from Saint Thomas of Villanova
Mary is a tower based upon the immovable foundation of a firm rock in the holy mountains, for in the midst of her God shall not be moved. It is said of this Virgin, in the Canticle of Canticles: 'As the tower of David, which is built with bulwarks; a thousand bucklers hang upon it, all the armour of valiant men' (4:4). Verily the tower of David, of that David (I mean) who, with five stones out of the brook - that is, His five wounds - and with His Cross for staff, laid low the proud Goliath, boasting on the hill of Calvary. This tower has become a bulwark of the Church, and the only refuge of sinners, that thereto all the guilty, all the sorrowful, all the afflicted, may have recourse, and by her protection be delivered from the enemy. O man! in whatsoever tribulation thou mayest be, take refuge with Mary: whether thou art afflicted by sin, or sorely persecuted, or harassed by temptations, flee to this tower, take refuge with Mary. For 'a thousand bucklers hang upon it,' and in her thou wilt find a most sure shield to protect thee, that thou mayest withstand the devil to his face when in his rage he would afflict and persecute thee.
For there is 'all the armour of valiant men': there is the faith of the Apostles, there the fortitude of the Martyrs, there the purity of Virgins, the wisdom of Doctors, the poverty of Anachorites, the devotion of Confessors; there, in fine, is found the accumulated virtue of all the Saints. For never was any special. privilege accorded to any of the Saints which, from the outset of her life and in a more abundant measure, did not shine forth in Mary. Lo! a castle most strongly fortified, lo! an impregnable tower, which never yielded tribute to the devil, nor promised him fealty. Into this Jesus entered, when 'the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us,' coming to expel His enemies and recover His kingdom, into which at the first the devil had intruded.
She was chosen to be our Advocate. For though, as says Saint John, we have the Son for our Advocate with the Father, we needed also to have His Mother for our Advocate with the Son, for by our sins not only is the God offended whose precepts we violate, but the Son of God also, whose blood by sin we tread under foot, 'crucifying again the Son of God' (Hebrews 6:6); and therefore, as the Son intercedes for us with the Father, so His Mother intercedes for us with the Son. Wherefore the Son shows to the Father His side and His wounds, and the Mother pleads with her Son: Mine were 'the womb that bore Thee and the breasts that gave Thee suck' (Luke 11:27). And thus she has become a fitting Advocate - fitting because most pure, fitting because most acceptable, fitting because most pitiful; for all these things are needful to an Advocate. Turn, then, our Advocate! thine eyes of mercy towards us: we have recourse to thee in all our necessities - fulfill thy duty, do what it is thine to do.
Let us pray
O Lord Jesus Christ! the Good Shepherd who didst give Thy life for Thy sheep, and who, hanging on the Cross, didst commend us, Thy people and the sheep of Thy pasture, unto Thy Virgin-Mother, grant through her intervention that, following Thee, our Shepherd, on earth, we may be led unto the pastures of eternal life in heaven. Who livest and reignest with God the Father, 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