Reverend Father,
In The Cure D’Ars by Abbe Francois Trochu, a biography of St. Jean-Marie-Baptiste Vianney based on official records from the process of his beatification, there is a passage: Vianney exclaimed through the crowd, “He is saved!” The woman was incredulous so the saint repeated, stressing each word, “I tell you he is saved. He is in Purgatory, and you must pray for him. Between the parapet of the bridge and the water he had time to make an act of contrition.”
If the four words “They have no wine” spoken by the Blessed Virgin Mary were sufficient to move our Lord to change the water into wine at Cana, what were the words of Mary to Jesus that saved a woman’s secular husband from the fires of hell? Perhaps this time three words were adequate; He loves me.
This man’s love for our Lady manifested itself in daily picking fresh flowers for his wife to dress the statue of Mary. Some may shrug, saying that picking flowers isn’t a big deal. Yet this act of kindness secured his salvation.
In February we, the group Make Minnesota Catholic, asked you, our dear pastors to introduce the First Saturday Devotion in your parishes. With the month of May, traditionally devoted to Mary, approaching we are asking you to establish in your parishes a Communion of reparation on first Saturdays. This way we Catholics, both the priests and the laity, may manifest our love to the Blessed Virgin Mary by giving Her an opportunity or an excuse to intercede to Jesus on behalf of many souls which otherwise would be lost.
There are five elements to this devotion: confession up to eight days prior to the First Saturday, recitation of five decades of Rosary, receiving Holy Communion, fifteen minutes of meditation with the Blessed Virgin Mary on the mysteries of the Rosary and the will to make reparations. Since in every parish there are already Mass and confession on Saturdays, recitation of the Holy Rosary can be added prior to Holy Mass. Immediately after Mass a meditation can be led by the priest (motivating an act of unity). We also suggest including a short reminder in Sunday announcements prior to each first Saturday. This will cover the five elements of this devotion and fulfill the Blessed Virgin Mary’s request from Fatima. It is not a large effort, but its fruits, the promised conversion of sinners, are bountiful.
Because for some reason our call to action in February didn’t reach all Minnesotan pastors, we are asking you, our dear friends, to consult other priests about the First Saturday Devotion and encourage them to join us in this holy effort.
“Jesus wishes to use you to make me better known and loved. He wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart.” (BVM, Fatima June 13,1917)
May God Bless You!