Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

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vince2paul

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Today is the first Friday and usually, I’m fasting+abstinence & attend mass+devotion. However, this evening I am also invited to attend my friend’s baby baptism and post-baptism party.

I just had argument with another friend because she told me to skip the devotion today so that I could attend the party because she believes Sacred Heart devotion is optional and by attending the party I would do a charity also. She ended up calling me inflexible. 😦

Any advice?
 
To those who receive Holy Communion on 9 consecutive first Fridays, Jesus promises the following:
  • I will give them all the graces necessary for their state in life.
  • I will establish peace in their families.
  • I will console them in all their pains and trials.
  • I will be their assured refuge in life and especially in death…
  • I will shed abundant blessings on all their undertakings.
  • Lukewarm souls will become fervent.
  • Fervent souls shall rise to greater perfection.
  • I will bless those homes where an image of My Heart shall be exposed and honored.
  • I will give to priests the gift of moving the hardest of hearts.
  • Persons, who propagate this devotion, shall have their names inscribed on My Heart, never to be effaced from it.
and btw, is this for real?
 
vince2paul said:
Today is the first Friday and usually, I’m fasting+abstinence & attend mass+devotion. However, this evening I am also invited to attend my friend’s baby baptism and post-baptism party.

I just had argument with another friend because she told me to skip the devotion today so that I could attend the party because she believes Sacred Heart devotion is optional and by attending the party I would do a charity also. She ended up calling me inflexible. 😦

Any advice?
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Stick to the devotion. 👍
 
vince2paul said:
Today is the first Friday and usually, I’m fasting+abstinence & attend mass+devotion. However, this evening I am also invited to attend my friend’s baby baptism and post-baptism party.

I just had argument with another friend because she told me to skip the devotion today so that I could attend the party because she believes Sacred Heart devotion is optional and by attending the party I would do a charity also. She ended up calling me inflexible. 😦

Any advice?
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why would you be discussing your private devotion with your friend in the first place, why are you seeking approval for you decisions in the 2nd place, and why would you use this as an excuse to miss the baptism, a sacrament of the Church? I have observed first Fridays for years and never had occasion to change my activities in every hour of the day, what am I missing?

I repeat, I am not seeing your conflict. if you don’t want to eat at the party, don’t eat, or skip the party, but skip the sacrament? no way.
 
vince2paul

“Where your treasure is, is where your heart will be.”

Jim
 
yah, do both. At the party, you can eat litte thing that does not break your fasting.
 
puzzleannie said:
why would you be discussing your private devotion with your friend in the first place, why are you seeking approval for you decisions in the 2nd place, and why would you use this as an excuse to miss the baptism, a sacrament of the Church? I have observed first Fridays for years and never had occasion to change my activities in every hour of the day, what am I missing?

I repeat, I am not seeing your conflict. if you don’t want to eat at the party, don’t eat, or skip the party, but skip the sacrament? no way.
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Well, it seems the party was more important than the sacrament to the couple. They insisted my Legion of Mary praesidium to come for the party and perform to make it more grand & memorable. That’s where the conflict was.

Honestly, there were already 8-10 people who would come from my praesidium, so I don’t see the problem if I didn’t come for the party. But the vice president wanted me to come because she believes that attending the party was more important than the devotion which I could still do next month.

Besides that, the church where the baptism took place didn’t have the devotion, so I had to go to other church.

Anyway, I managed to attend the devotion and come for the party.
 
What exactly does this devotion require? I have been trying to complete the First Saturdays, which are clearly and consistently described by various sources, but First Fridays are like some hazy mystery…

You know, doing the First Fridays seems much, much harder than First Saturdays. Not only because Fridays are generally busier, but because it’s 9 times, rather than just 5 times.

I read that St. Francis de Sales saw Jesus, who showed him two images. One was a steep ladder to Jesus. The other was a much less steep (and much easier to climb) ladder to Mary. Jesus told St. Francis “Tell your sons to climb the other ladder”. Even one of the Rosary gifts (the one for The Assumption of Mary) is “To Jesus through Mary”.

So the First Fridays and First Saturdays kind of symbolize this → First Fridays are quite difficult, but First Saturdays are much easier to do – for me anyway…
 
CSN said:
What exactly does this devotion require? I have been trying to complete the First Saturdays, which are clearly and consistently described by various sources, but First Fridays are like some hazy mystery…

You know, doing the First Fridays seems much, much harder than First Saturdays. Not only because Fridays are generally busier, but because it’s 9 times, rather than just 5 times.

I read that St. Francis de Sales saw Jesus, who showed him two images. One was a steep ladder to Jesus. The other was a much less steep (and much easier to climb) ladder to Mary. Jesus told St. Francis “Tell your sons to climb the other ladder”. Even one of the Rosary gifts (the one for The Assumption of Mary) is “To Jesus through Mary”.

So the First Fridays and First Saturdays kind of symbolize this → First Fridays are quite difficult, but First Saturdays are much easier to do – for me anyway…
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For me the First Friday is easier in a way because it only requires the reception of Communion on the Fridays.

For the First Saturday you have to remember to confess, say five decades of the Rosary and then spend fifteen minutes meditating on its mysteries. For someone with ADD like me it’s easy to forget one or more of the components.
 
LilyM said:
For me the First Friday is easier in a way because it only requires the reception of Communion on the Fridays.

For the First Saturday you have to remember to confess, say five decades of the Rosary and then spend fifteen minutes meditating on its mysteries. For someone with ADD like me it’s easy to forget one or more of the components.
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Ahh, that’s what I read somewhere → just confession.

But other sites seem to say you have to do all kinds of litanies, Eucharstic adoration, etc…
 
CSN said:
Ahh, that’s what I read somewhere → just confession.

But other sites seem to say you have to do all kinds of litanies, Eucharstic adoration, etc…
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The litanies, Adoration and so on are wonderful, and I do do them (not always on Fridays or First Fridays though, since devotion to the Sacred Heart isn’t limited to Fridays only). But the 12 promises to St Margaret Mary mention only the reception of Communion 👍
 
vince2paul said:
Well, it seems the party was more important than the sacrament to the couple. They insisted my Legion of Mary praesidium to come for the party and perform to make it more grand & memorable. That’s where the conflict was.

Honestly, there were already 8-10 people who would come from my praesidium, so I don’t see the problem if I didn’t come for the party. But the vice president wanted me to come because she believes that attending the party was more important than the devotion which I could still do next month.

Besides that, the church where the baptism took place didn’t have the devotion, so I had to go to other church.

Anyway, I managed to attend the devotion and come for the party.
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It sounds like you had a good compromise. I still agree with Annie that you should not be discussing your private devotions with others and certainly not holding them up as excuses to not attend a sacrament. Even if you ended up not being able to attend a particular church service, you could offer it up. You could also have asked the priest who preformed the baptism to offer you communion afterwards.
 
Sr_Sally said:
It sounds like you had a good compromise. I still agree with Annie that you should not be discussing your private devotions with others and certainly not holding them up as excuses to not attend a sacrament. Even if you ended up not being able to attend a particular church service, you could offer it up. You could also have asked the priest who preformed the baptism to offer you communion afterwards.
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Well, I only discuss it with my close companions. We are open with each others so that we could help each others in making our way to heaven 😃
 
vince2paul said:
Today is the first Friday and usually, I’m fasting+abstinence & attend mass+devotion. However, this evening I am also invited to attend my friend’s baby baptism and post-baptism party.

I just had argument with another friend because she told me to skip the devotion today so that I could attend the party because she believes Sacred Heart devotion is optional and by attending the party I would do a charity also. She ended up calling me inflexible. 😦

Any advice?
Click to expand...
Okay, now - First Friday has already passed but here’s a thought for the future:
While the Sacred Heart devotion is optional, woud you have broken the consecutive **nine (9) **First Fridays? Either way, it’s your call - not a sin but your call. This is a voluntary devotion - not like Sunday Mass. However, you choose.

Choose the party? Wait till evening for your full meal, if that’s your fasting rule on these Fridays, and just don’t eat meat. If you had anticipated that food served at the party would not permit that (i.e. only meat dishes served) - again, it’s your call - no sin - but you’d have to start your Nine First Fridays again.

Much depends on the relationship of the family/child to you. If you’re not the godparent, how big a deal would it be not to attend? Maybe you should tell your friend, in as Christian a way as possible, that flexibility works in both directions ! Don’t let anyone put a guilt trip on you. Particularly, where your religious practices are concerned.
 
Conservative said:
Okay, now - First Friday has already passed but here’s a thought for the future:
While the Sacred Heart devotion is optional, woud you have broken the consecutive **nine (9) **First Fridays? Either way, it’s your call - not a sin but your call. This is a voluntary devotion - not like Sunday Mass. However, you choose.

Choose the party? Wait till evening for your full meal, if that’s your fasting rule on these Fridays, and just don’t eat meat. If you had anticipated that food served at the party would not permit that (i.e. only meat dishes served) - again, it’s your call - no sin - but you’d have to start your Nine First Fridays again.

Much depends on the relationship of the family/child to you. If you’re not the godparent, how big a deal would it be not to attend? Maybe you should tell your friend, in as Christian a way as possible, that flexibility works in both directions ! Don’t let anyone put a guilt trip on you. Particularly, where your religious practices are concerned.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the great advice. I’ll keep this in mind for future events. 🙂
 
Conservative said:
Okay, now - First Friday has already passed but here’s a thought for the future:
While the Sacred Heart devotion is optional, woud you have broken the consecutive **nine (9) **First Fridays? Either way, it’s your call - not a sin but your call. This is a voluntary devotion - not like Sunday Mass. However, you choose.

Choose the party? Wait till evening for your full meal, if that’s your fasting rule on these Fridays, and just don’t eat meat. If you had anticipated that food served at the party would not permit that (i.e. only meat dishes served) - again, it’s your call - no sin - but you’d have to start your Nine First Fridays again.
Click to expand...
No way no how does eating meat mean you have to start the First Fridays again - it’s only necessary if you fail to receive Communion.
 
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