Dear Parishioners,
This week begins the month of May, and with that a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. For those who have difficulty with this, consider that maybe God wants us to know this person who perfectly followed Christ. God wants us to live the same life of faith and faithfulness as Mary who was very familiar with suffering and difficulties. She is our sister in Christ but God also wants us to make her our spiritual mother. If we do so, we will find much guidance, assistance, and direction through her example and intercession.
It’s for this reason that Christians have been devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary since the time of Christ. Within the last several centuries, there has been a particular devotion to her during the month of May. This is because of her role as “Queen of Prophets” to the world today just as the prophets were God’s messengers in the Old Testament. The messages God gave to the world through her at Fatima just over hundred years ago still remain especially powerful today. As with other such messages from God, we are given both a warning and a remedy.
The remedy was the First Saturday devotions and the warning was of more wars to come than the “Great War” they were currently experiencing. The Blessed Mother said prayer and penance would bring peace to the world and spare many souls from going to hell. These two spiritual practices were part of the remedy God was giving to the world, and part of the First Saturday devotions. God assured the people then, and the world yet today, that these can change the course of human history. Specifically, the monthly First Saturday devotions are:
1) going to the sacrament of Confession
2) receiving Holy Communion
3) praying five decades of the Rosary
4) meditating for 15 minutes on the mysteries of the rosary for the purpose of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in reparation for the sins of men
The Church has said the sacrament of Confession can be received eight days before or after the first Saturday of each month, provided that the person receives Holy Communion without serious sin on his/her soul. This is one of the reasons that we priests make the sacrament of Confession available at least 30 minutes before almost every Mass. Proper preparation for Confession involves a thorough self-examination in light of the teachings and commandments of God.
We don’t offer Mass at our three parishes on Saturday mornings due to the many other Masses we have on those days. However, going to Mass on Saturday evenings is acceptable as long as you are not trying to use that Mass to fulfill your Sunday obligation. This is what I regularly needed to do during my later teenage years as I was trying to fulfill this request of God for the First Saturday devotions.
When praying the rosary, we are encouraged to pray a different set of mysteries each Saturday of the devotion. God reminded us through Pope Paul VI not to rush praying the rosary and to be sure “each decade is accompanied by pious meditation on a particular mystery of our Redemption.” The children at Fatima used to rush through praying the rosary until the Blessed Mother instructed them to pray it more devoutly.
Prayer is powerful. Please consider our Lord’s request for this special monthly devotion.
Gratefully,
Fr. Miller