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First Saturdays Devotion

The First Saturdays Devotion is a Roman Catholic practice of reparation to the , involving specific acts performed on the first Saturday of each of five consecutive months, as requested by the in an to dos Santos on December 10, 1925, in , . This devotion originates from the broader context of the Fatima apparitions, where first alluded to it during her July 13, 1917, appearance to Lúcia and her cousins , emphasizing devotion to her Immaculate Heart as a means to console her for sins and ingratitude against it. The devotion consists of Confession, Holy Communion, recitation of five decades of the Rosary, and fifteen minutes of meditation on its mysteries, all with the intention of reparation. These elements were clarified in a vision on the same day in 1925, when the Child Jesus appeared alongside to explain the need for Communion in reparation to the Immaculate Heart, wounded by blasphemies and ingratitude. The purpose is to atone for blasphemies against the Immaculate Heart of Mary and to foster personal conversion, aiding in the salvation of souls. In fulfillment, Our Lady promised: "I promise to assist at the hour of death with the graces necessary for salvation," underscoring its role in securing eternal graces for the faithful. This practice ties into the Fatima message's call for prayer, penance, and Russia's consecration to prevent global chastisements, promoting world peace through devotion to Mary's Immaculate Heart.

Origins

Fatima Apparitions

The apparitions of the in 1916 served as preparation for the events at , occurring amid the backdrop of , which had begun in 1914 and profoundly affected global peace. Three shepherd children—Lúcia dos Santos, aged 10, and her cousins Francisco Marto, aged 9, and Jacinta Marto, aged 7—were tending their family's sheep near Aljustrel, . In spring 1916, at Loca do Cabeço in Valinhos, the Angel appeared, identifying as the , and taught the children a of adoration: "My , I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You! I ask pardon of You for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You." During a second apparition that summer in Lúcia's backyard, the Angel emphasized sacrifice for sinners and prayed for peace in . In autumn, at Loca do Cabeço again, the Angel presented a with a host, offering and instructing the children to make reparation for offenses against the Hearts of and through and sacrifice. The six apparitions of began on May 13, 1917, at the , a site near , where the children witnessed a Lady brighter than the sun, dressed in white, atop a holm oak. She identified herself as the Lady of the and requested daily recitation of the for , with subsequent apparitions occurring on , July 13, September 13, and October 13 at the , and an additional one on August 19 at Valinhos after the children's brief imprisonment by local authorities. On , first mentioned her Immaculate Heart, opening her hands to reveal rays of light symbolizing graces, and promised that those devoted to it would receive salvation, while foretelling that and would soon but Lúcia would remain to spread the devotion. The apparition was pivotal, as revealed the Three Secrets to the children. The first secret was a terrifying of , depicting souls and demons immersed in a vast sea of fire, underscoring the urgency of saving sinners through to the Immaculate Heart. She warned of the ongoing World War I's end but foretold a worse war during the pontificate of Pius XI if humanity did not cease offending God. To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of to my Immaculate Heart and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays, to prevent its errors from spreading worldwide, emphasizing to her Heart as central to peace and salvation. The second and third secrets involved prophecies of future events, including a of a in white suffering martyrdom, but all were tied to the call for , , and Immaculate Heart . The apparitions culminated on , , before a crowd of approximately 70,000, with Our Lady performing the as promised validation: the sun appeared to dance, spin, and plunge toward earth in various colors, drying the rain-soaked ground instantaneously. She identified fully as , urging persistent prayer and sacrifice for the war's end and conversion of sinners, thus laying the foundational messages of centered on her Immaculate Heart. These events were later elaborated upon in the 1925 vision at .

Pontevedra Vision

Following the public apparitions at Fátima in 1917, which introduced the importance of devotion to the , Lúcia dos Santos, the eldest of the three child visionaries, pursued a religious . In 1925, at the age of 18, she entered the Sisters of St. Dorothy (Dorothean Sisters) as a at their in , , where she took on duties such as kitchen work while continuing to experience private mystical visions related to her earlier encounters. On December 10, 1925, while kneeling in her cell at the convent, Lúcia received a significant private apparition that explicitly requested the establishment of the First Saturdays Devotion. The Child Jesus appeared on a luminous cloud beside the Blessed Virgin Mary, who rested her hand on Lúcia's shoulder and extended her other hand to reveal her Heart encircled by thorns, symbolizing the wounds inflicted by human ingratitude and sin. The Child addressed Lúcia first, stating, “Have compassion on the Heart of your Most Holy Mother, covered with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce It at every moment, and there is no one to make an act of reparation to remove them.” The Virgin Mary then spoke, urging consolation for her suffering Heart and instructing Lúcia to propagate the devotion as a means of reparation: “Look, My daughter, at My Heart, surrounded with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce Me at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You at least try to console Me and announce in My name that I promise to assist at the moment of death, with all the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the first of five consecutive months shall confess, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the , and keep Me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the , with the intention of making reparation to Me.” Lúcia initially hesitated to act on the request, influenced by her confessor's skepticism and advice to dismiss such visions as potential delusions. Despite this, she gradually obeyed through persistent prayer and a subsequent encouraging apparition from the Child Jesus in February 1926, which affirmed her duty regardless of human obstacles. By mid-1926, Lúcia began promoting the devotion by confiding the details to her superiors and composing letters to ecclesiastical figures, marking the start of her lifelong efforts to disseminate it within the Church.

Practice

Requirements of the Five First Saturdays

The requirements for the Five First Saturdays Devotion, as revealed in the 1925 vision to dos Santos in , , consist of specific sacramental and devotional acts to be performed on the first Saturday of each of five consecutive months. These acts are designed to foster a structured practice aligned with the monthly rhythm of the liturgical calendar, emphasizing reparation through personal encounter with the sacraments and prayer. The core practices include four essential elements, each carried out with the explicit intention of reparation to the , which must be formed at the beginning of the five-month period. First, the faithful must receive the Sacrament of , which may be made within eight days before or after the , with the reparative , provided that Holy Communion is received in a state of grace; if the intention is forgotten during the confession, it can be supplied in a subsequent one. Second, Holy Communion must be received on the itself, while in a state of grace, serving as the central Eucharistic act of reparation. Third, five decades of the —comprising one complete set of mysteries—should be recited, either individually or in a group setting. Fourth, a period of 15 consecutive minutes must be dedicated to silent on one or more of the 's mysteries, such as the Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, or Luminous mysteries. Flexibility is permitted in certain aspects to accommodate practical circumstances, though the devotion maintains its rigor. For instance, while Confession allows for anticipation or postponement within the eight-day window, Holy Communion is strictly required on the First Saturday to ensure temporal alignment with the devotion's monthly observance. The recitation can occur in communal gatherings or private prayer, promoting accessibility without diminishing its devotional value. The meditation, however, must be a distinct and focused act of spiritual companionship with the Blessed Virgin Mary, involving reflective silence rather than mere reading or vocal prayer, and it cannot be combined with the itself to preserve its unique purpose of intimate .

Reparative Intention

The reparative intention of the First Saturdays Devotion is fundamentally aimed at making atonement for offenses against the , including indifference, ingratitude, and neglect that wound her heart, as revealed in the apparitions. This purpose seeks to console Mary by offering acts of love and sacrifice, thereby fostering a personal spiritual union with her through humble detachment from sin and a commitment to sacrificial reparation. As an extension of the broader message, this intention complements requests for daily prayer and the wearing of the brown scapular, contributing to the conversion of sinners and the attainment of . The role of the intention is central, requiring it to be explicitly formed for reparation to the Immaculate Heart at the start of the five consecutive months and maintained throughout each observance. It involves uniting one's daily sufferings and penances with Mary's sorrows, as emphasized in the 1925 vision to , where the Child clarified that such fervent acts please God more than mere external observance. This intention transforms the devotion into a " of reparation," originally promised by during the July 13, 1917, apparition to prevent souls from hell and console her heart surrounded by thorns. In practice, the intention should be present during , which may occur within eight days before or after the First Saturday with the intention of reparation, provided that Holy Communion is received in a state of grace, and during Holy Communion, where it can be expressed through a simple such as offering the reception for the consolation of Mary's heart. Emphasis is placed on interior and a sincere resolve to amend one's life, ensuring the devotion's private character allows fulfillment in any without public formality. This focused mindset of specifically addresses the five blasphemies against the Immaculate Heart, as outlined in the apparitions.

Theological Significance

Blasphemies Against the Immaculate Heart

During an on December 10, 1925, in , Spain, the Child appeared to dos Santos, one of the visionaries, displaying the encircled by thorns and requesting to console it for offenses inflicted by ungrateful humanity through blasphemies and ingratitude. Subsequently, on May 29, 1930, Our Lord clarified to that the devotion of the Five First Saturdays specifically addressed these five types of blasphemies and offenses, forming the "unfulfilled part" of the requests made at in 1917 to prevent spiritual calamities. The first blasphemy denies Mary's , the dogma proclaimed by in 1854, which holds that she was preserved from from the moment of her by a singular grace of , as foreshadowed in the angel's greeting in Luke 1:28: "Hail, ." This offense rejects the foundational purity that enabled her to be the worthy Mother of , undermining the redemptive plan rooted in 3:15. The second blasphemy impugns Mary's Perpetual Virginity, a doctrine affirmed by the Church from the earliest centuries and enshrined in the (CCC 499-501), stating she remained a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Christ, signifying her total consecration to . This denial, often linked to interpretations of references to Jesus' "brothers" in Scripture, disregards her vow-like fidelity, as echoed in her words to the angel in Luke 1:34: "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" The third blasphemy attacks Mary's Divine and Spiritual Maternity, denying her title as (God-bearer), solemnly defined at the in 431 AD to safeguard Christ's divinity. It refuses recognition of her as Mother of God and, spiritually, of all humanity, as entrusted by Jesus from the cross in John 19:26-27: "Woman, behold, your son... Behold, your mother," extending her motherhood to the entire Church as described in Revelation 12:17. The fourth blasphemy involves efforts to instill in children indifference, contempt, or hatred toward as their Immaculate Mother, directly assaulting her role in forming souls in devotion and virtue, contrary to her spiritual maternity that nurtures faith across generations. The fifth blasphemy outrages 's sacred images, rejecting the of icons as approved by the Second in 787 AD, which defended their use as aids to and reminders of the , distinguishing honor to images from worship due to God alone (CCC 2132). This echoes historical , which the Council condemned as diminishing the reality of Christ becoming visible in history. These blasphemies symbolically wound the , who, united to Christ's , experiences sorrow over humanity's ingratitude, resulting in spiritual desolation and the loss of souls to sin. In the context of modern and , they manifest as cultural dismissals of Marian doctrines, fostering a void in devotion that exacerbates societal moral decline and estrangement from God. The First Saturdays Devotion serves as reparation by offering acts of love, prayer, and sacrifice that console the , countering each offense with corresponding honor and thereby restoring balance where neglect or hostility has prevailed.

Associated Promises

The primary promise of the First Saturdays Devotion was conveyed by the to Sister Lucia dos Santos during an apparition on December 10, 1925, in , , where appeared alongside the Child and displayed her encircled by thorns as a symbol of offenses against it. In this vision, explicitly stated: "Look, my daughter, at my Heart, surrounded with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce me every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You at least try to console me and say that I promise to assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the first of five consecutive months, shall confess, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the , and keep me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the , with the intention of making reparation to me." This assurance, recorded in Sister Lucia's memoirs, emphasizes 's direct intervention to provide the essential graces—including final , the strength to persevere in , and the avoidance of eternal damnation—for the devotee's salvation at the moment of death. The promise's salvific rewards extend beyond the individual, aligning with the broader message of mercy by fostering consolation amid life's trials and supporting the conversion of sinners through that honor Mary's Immaculate Heart. These graces are conditional upon fulfilling the devotion's requirements on five consecutive First Saturdays without interruption, motivated solely by the intention of reparation; partial or insincere observance does not invoke the full promise. Theologically, this commitment reflects Mary's role as of graces, through which she dispenses divine aids for humanity's redemption in cooperation with Christ, a affirmed in Catholic teaching as rooted in her at the and her intercessory power. It echoes scriptural foundations, such as the protoevangelium in 3:15, where the crushes the serpent's head, symbolizing Mary's victorious mediation against sin. The promise's articulation in the Pontevedra vision and its documentation in Sister Lucia's writings and subsequent Fatima literature underscore its centrality to the devotion's reparative and merciful purpose.

Church Endorsement

Early Approvals and Indulgences

The First Saturdays Devotion received ecclesiastical recognition through the approval of the visions associated with it, though the 1925 apparition remains a without formal approval equivalent to the 1917 apparitions. On October 13, 1930, Bishop José Alves Correia da Silva of Leiria-Fátima issued a pastoral letter declaring the 1917 Fatima apparitions worthy of belief after a canonical investigation and theological review. Sister Lúcia played a pivotal role in advancing the devotion's legitimacy by writing numerous letters to her confessors, superiors, and from 1926 onward, persistently urging official inquiries and the promotion of the practice despite initial reluctance from some religious authorities. These communications detailed the vision's content and emphasized the reparative acts—, Holy Communion, recitation of the , and a 15-minute meditation on the mysteries of the —performed on the first Saturday of five consecutive months. The devotion gained formal diocesan endorsement on September 13, 1939, when Bishop da Silva explicitly approved it for observance in the of Leiria-Fátima, marking a key step in its institutionalization. Early dissemination occurred primarily through the of in and the Dorothean convent in , , where local bishops and clergy actively encouraged participation to foster reparation to the . Indulgences for the devotion built upon pre-existing Holy See grants for similar monthly reparative practices to Our Lady. A plenary indulgence had been granted on June 13, 1912, under the usual conditions, for special devotion exercises on the first Saturday of any month in honor of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, in reparation for blasphemies against her Name and prerogatives; this was reaffirmed in the 1938 edition of the official collection Preces et Pia Opera (No. 335).

Papal and Modern Support

Pope provided early papal endorsement of the First Saturdays Devotion through his radio address on October 31, 1942, in which he consecrated the and the human race to the , explicitly linking this act to the message that includes the of reparation on the First Saturdays. During his 1982 visit to , Pope emphasized the devotion's role in the overall message, describing it as essential for fostering peace amid global conflicts, and he reiterated this during his 2000 pilgrimage when he beatified the visionaries and released the third secret. Pope , in his 2010 homily at , underscored the ongoing relevance of the prophecies, including the reparative practices like the First Saturdays, stating that the prophetic mission of remains incomplete and calls for continued adherence to its requests. Pope echoed this support during the 2017 centennial celebrations, where he canonized and highlighted the devotion's place in the message of hope and reparation to the . In contemporary times, the devotion has been integrated into major Church events, such as the 2017 jubilee, which featured special plenary indulgences for pilgrims performing acts aligned with the message, including the First Saturdays requirements of Confession, , , and meditation, as outlined in the norms of the Indulgentiarum (1999 edition). The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has promoted the devotion through its official commentary on the message, affirming the request for of reparation on the First Saturdays as a key element to avert prophesied tribulations and achieve the triumph of the Immaculate Heart. Post-2000, parish programs worldwide have seen growth, with organized First Saturdays observances in dioceses across , , and Asia, often coordinated by lay movements like the World Apostolate of , facilitating communal prayer and reparation events. The devotion's global spread is evident in its adoption by religious orders, such as the Servites, who incorporate it into their Marian spirituality focused on the sorrows of , and in lay initiatives that extend its practice beyond . Annual pilgrimages to , drawing 6.2 million visitors as of 2024, frequently include First Saturdays observances, with participants fulfilling the devotion's elements during shrine liturgies to honor the reparative intention. Notably, attributed his survival of the , 1981, assassination attempt to the intercession of of Fatima, crediting her hand with guiding the bullet and viewing it as fulfillment of the Fatima promises tied to the devotion. In 2023, renewed the consecration of and to the Immaculate Heart, explicitly connecting it to the Fatima requests for reparation, including the First Saturdays, as a means to invoke Mary's aid for .

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