THE FIVE FIRST SATURDAYS
Now we have one thing, and that a MOST IMPORTANT THING, left, which brings us to the climax of this little work, and to the Title of our little book!
We have spent a long time in preparing for it, BECAUSE IT IS VERY IMPORTANT!
We have been speaking of Reparation, which Our Lady has so often demanded in recent years; and we have tried to make quite clear, what She has asked for.
Our Lady has asked the World for —
REPARATION TO, AND THROUGH. HER IMMACULATE HEART.
More than this, Our Lady has requested that this Reparation shall take a special form, in union with the Sacred Heart!
You see this is just what we have been saying — YOU CANNOT SEPARATE THE SACRED HEARTS.
Our Lady asked for A COMMUNION OF REPARATION ON THE FIRST SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH.
In this way we are making reparation to Both the Sacred Hearts, and the Immaculate Heart is leading us straight to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, three to find the food and strength to nourish our souls, to give us the grace to do our duty to God and man, to lead us closer to God, and Our Lady, and to take us eventually to Heaven!
On July 13, 1917, Our Lady told the there children, in the Cova da Iria that She was coming to «ask for the consecration of Russia to My Immaculate Heart, and THE COMMUNION OF REPARATION ON THE FIRST SATURDAYS... If people attend to My requests, Russia will be converted and there WILL BE PEACE;...»
THERE WILL BE PEACE.
Have we yet a stable peace? Has Russia been converted to the Catholic Faith? God knows, and we know to our cost, that Russia has not been converted!
Many martyred Nations know that too! Millions of human slaves, of human wrecks know that too! Millions of little, broken homeless children and babies know that too! (God forgive us!) Many over burdened, heart-broken, semi-ruined tax-payers know that too !
And why is there all this hideous, unnecessary, suffering? Simply and solely because
WE HAVE NOT OBEYED OUR LADY!
Our Lady also asked us, in making our Communions on the first Saturdays of the month to make the FIVE FIRST SATURDAYS just in the same way as we make the Nine First Fridays. That is to say, we are to make the Five First Saturdays, without a break, doing three things.
The practice of the Five First Saturdays consist 1) in Making Our Confession and Communion. 2) In saying the Rosary devoutly. 3) In spending a Quarter of an hour, in meditation, on one or more of the 15 Mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of making REPARATION !
Little Jacinta, the youngest of the three Seers of Fatima was a tower of strength to the others, and God gave her special lights to understand Our Lady's Message, baby girl though she was! After going to Hospital the little girl said to Lucy;—
«I am going to Heaven soon. You are going to stay on here to tell the people that God wants to establish in the world devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. When you are going to tell them that, don't hide yourself. Tell everybody that God gives us His graces through the Immaculate Heart of Mary; that they must ask for them through Her; that the Heart of Jesus wants to be honoured, side by side, with the Immaculate Heart of Mary; that they must ask for peace through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, because God has given it into Her keeping.»
Is not all this crystal clear? Our Lady is the Queen and Giver Of PEACE!
Our Lady left, the years passed by, Francisco and Jacinta went to Heaven, and Lucy became a Nun. Then one day, eight years later, on December 10, 1925, Our, Lady appeared to Lucy once again, carrying in Her arms the Baby Jesus.
The Holy Mother showed Her Heart to Lucy, all surrounded with thorns. Then the Baby Jesus, pointing to the Suffering Heart of His Mother, said:—
«Have pity on this Heart, continually tormented by the ingratitude of men, with nobody to make Reparation!»
Oh, let us listen to, and answer, that Baby pleading! Who can refuse a baby's cry, especially when that Baby is Jesus, God of Love?
After the Infant Jesus had said this, Our Lady added:
«Look, My child, look at My Heart surrounded with thorns, with which ungrateful men pierce it, at every moment, by their blasphemies and ingratitude! Do you, at least, try to console Me; and tell everybody from Me that all, who on the First Saturday of Five consecutive months shall make their Confession and Communion, shall say the Rosary, and shall keep Me company for 15 minutes, while Meditating on the Rosary, with the intention of making Reparation, tell them from Me that I promise to help them, at the hour of their death, with all the graces necessary for the salvation of their souls.»!
Two months later, on February 15, 1926, Our Lady again appeared with the Holy Child and urged Lucy to persevere in propagating the devotion to Her Immaculate Heart, in spite of all difficulties, Lucy asked Our Lady if it was sufficient to make the Confession «during the week», when it was not possible to make it on the First Saturday. Our Lady answered «Yes», provided that the Communion was received in a state of grace, and with the intention of making the required Reparation.
Oh! What goodness of Our Lady! Oh! What Mercy of Our God! Could anybody be so MAD as to refuse that safe offer of Salvation!
REMEMBER !
CONFESSION. THE ROSARY. 15 MINUTES MEDITATION ON THE ROSARY:
ALL WITH THE INTENTION OF MAKING REPARATION, ON 5 CONSECUTIVE SATURDAYS!
With this goes the promise of Our Lady's help at death, and Eternal Life!
BUT DON'T FORGET, ALSO, A COMMUNION OF REPARATION ON EVERY FIRST SATURDAY!
Because Our Lady wishes it!
Is it not utterly inconceivable that now, 41 years after Our Lady made these requests and these staggering promises, so many, SO VERY MANY, catholics pay no attention to them?
Are we really so hard-hearted that we do not want to save MILLIONS of people from a Hell of suffering, both here and hereafter?
Are we really so hard-hearted that we do not want PEACE for the world ?
Are we really such senseless people that we do not want to make OUR HEAVEN CERTAIN?
No! No! Perhaps we have not known! Perhaps we have not thought! Perhaps, even, we have been misled by weak men, or by false prophets!
This little work, with all its faults and all its shortcomings, is written with a burning longing that all men should know Our Lady's wishes and should do their utmost to fulfil them! It is an attempt to bring right home to the hearts of all, especially of those who have not yet grasped them, Our Mother's pleadings and Our Mother's wishes, as She expressed them here on this very spot — this most holy ground!
Every single word, written here in the Cova da Iria, where Our Lady appeared just 41 years ago, is a pleading with the Holy Spirit, through the Immaculate Heart of His Most Holy Spouse, to come down upon this world in OCEANS and in CATARACTS of GRACE, to lead all men TO CONSECRATE themselves to the IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, MOTHER OF THE ETERNAL GOD AND OUR MOTHER. It is a pleading, also, that — for their own salvation, for the salvation of others, for the Peace of the world, for the Honour and Glory of God, for the Honour of the Immaculate Heart of Mary — they will practice always the devotion of: —
THE FIVE FIRST SATURDAYS OF FIVE CONSECUTIVE MONTHS, in love of and reparation to THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY!
«Behold thy Mother'» «Unless you become as LITTLE CHILDREN you shall NOT ENTER into the Kingdom of Heaven»
What does a LITTLE CHILD do? A little child ALWAYS AND FIRST runs to its MOTHER, clings to its MOTHER, seeks the protection and help of its MOTHER, looks to its MOTHER for food and for everything else! Without its MOTHER a little child is lost!
Jesus has told us to look to our Mother and to act as little children do! Let us turn to Her, in Whom is «A11 the grace of the way and of truth» and all «hope of life»! Let us obey Him, by obeying Her! Then we shall be safe and we shall be saved!
«Tender arms of Mary, soft and warm and true, «All my soul is yearning in the dark for You !» (M. Kinder)
Praise be to God, to Our Lady, and to good St Joseph for another little work completed.
«Oh! Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!» (300 days).
