The Five First Saturdays Devotion on Which War or Peace Depends
by Fr. Martin Huber
The Relevance of the Apparition of Our Lady of Fatima on December 10, 1925
During Her third apparition in Fatima on July 13, 1917, Our Lady announced that She would return in order to protect mankind from the scourges of "war, famine and persecution of the Church and of the Holy Father":
"To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to My Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays."
Eight years later, the Queen of Heaven appeared again to the only surviving visionary of Fatima. The 18-year-old Lucia was then a postulant at the convent of the Dorothean Sisters in Pontevedra, a small town in northwestern Spain. Lucia described this apparition that took place in her cell in the night hours of a Thursday with the following words:
"On December 10th, 1925, the most holy Virgin appeared to her, and by Her side, elevated on a luminous cloud, was a Child. The most holy Virgin rested Her hand on her shoulder, and as She did so, She showed 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 an 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 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 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.'"
With these words, Our Lady had asked for the devotion of the Five First Saturdays in reparation to Her Immaculate Heart, a devotion that is of extraordinary importance both for individual souls and for the entire human family.
The Blessed Mother promises those who practice this devotion even once in their lives that She will assist them at the hour of death with the graces necessary for salvation, and thus eternal bliss in the glory of Heaven.
In the months leading up to the outbreak of World War II, Sister Lucia repeatedly wrote that the horrors of the impending war could be averted by spreading and practicing the First Saturdays Devotion. On March 19, 1939, she wrote the following lines to Fr. Aparicio, S.J., who was her confessor at the time:
"War or peace in the world depends on the practice of this devotion (the First Saturdays), together with the consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary; that is why I long so much for its propagation, and especially because it is the will of our Good God and our beloved Mother in Heaven."
During the same period, Christ, Who appeared repeatedly to Sister Lucia, spoke these serious words to the visionary:
"Please insist anew that the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays in honor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary be made known. The moment is approaching when the severity of My justice is about to punish the offenses of the various nations. Some will be annihilated. Finally, the severity of My justice will fall even more harshly on those who have destroyed My reign in souls."
On June 20, 1939, Sister Lucia wrote to her confessor:
"Our Lady promised to postpone the scourge of war if the practice of the devotion [of the First Saturdays] were spread and performed. We see Her averting this punishment to the extent that efforts are made to spread it."
Unfortunately, these urgent words were heeded too late. It was not until September 13, 1939, almost two weeks after the [official] outbreak of the Second World War, that the apparition of Pontevedra was recognized by the Church and the Five First Saturdays Devotion in Reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary was approved by the Bishop of Leiria (the diocese in which the hamlet of Fatima is located). [Note: History books cite September 1, 1939 as the start of WW2 since that is when Germany invaded Poland and then France and England declared war on Germany. However, the war began much earlier. Germany had already taken over the Sudetenland (1938) and annexed Austria. Italy had already invaded Ethiopia (1935) and Japan had overrun Manchuria (1931) and taken over much of mainland China (1937). We should also not forget that the communist and freemasonic aggression in the terrible Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) was also part of the same general conflict that fueled WW2 and demolished Christendom.]
Due to the extraordinary importance of the Five First Saturdays, Sister Lucia practiced "the beloved devotion of reparation" not only once, but each month throughout her entire life. Since Sister Lucia lived a very long life, and passed away at the age of 98, she thus must have completed the First Five Saturdays Devotion almost 190 times.
Why Five Saturdays of the Month?
Sister Lucia’s confessor, Father Gonçalves, S.J., asked the visionary why five Saturdays were required, and not nine or seven in honor of the Sorrows of Our Lady. A few days later, Sister Lucia sent her spiritual director the following reply:
"While staying in the chapel with Our Lord part of the night, between the 29th and the 30th of this month of May 1930, and speaking to Our Good Lord […], I suddenly felt more intimately drawn into God’s Presence, and if I am not mistaken, the following was revealed to me:
'My daughter, the reason is simple: there are five 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 Maternity, refusing at the same time to accept Her as the Mother of all mankind.
4. The blasphemies of those who try publicly to implant in children’s hearts indifference, or contempt, or even hatred against this Immaculate Mother.
5. The offenses of those who insult Her directly in Her sacred images.
Here, My daughter, is the reason why the Immaculate Heart of Mary made Me ask for this little act of reparation and, in consideration of 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 My mercy toward those poor souls.'"
The Requirements for Observing the Five First Saturdays
In order to observe the Five First Saturdays Devotion, four acts must be completed: [1] Confession; [2] Communion; [3] Rosary; and [4] a 15-minute Meditation on the Mysteries of the Rosary.
These four exercises must be done [5] with the intention of making reparation to the Blessed Mother for the sins committed against Her. Our Lady’s promise then applies to those who complete this devotion on five consecutive first Saturdays of the month.
at the Dorothean Convent in Pontevedra, Spain.
Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix of All Graces
[1] Confession
After the Blessed Mother had spoken in Pontevedra about going to Confession on the first Saturdays of the month, Sister Lucia foresaw the difficulties that would arise for many souls about going to Confession on that particular day of the week. When Our Lord appeared to her again two months later, on February 15, 1926, she took the opportunity to ask that confession be valid for eight days.
In His reply, Christ approved her request and even extended the time frame:
"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."
During the five months in which one intends to practice the Five First Saturdays Devotion, one would therefore have to receive the Sacrament of Penance at least once a month.
How to Make a Confession in the Spirit of Reparation
The great Fatima expert, Fr. Joaquín Alonso, offers the following explanation: When receiving the Sacrament of Penance, in addition to the usual sorrow for sins committed against God, the soul also strives to repent and ask forgiveness for having grieved the very tender heart of the Mother of God.
[2] Holy Communion
Our Lady asked in Pontevedra for the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays. Father Gonçalves, the confessor of Sister Lucia, however, saw in advance the difficulties that could arise from this request. He thus asked the following question:
"If the conditions cannot all be fulfilled on Saturday, can they be fulfilled on Sunday?"
Christ gave Sister Lucia the answer to this question during the hour of adoration in on the night of Thursday, May 29 to May 30, 1930:
"The practice of this devotion will be equally accepted on the Sunday following the First Saturday, when, for just reasons, My priests will allow it."
Therefore, the reception of Holy Communion, as well as the praying of the Rosary and the 15-minute meditation, could be postponed to the Sunday following the First Saturday. However, it must be emphasized that it is up to the priests to grant permission for this exception, which they will hopefully do with great generosity.
How to Make Reparation to Mary by Receiving Holy Communion
During the most precious moments after receiving Holy Communion, we can ask Our Lady to let us partake in Her ardent love for Her Divine Son, Whom we carry in our souls. With the intention of loving Christ in union with the burning love of His blessed Mother, we will be able to atone in a much more perfect way for the indifference and coldness of the many souls who refuse to allow Christ into their hearts or, even worse, receive Him in a sacrilegious manner.
Since union with God is effected through the bond of love, we will also indirectly console the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Mother, for it is Mary’s most ardent desire to see human souls intimately united with Her Divine Son.
Furthermore, we can also ask Our Lord to let us partake in His most perfect filial love for His beloved Mother. In this way, we will be able to love and honor Mary far more than we could ever do on our own. In this way, reparation can be made to the Mother of God for the rejection She receives from countless people who refuse to recognize Her as their heavenly Mother, who cold-heartedly close themselves off from the graces She administers and resist Her maternal admonitions.
How to Offer up Holy Communion in Honor of Our Lady
The key part of this exercise is the offering up of Holy Communion in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. One humbly asks Her to offer Her Divine Son Jesus, the Highest Good, to the Heavenly Father. In return, may God the Father, in view of His beloved Son, grant Mary the graces to save as many souls as possible.
What great comfort the conversion of a ‘lost’ son bestows upon the Blessed Virgin! Since Our Lady well knows the high value of the human soul, every soul that is saved through Her mediation is a source of deep joy for Her Immaculate Heart.
"The Most Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary," as Sister Lucia says, "desire and love this devotion very much, because They use it to draw souls to Themselves, and this is where all Their desires lie: to save souls, many souls, all souls."
Pius XI’s Prayer for the Offering of Holy Communion in Honor of Our Lady
O Mary, Virgin and Mother, behold, I have received Thy beloved Son into myself, whom Thou once conceived in Thy virginal womb, whom Thou gave birth to, nourished, and held close to Thee with a gentle embrace. Him, Whose sight gave Thee delight, I humbly and lovingly present and offer to Thee, that Thou may embrace Him, love Him with Thine Immaculate Heart, and offer Him to the Most Holy Trinity for the highest veneration, for Thine own glory and for my needs and those of the whole world. I ask Thee, Most Beloved Mother, to obtain for me forgiveness for all my sins, abundant grace to serve Thee more faithfully from now on, and the grace of perseverance until the end, so that I may praise Him for all eternity. Amen.
There is no reason why one should not receive and offer Holy Communion also on other days of the month with the same intention and spirit as just described. There are some souls who offer up Holy Communion almost daily as a Communion of Reparation to Our Lady of Sorrows to console Her.
Unfortunately, the First Saturdays Devotion has been promoted far too little. As a result of this careless disregard for the request of the Queen of Heaven, it is safe to say that most probably millions of Communions of Reparation were not offered worldwide. As a result, how much could the power of evil have been pushed back? How many sins thus remained unexpiated? What immense treasure of graces was lost to mankind because of this grave omission?
[3] The Holy Rosary
Why is the prayer of the Holy Rosary so very pleasing to God, and why can precisely this prayer force Heaven, as it were, to grant us the greatest treasures of grace?
Sister Lucia gave us the following answer to these questions:
"The Rosary is after the Sacred Liturgy of the Eucharist, what unites us the most to God through the richness of the prayers that make up the Rosary, all coming from Heaven, dictated by the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost."
For our times, Heaven has given the Rosary an even greater spiritual strength, as Sister Lucia said:
"The Most Holy Virgin, in these last times in which we live, has given a new efficacy to the recitation of the Rosary. She has given this efficacy to such an extent that there is no problem, no matter how difficult it is, whether temporal or above all spiritual, in the personal life of each one of us, of our families, of the families of the world or of the religious communities, or even of the life of peoples and nations, that cannot be solved by the Rosary. There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary. With the Holy Rosary, we will save ourselves. We will sanctify ourselves. We will console Our Lord and obtain the salvation of many souls."
Moreover, Sister Lucia once stated that "after the celebration of the Holy Mass, the Rosary is the most suitable prayer for preserving the faith in souls."
[4] The 15-Minute Meditation on the Mysteries of the Rosary
“Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.” - Luke 2:19
Why Did Our Lady in Pontevedra Specifically Ask for Meditation, a Form of Prayer Often Uncommon for Laypeople?
"Meditation" – as Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori says – "is that sacred furnace in which the blessed fire of God’s love is ignited."
St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that the fire of God’s love is kindled in souls in two ways: mainly, through God as the external cause – "God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Ghost Who has been given to us." (Rom 5:5)
However, the inner cause of piety, insofar as it depends on us, can be none other than meditation or contemplation. For the object of the will is the acknowledged and deeply considered good – "You cannot will what you do not know." Meditating on God and His perfections thus greatly inspires in us love of God and therefore meditation is the main cause of piety. That is why meditating on the humanity of Jesus, His holy life, His bitter Passion and Death, and His glorious Resurrection – which is exactly what we do when we meditate on the Mysteries of the Rosary – is the best means of inspiring hearts to genuine piety and inflaming them with burning love and fervent zeal.
So when during Her apparition in Pontevedra in 1925 the Blessed Virgin Mary asked for mental prayer, She offered a world inundated with godlessness a highly effective remedy to keep alive the fire of God’s love and to increase it.
Sister Lucia and the Meditation on the Mysteries of the Rosary
"The fifteen minutes (of meditation) might, I think, give you some trouble, but it is quite easy. Who would have difficulty thinking about the Mysteries of the Rosary? To think about the Annunciation of the Angel to Mary and the humility of our dear Mother, Who, seeing Herself so exalted, calls Herself the handmaid (of the Lord); about the Passion of Jesus, Who suffered so much out of love for us; and about our most holy Mother near to Jesus on Calvary? Who could not spend fifteen minutes in these holy thoughts, before the most tender of mothers?"
In another letter, the visionary wrote:
"We are fortunate to be able to give our dear Heavenly Mother this proof of love, for we know that She desires it to be offered to Her. As for myself, I avow that I am never so happy as when the First Saturday arrives. […] We must strive to love as the saints do; [...] and precisely by giving Jesus and Mary the consolation of heartfelt love, precisely through this exchange of love, They can save many souls."
The 15-Minute Meditation Can Be Done in the Following Ways:
- One can, as Sister Lucia did, choose just one of the fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary, e.g., the First Sorrowful Mystery, and meditate on it for a quarter of an hour. On the next First Saturday, one would then meditate on the second of these Mysteries, and so on.
- One could also meditate on a cycle of five Mysteries on each one of the First Saturdays, e.g., the five Glorious Mysteries. In doing so, one would spend about three minutes on each Mystery.
- One can also combine the quarter-hour meditation with the Rosary. In doing so, one would pause the recitation of the Rosary before each new decade in order to insert a three-minute meditation.25
- The meditation can also be performed in community in a church, for example, before the exposed Blessed Sacrament.
What blessings could be brought down from Heaven upon this endangered world if priests would inspire their faithful to this devotion of reparation and lead them during the meditation!
"Jesus wants to establish in the world devotion to My Immaculate Heart. I promise salvation to those who embrace it, and these souls will be loved by God, like flowers placed by Me to adorn His throne.” - Our Lady of Fatima (June 13, 1917)
The Author
Fr. Martin Huber
Fr. Huber is a German priest of the Fraternity of St. Pius X.