Today, we start our commemoration of the first Saturday devotion of Our Lady of Fatima, which was conveyed to Lucia on December 10, 1925 when she was a postulant sister at the Dorothean convent in Tuy, Spain, when the Blessed Mother appeared with the child Jesus. This message states that Lucia is to make known that Mary will assist us at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for salvation, all who on the First Saturday of five consecutive months confess their sins, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the Rosary, and keep me company for fifteen minutes meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary, with the purpose of making reparation to her Immaculate Heart.
Jesus stated in an appearance to Lucia in May 29,1930 that five Saturdays were chosen because there are five kinds of offenses and blasphemies that are made against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, namely: (1) blasphemies against her Immaculate Conception, (2) against her perpetual virginity, (3) against the divine and spiritual maternity of Mary, (4) the rejection and dishonoring of her images, and (5) the neglect of implanting in the hearts of children a knowledge and love of the Immaculate Mother.
Yesterday afternoon, I taught the inmates how to pray the Angelus prayer and spoke to them about the increasing popularity of the devotions in the lives of the faithful. I want to thank Mrs Rosemary Harkins and several others of you who suggested to me that we recognize this devotion on the first Saturdays here at Holy Savior. Since we have had adoration of the blessed sacrament and the First Friday to the Sacred Heart of Jesus already here in the parish this past week, you can see how important these devotions are to me.
We hear in the Gospel today of how John the Baptist gave testimony to Jesus, paving the way for his ministry and the salvation he was to bring to his followers. Through the devotions we practice on our journey of faith, through our evangelization and outreach efforts, we also give testimony, we also grow in our relationship with Jesus. May we ask our Lord and Blessed Mother to bless us today as we commemorate the First Saturday devotion of Our Lady of Fatima.
No comments:
Post a Comment