When the Chief Priest
and those with him,
arrived and
called together the Sanhedrin
and all the Elders of the children of Israel,
they sent to the gaol
to bring them.

And when the officers arrived
they did not find them in the prison,
and they returned to report.

They said: ‘We found the prison locked, securely,
and the guards standing at the door
and opening them
we found nobody inside.’

When the captain of the temple guard
and the chief priests heard these words,
they were very confused about them
wondering what this would come to.
But someone arrived and announced to them:
‘Look, the men you put into prison,
are in the Temple,
standing,
and teaching the people!’

Then the captain went with the officers
to bring them in:
not with force
for they feared being stoned
by the people.

Be thou a bright flame before me,
Be thou a guiding star above me
Be thou a smooth path below me
Be thou a kindly shepherd behind me
Today – tonight -forever
Amen.

St Columba

Then the Chief Priest rose up,
and those who were with him,
(who were of the Sadducee party),
they became filled with jealousy

And they laid hands on the apostles,
and they put them in a public prison.

But the angel of the Lord
during the night
opened the doors of the prison,
led them out and said:

‘Go and
when you stand,
continue to speak in the Temple
to the people
all the words of this life. ‘

When they heard (this)
they entered the Temple
at daybreak
and began to teach.

O Love, O God who created me, in your love recreate me.
O Love, who redeemed me,
fill up in me whatever part of your love
has fallen into neglect within me.
O Love, O God, who first loved me,
grant that with my whole heart,
and with my whole soul,
and with my whole strength,
I may love you.

Gertrude the Great

Through the hands of the apostles
there were being done
many signs and wonders among the people.
And they all were (meeting) with a single purpose
in the Colonnade of Solomon.

None of the rest dared to join them,
but the people ‘spoke highly’ of them.

(More and more believers in the Lord
were added
both men and women.)

So that (people) brought out the sick
into the streets
and put them on cots and pallets
So that when Peter came
even (his) shadow
might fall on some of them.

And when a crowd had gathered
from the towns around Jerusalem
bearing the sick
and those troubled by unclean spirits,
they were healed, all of them.

Teach us, good Lord,
to serve thee as thou deservest;
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to toil and not to seek for rest;
to labour and not to ask for any reward,
save that of knowing that we do thy will,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

St Ignatius

After a space of about three hours
his wife,
not knowing what had occurred,
came in .

Peter reacted and said to her:
‘Tell me,
did you both sell the land
‘for so much’?

She said:
Yes, ‘for so much’?

Then Peter said to her:
‘Why did you agree together
to test the Spirit of the Lord?
Look,
the feet of the those who buried your husband
are at the door
and they will carry you out!’

She fell down, at once
at his feet and died.
So as they entered
the young men found her dead,
and carried her out
and buried beside her husband.
And a great fear
came upon the whole church
and upon all who heard these things.

Grant, Lord,
that we may hold to you without parting,
worship you without wearying,
serve you without failing;
faithfully seek you,
happily find you,
and forever possess you,
the only God,blessed now and for ever.
Amen

St Anselm

A certain man
Ananias, by name,
with Sapphira, his wife
sold a piece of land.
And he kept something back for himself
from the proceeds
with his wife’s knowledge
and he brought a part
and he placed it
at the apostles’ feet.

But Peter said:
‘Ananias,
Why has Satan
filled your heart –
to lie to the Holy Spirit
and to keep back for yourself
something from the proceeds (of the sale) of the field?
It, unsold, did it not remain yours,
and it, when it had been sold was in not at your disposal?
Why then did you did you decide in your heart
(to do) this deed?
You have not lied to people,
but to God.’

And Ananias,
hearing these words
having fallen down
died.
and a great fear
came upon all those who heard (about it).

So the young men got up
and wrapped him up
and when they had carried him out
buried him.

Thank you, dear Jesus,
for all you have given me,
for all you have taken away from me,
for all you have left me.

Thomas More (c.1478-1535)

The heart and the soul
of the multitude
of those who had come to believe
were one,
and no one was saying
that any of their belongings
were there own,
but everything was held in common.

With great power
the apostles were giving witness
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus;
great grace was upon them all.
For there was no one needy among them.
For whoever was an owner of fields
or houses
was selling them
and brought the proceeds of the sales
to the feet of the apostles
(the proceeds) were distributed to each as who had need.

So Joseph,
called Barnabas by the apostles
which translated is ‘son of encouragement’,
a Levite,
a native of Cyprus,
having sold a field belonging to him
brought the money
and placed it at the feet of the apostles.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, union;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy,
For your mercy and for your truth’s sake. Amen

After they were released they went to their own (people)
and told them what the chief priests and elders had said.
Then those who heard,
together
lifted their voice
to God and said
‘Master,
you alone who made the sky and the land and the sea
and everything which is in them
who said
by our father
through the Holy Spirit
by means of the mouth of David,
(your ) servant:
For what reason do the nations rage
and the peoples plan foolish things?
The kings of the earth take their stand
and the leaders gather together at the same place
against the Lord and against his anointed.¹

For truly Herod and Pontus Pilate,
with the Gentiles
and the people of Israel
came together
in this city
against your holy Son, Jesus
whom you anointed,
to do whatever
your hand and your will decided in advance
would happen.
And now Lord,
-take notice
to their threats
-and give your servants
all courage
to speak your word .
-while you stretch out your hand to heal and
signs and wonders occur
through the name of your holy servant Jesus.
And when they had prayed
the place was shaken
where they were gathered together
and they all were filled with the Holy Spirit
and they began to speak the word of God with boldness.

1. Psalm 2: 1-2 ↩︎

Having ordered them to go out of the Sanhedrin
they began to confer together,
(saying)
‘What shall we do with these men?
Because
a notable sign
has occurred through them
and we cannot deny it.
but lest
yet more is spread among the people
let us warn them
no longer to speak
in that name
to anyone.’

And having called them
they ordered them
not to speak
at all
nor to teach in the name of Jesus.

But Peter and John answered them:
If it is right before your God
to obey (you) or God,
you judge.
For as for us we cannot but speak
about what we have seen and heard

But having having threatened them, they released them –
having not found how to punish them
because of the people
because they were all glorifying God
for what had occurred.
For the man was more that forty years old
upon whom the sign of healing had happened.

Eternal God and Father,
you create us by your power,
and redeem us by your love,
guide and strengthen us by your Spirit,
that we may give ourselves in love and service
to one another and to you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

On the next day their rulers, and elders and scribes
gathered together in Jerusalem.
Annas, the Chief Priest
and Caiaphas,
and John
and Alexander
and others of the Chief Priest’s family,
having set them
in the middle
questioned them:
‘In what power or
in what name
do you do these things?’

Then Peter,
full of the Holy Spirit said to them:

‘Rulers of the people and elders
if we are being questioned
today
about an act of kindness
done to a sick man
by what means this one was healed
let it be known to all of you
and all the people of Israel
that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene
whom you crucified ,
whom God raised from the dead people
by him
this one stands before you
healthy.

Keep us, O Lord, while we tarry on this earth,
in a serious seeking after thee,
and in an affectionate walking with thee,
every day of our lives;
that when thou comest,
we may be found not hiding our talent,
nor yet asleep with our lamp unfurnished,
but waiting and longing for our Lord,
our glorious King, for ever and ever.

Richard Baxter (1615-1691)