Let's Start Our First Fridays/Saturdays Now -- And How They Fit Our Spiritual Lives

           Today, January 2, is the First Friday of the month of January.  Tomorrow, January 3, is the First Saturday.

          The start of a new calendar year is a good opportunity to remember some traditional Catholic devotions which, until perhaps a few years ago, flourished but which, happily, seem to be undergoing a renaissance.  They are the “First Fridays” and “First Saturdays” devotions.

          The “First Fridays” devotions date back to a series of private revelations accompanied by “promises” received from Jesus by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a 17th century French nun.  It was through her that Our Lord established devotion to His Sacred Heart.  In the course of those revelations, Our Lord promised the grace of final repentance to those who receive Communion worthily on nine consecutive first Fridays.  That promise was part of a series of revelations about devotion to Jesus’s Sacred Heart which, in summary form, is a path towards deepened devotion to Jesus.  In a sense, then, the “nine First Fridays” is not a “one-and-done” thing (though God always is faithful to His promises) but is a way of deepening one’s devotion and spiritual fervor that hopefully persists after nine months.  Regular Communion (which should also sensitize one to the need for holiness and, thus, Confession) builds a healthy spiritual discipline.

          At the same time, death is the defining moment of our existence.  We want to die in peace with God and, amidst the complex circumstances of modern life, with the support of the last sacraments.  Jesus promises to assist us in that through this devotion. 

          In the new year, we all recognize the need to grow closer to God and pray more.  First Fridays is one way to do so. 

          In many parishes, First Fridays have been accompanied by evening or even all-night exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.  This is a good thing and an opportunity to deepen one’s spiritual life.  At the same time, I would strongly urge pastors to begin such devotions on Friday evenings with Mass.  The promises of First Fridays are grounded in reception of Communion: to fulfill the devotion, therefore, ordinarily requires Mass, and many Catholics find morning Masses inaccessible to their work schedules.  A once-a-month evening Mass on First Fridays prior to exposition would be a good thing.

          During Our Lady’s revelations to the children in Fatima, Portugal in 1917, the Blessed Mother also made a series of requests, including “Five First Saturdays" in reparation for sins against Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart.  The Five First Saturdays also involve confession and Communion along with recitation of the Rosary and at least 15 minutes meditation on some of its mysteries.

          In both instances, the First Friday and First Saturday devotions seek to create a habit of regular confession and Communion as well as “going beyond” our usual daily obligations of prayer to deepen our devotion to Our Lord and Our Lady, in the latter case by the Rosary and by additional reflection on its mysteries.   The mysteries of the Rosary are not just “historical things” about Jesus’s Life.  They speak to us of His Love for us through His Mother.  They are relevant to our salvation.

          So, with the start of a new year, why not start the rhythm of the First Fridays and Saturdays?  Pastors, why not start these devotions in your parish? 

          Many years ago, I remember a New Year’s Eve homily by a priest friend, the late Fr. Ignacy Kuziemski.  His New Year’s resolutions were simple and part of what should be basic Catholic practice.  He counseled:

1.      Daily prayer.  (In her appearance at La Salette, Our Lady asked two French children whether they prayed well and they had to admit “not so well.”  Her motherly advice was to say “at least an Our Father and Hail Mary” in the morning and evening, “and more when you can.”  That is certainly manageable if we want it).

2.      Weekly Mass.  It’s a Commandment.

3.      Monthly Confession.  Lots of people have turned Communion into a regular Sunday routine, but Communion cannot be just a “routine.”  A deepened relationship with God should be accompanied by a deeper awareness of how sin is inimical to it.  Frequent Communion and infrequent Confession is imbalanced.  The First Fridays/Saturdays devotion helps reestablish a healthier spiritual equilibrium. 

The year is young but we are all getting older.  Let’s resolve to get better.