the theater at the beginning of the day. As soon as the silver garment caught the sun's rays, the reflected brilliance cast a double light upon those watching, a flash of shimmering metal so intense that the terror of the sight blinded the eyes of the onlookers, and because of this, the arrogance of the craftsman lied, making him seem something more than human nature allows. Immediately, the fawning crowd cried out, 'Until now we thought you were a man, but from this moment on, we confess you are above human nature.' And while he was being soothed by these flattering honors and did not reject the divine honors offered to him, he looked up and saw an angel—that is, an owl, the messenger of his imminent death—sitting on the rope above his head; and looking toward the people, he said: 'Behold, I, your god, am dying.' He knew, based on the augur's prediction, that he would die within five days; struck down immediately, he died five days later as worms gnawed at him. So says Josephus. In memory, therefore, of the miraculous liberation of the prince of the apostles from his chains, and of the terrible vengeance that immediately followed upon the tyrant, the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Peter in Chains. The epistle read at Mass recounts this liberation, and for this reason, it seems appropriate that this feast be called 'Peter in Chains.'
The Conversion of Hermes and Quirinus
Pope Alexander leads the prefect Hermes and the tribune Quirinus to the faith through the miraculous power of Saint Peter's chains.
A second reason for its institution was that Pope Alexander, who ruled the Church sixth after blessed Peter, and Hermes, the prefect of Rome who had been converted to the faith by Alexander, were being held in custody in different places by the tribune Quirinus. The tribune said to the prefect Hermes, 'I am surprised that you, a prudent man, would abandon the honor of the prefecture and dream of another life.' Hermes replied, 'And I, too, years ago, used to mock all these things and thought that this life was the only one.' Quirinus replied, "Give me proof that you know of another life, and you'll have me as a disciple of your faith immediately." Hermes said to him, "Saint Alexander, whom you keep in chains, will teach you this better than I can." Then Quirinus, cursing Hermes, said, "I told you to give me proof of this, and now you send me to Alexander, whom I keep in chains for his crimes." “Nevertheless, I will double the guard over you and Alexander, and if I can find him with you or you with him, I will truly put my faith in your and his words or sermons.” He did as he said, and Hermes immediately told Alexander about this. While Saint Alexander was praying, an angel came to him and led him to Hermes in the prison; when Quirinus found them together, he was greatly amazed. And when Hermes told Quirinus how Alexander had raised his dead son, Quirinus said to Alexander, "I have a daughter named Balbina who has a goiter; I promise to accept your faith if you can obtain health for my daughter." Alexander said to him, "Go quickly and bring her to my prison." Quirinus said to him, "Since you are here, how will I be able to find you in your prison?" Alexander replied, "Go quickly, for the one who brought me here will quickly bring me back there." Quirinus then went and brought his daughter to Alexander's prison, and finding him there, he threw himself at his feet. Then his daughter began to kiss the chains of Saint Alexander with devotion, so that she might receive healing. Alexander said to her, "My daughter, do not kiss these chains of mine, but diligently seek out the shackles of Saint Peter; if you kiss them with devotion, you will receive healing." Quirinus then had the shackles diligently searched for in the prison where Peter had been held, and when he found them, he gave them to his daughter to kiss. As soon as she kissed the chains, she obtained the gift of complete health. Then Quirinus, seeking forgiveness, brought Alexander out of prison, and he himself, along with his family and many others, received baptism. Then Saint Alexander established that this feast should be celebrated on the Kalends of August, and he built a church in honor of the apostle Peter, where he placed the chains and named it 'Ad Vincula'. On this solemnity, a great crowd of people gathers at the aforementioned church, and there the people kiss the chains.
The Roman Tradition and the Relics
The feast is further established by the discovery of the chains in Jerusalem and their unification with those from Rome, replacing pagan celebrations.
According to Bede, this is the third reason it was established. Emperor Octavian and Antony, who were brothers-in-law, divided the entire world's empire between them; Octavian took Italy, Gaul, and Spain in the West, while Antony took Asia, Pontus, and Africa in the East. However, Antony, being lascivious and licentious, repudiated Octavian's sister, whom he had taken as his wife, and married Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt. Indignant at this, Octavian marched into Asia with an armed force against Antony and defeated him in every respect; then Antony and Cleopatra, defeated, fled and killed themselves out of excessive grief. Octavian then destroyed the kingdom of Egypt and turned it into a Roman province. He went to Alexandria, stripped it of all its wealth, and brought it back to Rome, which boosted the public treasury so much that items previously costing four denarii could be bought for one. And because civil wars had severely devastated the city, he renovated it so thoroughly that he could say, 'I found it a city of brick, and I leave it a city of marble.' Because he had increased the public treasury so significantly, he was the first to be called Augustus, and those who succeeded him as emperor were called Augusti, just as those who succeeded his uncle Julius Caesar were called Caesars. And so, the people named this month August—which was previously called Sextilis because it was the sixth month from March—after him, calling it August. In memory and honor of the victory Octavian won on the first of August, the Romans celebrated this day until the reign of Emperor Theodosius, who began his rule in the year of our Lord 426. Eudoxia, the daughter of Emperor Theodosius and wife of Valentinian, traveled to Jerusalem to fulfill a vow, where a Jewish man offered her, as a great gift, the two chains that had bound the Apostle Peter under Herod. When she had returned to Rome on the first of August and in honor of the pagan emperor... ...and saw the Romans celebrating, she was grieved that such honor was being shown to a condemned man; and thinking that she could not easily turn them away from such a custom and practice, she considered how the observance might remain, but be done in honor of Saint Peter, and that the whole population might call that day 'the day of the chains'. Having therefore held a conference with the blessed Pope Pelagius, they persuaded the people with gentle exhortations that the memory of the prince of the pagans should be consigned to oblivion, and that the memory of the prince of the apostles should be celebrated instead. When everyone agreed, she brought out the chains she had brought from Jerusalem and showed them to the people. The Pope also brought out the chain that had bound the same apostle under Nero. By being joined to them in this way, it was miraculously made into a single chain, as if it had always been one and the same. Consequently, the Pope and the Queen immediately decided that what the people’s misguided religious practice had done for a condemned pagan, they would now, in a better turn of events, do for Peter, the prince of the apostles. The Pope and the Queen then placed these very chains in the Church of Saint Peter in Chains, endowed the church with many gifts and great privileges, and established that the aforementioned day should be celebrated everywhere. So says Bede. Sigbert says the same.
The Power of the Keys and Divine Mercy
The miraculous power of the chains is demonstrated through exorcisms and the intercession of Saint Peter for the salvation of a sinful monk.
The power of this chain was revealed in the year of our Lord 1464. For the devil had seized a certain count, a relative of Emperor Otto, so cruelly before everyone’s eyes that he was tearing himself apart with his own teeth. Then, by the Emperor’s order, he was brought to Pope John so that the chain of Saint Peter might be placed around his neck; but when some other chain had been placed on the neck of the possessed man and no healing resulted—naturally, since there was no power in it—the true chain of Peter was finally brought out and placed on his neck. The devil couldn't bear the weight of such great power, but soon cried out in front of everyone and fled. Then Theodoric, the Bishop of Metz, grabbed the chain and declared that he wouldn't let it go for any reason, unless his hands were cut off. When a serious dispute arose over this between the bishop, the pope, and other clergy, the emperor finally settled the argument and obtained for the bishop a ring from the pope made from that very chain. Miletus recounts in his chronicle—and the same is found in the Tripartite History—that in those days a huge dragon appeared near Epirus; Donatus, a bishop distinguished by his virtue, spat into its mouth and soon killed it, though not before he had traced a cross with his fingers in front of its face and shown it to the beast, which it took eight teams of oxen to drag to the place of burning, lest its rot infect the air. The same author also says in the same place—and it is held in that same Tripartite History—that in Crete the devil disguised himself as Moses. He gathered Jews from everywhere and led them to a great cliff by the sea, promising that he would lead them to the Promised Land on dry ground with himself in the lead, but he killed countless numbers of them. From this, it's believed that the devil, indignant because the applause for Octavian had ceased on account of the Jew who had given the chain to the queen, took his revenge on them in this way. Many of those who escaped, however, fled to the grace of baptism. For when the mountain itself sloped down and they began to tumble, the first ones died, torn by sharp rocks and suffocated in the sea. And when the rest wanted to do the same, not knowing what had happened to the others, some fishermen passing by told them of the evil that had occurred, and so they were converted. This is in the Tripartite History; a fourth reason for the institution can be assigned here. The Lord miraculously freed Peter from his chains and gave him the power to bind and to loose, but we are held bound by the chains of our sins and need to be set free. Therefore, we honor him during the feast called 'St. Peter in Chains' so that, just as he deserved to be freed from his chains and received from the Lord the power to loose others, he may likewise free us from the chains of our sins. Anyone can easily grasp or consider that this is one reason for the institution of the feast, if they see that the epistle commemorates the apostle's release from his chains and the gospel records the power to loose that was granted to him. However, the prayer for today asks that we be set free by him. That he sometimes uses the keys he received to set even the condemned free is made clear enough in a certain miracle found in the book of the miracles of the Blessed Virgin. In the city of Cologne, at the monastery of St. Peter, there was a monk who was flighty, lewd, and lascivious; when he was overtaken by a sudden death, demons accused him and cried out against him for every kind of sin. One said: 'I am your greed, with which you so often lusted against God's commandments.' Another cried out: 'I am the vanity of glory, with which you boastfully exalted yourself before men.' Another said: "I am the lie in which you sinned by lying." Others said similar things. Against these, certain good works he had done defended him, saying, "I am the obedience you showed to your spiritual elders," and "I am the singing of the psalms you frequently chanted to God." But Saint Peter, whose monk he was, went to God to intercede for him. The Lord answered him, "Did not the prophet, by my inspiration, say, 'Lord, who shall dwell in your tabernacle?' and so on." [The text is missing here.] "He who walks without blemish," and so on. "How can this man be saved, since he has neither walked without blemish nor performed justice?" Therefore, as Peter and the Virgin Mother interceded for him, the Lord pronounced this sentence: that he should return to his body and perform penance there. Then Peter immediately terrified the devil with the key he held in his hand and put him to flight. He entrusted the man's soul to the care of someone who had been a monk in that monastery, and commanded him to return it to his body. In return for this favor, the monk asked him to recite the psalm 'Have mercy on me, O Lord' every day and to frequently clean his tomb of sawdust. And upon returning from death, he told everyone what he had gathered for himself.
Read the original Latin
Festum sancti Petri apostoli, quod ad vincula dicitur, quadruplici de causa institutum fuisse putatur, scilicet in memoriam liberationis Petri, in memoriam liberationis Alexandri, pro destruendo ritu gentilium et pro impetranda absolutione spiritaalium vinculorum.
Prima ergo causa est in memoriam liberationis Petri. Nam, sicut dicitur in hystoria scholastica, Herodes Agrippa Romam adiit et ibi Cajo nepoti Tyberii Caesaris familiarissimus exstitit. Quadam autem die cum esset Herodes in curru cum Cajo, levatis in coelum manibus ait: utinam viderem mortem senis et te dominum totius orbis. Sed hoc auriga Herodis audivit et Tyberio continuo intimavit. Quapropter indignatus Tyberius Caesar Herodem reclusit in carcere. Ubi dum quadam die juxta arborem innixus esset, cujus frondibus insidebat bubo, unus de concaptivis peritus in auguriis dixit ei: noli timere, quia cito liberaberis et in tantum sublimaberis, quod amicos tuos in tui invidiam concitabis et in hac prosperitate morieris. Quam cito autem hujus generis animal super te videris, ultra quintum diem vivere non valebis. Post aliquod tempus Tyberius moritur et Cajus in imperium sublimatur, .
qui quidem Herodem de vinculis liberavit et magnifice sublimatum regem in Judaeam misit, cumque venisset, misit manus, ut affligeret quosdam de ecclesia. Occiso autem Jacobo fratre Joannis gladio ab eodem ante dies azimorum, videns, quia hoc gratum esset Judaeis, in diebus azimorum Petrum apprehendit et in carcerem misit volens post pascha producere eum populo. Angelus autem noctu eidem assistens mirabiliter eum a vinculorum nexibus liberavit et ad ministerium praedicationis liberum ire jussit. Facinus autem regis dilationem non patitur ultionis, sequenti fero die custodes ad se venire fecit, ut pro fuga Petri diris eos poenis afficeret. Hoc tamen impeditus est facere, ne solutio Petri alicui noceret. Nam concitus in Caesaream descendit et ibi percussus ab angelo expiravit. Etenim, sicut refert Josephus in XIX. antiquitatum libro, cum Caesaream advenisset et ad eum totius provinciae viri unanimiter convenissent, ille fulgenti veste ex auro argentoque mirabiliter contexta indutus, incipiente die procedit ad theatrum.
Ubi cum primum solis radios vestis argentea suscepit, repercusso splendore duplicatam spectantibus lucem fulgur metalli vibrantis effudit, ut intuentibus perstringeret aciem terror aspectus et pro hoc plus aliquid de eo, quam humanae naturae est, artifex arrogantia mentiretur. lllico adulantis vulgi concrepant voces dicentis: hucusque ut hominem te tennimus, sed ex hoc jam supra humanam naturam te esse fatemur. Et dum adulatoriis demulceretur honoribus et oblatos sibi divinos honores non respueret, respiciens vidit insidentem super funiculum capiti suo augelum, id est bubonem, mortis ejus proximae nuntium respiciensque ad populum dixit: en ego Deus vester morior. Sciebat enim juxta praedicationem auguris, se infra quinque dies moriturum, et continuo percussus per quinque dies vermibns eum corrodentibus expiravit. Haec Josephus. In memoriam igitur tam mirae liberationis principis apostolorum a vinculis el tam dirae vindictae in tyrannum protinus subsecutae, ecclesia festum saneti Petri ad vincula sollemnizat, Unde et epistola in missa canitur, in qua haec liberatio facta faisse perhibetur, et secundum hoc videtur, quod hoc festum deberet vocari Petri a vinculis. Secunda causa institutionis exstitit, quoniam Alexander papa, qui sexlus post beatum Petrum rexit ecclesiam, et Hermes praefectus urbis Romae, qui per Alexandrum ad fidem conversus fuerat, à Quirino tribuno in diversis locis in custodia tenebantur, dixitque tribunus ad Hermem praefectum: miror te virum prudentem honorem dimittere praefecturae et vitam aliam somniare. — Cui Hermes dixit: et ego ante hos annos haec omnia deridébam et hanc vitam solam esse putabam.
Respondit Quirinus: fac ergo probare me, quod aliam vitam noveris esse et continuo fidei tuae discipulum me habebis. Cui Hermes dixit: sanctus Alexander, quem tenes in vinculis, ipse hoc melius te docebit. Tunc Quirinus male'dieens Hermen ait: ego dixi tibi, ut me probare faceres hoc, et nunc me mittis ad Alexandrum, quem pro suis sceleribus teneo vinculatum. Verumtamen super te et Alexandrum custodiam duplicabo et si ipsum tecum vel te cum ipso invenire potero, vere fidem tuis et ejus dictis vel sermonibus adhibebo, Fecit, quod dixit, et Alexandro hoc Hermes protinus indicavit. Orante igitur sancto Alexandro angelus ad eum venit et ipsum ad Hermen in carcerem duxit et inveniens eos Quirinus insimul plurimum admiratus est, et cum Hermes Quirino narraret, quomodo Alexander filium suum mortuum suscitasset, dixit Alexandro Quirinus: habeo filiam gutturosam nomine Balbinam, promitto igitur me tuam recipere fidem, i filiae meae impetrare poteris salutem. Cni Alexander: vade citius et ipsam ad carcerem meum adducito. (Cui dixit Quirinus: eum hic sis, quomodo in carcere tuo potero te invenire? Ad quem Alexander: vade'cito, quia, qui me huc adduxit, ille me illuc cito reducet.
Pergens igitur Quirinus filiam suam ad carcerem Alexandri adduxit et ibidem ipsum inveniens ad pedes suos se prostravit. Tunc filia ejus coepit vincula sancti Alexandri devote osculari, ut sanitatem reciperet. Cui Alexander dixit: noli, filia mea, has meas osculari catenas, sed bojas sancti Petri diligenter inquire, quas devote osculans reeipies sanitatem. Quirinus igitur in carcere, ubi Petrus detentus fuerat, diligenter bojas inquiri fecit, easque cum invenisset, filiae suae osculandas dedit. llla mox, ut osculata est vincula, sanitatis est integrae beneficium assecuta. Tune Quirinus veniam petens Alexandrum de carcere extraxit et ipse cum familia et aliis quam pluribus baptisma suscepit. Tunc sanctus Alexander hoc festum in calendas Augusti celebrandum instituit et in honorem apostoli Petri ecclesiam fabricavit, ubi vincula reposuit et ad vincula nominavit. In hac sollemnitate ad praedictam ecclesiam magnus fit concursus populi et ibidem populus vincula osculatur.
Tertia causa institutionis secundum Bedam haec est. Octavianus imperator et Antonius sibi invicem affinitate conjuncti sic inter se mundi totius imperium diviserunt, ut Octavianus in occidente Italiam, Galliam et Hispaniam, Antonius vero in oriente Asiam, Pontum et Africam possideret. Antonius autem lascivus et lubricus cum sororem Octaviani in uxorem haberet, ipsam repudiavit et Cleopatram reginam Aegypti in uxorem accepit. Ob hoc indignatus Octavianus manu armata in Asiam contra Antonium procedit et ipsum in omnibus superavit, Tunc Antonius et Cleopatra victi fugerunt ac semet ipsos prae nimio dolore occiderunt. Aegypti igitur regnum Octavianus destruxit et Romanam provinciam fecit. Inde in Alexandriam perrexit et omnibus eam divitiis spolians Romam ipsas transvexit, unde rempublicam auxit, ita quod pro uno denario daretur, quod prius pro quatuor vendebatur. Et quia civilia bella valde urbem vastaverant, ita eam renovavit, ut dixerit: inveni lateritiam, relinquo marmoream. Quia igitur in tantum rempublicam auxit, Augustus primo omnium vocatus est, unde et ab eo Augusti dicti sunt, qui sibi in imperio successerunt, sicut a Julio Caesare ejus avunculo Caesares appellantur.
Unde et hunc mensem Augustum, qui prius Sextilis dicebatur, quia a Martio sextus erat, populus suo nomine intitulavit eum Augustum vocans. In memoriam itaque et honorem victoriae iliius, quam prima die Augusti Octavianus habuit, omnes Romani hanc diem sollemnizabant usque ad tempus Theodosii imperatoris, qui coepit regnare anno domini CGCCXXVI. Eudoxia igitur filia praedicti Theodosii imperatoris uxor Valentiniani Hierosolimam ex voto perrexit, ubi quidam Judaeus pro magno munere duas ei catenas obtulit, quibus sub Herode Petrus apostolus vinctus fuit. Cum igitur Romam rediisset in calendis Augusti et honorem imperatoris gentilis. romanos sollemnizare videret, dolens, quod damnato homini tantus honor exhiberetur, cogitansque, quod non eos de facili a tali cnltura et consuetudine revocare posset, cogitando tractavit, nt observantia quidem sic staret, sed in honorem sancti Petri fieret, et illum diem universus populus ad vincula nominaret. Habita igitur collatione cum beato Pelagio papa populum blandis exhortationibus induxerunt, ut oblivioni traderetur memoria principis paganorum et celebris fieret memoria principis apostolorum. Quod dum cunetis plaenisset, ila catenas, quas de Jerusalem attulerat, protulit et populo ostendit. Papa vero et illam catenam protulit, qua sub Nerone idem apostolus vinetus fuit.
Hac ergo illis sociata ita miraculose una catena facta est, ac si semper una et eadem exstitisset. Unde papa et regina protinus statuermnt, ut, quod hominum indiscreta religio faciebat gentili damnato, in melius mutata faceret apostolorum principi Petro. Ipsa igitur vincula papa cum regina in ecclesia sancti Petri ad vincula posuit et ipsam muneribus multis et privilegiis magnis dotavit ac praedictum diem ubique celebrem fore instituit. Haec Beda. ldem dicit Sigbertus. Quantae autem virtutis haec catena fuit, anno domini CCCCLXIV apparuit. Quendam enim comitem imperatoris Ottonis propinquum dyabolus ante omnium oculos tam crudeliter arripuit, ut se ipsum dentibus laceraret. Tunc jussu imperatoris ad Johannem papam ducitur, ut catena sancti Petri ejus collo circumdaretur, sed cum quaedam alia catena furentis collo fuisset imposita et nihil ex hac provenisset salutis, nimirum ubi nihil latebat virtutis, tandem vera Petri catena producitur et furentis collo imponitur.
Tantae autem virtutis pondus dyabolus ferre non potnit, sed mox coram omnibus exclamans abscessit, Tune Theodoricus Metensis episcopus ipsam catenam arripuit et eam se nullatenus dimissurum, nisi manus sibi praecideretur, asseruit. Cum igitur super haec inter episcopum et papam aliosque clericos gravis oriretur contentio, imperator tandem ipsum litigium sedavit et episcopo ex ipsa catena annulum à papa impetravit, Narrat Miletus in chronica et idem habetur in hystoria tripartita, quod his diebus apud Epirum draco ingens apparuit, in eujus ore Donatus episcopus virtute insignis exspuens mox eum occidit, prius tamen ante ejus faciem digitis crucem designaus et eidem ostendens, quem vix VIII juga boum, ne ejus putredine aër inficeretur, ad locum incendii trahere potuerunt. Idem quoque ait ibidem et in eadem tripartita habetur, quod in Creta dyabolus in specie Moysi se posuit, qui Judaeos undecumque congregans super magnum montis praecipitium juxta mare eos duxit, Quos dum ad terram promissionis sicco pede se praeeunte ducere polliceretur, innumeros enecavit. Unde creditur, quod dyabolus indignatus, quia occasione Judaei, qui reginae catenam dederat, plausus Octaviani cessavit, de his se taliter vindicavit. Multi autem ex his, qui evaserunt, ad baptismi gratiam convolaverunt. Cum enim mons ipse declivis incumberet et illi sese evolverent, priores tam acutis rupibus lacerati quam in mari praefocati mortui sunt. Cumque reliqui idem facere vellent et de prioribus, quid iis acciderit, ignorarent, quidam piscatores inde transeuntes malum, quod acciderat, narraverunt eisdem et sic illi conversi sunt. Haec in hystoria tripartita, Quarta causa institutionis hic assignari potest.
Dominus enim a vinculis Petrum miraculose absolvit et eidem ligandi et absolvendi potestatem dedit, nos autem vinculis peccatorum obligati tenemur et absolvi indigemus. Ideo igitur ipsum in sollemnitate, quae dicitur ad vincula, honoramas, ut, sicut ipse a vinculis absolvi promeruit et sicut absolvendi potestatem a domino accepit; sic et ipse a peccatorum vinculis nos absolvat. Hanc ultimam institutionis causam nonnullam exstitisse, quis de facili perpeudat vel perpendere potest, si videat, quod absolutionem a vinculis in apostolum factam epistola commemorat et absolvendi potestatem sibi concessam evangelista recitat. Absolutionem autem ab ipso nobis fiendam hodierna oratio postulat. Quod autem per claves, quas accepit, iuterdum etiam damnandos absolvat, in quodam miraculo, quod legitur in libro miraculorum " beatae virginis, satis claret. Apud namque Coloniam urbem iu monasterio sancti Petri erat qnidam monachus levis, lubricus et lascivus, Hic dum subita morte esset praeventus, daemones ipsum accusabant et quaelibet peccatorum genera contra ipsum clamabant. Unum dicebat: ego sum cupiditas tua, qua contra Dei praecepta tam frequenter cupisti. Aliud clamabat: ego sum vana gloria, qua te apud homines jactanter exaltasti.
Aliud: ego sum mendacium, in quo mentiendo peccasti. Et caetera similiter. Contra quaedam bona opera, quae fecerat, ipsum excusabant dicentia: ego sum obedientia, quam senioribus spiritualibus exhibuisti, ego sum psalmorum cantus, quem frequenter Deo concinisti, Sanctus autem Petrus, cujus erat monachus, pro ipso deprecaturus Deum adiit. Cui respondit dominus: numquid non propheta me inspirante dixit, domine, quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo ete. ? Qui ingreditur sine macula etc. Quomodo hic potest salvus esse, cum nec sine macula ingressus nec sit justitiam operatus. Rogante igitur Petro pro eo cum virgine matre hanc dominus sententiam protulit, nt ad corpus rediret et ibi poenitentiam ageret.
Tunc confestim Petrus clavi, quam manu tenebat, dyabolum terruit et in fugam convertit. Animam vero ejus in manu cujusdam; qui in praedicto monasterio monachus fuerat, tradidit et ut ad corpus ipsam reduceret, praecepit. Qui ab eo pro mercede reductionis poposcit, ut singulis diebus psalmum: miserere mei dominus, diceret et sepulturam ejus saepe scobis mundaret. lpseque de morte rediens, quae sibi conligerant, omnibus enarravit.
The Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea) companion
Continue through all 240 chapters, one saint a day
Chosen Portion serves the Golden Legend as a daily portion on iOS, free, alongside the full Sub Rosa archive
The Legenda Aurea was organized for day-by-day use across the liturgical year, and Chosen Portion restores that original one-feast-per-day reading rhythm
- A complete saint's life or feast reading most days in 5-10 minutes
- 240 chapters - enough daily readings to cover a full liturgical year and beyond
- Daily reminders so the plan survives busy weeks