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MARIAN DEVOTIONS – THE FIVE FIRST SATURDAYS
by Jason Wolfe (Oratory parishioner)
Are you interested in world peace? Does Mary hold a special place in your heart? Would you like to receive the graces necessary for your eternal salvation?
I'm sure that many of my fellow parishioners of the London Oratory are already familiar with the story of Fatima. However, for ease of reference, here is a brief summary of those miraculous events.
In 1917 Our Lady appeared six times to three peasant children (Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta) in a rural area near the town of Fatima, Portugal. Once each month from May to October, Our Lady appeared to the children. She taught them special prayers and revealed to them spiritual mysteries. The apparitions culminated in October with a spectacular miracle, the so-called "miracle of the sun", when the sun changed colour several times and 'danced' in the sky. This miracle was witnessed by many thousands and was reported in the major Portuguese newspapers.
More important than the miracles of Fatima is Our Lady’s message. On each of Her appearances She asked the children to pray the rosary. She also calls each of us to return to God, to do penance in reparation for our sins, and to make sacrifices for the conversion and benefit of other sinners. As part of Her mission, Our Lady went on to say “God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace.”
Later, after Lucia had joined the Dorothean Order, Our Lady appeared to her in her cell at the Order's house in Pontevedra, Spain. On 10th December 1925 Our Lady revealed to Lucia Her Immaculate Heart encircled with thorns. “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.”
“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 tell that I promise to assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, shall confess, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the rosary, and keep me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the rosary, with the intention of making reparation to me.”
Clearly, one way of responding to Our Lady’s call at Fatima is to participate in First Saturday Devotions. So what is required?
l. Confession. On each First Saturday, sacramental confession with the intention of reparation. It may be made on any day, before or after the First Saturday, provided one is in the state of grace when receiving Holy Communion.
2. Holy Communion of Reparation.
3. Five decades of the Rosary.
4. Meditation. For 15 minutes one should meditate on one, several or all mysteries of the rosary.
All of the above must be done with the intention of reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In return, Our Lady promises to assist those who sincerely keep this devotion with the graces needed for their final salvation.
The London Oratory church, dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, is surely an appropriate place to have the First Saturday Devotions. On the first Saturday (and every Saturday) of each month the Fathers hear confessions from 10.00am – 12.55pm, and from 3.00pm – 6.00pm. The 10.00am Saturday Mass is nearly always Mass of Our Lady, whenever the rubrics permit. This could be followed by recitation of the rosary (five decades), after which participants could remain for a further fifteen minutes' meditation on the mysteries of the rosary.
If you are interested in participating in First Saturday Devotions at the Oratory church and can make a commitment to attend regularly on the first Saturday of each month, please send your name, telephone number and email address to me, Jason Wolfe, at the following email address: first.saturdays@mac.com
Should there be enough interest, I would hope that we devotees of Our Lady Of Fatima could commence these First Saturday Devotions on Saturday 7th June 2008. My suggestion would be to say the rosary together, after attending the 10.00am Mass. |