The Five First Saturday Devotion

Last May 5, 2018, I attended the Five First Saturday Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary located at Buhangin, Davao City. It was my first time to participate in the said devotion. I learned about it through the radio program Mariang Ina Ko hosted by Ms. Elvie Uraya aired over our only Catholic radio station DXGN 89.9 Spirit FM every Saturday 8pm to 9pm.

The activities in the said devotion started at around 10:30 in the morning until past 12:00 noon that included confession, rosary, holy mass and the blessing of scapulars which was also given by the priest to those who have not yet received it. There was also a healing prayer along with a praise and worship session afterwards. I felt blessed after I attended the said first Saturday devotion and I hope I would be able to complete the five first Saturdays of every month. For those interested to join the said devotion at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, a shuttle van that departs at 9:30 am is provided by Uraya Foundation at Pryce Tower near Victoria Plaza. The said van will also shuttle participants after the activities in going back to the Pryce Tower from the Shrine.

Below are some information that I gathered from various sources on the internet about the Five First Saturday Devotion.

The First Saturdays Devotion (also called the Act of Reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Blessed Virgin Mary) is a Catholic devotion which, according to Lúcia of Fátima, was requested by the Virgin Mary in an apparition at Pontevedra, Spain in December 10, 1925.

Our Lady explained those Five First Saturdays to Sr. Lucia dos Santos, one of the Fatima visionaries in the following way:

See, my daughter, my Heart encircled by thorns with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. Do you, at least, strive to console me. Tell them that I promise to assist at the hour of death with the graces necessary for salvation, this means that our Blessed Mother will be present at the hour of death with the actual grace of final perseverance, (which after the gift/grace of Faith), is the most important grace, to those who, in order to make reparation to me, on the First Saturday of five successive months, go to Confession, receive Holy Communion, say five decades of the Rosary, and keep me company for a quarter of an hour, meditating on the… mysteries of the Rosary.

Why Five First Saturdays in particular? Jesus explained this to Sr. Lucia on May 29-30, 1930, saying:

Daughter, the motive is simple: There are five kinds of offenses and blasphemies spoken against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

First: blasphemies against the Immaculate Conception
Second: against her Virginity
Third: against the Divine Maternity, refusing, at the same time, to receive her as the Mother of mankind
Fourth: those who seek publicly to implant, in the hearts of children, indifference, disrespect, and even hate for this Immaculate Mother
Fifth: those who revile her directly in her sacred images

Here, dear daughter, is the motive that led the Immaculate Heart of Mary to petition Me to ask for this small act of reparation. And, out of regard for her, to move My mercy to pardon those souls who have had the misfortune to offend her. As for you, seek endlessly, with your prayers and sacrifices, to move Me to mercy in regard to these poor souls.

After completing the Five First Saturdays, one may continue the devotion simply to console the Immaculate Heart of Our Lady. A tender love of our Blessed Mother will lead one to do all he can to make reparation for the sins which pierce her Immaculate Heart. Let us remember, too, that although Our Lady made this promise to those who would observe five such First Saturdays in succession, in her July apparition she asked simply that Communions of reparation be made on every First Saturday to atone for the sins of the world.

Similar to the First Friday devotion, it is not as simple as going to Mass for five months and then expecting to receive extra graces at the hour of death. The purpose of this devotion is to lead a soul closer to Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The closer we get to Mary, the closer we are to Jesus, her son. By practicing these extra devotions, we allow Mary to form our hearts and prepare us for a lifelong relationship with Christ.

Mary wants to lead us to heaven and a sure path to eternal life is the frequent reception of Holy Communion and the sacrament of confession. She is the “Star of the Sea,” who points the way and beckons us to draw closer. May we practice the First Saturday devotions in a spirit of faith to honor the Mother of God and repair the damage done to her Immaculate Heart.

With that, may the above information ignite interest for you to start and join in the Five First Saturday Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The next First Saturday Devotion will be on June 2, 2018. Hope to see you at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary in Buhangin, Davao City.