THE FIRST SATURDAYS DEVOTION: A JOURNEY OF REPARATION AND TRUST WITH MARY
The First Saturdays devotion is a beautiful practice rooted in Our Lady’s call for conversion, prayer, and reparation. More than a monthly observance, it is a path of healing and grace, leading us closer to the heart of Mary and, through her, to Jesus.
A Brief History of the First Saturdays DevotionThe First Saturdays devotion began with the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima in 1917, when Mary asked for reparation for the offenses committed against her Immaculate Heart. Later, in 1925, the Blessed Mother and the Child Jesus appeared to Sister Lucia, one of the Fatima visionaries, asking that Catholics practice this devotion on the first Saturday of five consecutive months.
Our Lady promised to assist those who fulfill this request at the hour of death with the graces needed for salvation.
Why Practice the First Saturdays Devotion?This devotion is an act of love and reparation for the sins and blasphemies against Mary’s Immaculate Heart. It also deepens our relationship with Mary, helping us grow in holiness, humility, and trust in God’s mercy.
How to Practice the First Saturdays DevotionTo complete the devotion on five consecutive first Saturdays, one should: 1. Go to Confession (within about eight days before or after). 2. Receive Holy Communion. 3. Pray five decades of the Rosary. 4. Spend fifteen minutes meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary (in addition to reciting it), with the intention of making reparation.
The Five BlasphemiesMary revealed that this devotion was to make reparation for five particular offenses against her Immaculate Heart: • Blasphemies against her Immaculate Conception. • Blasphemies against her perpetual virginity. • Blasphemies against her divine maternity. • The rejection of her as Mother of all humanity. • The desecration of her images.
A Final ThoughtThe First Saturdays devotion is a gift—a chance to console the Mother of God, to grow in virtue, and to entrust ourselves to her maternal care. In honoring Mary’s Immaculate Heart, we learn to trust more deeply in God’s plan and to bring His mercy and love into the world.
A Brief History of the First Saturdays DevotionThe First Saturdays devotion began with the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima in 1917, when Mary asked for reparation for the offenses committed against her Immaculate Heart. Later, in 1925, the Blessed Mother and the Child Jesus appeared to Sister Lucia, one of the Fatima visionaries, asking that Catholics practice this devotion on the first Saturday of five consecutive months.
Our Lady promised to assist those who fulfill this request at the hour of death with the graces needed for salvation.
Why Practice the First Saturdays Devotion?This devotion is an act of love and reparation for the sins and blasphemies against Mary’s Immaculate Heart. It also deepens our relationship with Mary, helping us grow in holiness, humility, and trust in God’s mercy.
How to Practice the First Saturdays DevotionTo complete the devotion on five consecutive first Saturdays, one should: 1. Go to Confession (within about eight days before or after). 2. Receive Holy Communion. 3. Pray five decades of the Rosary. 4. Spend fifteen minutes meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary (in addition to reciting it), with the intention of making reparation.
The Five BlasphemiesMary revealed that this devotion was to make reparation for five particular offenses against her Immaculate Heart: • Blasphemies against her Immaculate Conception. • Blasphemies against her perpetual virginity. • Blasphemies against her divine maternity. • The rejection of her as Mother of all humanity. • The desecration of her images.
A Final ThoughtThe First Saturdays devotion is a gift—a chance to console the Mother of God, to grow in virtue, and to entrust ourselves to her maternal care. In honoring Mary’s Immaculate Heart, we learn to trust more deeply in God’s plan and to bring His mercy and love into the world.