First Friday devotion question

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ConstantineTG

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What must I do to fulfill the First Friday devotion? I know I have to attend Mass and receive the Eucharist. I also have the prayers for the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Thing is I’m becoming Eastern now, but I wish to keep the First Friday devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as a personal devotion. Tomorrow I’m going to a Presanctified Liturgy which is a Lenten Liturgy similar to a Communion Service where its almost a Mass but no consecration. So I’m wondering if I can fulfill my First Friday devotion there, I’ll just bring along the prayers to the Sacred Heart and pray before or after Liturgy, and receive the Eucharist as well.

I’m a little confused as different websites say different things. Also, not all First Friday Masses I’ve been to has Adoration, and there is no Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the East anyway. So I know thats not part of it, or according to one website, its another devotion.

Anyway, so is receiving Communion and the prayers all I need to do the least? Or do I have to attend a full Mass?
 
I have a book called “The Devotion to the Sacred Heart” by Fr John Croiset, who was the spiritual director of St Margaret Mary… I really recommend getting it if you are interested in learning all about the Sacred Heart devotion, because it’s probably the best source for it. Jesus wanted this book to be written and even told St Margaret Mary that He is pleased with everything in it and there would be no need to change anything in the book. There is a lot of information online, - but this is the “official” book on the devotion and was written right after St Margaret Mary received the revelations about it 🙂

There’s a chapter about the First Fridays… Here is what it says:

“The First Friday of each month was designated by our Saviour Himself as a day to be consecrated to honoring His Sacred Heart.” The things we do on that day are similar to what we do on the Feast day of the Sacred Heart.

Suggestions:
  • it is suggested to go to Adoration on the Thursday before First Friday (if this is an option, of course, not all parishes have this. You can still go to Adoration even as an Eastern Catholic, it would just be in a Roman Catholic parish :)). Also, it is recommended to read a devotional book for example about the Sacred Heart.
  • the day of: offer all actions of the day to the Sacred Heart, visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament
  • recommended to go to Confession
  • can say the Act of Reparation, Act of Consecration; be willing to love Jesus more in the Eucharist and repent of any coldness towards Him
  • if possible, recite the Litany of the Sacred Heart, and meditate on this subject
  • good works, almsgiving, etc (and offer reparation for how Jesus is not loved in the Blessed Sacrament)
  • silence and interior recollection is a good idea… and reflect on God’s goodness and our ingratitude, to want to love Him more
  • pray for others as well, to show love for neighbour; and for souls in Purgatory
Based on websites about this devotion, it seems that the ‘necessary’ part is receiving Communion in reparation for all the ways that Jesus is offended in the Blessed Sacrament, and to honour His Sacred Heart. The rest involves saying prayers, devotions, etc - just dedicating the day to the Sacred Heart as is described above 🙂

I would imagine that yes, it is possible to practice this devotion in an Eastern Catholic parish, because it involves receiving Communion and saying prayers. 🙂 as long as you are able to receive the Eucharist that day, you can do it there. If there will be a Friday when your parish won’t offer Presanctified Liturgy (outside of Lent, I imagine) - it is possible to then go to Mass, since as Catholics we can receive Communion in any Catholic church, regardless of our rite 🙂 if you can find Euchastic Adoration in another parish that day, it would be a good idea to visit (before the Liturgy) - but the part of the devotion that is associated with the promise is to receive Communion with the intention of reparation to the Sacred Heart. Here is the promise:

(from the book I mentioned above)
“This promise is contained in a letter written in May, 1688, by St Margaret Mary to Mother Saumaise: 'On a Friday during Holy Communion, He said these words to His unworthy slave, if I mistake not: I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that Its all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on nine First Fridays of the month consecutively, the grace of final repentance, they will not die under My displeasure or without receiving their Sacraments, My Divine Heart making Itself their assured refuge at the last moment”.

Another part of the devotion that might be of interest to you (and it is also discussed in the book, so it is part of the original devotion also) is the Consecration to the Sacred Heart. There are promises attached to that also… it’s a really good prayer.

God bless!
 
Fr Croiset makes the following comments on the promise quoted above…

“With regard to this promise it may be remarked: 1) that Our Lord required Communion to be received on a particular day chosen by Him; 2) that the nine Fridays must be consecutive; 3) that they must be made in honour of His Sacred Heart, which means that those who make the nine Fridays must practice the devotion and must have a great love for Our Lord; 4) that Our Lord does not say that those who make the nine Fridays will be dispensed from any of their obligations or from exercising the vigilance necessary to lead a good life and overcome temptation; rather He implicitly promises abundant graces to those who make the Nine Fridays to help them to carry out these obligations and persevere to the end; 5) that perseverence in receiving Holy Communion for nine consecutive First Fridays helps the faithful to acquire the habit of frequent Communion, which Our Lord eagerly desires; and 6) finally, that the practice of the Nine Fridays is very pleasing to Our Lord since He promises such a great reward, and that all Catholics should endeavor to practice the Nine Fridays”.
 
Okay, so it doesn’t have to be Mass. From what I know it was indeed Communion what was required, not necessarily Mass itself. I know Presanctified Liturgy isn’t really the equivalent of a Mass because of the lack of the consecration of the bread and wine, but there is Communion.

This is a huge help, thanks! I’ll bring my Sacred Heart prayers with me tomorrow and pray them before Presanctified Liturgy. Our parish has Divine Liturgy daily outside of Lent so it won’t be a problem. I normally go to a RC parish for First Friday, but I’m wondering since tomorrow we have Presanctified Liturgy if I can do my Sacred Heart devotion there as well.

Many thanks! 👍
 
Thanks again. Moving forward, I may be doing the devotion more in an Eastern parish rather than an RC parish. I want to keep this devotion going not only because its a great devotion, but also its the devotion that formed me in the faith. Growing up its what my mom taught me and its something extra that I do that isn’t an obligation like Sundays and Holidays of Obligation, and I think it brought me to where I am in the faith today. So I want to continue it as a personal devotion even though I will learn and live a more Eastern spirituality from now on.
 
The first Friday devotion was introduced to promote the frequent confession and communion. It had nothing to do with the Mass.

Today, when the majority received Communion in every mass they attend, but the majority of the communicants do not confess their sins more than twice a year: the center should be put to the confession.

Also the intention of the Church was and is to keep the Liturgies and devotions intact, do not mix them. Someone shall be either Eastern or Latin, both is impossible, the mix is against the explicit will of the Church.
 
laszlo said:
The first Friday devotion was introduced to promote the frequent confession and communion. It had nothing to do with the Mass.

Today, when the majority received Communion in every mass they attend, but the majority of the communicants do not confess their sins more than twice a year: the center should be put to the confession.

Also the intention of the Church was and is to keep the Liturgies and devotions intact, do not mix them. Someone shall be either Eastern or Latin, both is impossible, the mix is against the explicit will of the Church.
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That is not true. Eastern Catholics can have Western devotions as long as its private. Many Eastern saints both Catholic and Orthodox had Western devotions, like the Rosary. The Church discourages Latinizations imposed by the Churches for one reason or another, but never discourages individuals from pursuing personal devotions. Roman Catholics can follow Eastern fasting traditions if they wish or buy a prayer rope and pray the Jesus Prayer. Again, it all should be at the desire of the individual and not imposed by the priests or bishops on the parish or the entire Church sui juris.
 
Go for it in whichever way it works for you. It isn’t as easy as it sounds.
 
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