from Saint Sophronius
Blessed indeed art thou amongst women, for thou hast changed the curse of Eve into a blessing; for thou thyself hast brought a blessing upon Adam, who lay smitten by the primal curse. Blessed indeed art thou amongst women, for the blessing of the Father dawned on men through thee, and delivered them from the olden malediction. Blessed indeed art thou amongst women, for through thee thine own ancestors found salvation; for thou wast destined to bring forth a Saviour, by whom their divine salvation should be wrought. Blessed indeed art thou amongst women, for thou, a Virgin, didst bear Him for thy fruit, who blesses all the earth and delivers it from the curse of bringing forth thorns. Blessed indeed art thou amongst women, for, though by nature a mere woman, thou wast made in very truth the Mother of God. For if He who is to be born of thee be verily God Incarnate, thou art rightly and truly called the Mother of God, since most truly thou dost bring forth God.
'Fear not, Mary! for thou hast found grace with God' (Luke 1:30) - grace that passes not away; thou hast found grace with God, grace that excels all other grace; thou hast found grace with God, such as with all desire may be desired; thou hast found grace with God, the most surpassing of all graces; thou hast found grace with God, that never fails away; thou hast found grace with God, grace which has power to save thee; thou hast found grace with God, such grace as by no onslaught can be shaken; thou hast found grace with God, grace that is all invincible; thou hast found grace with God, which shall endure for ever and for ever. Others, and many others, have flourished before thee, remarkable for their sanctity, but to none of them, as to thee, has the plenitude of grace been given; no one has been raised to such a height of magnificence as thine; no one has been preserved like thee with purifying grace; no one has shone with such a heavenly light as thou hast; no one has been exalted beyond all height like thee.
And this was only just, for no one came so near to God as thou didst; no one was so richly endowed with the gifts of God as thou wast; no one received so fully of the grace of God as thou. Thou surpassest anything and everything that is excellent among men; thy gifts are greater far than have ever been bestowed by the bounty of God upon all others. For thou art richer far than others, in the possession of the God who dwelt within thee. No one could ever so comprehend God as thou didst; no one could so enjoy the presence of God; no one was found worthy to be so illuminated by God as thou wast; and, therefore, not only didst thou harbour God, the Creator and the Lord of all things, within thee, but He took flesh in an ineffable manner of thee, and was borne in thy womb, and was afterwards born of thee, to redeem all men from His Father's condemnation, and to bestow upon them everlasting salvation. This is why I have cried out to thee, and why with all my strength I will cry out to thee once more: 'Hail, full of grace! the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women.'
Let us pray
O God! who didst give us the Mother of Thy beloved Son to be our mother also [and didst vouchsafe to glorify her beautiful picture by a wonderful apparition] grant, we beseech Thee, that, always following closely her counsels, we may be enabled to live according to Thy Heart, and happily come to the heavenly fatherland. 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