The First Saturday of every Month Devotion

Lucia Santos: A Brief Biography

Lucia Santos was born on March 22, 1907. Her parents were Antonio dos Santos and Maria Rosa, residents of Aljustrel, a hamlet and parish belonging to Fatima, and she was baptized eight days later at the parish Church. Lucia’s family was a happy family that had its share of struggles. She was the youngest of seven children: one brother and six sisters. She enjoyed a family with a strong Catholic Faith, and received her first communion at age six. It was around this time she was assigned to be a shepherdess for her family. Her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto often accompanied her in the field with her sheep. They were present in 1917 when the Blessed Virgin appeared for the first time on May 13, 1917, and she appeared to the three of them seven times. Lucia was the only one whom the Blessed Virgin spoke to giving her messages. Jacinta and Francisco remained on earth only a short time after the apparitions, and Lucia was the one chosen to remain and fulfill the Blessed Mother’s mission.

       After the apparitions at Fatima she began to attend school because the Blessed Virgin requested that she learn to read and write. Her popularity as a Fatima seer following the apparitions increased to the point where the Bishop of the Diocese of Leiria thought it a good idea that she should be kept away from the public. Because of the extraordinary nature of the events, the Bishop thought that her protection was necessary, and he also reasoned that this would be a good opportunity to provide her with a good education. 

      On June 17, 1921, Lucia entered the college of the Sisters of St. Dorothy at Vilar. She was a lively and intelligent young girl at the age of 13. After a few months she entered the Sisters of St. Dorothy college at Porto which offered an education barely beyond the elementary levels, and much of the training she received was in domestic work. But in spite of these challenges she managed to get a reasonably good education due to her above average academic abilities.

      At an early age, even before she attended the college at Vilar, Lucia felt drawn to the religious life. Though her first inclination was to enter a Carmelite cloister, many of her teachers, and others who were close to her, suggested that she enter the Institute of St. Dorothy. Though the Portuguese, St. Dorothy Novitiate House was at Tuy, she was directed to go the house at Pontevedra, Spain. At Pontevedra she spent some months as a Novice, and remained there from October 25, 1925, to July 20, 1926. It was at this time that she was transfered to the Novitiate House at Tuy to complete her Novitiate, and also to received her clothing which was on October 2, 1926. Two years later, October 3, 1928,  Lucia made her Profession of Vows, and then remained at Tuy to take her Perpetual Vows on October 3, 1934. Afterwards, she was transferred back to the convent of Pontevedra where she remained until May of 1946.

       Upon her returned to Portugal Sr. Lucia visited Aljustrel to greet friends and family. Afterwards she visited Cova da Iria to officially identify sites where the apparitions took place. Sister Lucia was assigned to the Sardão house at Vila Nova de Gaia near Porto. It was at this time that she made her request to live in solitude as a Discalced Carmelite, which was her life-long desire. Pope Pius XII gave his consent. And, on March 25, 1948, she enter the Carmel of Coimbra in Portugal. As a professed Discalced Carmelite she lived a life of penance and prayer until her holy departure on February 13, 2005 at the age of 98 years.

Sister Lucia’s Mother and Father

In Sister Lucia’s family story a strong devotion to Our Lady in her family precedes the birth of Her Mother. Lucia became aware of this upon reading her mother’s baptism certificate when she was a Carmelite Sister. Maria Rossa was born on July 6th in 1869, and was baptized on July 18th at Nossa Senhora dos Remédios in the Diocese of Leiria. Her baptism certificate was written in a beautiful spirit of devotion of Our Lady. On the certificate her mother was named after Mary and Our Lady herself was chosen to be her Godmother. Maria Rossa grew up in Perulheira and was educated by her Christian parents, and her family moved to Aljustrel a small hamlet included in the parish of Fatima at the age of 14. She remained living there until her parents died, and then she inherited the house, kitchen garden, and the well. When she was 21 she married Antonio dos Santos, a native of Aljustrel, in the Fatima Parish Church; they settled in Maria’s family home. 

     Antonio dos Santos, Lucia’s father, came from a large devout catholic family. Their family was well to-do and owned a great amount of land. Antonio, cultivated by plowing, sowing, and reaping. He also took care of their livestock which consisted of oxen, cows, and two large flocks of sheep with the help of hired laborers. The Santos family being of a peaceable nature were musically gifted. Members of the family played the harmonium and the guitar for festas and dances. Antonio love children and loved to spend time story-telling with all of Lucia’s cousins. On Holy Thursday, the 28th of March 1907, Lucia was born. It was law that eight days had to pass before the baby could be baptized. Antonio, who wanting his daughter’s baptism be a part of their Easter celebration, adjusted her date of birth by moving it back 6 days. He informed the priest that his daughter, Lucia, was born on the 22nd of March so that there wouldn’t be a refusal of baptism. A family member informed Lucia of her real birth date when she was a Carmelite Sister. Furthermore, Antonio needed a Godmother and therefore invited a young neighbor to fill the position. She was happy to accept, but had to get permission from her father. Her father asked the name of the baby and his daughter gave the name Maria Rosa. Her father unexpectedly responded: “I will not permit you to be the Godmother unless the baby’s name is changed to Lucia!” The young neighbor returned to Antonio and related to him what her father said. Antonio’s agreeable nature consented and that is how Lucia was named. He also had a love for the poor and didn’t refuse anyone who came to his door asking for alms.

Saint Francisco Marto

Saint Francisco Marto was an early companion of Lucia Santos. He and his sister Jacinta began accompanying Lucia when she took her family’s sheep up onto the field. She was seven years old at the time and Francisco was eight. Then later on Francisco and Jacinta would meet Lucia early in the morning with the Marto family flock and both flocks would go up into the fields together. Their favorite pastime, like all children with lots of energy, was to play games together. Francisco’s temperament was similar to Lucia’s father’s temperament which was an easy going personality. His nature was quiet and yielding unlike his sister and Lucia. He was like this, even to the point of when he played games with them, he could care either way whether he won or lost. Jacinta and Lucia didn’t like playing games with him as a result. 

       During the three apparitions of the Angel of Portugal, before the first Apparition of Our Lady of Fatima, Francisco could see the Angel but couldn’t hear anything of what the Angel said. He could hear Lucia responding to the angel, but could not make out what the Angel was saying. Therefore after each of the apparitions of the Angel, Francisco needed to be briefed regarding what the Angel said from Lucia and Jacinta. The Angel taught them a prayer to the Most Holy Trinity and instructed them how to show great respect for the Holy Trinity. It was from this time onward Francisco’s temperament changed, he became more invested in life and wanted to live the best life one could possibly live. 

       On May 13, 1917, the three of them received the first apparition of Our Lady of Fatima. Afterwards they repeatedly received apparitions on the 13th of every month, the last one being October 13, 1917. The August apparition, however, was on the 19th of the month because the seers were prevented from attending the apparition on the 13th day. Like the apparitions of the Angel, Francisco again did not hear anything that was said by Our Lady but could hear Lucia speaking to her, and had to be briefed by Lucia and Jacinta on what was said. Francisco not hearing the words from Our Lady nor the Angel had nothing to do with Francisco being at fault in any way. It was Jesus’s design to create a situation where Lucia and Jacinta had to put into words what they heard from Our Lady and the Angel. Being so young it was necessary for them to do so because this is how they verbally establish a consensus on what was said. Furthermore once the apparitions were put into their own words, it made the messages easier to remember so that they could be recorded. The overall theme for all the apparitions was the intervention of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and also Our Lady asking from all three children reparation for sins through sacrifice and prayer. From the apparitions, Francisco learned that he would be going to heaven soon, but also he was instructed by Our Lady to pray many rosaries. He became overjoyed where he heard about Our Lady wanting him to pray rosaries, and he exclaimed, “Oh, my dear Our Lady! I’ll say as many rosaries as you want!” From that time onward Francisco began departing from the company of Lucia and Jacinta to a hiding place; and when he was found out, he would hold up his rosary and say, “don’t you remember, I must pray many rosaries.” In addition to Rosaries, Francisco offered a multitude of sacrifices to console both Our Lady and Our Lord. The apparitions had such a profound affect on Francisco that he kept this way of life until he died on April 4, 1919. He was a child who grew up in a time and place where the innocence of his boyhood was well preserved. At the time of the apparitions he was only nine years of age, and he came from a family with a strong Catholic background. He was not tarnished by schooling, of which he had none, therefore the purity of his innocence was his strongest character attribute. And it was at this time that Jesus decided to take Francisco to heaven; because being taken at this point in his life, he would most surely go straight to heaven and before the throne of God to be a powerful intercessor for the cause of Fatima, and all the children of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Furthermore, he would also be canonized as a saint of the Church.

       Why would Our precious Mother ask of Francisco many rosaries and sacrifices. It is because Our Precious Mother wanted to make Francisco a child of Divine Love. The rosaries and sacrifices required of him were not rosaries that were to be said for himself, they were acts of love that were in defense of his Mother’s heart—acts that were to make up for sins, offenses, and crimes against it. Furthermore they would be for the children of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. When we say extra rosaries and do sacrifices, we do them in the Immaculate heart of Mary. It is because the Immaculate Heart of Mary is joined to Jesus’s Sacred heart, that when rosaries are said and sacrifices done, it produces sanctifying grace that is redemptive. This kind of sacrificial Love is excepted by our Heavenly Father, and Our Precious Mother uses this grace, for example, to break the power of sin over a child who is bound in sin. What God intends for all of us, is that our lives on earth are to be lived completely within His Goodness; and God’s Goodness is completely within the parameter of His Holy Image. Every good thing that comes from God is a piece of what makes up the Image of God; and the Word of God in Holy Scripture is at its heart. All Life that takes on His Image is profuse with His wonderful goodness; and Our Precious Mother wants to rebuild each individual and their lives in the Image of God in Her Immaculate Heart. When the power of sin is broken over one of Mary’s children, he or she is now able to receive a stream of grace from our heavenly Mother. This child will then begin to make decisions that will bring about the Goodness of God in their life, and in their family members lives as well. This is why sacrifices are asked from our Precious Mother, and why they are so important. She on the one hand, wants to save her children, and in the other She wants all her children in her Immaculate Heart to be always acting in Love. Every child restored to her will bring her much consolation. And for Francisco who, after the apparitions, was the perfect example of a child of the Immaculate Heart; there was never a time when he was not acting in Love. Until the day he died he did nothing else except console Jesus and Mary through sacrifices, and prayed for pilgrims and answered their questions. All efforts performed by him helped further the Goodness of God in their lives. 

   Today, the Immaculate Heart to Mary is to be our place of refuge so that we to can have a place were our innocence and purity are restored and protected. Francisco grew up in the fresh air, green fields, and sunshine of Gods Goodness. Furthermore his family received their Source of Life from their strong faith in Our Lady. For us today we have Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart to “place ourselves” in to be protected from harmful digital content. This is where will find the fresh air, green fields, and sunshine of Gods Goodness for ourselves and our families.

Words Spoken to Lucia at Pontevedra Concerning the First Saturday Devotion

Our Lady said to Lucia at Fatima on July 13, 1917, that the practice of the First Saturday Devotion would become a realization in the near future. It was realized on December 10, 1925, when Lucia was then a Novice at the St. Dorothy Convent at Pontevedra, Spain. On this day, Our Lady appeared together with the Child Jesus and spoke to Lucia: 

       Jesus spoke first to her and said: “Have compassion on the Heart of your Most Holy Mother, covered with thorns which ungrateful men pierce at every moment, while there is no one to make an act of reparation to remove them for her.”

       Our Lady then addressed Lucia by saying: “My daughter, behold my Heart encircled with thorns which ungrateful men pierce at every moment with their blasphemies and ingratitude. You at least, give me consolation. I would ask you to make known on my behalf that: I promise to assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for Salvation, all those who on the First Saturday of the Month recite five decades of the Rosary. And, afterwards keep me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary, with the purpose of making reparation that will bring consolation to my Immaculate Heart.”

Why The First Saturday of Every Month?

One may ask: “Why did Our Precious Mother request reparation on the First Saturday of the month?” Jesus answered that question when He appeared to Sister Lucia May 29, 1930. The explanation that He gave was that there were five kinds of offenses and blasphemies against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and they are blasphemies against: Her Immaculate Conception, Her Perpetual Virginity, the Divine and Spiritual Maternity of Mary of all men and women, the dishonoring of Her Sacred Images, and the neglect of teaching children how to love their Immaculate Mother.

       Furthermore, in our particularly sinful age, the number and severity of the different kinds of outrages against the Immaculate Heart of Mary have increased. But all outrages, though seemingly new, fall into one of these five categories that Jesus originally presented. Therefore when praying our Rosary in reparation, dedicate one decade for each of these categories, and in doing so all blasphemies, and ingratitude against our precious mother’s Immaculate Heart will be addressed.

1. Confession. On February 15, 1926, the Child Jesus alone came to visit Sr. Lucia and asked if the devotion to His Mother’s Immaculate Heart of Mary was being propagated. Sister Lucia spoke of a difficulty that some people were having with confessing on the first Saturday, and asked if they might be allowed eight days in order to fulfill Our Lady’s request. Jesus answered: “Yes, even more time still, as long as they receive Me in the State of Grace and have the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”
       To fulfill this requirement today, due to changes in the Church, which will leave most of us without a church or priest, we must look beyond the traditional way of going to confession. What Confession essentially does is bring our lives with its sins and offenses completely into the light of Jesus our Savior and Lord. It is in the acknowledgment that we have sinned and bringing them into His light is how we complete the first part of confession. The second part has to do with accountability, which is expressing a heart felt sorrow, and then performing an act of reparation to show to what degree that we are sorry. Today because of the divine intervention of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we are presented an easy way of bringing all of our sins into Jesus’s Light by engaging in a “Dialogue of Love” with Our Holy Mother as part of the Cathedral of Love devotion. As part of our daily conversation with Her, it will become evident to us what sins and offenses against Jesus need to be addressed. Thus it is by speaking openly about our sins with Our Precious Mother, that we are then led to express heartfelt sorrow, and then ask for forgiveness. As part of the Devotion to Our Lady of the Cathedral of Love, we pray one sincere and heartfelt chaplet of the Rosary every day. This daily Rosary becomes our restitution for obtaining Sanctifying Grace (Jesus’s Precious Blood) to cover our sins. As part of the life of perfection that accompanies the Life in the Immaculate Heart of Mary we confess our sins and faults as they occur. This is important for remaining always in the State of Grace which is a requirement for remaining in the Cathedral of Love. Therefore in regard to completing the Confession mandates of the First Saturday Devotion, we have the way provided for us through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. 

2. Receiving Holy Communion. As part of  life in the Immaculate Heart of Mary we receive Eucharist in the form of Jesus’s  Love. All Life and Love is found in Jesus’s Love because Jesus Himself is present in His Love; therefore when we receive Jesus’s Love we receive Jesus. He is real sustenance which satisfies because He brings within Himself Life, Love, and Goodness that does not end. Similar to how the Heavenly Father fed the Israelites manna in the desert is how God’s children will be fed Eucharist within the Immaculate Heart of Mary during this age of ecclesiastical apostasy. It is required, as part of the Cathedral of Love devotion that each child works to maintain the State of Grace by a continuous dialogue of love with our Precious Mother and receiving Jesus's Love. Our Holy Mother, readily and open-handedly infuses Jesus’s Love into the Hearts of Her children as part of their Daily Bread in her Immaculate Heart. It is recommended, that the following prayer be said daily as part of receiving our Daily Bread in the Cathedral of Love to meet the mandate for this devotion.

My Forever Love

How precious are these beautiful moments,

That You have decided to Grace me with my Love;

When You thought that You would bestow upon me,

Your Inestimable Love.

A Love so Rich, so Kind,

So ultimately Gracious, and Perfect.

All I can say about this is:

It is “You” my Lord Jesus;

Who has decided to visit me with your Beautiful Person.

Oh how Beautiful You are my Jesus.

Oh how much I want to embrace you,

And call you “my Forever Love.” 

My Forever Love, mine to keep Forever,

I cannot entirely embrace you as I wish at this time,

As I walk on earth.

But this only inflames my heart even more so,

With an overpowering desire to embrace You more.

I cannot rest,

Until this is complete. 

And You, knowing this desire of mine,

Have had Compassion on me,

By pouring out more Love into my heart.

Oh how good You are to me my Love

For Your desire is the same as mine. Amen.

3. Devout Recitation of the Rosary with Meditation. Our Lady’s words for the recitation part of this devotion are thus: “. . . recite five decades of the Rosary; and keep me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary, with the purpose of making reparation to bring consolation to my Immaculate Heart.”

       The question often asked regarding the fifteen minutes of meditation is: “Does meditating on the mysteries while reciting the Rosary fulfill this request, or is there an additional fifteen minutes of meditation required? Sister Lucia made a formal statement in regard to this question, which was endorsed by the first Bishop of Fatima, that an additional fifteen minutes of meditation is required as part of this devotion.

       In 1940, Dom Jose Correia da Silva, the first Bishop of Fatima gave his summary of Our Lady’s requests concerning the First Saturday Devotion of every month. It consists of: Confession, receiving Eucharist, and reciting five decades of the Rosary. For the fifteen minute meditation following the Rosary recitation, an individual may meditate on one or more of the mysteries of the Rosary. Furthermore an extra Rosary may be said at this time provided that it is well said. And, also holy reading regarding one of the fifteen mysteries is also acceptable.

The Promises Attached to the First Saturdays Devotion

1. Our Salvation. Our Lady’s words are: “To all those who, on the First Saturday of the month, fulfill all the conditions requested, I promise to assist them at the hour of death with all the graces necessary to obtain their Salvation.” 
2. Salvation of sinners. Our Lady’s words are: “So numerous are the souls which the justice of God condemns for sins committed against Me that I come to ask for reparation. Sacrifice yourself for this intention and pray.” Sr. Lucia also wrote in this regard: “Jesus and Mary wish to give the grace of pardon to souls who have had the misfortune of offending the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”
3. Peace in the world. Sister Lucy says in this regard: “I desire its propagation so ardently because whether the world has war or peace depends on the practice of this devotion.”

An Explanation of Reparation for this Devotion

The first purpose of the First Saturday Devotion is to bring consolation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary because of the outrages committed against it. The Heart of Our Precious Mother Loves with a Beautiful and Maternal love for Her children which is magnified. Because of the outrages against Her precious heart, it becomes woefully filled with sorrow and grief. The sorrowing in Her heart becomes all pervasive, and it works contrary to the action of Her beautiful Love. Jesus, seeing how grief has filled His mother’s heart, becomes angry and the result of this is that He is inclined toward dispensing punishment. What this devotion does is that it attempts to make restitution for outrages. And, this occurs when our sacrificial love, in a well said Rosary and fifteen minutes meditation, reaches and replaces the outrages that have assailed our Precious Mother’s Immaculate Heart. Receiving this kind of love from Her children greatly consoles Our Precious Mother and brings relief to Her suffering Heart, thus impelling Her to love with Her Beautiful Love. And Jesus, seeing that the heaviness of his Mother’s grief has lifted, is no longer inclined to punish.

       The second purpose of the First Saturday Devotion is that it produces an outpouring of Sanctifying Grace. This devotion when said with much fervor and love, because it is an instrument of restitution, becomes an agent of Grace which is provided through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This grace provided, is to aid individuals in repenting of their sins and also sins against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, so that they may be washed clean in the Blood of Christ. This devotion and additional sacrifices are greatly needed for this work. In saying the First Saturday Devotion for reparation we can prevent and ward off outrages by the Sanctifying Grace produced. This is why it is to the world’s great advantage that as many people say this devotion as possible.