Oct. 3 - First Saturday

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In revealing the First Saturday devotion to Sr. Lucia of Fatima, our Blessed Mother asked that we spend at least 15 minutes “keeping her company” pondering the mysteries of the Rosary. When I first read that phrase, it blessed me to think of Mary’s Immaculate Heart, so pierced by our sins yet longing to have us close to her and to “keep her company”.

Earlier this morning, I went back to St. Therese of Lisieux’s poem “Why I Love You, O Mary” and read it again. These two verses among others show us how God inspired this young saint to express her love for Mary, and by her words, we may be encouraged to love God and Mary more:

…O beloved Mother, despite my littleness,
Like you I possess The All-Powerful within me.
But I don’t tremble in seeing my weakness ;
The treasures of a mother belong to her child,
And I am your child, O my dearest Mother.
Aren’t your virtues and your love mine too ?
So when the white Host comes into my heart,
Jesus, your Sweet Lamb, thinks he is resting in you !…

You make me feel that it’s not impossible
To follow in your footsteps, O Queen of the elect.
You made visible the narrow road to Heaven
While always practicing the humblest virtues.
Near you, Mary, I like to stay little.
I see the vanity of greatness here below.
At the home of Saint Elizabeth, receiving your visit,
I learn how to practice ardent charity…

Let us practice charity toward our Mother today, as she and Jesus both requested devotion to the Immaculate Heart particularly on the First Saturday of the month. To learn more about First Saturday Devotion see HERE

 

[liturgy96]

Our Lady of First Saturday, pray for us! O Queen of Heaven and Earth, I commend our intentions to your hands. Bring them to your Son that He may bless us according to His most holy will. Amen!

 

[MariaChristi]

Our Lady of First Saturday, pray for us! O Queen of Heaven and Earth, I commend our intentions to your hands. Bring them to your Son that He may bless us according to His most holy will. Amen!

Dear Liturgy96,

Thanks for your reply and for your love for Our Mother Mary. The following background for anyone unfamiliar with the history of First Saturdays can be helpful:

Saturdays are traditionally dedicated to Our Lady. Since the beginning of Christianity, the Church has considered Saturdays to be dedicated to intensifying our devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our mother. Many people consecrated the first Saturday of the month to Mary for this intention and in reparation for the blasphemies and sacrileges against her from sinners and false teachings.

Pope Saint Pio X, on July 12th, 1905, promulgated a decree praising this practice, and moreover, he granted indulgences for it. This same year, in the month of November, the Holy Father again blessed and granted indulgences to the sons and daughters of the Heart of Mary and the Confraternity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, who traditionally had dedicated each first Saturday to repairing the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The Blessed Virgin requests the Five First Saturdays of Reparation. The Blessed Virgin said: “To prevent the war, I will come to ask for the consecration to Russia to my Immaculate Heart and communion in reparation on the first Saturdays of the month.” Our Lady promised Lucia on July 13th, 1917 that a future manifestation would occur in relation to the practice of the first five Saturdays of the month. This was fulfilled on December 10th, 1925.

Lucia was a postulant in the Convent of St. Dorothy in Pontevedra, Spain when she had the apparition of our Blessed Mother. She was standing over a cloud of light with the Child Jesus at her side. The Blessed Virgin put one hand on Lucia’s shoulder, while her other hand sustained her Immaculate Heart that was surrounded with thorns. The Child Jesus said: “Have compassion on the Heart of your Blessed Mother. It is surrounded with thorns that ungrateful men pierce each moment, and there is no one that is willing to offer an act of reparation to take the thorns away.”

Our Lady immediately said to Lucia: “Look, my daughter. My Heart is surrounded with thorns that ungrateful men pierce unceasingly with their blasphemies and ingratitude. You, at least, try to console me and announce that for all those, who for five consecutive first Saturdays, confess, receive Holy Communion, pray the Holy Rosary and accompany me for15 minutes by meditating the mysteries of the Holy Rosary with the intention to do reparation, I promise to assist them at the hour of death with the graces needed for salvation.” For more, see HERE

I’ve underlined the parts which have impressed me most. Even if I’m unable to participate at Mass and receive Holy Communion on any Saturday, I try to offer my Rosary with attention and devotion and spend at least 15 minutes keeping our Mother company, pondering one or more of the mysteries. I also look for some little ways to offer a sacrifice or to do some kindness for another as an act of reparation beyond my prayers. It is important, to be willing to offer reparation – little acts done with great love!.

 

[detoutcoeur]

Here’s the poem in French: Pourquoi je t’aime ô Marie

and this is a link to the original manuscript of the poem by St. Thérèse:

archives-carmel-lisieux.fr/english/carmel/index.php/pn-54

 

[MariaChristi]

Here’s the poem in French: Pourquoi je t’aime ô Marie

and this is a link to the original manuscript of the poem by St. Thérèse:

archives-carmel-lisieux.fr/english/carmel/index.php/pn-54

Dear detoutcoeur,

Thanks for your reply and for the links. On this First Saturday of October, it was a blessing to spend time, “Keeping our Mother company”, pondering the mysteries. This verse from St. Therese of Lisieux’s poem was a particular help in offering reparation to Mary:

…You love us, Mary, as Jesus loves us,
And for us you accept being separated from Him.
To love is to give everything. It’s to give oneself.
You wanted to prove this by remaining our support.
The Savior knew your immense tenderness.
He knew the secrets of your maternal heart.
Refuge of sinners, He leaves us to you
When He leaves the Cross to wait for us in Heaven… (underlining is mine)

P.S. Sorry I never studied French – I imagine the poem is even more beautiful in the original language in which it was written.