from Pope Saint Leo the Great
A virgin is chosen of the royal lineage of David, who, being destined to bear the Divine Child in her body, has already conceived her Divine and Human Offspring in her soul; and, lest in her ignorance of the supernal design which was to be wrought within her by the Holy Ghost, she should fear at such an unwonted announcement, the future Mother of God learns of it from her colloquy with the Angel, and is reassured that she has nothing to fear for her maiden modesty. And why should she not have hope concerning a conception unexampled in its character, since to her is promised the sufficiency of the power of the Most High? She believes, and her faith is confirmed by the witness of the miracle which was actually being wrought. An unhoped-for fruitfulness is bestowed upon Elizabeth, so that there may be no longer any doubt that He who made the barren to conceive would make a virgin also to conceive. And so, the Word, the Son of God, who was in the beginning with God, by whom all things were made, and without whom was made nothing that was made, was made flesh, that He might deliver man from everlasting death.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, descending from His throne in heaven, but leaving not His Father's glory, came into this lower world, being born in a new order of things and by a new birth. He came in a new order, in that He who was invisible among His own was made visible among us; the Incomprehensible willed to be comprehended, and He who is from everlasting began to be in time. He was born by a new birth, for, being conceived of a virgin, He was born of a virgin, without any father in the flesh, and leaving inviolate the virginity of His Mother; for such a birth beseemed the future Saviour of mankind, who was to have in Himself the nature of man's being, and have no share in the defilements of man's flesh. Unlike us in His origin, He is like us in His nature; we believe that He is free from human use and custom, but it was only by the Divine Power that a virgin did conceive, that a virgin did bring forth, and that all the while she remained a virgin still.
Since the Divine Spirit had decreed to raise up what was cast down, to bind together what was broken, and again and again to bestow such an abounding modesty as overcomes the allurements of the flesh, it must needs be that the purity of her Offspring should first keep the virginity of the Mother as inviolate as it had ever been, and that the power of the Holy Spirit should be poured forth to preserve the cloister of the modesty and the hostel of the holiness that were well-pleasing to Him; so that virginity, which in others could not survive motherhood, might still serve as a model to these others, in its being born again. Moreover, doth it not seem to have been a counsel of the highest wisdom that Christ chose to be born of a virgin? It was to the end that the devil might not know that the salvation of mankind had begun, for, the spiritual nature of the conception being hidden from him, he believed that His birth was in its nature like that of others who was like others in Himself. To bring this about, the Christ came forth from a virgin who had. conceived of the Holy Ghost; and, contrary to the case of other mothers, this Mother drew purification from her conception's very source.
Let us pray
O God! who, by the fruitful virginity of the Blessed Mary, hast given unto mankind the rewards of everlasting life, grant, we beseech Thee, that we may experience the power of her intercession, through whom we have merited to receive the Author of life, 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