This devotion was established by Christ Himself who wished that His mother’s Immaculate Heart be revered along with His Own Sacred Heart. The Blessed Mother first revealed her Son’s wish to the 3 children seers of Fatima - Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco - in her second apparition to them on June 13, 1917. She revealed that “Jesus wishes to use you in order to make me known and loved. He wishes to establish devotion to my Immaculate Heart in the world. I promise salvation to those who embrace it; and these souls will be loved by God like flowers arranged by me to adorn His throne.” Lucia writes that “Upon saying these words, she opened her hands…..in front of Our Lady’s right hand there was a heart encircled by thorns that seemed to pierce it. We understood that it was the Immaculate Heart of Mary, insulted by the sins of humanity and which desires reparation.”

The Blessed Mother returned to this devotion in her third apparition of July 13, 1917 when she showed the three children the terrifying vision of hell. The vision so frightened the children that Lucia later said that if Mary had not promised to take them to heaven in the first apparition “I think we would have died of fear and terror.” The Holy Mother then told them, “You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace.  The war is going to end; but if people do not cease offending God, a worse one will break out in the Pontificate of Pius XI. When you see the night illumined by an unknown light, know that this is the great sign given you by God that He is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, and persecutions of the Church and 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. If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated. Finally, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.”

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This revelation was given as one of the three secrets of Fatima and the three seers did not tell the world of the Holy Mother’s desire. Lucia was informed in the second apparition that only she would live to promulgate this devotion as her two younger cousins were soon to be taken to heaven. He Holy Mother reassured Lucia saying, “Does that make you suffer much? Do not be dismayed. I will never forsake you. My Immaculate Heart shall be your refuge and the road that shall lead you to God.”

It was not until December 10, 1925 that The Blessed Mother gave the details of the devotion to Lucia. By then Lucia was being educated at the convent of the Dorothean Sisters. Out Lady appeared with the Infant Jesus. The Infant Jesus spoke first saying to her, “Have pity on the Heart of your Most Holy Mother. It is covered with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment, and there is no one to remove them with an act of reparation.” Our Lady then spoke, “See, my daughter, my Heart encircled by thorns 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 all those who, in order to make reparation to me, on the First Saturday of five consecutive 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 fifteen mysteries of the Rosary.”

Christ Himself explained to Lucia the purpose of the Five First Saturdays 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 the Immaculate Mother. Fifth: those who revile her directly in her sacred images.”

In this devotion, the confession can be made before, on, or even after the First Saturday Communion as long as the Communion is received in a state of grace. However the confession must be offered as a reparation.

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The First Saturday Holy Communion must be offered as a reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Communion can be made on the Sunday of that weekend with the permission of a priest if, for just reason, such as sickness, one is unable to receive it on the First Saturday. If Communion is received on a Sunday then the person may perform all or any of the other requirements on that day.

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The Rosary must also be offered in reparation and prayed with proper devotion and meditation on the Mysteries of the Rosary.

The 15 minutes of medication on the Mysteries of the Rosary may involve one or more of the Mysteries. It is not necessary to meditate on all 15 Mysteries in that time.

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While the devotion is established as the Five First Saturdays, it can be continued as an ongoing and even a lifelong devotion to the Blessed Mother – much to the benefit of the devoted ones who do so.