About the First Five Saturday Devotion
The Five First Saturdays Devotion is a Catholic devotion requested by Our Lady during the Fátima apparitions (1917), later explained in detail to Sister Lúcia in 1925. Its purpose is reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for sins and offenses committed against her.
During the apparition of July 13, 1917 at Fatima, Our Lady told the three children that She would return to “ ask for… the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays” to make reparation for the many sins against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
In keeping Her promise, Our Lady appeared together with the Child Jesus, to Sister Lucy in her convent in Pontevedra, Spain, on Thursday, December 10, 1925, to request that the devotion of the Communions of Reparation on the First Saturdays be made known.
Child Jesus: “Have compassion on the Heart of your Most Holy Mother, covered with thorns which ungrateful men place therein at every moment, while there is no one who does an act of reparation to withdraw them for her.”
Our Lady: “Behold, my daughter, my Heart encircled with thorns, with which ungrateful men pierce It at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. Give me consolation, you, at least; and make known on my behalf that I promise to assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for salvation, all who on the First Saturday of five consecutive months confess their sins, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the Rosary, and keep me company for fifteen minutes meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary, with the purpose of making reparation to my Immaculate Heart.”
With this devotion, Our Lady makes an amazing promise: that she will assist at the moment of death, with all the graces necessary for salvation, those who perform these Communions of Reparation on the First Saturdays of five consecutive months.
On Each First Saturday, the Devotion consists of:
- Going to Confession with the intent of making reparations to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
- Receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion
- Saying five decades of the Rosary
- Meditating for 15 minutes on the mysteries of the Rosary
Why Five First Saturdays?
Our Lord Himself gave the answer to Sister Lucy: “My daughter, the reason is simple. There are five types of offenses and blasphemies committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary”, (May 29, 1930):
- Blasphemies against the Immaculate Conception
- Blasphemies against Her Virginity
- Blasphemies against Her Divine Maternity, in refusing at the same time to recognize Her as the Mother of men
- The blasphemies of those who publicly seek to sow in the hearts of children, indifference or scorn or even hatred of this Immaculate Mother
- The offenses of those who outrage Her directly in Her holy images. Here, my daughter, is the reason why the Immaculate Heart of Mary inspired Me to ask for this little act of reparation.
“There, My daughter, is the reason why the Immaculate Heart of Mary inspired Me to request this small act of reparation, and in consideration of it, to move My mercy to forgive souls who have had the misfortune to offend Her. As for you, seek unceasingly, through your prayers and sacrifices, to move My mercy with regard to these poor souls.”
How to complete the First Saturday Devotion?
To fulfill the requirements of the Five First Saturdays, you must do the following on the first Saturday of every month for five months in a row:
1) Fix the Intention
Before you start, make a conscious intention: “I am doing the Five First Saturdays Devotion in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.” You should renew this intention each month.
2) Choose the right day
- The devotion is done on the FIRST SATURDAY of the month
- You must do it for 5 consecutive months (no breaks)
Missing a month = you restart from Month 1.
3) Go to Confession
- Make a sacramental confession
- Offer it in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
- The confession may be made within eight days before or after the First Saturday; however, it is recommended to go to confession before receiving Holy Communion so as to be in a state of grace.
4) Receive Holy Communion
- Receive Holy Communion on the First Saturday
- Be in a state of grace
- Receive Communion with the intention of making the reparation
5) Pray 5 decades of the Rosary
- Pray one full Rosary (5 decades)
- Any set of mysteries is fine
- Pray attentively and reverently
- Offer it in reparation to Mary’s Immaculate Heart
- This should be done the same day before or after the mass
6) 15 minutes of meditation
Spend 15 full minutes meditating on, One Rosary mystery or Several mysteries
- Quiet reflection – Read the scripture related to the mystery if it helps you on the reflection
- Imagine the scene
- Think about what Mary experienced
- Speak to Mary heart-to-heart
- Keep her company
Tip: Meditation consists in thinking over the events as if one were present at the happenings mentioned in the mystery, or in considering what one would have done had he been present during the event considered in a particular mystery, all in the spirit of reparation to the Immaculate Heart.
Act of reparation to be recited on teh First Sarurdays
O Most Holy Virgin and our Mother, we listen with grief to the complaints of thine Immaculate Heart surrounded with the thorns which ungrateful men place therein at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. Moved by the ardent desire of loving thee as our Mother and of promoting a true devotion to thy Immaculate Heart, we prostrate ourselves at thy feet to prove the sorrow we feel for the grievances that men cause thee, and to atone, by means of our prayers and sacrifices, for the offenses with which men return thy tender love.
Obtain for them and for us the pardon of so many sins. A word from thee will obtain grace and amendment for us all.
Hasten, O Lady, the conversion of sinners that they may love Jesus and cease to offend the Lord, already so much offended and will not fall into Hell.
Turn thy eyes of mercy toward us that henceforth we may love God with all our heart while on earth and enjoy Him forever in Heaven. Amen.
The Promises attached to the Five First Saturdays Devotion
- Special help at the moment of death
Mary promises her maternal assistance when it matters most. - Graces necessary for salvation
This includes graces such as:- Final repentance
- Perseverance in faith
- Trust in God’s mercy
- A peaceful and holy death
- Not automatic salvation
The devotion is not magic and does not replace:- Living a Christian life
- Avoiding mortal sin
- Regular repentance
Instead, it provides powerful help to remain faithful until the end.
