from Saint Peter Chrysologus
'The Angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the Angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women. Who, having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. And the Angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call His name Jesus' (Luke 1:26-31).
Today, dearly beloved Brethren, you have heard an Angel treating with a woman about the redemption of mankind. You have heard it debated how man should return again to life by the very ways whereby he had fallen upon death. An Angel deals with Mary concerning our salvation, because an angel had dealt with Eve unto our ruin. You have heard an Angel constructing with unspeakable skill a temple to the Divine Majesty out of the slime of our flesh. You have heard how, by a mystery beyond our comprehension, God found a place on earth, and man a place in heaven. You have heard how, in an unheard-of way, God and man were joined together in one Body. You have heard how, by the Angel's encouragement, weak human nature was made strong to bear the whole glory of the Godhead.
Then, lest in Mary our fragile frame should succumb like sand beneath the heavy weight of this heavenly construction; lest the slender stem should snap asunder of the Virgin who was about to bear the fruitage of the whole human race, the Angel's voice at once forestalls and drives away all fear, saying, 'Fear not, Mary.' Before any reason is given, the exalted station of the Virgin is made known by her very name, for the Hebrew name of Mary in Latin means Lady. The Angel, then, greets her as Lady, that the Mother of her Lord may put aside the trepidation of His handmaid, since the will of her own Offspring had bidden her to be born and to be called a Lady. 'Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace.' In very sooth, she who has found grace knows not how to fear: 'Thou hast found grace.'
She gave glory to heaven, God to earth, and faith to the nations; she put an end to vice, she ordered life aright, and set a rule for conduct. The grace which the Angel brought her the Virgin accepted, giving in return salvation to the world. A Virgin blessed indeed is she, for she possesses at the same time both the grace of maidenhood and the dignity of motherhood; a Virgin blessed indeed, for she merited the grace of that heavenly conception, and still kept the coronet of her virginity; a Virgin blessed indeed, for the glory was hers to have a Divine Offspring, and to remain the queen of all the chastities.
Let us pray
O God! who didst will that, at the message of the Angel, Thy Word should take flesh in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary, grant, we beseech Thee, that we, who believe her verily to be the Mother of God, may be helped by her intercession in Thy sight. Through the same our Lord, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
Magnificat
My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Because He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid; for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because He that is mighty hath done great things to me; and holy is His name. And His mercy is, from generation unto generations, to them that fear Him. He hath showed might in His arm: He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He hath sent empty away. He hath received Israel, His servant, being mindful of His mercy. As He spoke to our fathers - to Abraham and to His seed, for ever. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Salve Regina!
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy! Hail, our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn, then, most gracious Advocate! thine eyes of mercy towards us, and, after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God! That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Petition
We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God! despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin!
- from The May-Book of the Breviary, by Father John Fitzpatrick