History of this Devotion
In the year of Our Lord, 1917, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared six different
times to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal with a most important
message to the world concerning the salvation of souls and world peace. In her
appearance on July 13th of that year she showed the children a vision of hell
and said:
You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them,
God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If
what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be
peace... I shall come to ask for... the Communion of reparation on the first
Saturdays.…
Eight years later, on December 10, 1925, the Blessed Virgin fulfilled her
promise. On that day Our Lady appeared with the Child Jesus to Lucy — now
Sister Lucy, and the sole surviving seer of the 1917 apparitions — in her
convent in Pontevedra, Spain. She placed one hand on Sr. Lucy’s shoulder and
in the other hand she showed her a Heart surrounded by thorns. The Child Jesus
said to her:
Have compassion on the Heart of your Most Holy Mother, covered with
thorns with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment, and there is
no one to make an act of reparation to remove them.
After this, the Blessed Virgin said:
Look, my daughter, at my Heart, surrounded with thorns with which
ungrateful men pierce me at every moment by their blasphemies and
ingratitude. You at least try to console me and announce in my name that
I promise to assist at the moment of death, with all the graces necessary
for salvation, all those who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive
months
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shall receive the sacrament of Confession,
receive Holy Communion, recite five decades
of the Rosary, and keep me company for
fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen
Mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of
making reparation to my Immaculate Heart.
Here it is important to consider that reparation is to be made to the Immaculate
Heart of Mary.
Naturally, all reparation for sin is directed to God the Father, through the Son,
in the Holy Ghost, but the Blessed Virgin’s unique role in the salvation of
mankind makes sin especially hurtful to her Heart. And, making reparation
means to make amends for this harm that has been done to her.
Requirements
On the 1st Saturdays of 5 consecutive months:
1. Make a good Confession (This can be made within 8 days before or after
the first Saturday).
2. Receive Holy Communion (Regarding the difficulty that some could
meet in fulfilling this requirement on Saturday, Our Lord told Sr. Lucy:
“The practice of this devotion will be equally acceptable on the Sunday
following the first Saturday when my priests, for a just cause, allow the
faithful”).
3. Pray five decades the Holy Rosary.
4. Keep Our Lady company for 15 minutes while meditating on the 15
mysteries of the Holy Rosary. This is to be done separately from the
Rosary using one, several or all of the mysteries.
5. The above four requirements must all be done with the intention of
making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Thus our purpose is
to console and compassionate the Immaculate Heart for the offenses she
receives by those who ungratefully reject her maternal intervention and
despise her prerogatives.
The Promises
 The Virgin Mary's assistance at the hour of death with the graces
necessary for salvation.
 Establishing devotion to the Immaculate Heart will result in the salvation
of souls and peace.
Why Five Saturdays?
First of all, Saturday has traditionally been set aside as a day to honour Mary.
For, on the first Holy Saturday — between the day of Jesus’ Crucifixion and
that of his Resurrection — she alone remained steadfast in her Faith that Jesus
would rise again as He said. Beyond this, Sr. Lucy relates the reason for five:
When I was in the chapel with Our Lord part of the night of May 29-30,
1930, and I spoke to Our Lord about this question, I suddenly felt myself
more intimately possessed by the Divine Presence and, if I am not
mistaken, this is what was revealed to me: “My daughter, the reason is
simple. There are five types of offenses and blasphemies committed
against the Immaculate Heart of Mary:
1. Blasphemies against the Immaculate Conception.
2. Blasphemies against her virginity.
3. Blasphemies against her divine maternity, in refusing at the same
time to recognize her as the Mother of men.
4. The blasphemies of those who publicly seek to sow in the hearts of
children indifference to, or scorn or even hatred of this Immaculate
5. The offenses of those who outrage her directly in her holy
images.”
Correlation with the Five Joyful Mysteries
While any five of the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary may be used, it is
interesting to note the correlation that the five Joyful Mysteries have with the
five types of offenses and blasphemies committed against the Immaculate Heart
of Mary:
1. The Annunciation: In this mystery the Angel Gabriel greets Mary, calling
her: “Full of Grace”. This particular title (chosen by God) has been used
by the Church to help demonstrate that Mary was Immaculately
conceived — for if she is full of grace, there can be no room for any sin
in her whatsoever. She is the Immaculate Conception. Thus, in honouring
this mystery we make reparation for blasphemies against the Immaculate
Conception.
2. The Visitation: In this mystery St. Elizabeth greets Our Lady exclaiming:
“…blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be
accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord.” And what was it
that Mary believed? She believed that though she was vowed to God as a
virgin — “I know not man”. She would nevertheless “conceive” and
“bring forth a son”. Thus, in honouring this mystery we make reparation
for the blasphemies against Mary’s perpetual virginity.
3. The Holy Nativity: In this mystery Mary gives birth to Jesus Christ the
Eternal Son of God. By becoming man He became the brother of all men.
One cannot have Jesus for his brother who has not Mary for his mother.
Thus, in honouring this mystery we make reparation for the blasphemies
against Mary’s divine maternity and for those who refuse to recognize her
as the Mother of men.
4. The Presentation: In this mystery Mary brings her Divine Son in her
maternal arms into the Temple. There she selflessly offers Him to his
Eternal Father. If the Eternal Father has such confidence in Mary as to
entrust his Divine Son with his mission to save man to her maternal care,
have his creatures anything to fear in entrusting their children to her?
Thus, in honouring this mystery we make reparation for the blasphemies
of those who publicly seek to sow in the hearts of children indifference
to, or scorn or even hatred of this Immaculate Mother.
5. The Finding in the Temple: In this mystery Mary enters the Temple not
seeking attention for herself; rather, her attention is solely for her Jesus.
In our churches today it is the same: Mary, present through her images,
does not seek the attention of souls for herself; rather, she seeks only to
help them find, know and love her Jesus. Thus, in this mystery we make
reparation for the offenses of those who outrage her directly in her holy
images.
FAQ First Saturdays?
1. Would an extra rosary of about 15 minutes fulfill the request of the 15
minutes of meditation in company with Our Lady?
It would seem, if fruitfully meditated, that it would. Or the time could be spent
reading meditatively on one of the 15 mysteries, which is a form of mental
prayer that involves reading with frequent pauses to reflect on the matter read.
2. When or where the rosary should be said?
The five decades of the rosary may be recited at any time or place; yet, since
one will be attending Mass in order to receive Holy Communion, a very
desirable time and place would be before, after or even during Mass in the
presence of the Blessed Sacrament. Meditation on the mysteries according to
one’s capacity is an essential condition for praying the rosary. Yet, involuntary
distractions do not rob the rosary of fruit if one is doing the best he can.
3. What happen if one forgets to form the intention of making reparation to
the Immaculate Heart of Mary when making the confession?
Should one forget to form the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate
Heart of Mary, it may be formed at the next Confession, occasion to go to
Confession being taken at the first opportunity.
4. Should the meditation embrace one or more mysteries?
The meditation embraces one or more mysteries; it may even include all, taken
together or separately, according to individual attraction or devotion; one can
meditate on one mystery each month.
5. Is assisting at Mass a requirement of the five first Saturdays?
No, and this is very consoling for the sick; this devotion can be completed from
their home. With the permission of the priest visiting them, the communion
could even be made another day!
6. Are the five Saturdays consecutive ones?
Yes, it must be five consecutive first Saturdays. The idea of the five first
Saturdays is obviously to make us persevere in these devotional acts for this
period of time, and to overcome the initial obstacles. Once this is done, Our
Lady knows that the person will, if he faithfully cooperates with her grace,
become attracted to her pure and Immaculate Heart, and persevere in practicing
such devotion on all first Saturdays, laboring thereby at his own personal
sanctification, and for the salvation of others.
7. Can this devotion of the first Saturdays be made on Sunday?
Regarding the difficulty of fulfilling the reparatory Communion on Saturday,
Our Lord answered Sr. Lucy on May 29, 1930: “The practice of this devotion
will be equally acceptable on the Sunday following the first Saturday when my
priests, for a just cause, allow the faithful.”
This way, not only the Communion, but also the recitation of the rosary and the
meditation on the mysteries can be made on Sunday, and for just reasons (work,
school, sickness, distance or other…) which can be judged by the priest.
8. Can one make the 15 minutes of meditation during Mass?
The bishop of Leiria answered this question as Lucy wrote in 1939. “As Holy
Mother the Church allows various obligatory prayers, such as one’s penance
for Confession, etc., to be recited during Mass and the precept is fulfilled, so it
is in this case.”
Daily Offering to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works,
joys, and suffering of this day in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
throughout the world. I offer them for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart:
the salvation of souls, reparation for sins, the reunion of all Christians; I offer
them for the intentions of our Bishops and of all Apostles of Prayer and in
particular for those recommended by our Holy Father this month. AMEN.
Litany of the Immaculate Heart
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us.
Christ hear us. Christ graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, favorite Daughter of God the Father, pray for us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of God the Son, pray for us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, pray for us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, redeemed in a sublime manner by the merits of thy
Son, pray for us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother and Model of the Church, pray for us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, excellent exemplar in faith and charity, pray for us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, who conceived the Word of God in Thy heart before
thy did in thy womb, pray for us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, who gave precious Blood to the Son of God in His
human nature, pray for us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, conceived free of Original Sin, pray for us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, who embraced God's saving will with a full heart,
impeded by no sin, pray for us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, whose sweet soul a sword pierced beneath the
Cross, pray for us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, given to us as Mother by Jesus as He hung dying on
the Cross, pray for us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, who accepted us as sons as thou stood beneath the
Cross, pray for us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, all pure and holy, pray for us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, exalted by Divine grace above all Angels and
men, pray for us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mediatrix of grace, pray for us.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.
V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the
promises of Christ.
Let us pray.
O Immaculate Heart of Mary, bearing with love for all thy children upon earth,
pray for us who have recourse to thee. Show to Our Heavenly Father the Wound
in the Heart of Thy Son and at the same time offer again the sword that pierced
thy Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart as thou suffered by compassion with Thy
Divine Son for the redemption of the world. By thy intercession, through the
merits of Jesus Christ, bring us to salvation. Amen.
ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF
MARY
Any formula may be used to consecrate oneself to the Mother of God, as long as
it involves a total oblation of oneself. As a suggestion, one of the following
consecrations could be renewed each first Saturday with the shorter formula
renewed daily.
1.
0 Virgin Mary, most powerful Mother of Mercy, Queen of Heaven and
earth, in accordance with your wish made known at Fatima, I consecrate myself
today to your Immaculate Heart. To you I entrust all that I have, all that I am.
Reign over me, dearest Mother, that I may be yours in prosperity, in adversity,
in joy and in sorrow, in health and in sickness, in life and in death.
Most compassionate Heart of Mary, Queen of Virgins, watch over my mind and
heart and preserve me from the deluge of impurity which you lamented so
sorrowfully at Fatima. I want to be pure like you. I want to atone for the many
crimes committed against Jesus and you. I want to call down upon this country
and the whole world the peace of God in justice and charity.
Mindful of this consecration, I now promise to strive to imitate you by the
practice of the Christian virtues without regard for human respect. I resolve to
receive Holy Communion on the first Saturday of every month when possible,
and to offer daily five decades of the Rosary, with all my sacrifices in the spirit
of penance and reparation. Amen.
2. I, . . ., a faithless sinner, renew and ratify today in thy Heart, O Immaculate
Mother, the vows of my Baptism; I renounce forever Satan, his pomps and
works; and I give myself entirely to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, to
carry my cross after Him all the days of my life, and to be more faithful to Him
than I have ever been before.
Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, in the presence of all the heavenly court, I
choose thee this day for my Mother and Mistress. I deliver and consecrate to
thee, and to thy Immaculate Heart, as thy child and slave of love, my body and
soul, my goods, both interior and exterior, and even the value of all my good
actions, past, present and future; leaving to thee the entire and full right of
disposing of me, and all that belongs to me, without exception, according to thy
good pleasure, for the greater glory of God, in time and in eternity. Amen.