World Apostolate of Fatima 

A Public Association of the Faithful under thePontificalCouncil of Laity

Archdiocese of Los Angeles
A Public Association of the Faithful under the Pontifical Council of Laity.


First  Saturday Devotion 


What is the Five First Saturday Devotion of Reparation?  


On December 10, 1925, the most holy Virgin appeared to Sister Lucia and by her side, elevated on a luminous cloud, was a Child.  
The most Holy Virgin rested her a heart encircled by thorns, which she was holding in her other hand.  At the same time, the Child said: "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 act of reparation to remove them."  

Then the most holy 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 say that I promise to assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, shall confess, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of 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."

On February 15, 1926, the Infant Jesus appeared to Sister Lucia again.  He asked her if she had already spread the devotion to his holy Mother.  She told Him of the confessor's difficulties, and said that Mother Superior was prepared to propagate it, but that the confessor had said that she, alone, could do nothing. Jesus replied:  "It is true that your Superior alone can do nothing, but with my grace, she can do all."  She placed before Jesus the difficulty that some people had about confessing on Saturday, and asked that it might be valid to to to Confession within eight days.  Jesus answered:  "Yes, and it could be longer still, provided that, when they receive Me, they are in the state of grace and have the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary."  She then asked:  "My Jesus, what about those who forget to make this intention?"  Jesus replied:  "They can do so at their next Confession, taking advantage of the first opportunity to go to Confession." 

On June 12, 1930, Sr. Lucia wrote to her priest confessor answering questions he had put to her, "Why should it be 5 Saturdays and not 9 or 7 in honor of the Sorrows of Our Lady?"  Sr. Lucia answered, "While staying in the chapel with Our Lord part of the night between the 29th and 30th of this month of May 1930, and speaking to our good Lord...I felt myself being more possessed by the Divine Presence, and if I am not mistaken, the following was revealed to me:  "My daughter, the motive is simple:  there are 5 ways in which people offend and blaspheme against the Immaculate Heart of Mary

1.)  The blasphemies against the Immaculate Conception.
2.)  The blasphemies against Her Virginity
3.)  The blasphemies against Her Divine Majesty, refusing at the same time to accept Her as the Mother of all mankind
4.)  Those who try publicly to implant in the children's heart indifference, contempt and even hate against this Immaculate Mother.
5.)  Those who insult Her directly in Her sacred statues.

"Here, My daughter, is the motive why the Immaculate Heart of Mary made Me ask for this little act of reparation and due to it move My mercy to forgive those souls who had the misfortune of offending Her.  As for you, try incessantly with all your prayers and sacrifices to move Me into mercifulness toward those poor souls."  Sister Lucia further answered this question, "And if one could not accomplish all those obligations on a Saturday, would Sunday not do?"  Jesus answered:  "The practice of this devotion will be equally accepted on the Sunday following the first Saturday, when, for just motives, many priests will allow it."

On May 18, 1936, Sr. Lucia wrote to Fr. Gonzalvez, having asked Our Lord why He wouldn't convert Russia without the Holy Father making the Collegial Consecration:  "Because I want my whole Church to acknowledge that consecration as a triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, so that it may extend its cult later on, and put the devotion to this Immaculate Heart beside the devotion to My Sacred Heart.