Thread by @tradistae

Yesterday, on the Feast of St. Gertrude, at @MarysShrine, ++Salvatore Cordlieone of @ArchdioceseSF, celebrated a historic TLM: the Mass of the Americas.

This brand new Mass setting shows the transcendent beauty of the Church's living tradition. #thread w/ pictures from @EWTN

His Excellency processed into the National Shrine, with nearly every pew filled. The Mass drew a diverse crowd of pilgrims, locals, families, religious, and clergy, both young and old.

As the Archbishop processed, in persona Christi, the faithful genuflected at his blessing. The choir sang the "Ecce Sacerdos Magnus" meaning "Behold the Great Priest."

The Missionaries of Charity sat together front-left.

Saint Teresa of Calcutta, "Guardian of the Poor", visited the Basilica several times during her life and is venerated in its sacred artwork.

The Pontiff is vested with amice, alb, cincture, pectoral cross, stole, tunicle and dalmatical, pontifical gauntlets, chasuble, mitre, ring, maniple, and crosier.

Meanwhile, bright music soars through the Basilica: "El Cantico Del Alba" meaning "Canticle to the Dawn"

This traditional folk hymn to Mary would be sung by Mexican families while walking together to Mass.

"El infierno tres veces tiembla al decir pronto 'Ave María'"

"Hell trembles three times at the sound of the 'Ave Maria'"

Now fully vested, the Archbishop, assistant priest, deacons, and subdeacon all wear—as ++Salvatore pointed out in his sermon—"a cloak of turquoise, an honor reserved to Aztec gods and the Aztec royal family," the color of the mantle Our Lady of Guadalupe chose to appear in.

The choir chants the Introit as the Mass begins with the prayers at the foot of the altar: Psalm 42 and the Confiteor.

iudica me Deus et discerne causam meam de gente non sancta...

introibo ad altare Dei ad Deum qui laetificat iuventutem meam...

The Kyrie is sung by the choir while the altar and Archbishop are incensed. Afterward, the Gloria is intoned.

La Rocca’s setting for the Church’s great hymn of praise is built around the Mexican folk tune “La Guadalupana”, honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe.

As the subdeacon received the Archbishop's blessing, female voices chanted the Gradual:

Benedicta et venerabilis es, Virgo Maria: quae sine tactu pudoris inventa es Mater Salvatoris

℣. Virgo, Dei Genetrix, quem totus non capit orbis, in tua se clausit viscera factus homo.

The subdeacon then processed with the Gospels as male voices chanted the Alleluia:

Alleluia, alleluia

℣. Post partum, Virgo, inviolata permansisti: Dei Genetrix, intercede pro nobis. Alleluia.

The Gospel, honoring Mary's blessedness, was gracefully chanted:

"...a certain woman from the crowd lifted up her voice & said to Him, Blessed is the womb that bore You, & the breasts that nursed You. But He said, Rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it."

++Cordlieone preached powerfully on Mary's power to unite the Americas, the world, and the Church, always consoling the poor, in both body and soul.

"This Mass we celebrate today, the 'Mass of the Americas,' speaks profoundly to the power of our Mother to unite her children."

Re the musical dedication, he quoted Pope St. John Paul II:

"America, which historically has been, and still is, a melting-pot of peoples, has recognized in the mestiza face of the Virgin of Tepeyac, ‘...an impressive example of a perfectly inculturated evangelization’."

W/ reference to the TLM, he quoted Servant of God Dorothy Day:

"The Church has an obligation to feed the poor... there is a hunger for bread, and we must give people food. But there is also a hunger for beauty—and there are very few beautiful places that the poor can get into."

"We live in the most affluent society in the history of the world, and what is the result? Anger, division, injustice and depression."

'The Church has always understood that Truth, Beauty and Goodness are all necessary to repair a broken society & build a flourishing civilization. All three are necessary, bc the human person is an integral whole: Goodness feeds bodies, Truth feeds minds, & Beauty feeds souls.'

The Mass of the Faithful begins as the choir sings the Offertory:

Ave, Maria, gratia plena;
Dominus tecum:
Benedicta tu in mulieribus,
et benedictus fructus ventris tui.

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,
ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
nunc et in hora mortis nostrae.

The organ plays as bread and wine, followed by the altar of sacrifice, are incensed.

La Rocca's Sanctus begins quietly and eerily and expands to full-bodied angelic praise.

All are silent to adore the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Violins and voices proclaim the Benedictus.

Pater noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum. Adveniat regnum tuum. Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie, et dimitte nobis debita nostra sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem,

As the clergy share the Pax, the choir sings the Agnus Dei, which begins similarly to the Sanctus, but develops more peacefully.

Before the distribution of Holy Communion, the Confiteor is chanted, as a final opportunity to repent of our sins, lest we approach the Sacrament unworthily. The Pontiff responds with prayers of pardon.

During the distribution of Holy Communion, the choir sings a contemplative motet by La Rocca set to the text of "Ave Verum Corpus"

After the Post-communion and before the Last Gospel, all kneel to receive the final blessing from the Pontiff.

Ite, missa est.

The sacred music, however, is not quite concluded. As the Archbishop returns to the throne, the first note of a marimba begins to drum.

During the divesting, mirroring "El Cantico Del Alba", La Rocca's incredible "Aue Maria" is sung by soprano, accompanied by violin, marimba, and organ.

The text is the "Hail Mary" in Nahuatl, the language spoken by Our Lady of Guadalupe to San Juan Diego on the hill of Tepeyac.

Ma in mochihua.

The final hymn is La Rocca's Salve Regina, which is built around the traditional plainchant and accompanied by the solemn but bright tolling of bells, like those of a bell tower.

O Clemens, O Pia, O Dulcis, Virgo Maria!

His Excellency, along with all gathered, was deeply moved.

We raise the Archbishop up in our prayers and thank him for the celebration of this awe-inspiring Liturgy!

The inside pamphlet cover describes its inspiration: the California Mission era and the enormously popular Mexican devotional "La Guadalupana." More on the creative process of this Mass can be found here: dappledthings.org/15197/mass-of-…

May God bless the @compozor, Frank La Rocca!

And may God bless Richard Sparks, conductor, and “The Benedict Sixteen,” the Benedict XVI Institute's sixteen-voice professional choir.

The living tradition of the Church, in Her sacred music and divine worship, is flourishing by their generous service.

The entire Mass of the Americas in the Extraordinary Form can be viewed, heard, and prayed with here:

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, pray for us!

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!

Our Lady of the Americas, pray for us!

@MarysShrine @ArchdioceseSF @EWTN (Correction: last Saturday, rather than yesterday)