The Five First Saturdays Devotion
Here, My daughter the Immaculate Heart of Mary 4. Rosary: In each of the six apparitions of 1917, Our Lady re-
inspired Me to ask for this little act of reparation... to move My
mercy to pardon souls who have had the misfortune of offending
Her. Our Lord to Sr. Lucy
During her July apparition at Fatima, Our Lady said to Lucia,
I will come to ask... that on the First Saturday of every month,
Communions of Reparation be made in atonement for the sins of
the world. Although she made no further mention of this devo-
tion at Fatima, on December 10, 1925, our Blessed Mother again
appeared to Lucia (then a postulant of the Institute of the Doro-
thean) at Pentevedra, Spain. It was there Our Lady completed
her request for the Five First Saturdays and gave her great prom-
ise.
Appearing with the Queen of Heaven in that apparition was
the Infant Jesus elevated on a luminous cloud, Who said to Lu-
cia: 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 remove them with an act of
reparation.
Our Lady then spoke: Look My daughter, at my Heart sur-
rounded by 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 salva-
tion, all those who, on the First Saturday of five consecutive
months, shall confess, receive Holy Communion, recite five dec-
ades 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 Me.
The elements of this devotion, therefore, consist in the fol-
lowing points, all of which must be offered in reparation to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary. One should make this intention be-
fore carrying out Our Lady's requests.
Your Reverence cannot imagine how great is my joy in
thinking of the consolation which the Holy Hearts of Jesus and
Mary will receive through this lovable devotion and the great
number of souls who will be saved through this lovable devo-
tion. Sr. Lucy March 1929.
Conditions attached to this Devotion
1. Why Five First Saturdays: Our Lord Himself gave the an-
swer to Sister Lucy: 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 or scorn or even hatred of this
Immaculate Mother;
5) The offenses of those who outrage Her directly in Her holy
images. Here, my daughter, is the reason why the Immaculate
Heart of Mary inspired Me to ask for this little act of reparation.
(May 29, 1930)
2. Confession: This confession can be made before the First
Saturday or afterward, provided that Holy Communion be re-
ceived in the state of grace. In 1926, Christ in a vision explained
to Lucia that this confession could be made a week before or
even more, and that it should be offered in reparation. (Generally
accepted maximum is eight days.) If one forgets to form the in-
tention They can form it at their next confession taking advan-
tage of their first opportunity to go to confession.
3. Holy Communion: Before receiving Holy Communion, it is
likewise necessary to offer it in reparation to Our Lady. Our
Lord told Lucia in 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 it to souls. Thus not only
the Communion, but also the recitation of the Rosary and medi-
tation on the mysteries can be transferred to Sunday, for just
motives of which priests are left the judges. It is easy to ask for
this permission in confession. It is to His priests, and not to the
individual conscience, that Jesus gives the responsibility of
granting this additional concession.
quested people to recite the Rosary every day. Since it is a ques-
tion or repairing for offences committed against the Immaculate
Heart of Mary, what other vocal prayer could be more pleasing
to her? To comply with the request of our Blessed Mother, it
must be offered in reparation and said properly while meditating.
5. 15-minute meditation: Also offered in reparation, and in addi-
tion to the recitation of the rosary. In Lucys own words, to keep
Our Lady company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the
mysteries of the Rosary. It is not required to meditate on all fifteen
mysteries. To meditate on one or two is sufficient. This meditation
should be the richest of any meditation, because Our Lady prom-
ised to be present when she said ...those who keep me com-
pany....
6. The Intention of Making Reparation: Sister Lucy insists on
the sixth condition which is the principal one. Without this gen-
eral intention, without this will of love which desires to make
reparation to Our Lady, to console Her, all these external prac-
tices are worth nothing for the Promise.
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.
Promises Attached to this Devotion
1. Salvation of Our Own Soul: To all those who, on the First
Saturday of five consecutive months ... fulfill all the conditions
requested, I promise to assist them at the hour of death with all
the graces necessary for the salvation of their soul. This little de-
votion practiced with a good heart, is then enough to procure infal-
libly for us - ex opere operato so to speak - as with the sacraments
- the grace of final perseverance, of eternal salvation! And this
promise is without any exclusion, limitation, restriction. To all
whoI promise, Heaven for eternity for five Holy Communions!
2. Salvation of Sinners: So many are the souls which the justice
of God condemns for sins committed against Me that I come to
ask for reparation. Sacrifice yourself for this intention and
pray. (Our Lady to Sister Lucy at Tuy, June 13,1929.) In consid-
eration of this little devotion, They (Jesus and Mary) wish to give
the grace of pardon to souls who have had the misfortune of of-
fending the Immaculate Heart of Mary, wrote Sister Lucy in a
letter of May, 1930.
3. Peace in the World: Whether the world has war or peace de-
pends on the practice of this devotion, along with the consecration
to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This is why I desire its propaga-
tion so ardently, especially because this is also the will of our dear
Mother in Heaven. Sister Lucy, March 19,1939.
The setting aside of the first Saturday of the month as a special
day of reparation to Mary did not originate at Fatima, but had been
practiced since the time of St John Eudes in the seventeenth cen-
tury. The practice was given a further boost by an Italian nun, Sr.
Dolores Inglese, in the late nineteenth century, and was indul-
genced by both popes St. Pius X and Benedict XV. It was the mes-
sage of Fatima though which gave it is present form. In return for
complying with this request concerning the Five First Saturdays
devotion, Mary promised all the graces necessary for salvation.