First Saturday Devotion - Are My Efforts Valid?

[RastaPasta]

Hello:

I am currently making my First Saturday Devotion (attending morning mass for five consecutive Saturdays).

The FIFTH Saturday (for me) will fall on Holy Saturday… One of two days of the year that does not have mass (the other being Good Friday).

I have been told that if I attend morning mass on the Saturday FOLLOWING Holy Saturday, then that will fulfill my First Saturday Devotion.

Is that correct?

 

[ByzCathCantor]

I just took a quick look at the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy …

vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20020513_vers-direttorio_en.html#INTRODUCTION

… bit it was just that - a directory with little in the way of specific instructions and guidelines.

Logic would suggest that you could complete your devotion the next time Mass is offered on Saturday, but I assume you might be trying to complete this devotion as part of your Lenten journey.

As a suggestion, many Eastern Rite parishes actually have a Vesperal Divine Liturgy on the evening of Holy Saturday. It is one of my favorite services of Holy Week for many reasons. Among them, there are some magnificently poetic excerpts from Holy Scripture and ancient hymnody used exclusively in this Divine Liturgy:

“Arise, O God, and judge the earth, for You rule all the nations” [Psalm 81] This is chanted several times as a responsorial (to accompanying verses) to a melody which is somewhat somber, yet reverently and movingly expresses the sense of anticipation of the glorious Resurrection.

The Cherubikon is replaced with an ancient hymn “Let all mortal flesh keep silence …”. There are modern variants of that hymn that are based on the melodic line of this ancient chant in popular use in the Latin Catholic tradition (there was a recent thread on CAF suggesting it was in the top 10 of all-time favorites).

youtube.com/watch?v=ka_8MeyqYvw&feature=related (popular rendering)
youtube.com/watch?v=p-4nuLjkIPk (instrumental)

 

[Marian_Devotee]

Hello:

I am currently making my First Saturday Devotion (attending morning mass for five consecutive Saturdays).

The FIFTH Saturday (for me) will fall on Holy Saturday… One of two days of the year that does not have mass (the other being Good Friday).

I have been told that if I attend morning mass on the Saturday FOLLOWING Holy Saturday, then that will fulfill my First Saturday Devotion.

Is that correct?

You can fulfill it by receiving Communion on the following Sunday:
themostholyrosary.com/appendix2.htm
Item #2 should answer your question.