- Go to Confession
- Receive Communion
- Pray five decades of the Rosary
- Mediate for 15 minutes on the mysteries of the Rosary.
I will link to a full description of the First Five Saturday Devotion at the end of this post. Here, I want to talk about the benefits of undertaking this devotion.
1) Reparation: Perhaps the chief benefit of the First Five Saturday Devotion is making reparations for the sins of others, thereby helping them to become more open to God's grace in their lives. It is as if someone were in overwhelming debt, and we quietly paid it off for them, helping them to get a fresh start financially.
2) Our Hour of Death: Our Lady said to Sr. Lucia: "I promise to assist at the hour of death with the graces necessary for salvation." (See link below.) If we are dedicated to the First Saturday Devotion, Our Lady will protect us in the hour of our death.
3) Habit of Regular Confession: Observing the First Five Saturday Devotion is a great way to get into the habit of regular Confession. I would recommend not stopping at five consecutive Saturdays, but to continue the devotion throughout the year. By doing so, we have a structure for going to Confession at least once a month, which is important for advancement in the spiritual life. By going to Confession frequently, we get into the habit of taking stock of our spiritual life, of what we are really doing from day-to-day, rather than what we would like to think we are doing. Frequent Confession keeps us honest with ourselves and accountable.
4) The Blessings of Confession: Confession absolves us from sin and, if we are properly disposed, gives us the grace to change sinful habits that weigh us down and hinder our spiritual progress. Confession is also a powerful tool in spiritual warfare, in that the grace of Confession helps to bind and cast out through the power of Christ the evil spirits that we have let into our lives through our sins.
5) Learning to Meditate on the Rosary: Reciting the Rosary daily is a powerful spiritual practice. But frequent recitation can cause us to say the prayers on autopilot, without much conscious awareness. By taking time at least once a month to meditate for 15 minutes on the mysteries of the Rosary, we can develop the skills we need to continue to engage with each mystery more mindfully during the rest of the month.
The above are just some of the benefits of committing to the First Saturday Devotions requested by Our Lady of Fatima. Many others will, I am sure, become evident upon further reflection. For a fuller description of the history and nature of the devotion, please follow the link below:
The Five First Saturdays Devotion
Photo: The Sanctuary of Fatima, taken on my 2017 trip to Fatima.