Saint Barbara of the Gunners
G.K. Chesterton

(St Barbara is the patron saint of gunners, and those in danger of sudden death.)

Barbara, Barbara, we may not loose a breath -
Be at the bursting doors of doom, and in the dark deliver us,
Who loosen the last window on the sun of sudden death.

"Barbara the beautiful
Had praise of tongue and pen:
Her hair was like a summer night
Dark and desired of men.

Her feet like birds from far away
That linger and light in doubt;
And her face was like a window
Where a man's first love looked out.

Her sire was master of many slaves,
A hard man of his hands;
They built a tower about her
In the desolate golden lands,

Sealed as the tyrants sealed their tombs,
Planned with an ancient plan,
And set two windows in the tower
Like the two eyes of a man."

"Her father had sailed across the sea
For the harbour of Africa
When all the slaves took up their tools
For the bidding of Barbara.

She smote the bare wall with her hand
And bade them smite again;
She poured them wealth of wine and meat
To stay them in their pain.

And cried through the lifted thunder
Of thronging hammer and hod
"Throw open the third window
In the third name of God."

Then the hearts failed and the tools fell,
And far towards the foam,
Men saw a shadow on the sands
And her father coming home."

Then the hearts failed and the tools fell,
And far towards the foam,
Men saw a shadow on the sands
And her father coming home."

""There were two windows in your tower,
Barbara, Barbara,
For all between the sun and moon
In the lands of Africa.

Hath a man three eyes, Barbara,
A bird three wings,
That you have riven roof and wall
To look upon vain things?"

Her voice was like a wandering thing
That falters yet is free,
Whose soul has drunk in a distant land
Of the rivers of liberty.

"There are more wings than the wind knows
Or eyes that see the sun
In the light of the lost window
And the wind of the doors undone.

For out of the first lattice
Are the red lands that break
And out of the second lattice
Sea like a green snake,

But out of the third lattice
Under low eaves like wings
Is a new corner of the sky
And the other side of things."

"Then he drew sword and drave her
Where the judges sat and said,
"Caesar sits above the gods,
Barbara the maid.

Caesar hath made a treaty
With the moon and with the sun,
All the gods that men can praise
Praise him every one.

There is peace with the anointed
Of the scarlet oils of Bel,
With the Fish God, where the whirlpool
Is a winding stair to hell,

With the pathless pyramids of slime,
Where the mitred negro lifts
To his black cherub in the cloud
Abominable gifts,

With the leprous silver cities
Where the dumb priests dance and nod,
But not with the three windows
And the last name of God.""

"Barbara the beautiful
Stood up as queen set free,
Whose mouth is set to a terrible cup
And the trumpet of liberty.

"I have looked forth from a window
That no man now shall bar,
Caesar's toppling battle-towers
Shall never stretch so far.

The slaves are dancing in their chains,
The child laughs at the rod,
Because of the bird of the three wings,
And the third face of God."

The sword upon his shoulder
Shifted and shone and fell,
And Barbara lay very small
And crumpled like a shell."

"Caesar smiled above the gods
His lip of stone was curled,
His iron armies wound like chains
Round and round the world,

And the strong slayer of his own
That cut down flesh for grass,
Smiled too, and went to his own tower
Like a walking tower of brass,

And the songs ceased and the slaves were dumb;
And far towards the foam
Men saw a shadow on the sands;
And her father coming home...

Blood of his blood upon the sword
Stood red but never dry.
He wiped it slowly, till the blade
Was blue as the blue sky.

But the blue sky split with a thunder-crack,
Spat down a blinding brand,
And all of him lay black and flat
As his shadow on the sand."

The touch and the tornado; all our guns give tongue together,
St Barbara for the gunnery and God defend the right,
They are stopped and gapped and battered as we blast away the weather,
Building window upon window to our lady of the light.

For the light is come on Liberty, her foes are falling, falling,
They are reeling, they are running, as the shameful years have run,
She is risen for all the humble, she has heard the conquered calling,
St Barbara of the Gunners, with her hand upon the gun.

They are burst asunder in the midst that eat of their own flatteries,
Whose lip is curled to order as its barbered hair is curled...
Blast of the beauty of sudden death, St Barbara of the batteries!
That blow the new white window in the wall of all the world.

Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel
Pope Leo XIII

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Most glorious Prince of the Heavenly Armies,
Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in "our battle against principalities and powers,
against the rulers of this world of darkness,
against the spirits of wickedness in the high places" [Eph. 6:12].

Come to the assistance of men
whom God has created to His likeness
and whom He has redeemed at a great price
from the tyranny of the devil.
Holy Church venerates thee as her guardian and protector;
to thee, the Lord has entrusted the souls of the redeemed
to be led into heaven.

Pray therefore the God of Peace
to crush Satan beneath our feet,
that he may no longer retain men captive
and do injury to the Church.
Offer our prayers to the Most High,
that without delay they may draw His mercy down upon us;
take hold of "the dragon,
the old serpent,
which is the devil and Satan",
bind him that he may no longer seduce the nations" [Apoc. 20:2].

Psalm 67:

God arises;
His enemies are scattered
and those who hate Him flee before Him.
As smoke is driven away, so are they driven;
as wax melts before the fire,
so the wicked perish at the presence of God.

V. Behold the Cross of the Lord, flee bands of enemies.
R. He has conquered, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the offspring of David.
V. May thy mercy, Lord, descend upon us.
R. As great as our hope in Thee.

V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.
V. May the Lord be with thee.
R. And with thy spirit.

Let us pray

God of heaven,
God of earth,
God of Angels,
God of Archangels,
God of Patriarchs,
God of Prophets,
God of Apostles,
God of Martyrs,
God of Confessors,
God of Virgins,

God who has power to give life after death and rest after work, because there is no other God than Thee and there can be no other, for Thou art the Creator of all things, visible and invisible, of whose reign there shall be no end, we humbly prostrate ourselves before Thy glorious Majesty and we beseech Thee to deliver us by Thy power from all the tyranny of the infernal spirits, from their snares, their lies and their furious wickedness; deign, O Lord, to grant us Thy powerful protection and to keep us safe and sound. We beseech Thee through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

From the snares of the devil, deliver us, O Lord.

That Thy Church may serve Thee in peace and liberty, we beseech Thee in peace and liberty, we beseech Thee to hear us.
That Thou may crush down all enemies of Thy Church, we beseech Thee to hear us.

Litany to the Lamb of God in Time of War

V. The Lord give you peace;

R. Peace and good will.

O Lord Jesus Christ, who didst say to Thy Apostles, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you," look not upon my sins, but upon the faith of Thy Church, and vouchsafe to her that peace and unity which is agreeable to Thy will, who livest and reignest, God forever and ever. Amen.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus hear us. Jesus, graciously hear us.

By the hymn of the angels at Thy birth, grant us peace.
By Thy salutation to the Apostles, grant us peace.
By Thy voice to the waves of Galilee, grant us peace.
By Thy blessing to the sinner, grant us peace.
By Thy prayers for unity among Thy disciples, grant us peace.
By the love that was to mark Thy followers, grant us peace.
By the great peace offering of the Cross, grant us peace.
By Thy parting promise, "My peace I leave you," grant us peace.

From the ambition of empire, deliver us, O Lord.
From the greed for territory, deliver us, O Lord.
From the blindness that is injustice, deliver us, O Lord.
From the selfishness that is theft, deliver us, O Lord.
From the liberty which is license, deliver us, O Lord.
From the love of money which is idolatry, deliver us, O Lord.
From the hate that is murder, deliver us, O Lord.
From the hardness that will not pardon, deliver us, O Lord.
From the pride that will not ask pardon, deliver us, O Lord.

By the helpless cry of orphans, we beseech Thee, hear us.
By the anguished tears of widows, we beseech Thee, hear us.
By the groans of the dying, we beseech Thee, hear us.
By the dead in unblessed graves, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst make all nations to dwell as one, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That the hearts of rulers may be as wax in Thy hands, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That having learned in affliction, we may turn to Thee, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That wars may cease from the earth, we beseech Thee, hear us.
By Thy title, "Prince of Peace," we beseech Thee, hear us.
Lord God of Armies, we beseech Thee, hear us.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, grant us peace.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, grant us peace.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

V. I am the Salvation of the people, saith the Lord;

R. In whatever tribulation they shall cry to Me, I will hear them.

Let Us Pray

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, teach us, who have sinned against Heaven and before Thee, the saving grace of a true humility, that we and all the peoples of this world may acknowledge and bewail that spirit of materialism and self-seeking and lust for power and vengeance which has plunged the family of nations into war, until in Thy just wrath the world suffers

that punishment which, by turning from Thee, it has brought upon itself. In humility and penance, may we lessen the guilt and hasten true peace, without victory, save the victory of union with Thee. Amen.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.

Give peace, O Lord, in our days, for there is none other that fighteth for us, but only Thou, Our God.

V. Let there be peace in Thy strength, O Lord,

R. And plenty in Thy strong places.

Let Us Pray

O God, from Whom proceed all holy desires, all right counsels and all just works, grant unto us Thy servants that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be devoted to Thy service, and that being delivered from the fear of our enemies, we may pass our time in peace under Thy protection, through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Immaculate Queen of Peace, Pray for us.