Fr. Scott Haynes
The Catholic devotion to the First Saturdays, instituted in honor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, stems from the apparitions at Fatima and serves as an essential practice in deepening one’s love for the Mother of God. Rooted in Scripture, steeped in tradition, and enriched by the writings of saints and Church Fathers, this devotion invites the faithful to unite their hearts more closely with the Immaculate Heart of Mary through prayer, penance, and reparation for sins committed against her and her Son, Jesus Christ.
Origins of the First Saturday Devotion
The First Saturday devotion traces its origins to the Marian apparitions at Fatima, Portugal, in 1917, when the Blessed Virgin appeared to three shepherd children: Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta. During the apparitions, Our Lady emphasized the need for prayer, particularly the Rosary, and reparation for the offenses committed against her Immaculate Heart. In her final apparition on October 13, 1917, the Virgin Mary said:
“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.” (Fatima, 1917)
Years later, on December 10, 1925, Sister Lucia, one of the seers, received a vision of the Blessed Virgin and the Child Jesus, in which they instructed her about the First Saturday devotion. Jesus said to Lucia:
“Have compassion on the Heart of your Most Holy Mother, surrounded 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.”
This vision emphasized the importance of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The First Saturday devotion was then established to console her heart and offer acts of love and reparation.
Scriptural Foundations
Though the First Saturday devotion itself is a later development, it is deeply rooted in Sacred Scripture. One of the most powerful Marian verses is found in Luke 2:19:
“But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.”
This verse portrays Mary as a figure of deep contemplation, one who reflects upon the mysteries of God with a pure and humble heart. The First Saturday devotion invites us to imitate Mary’s interior life by reflecting on the mysteries of the Rosary, particularly on the mysteries of her Son’s life, death, and resurrection.
Another relevant passage is found in John 19:26-27, where Jesus, from the Cross, entrusts His mother to the beloved disciple:
“When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.”
In this moment, Christ not only provides for the temporal care of His mother but also gives her to all of humanity as our spiritual mother. The First Saturday devotion is a response to this gift, showing filial love and honor to Mary as our mother and intercessor.
The Requirements of the First Saturday Devotion
The devotion consists of four key practices that are to be observed on the first Saturday of five consecutive months:
1. Confession: Made within eight days before or after the First Saturday.
2. Holy Communion: Received on the First Saturday itself.
3. Five Decades of the Rosary: Meditated upon with devotion and love.
4. Fifteen Minutes of Meditation: On one or more of the mysteries of the Rosary, in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
These practices are not burdensome but offer the faithful an opportunity to grow in spiritual depth and make acts of reparation for the many offenses against the Virgin Mary, including blasphemies and indifference.
The Significance of the Five Saturdays
The devotion calls for five Saturdays, specifically, in reparation for five kinds of offenses against the Immaculate Heart of Mary:
1. Blasphemies against the Immaculate Conception: Denying or belittling the doctrine that Mary was conceived without sin.
2. Blasphemies against her Perpetual Virginity: Rejecting the belief that Mary remained a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Christ.
3. Blasphemies against her Divine Maternity: Denying that Mary is the Mother of God, or refusing to accept her as the Mother of all humanity.
4. Indifference or hatred against her images: Insulting or desecrating statues or images of Mary.
5. Leading children away from devotion to her: Instilling in children a disdain or lack of respect for the Virgin Mary.
Each First Saturday becomes an act of love to repair these wounds inflicted on Mary’s heart. Through these acts, the faithful join their hearts to hers in sorrow and penance for the offenses committed against her, reflecting the words of the prophet Simeon in Luke 2:35:
“And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
The Saints and the First Saturday Devotion
The devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and its practice of reparation can be found in the writings of many saints and popes. St. John Eudes, for example, was one of the earliest proponents of the devotion to the Immaculate Heart. In his work The Admirable Heart of Mary, he wrote:
“The Heart of Mary is a treasure of heavenly grace, a fountain of mercy, where sinners may find the source of pardon and the righteous the source of perseverance.”
St. John Eudes’ insight reminds us that Mary’s heart, like that of her Son, is full of mercy and grace, ready to intercede for sinners and lead the faithful toward salvation.
Similarly, Pope Pius XII, in his 1942 consecration of the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, emphasized the protective and intercessory power of the Blessed Virgin, echoing the themes of Fatima:
“To you and your Immaculate Heart, we, as common father of the great Christian family, consecrate all the people who confide in you and to whom we are giving over with such confidence.”
This consecration aligns with the spirit of the First Saturday devotion, inviting the faithful to renew their trust in Mary’s maternal care.
Miracles and Stories Related to the First Saturday Devotion
The First Saturday devotion has been associated with numerous miracles and conversions, particularly in the context of the apparitions of Fatima. Sister Lucia herself recounted how, after World War I, Our Lady’s promise of peace and conversion through the devotion to her Immaculate Heart bore fruit.
One particular story comes from the period following World War II, when many believed the world was on the brink of further catastrophe. A bishop in Austria consecrated his diocese to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and encouraged the faithful to practice the First Saturday devotion. Not long after, the Soviet army unexpectedly withdrew from Austria without bloodshed, which many attributed to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin.
In more recent years, many individuals have also testified to receiving personal graces and miracles, from physical healings to profound spiritual conversions, through their faithful observance of the First Saturday devotion. These stories reflect the power of Our Lady’s intercession when she is honored and loved with true devotion.
Mary as the Model of Reparation
To enter fully into the spirit of the First Saturday devotion, we must reflect on Mary’s role as a model of reparation. The Blessed Virgin was the first to offer reparation to God for the sins of the world through her perfect obedience and love. In her yes at the Annunciation, Mary united herself to the redemptive mission of her Son, becoming the “New Eve” who cooperates with the “New Adam” to restore humanity to grace. As St. Irenaeus writes:
“The knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by Mary’s obedience: what the virgin Eve bound through her disbelief, Mary loosened by her faith.” (Against Heresies, 3.22.4)
Through her faithful participation in the sufferings of her Son, especially at the foot of the Cross, Mary made a perfect act of reparation for the sins of humanity. As the great Marian saint, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, famously said:
“Who can doubt the compassion of the Mother of Christ, when she is united to her Son, seeing His suffering and His death for the salvation of mankind?” (Sermon on the Twelve Stars).
In imitating Mary, we are invited to unite our own sufferings, prayers, and acts of penance to Christ’s redemptive work, thus participating in the salvation of the world.
Conclusion: The Call to Devotion
The First Saturday devotion is an invitation to draw closer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and, through her, to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. By making acts of reparation, we console the hearts of both Jesus and Mary for the many offenses committed against them. This devotion is not merely an external practice but a call to conversion and deeper union with God. As Pope John Paul II reminded us:
“Let us entrust ourselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a heart that is both maternal and pierced, and by so doing, come closer to the very heart of her Son.”
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