The First Saturday devotion was mentioned during the July 13th apparition in 1917 regarding the warning that God “is about to punish the world for its crimes.” The Virgin then said:
“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.”
Eight years later, the Blessed Mother returned and made this request. She appeared together with the Christ Child, Who spoke first. Lucia's account of this event, written in third person, is given below:
“On December 10th, 1925, the most holy Virgin appeared to her, and by her side, elevated on a luminous cloud, was a child. The most holy Virgin rested her hand on her shoulder, and as she did so, she showed her a heart encircled by thorns, which she was did so, she showed her a heart encircled by thorns, which she was holding in her other hand. At the same time, the Child said:
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“Have compassion on the Heart of your most holy Mother, covered with thorns, with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment, and there is no one to make an act of reparation to remove them.” Then the most holy Virgin said: “Look, my daughter, at my Heart, surrounded with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce me every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You at least try to console me and say that I promise to assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, shall confess, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the Rosary, and keep me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of making reparation to me.” |
The above material is from FATIMA in Lucia's own words, which contains the first four memoirs. A free copy of this book may be downloaded from here. (Note: the later writings by Sister Lucia are currently only available in print form which are available from many book stores.)