The great call of Our Lady of Fatima is devotion to her Immaculate Heart. She promised at Fatima that her Heart would be a refuge and the way that would lead us to God. Like ships tossed about in a mighty storm, she offers to guide and protect us through the storms of life until we reach the safe harbor of heaven.
She further promised salvation to all who would take up this devotion; they would be especially loved by God, like flowers placed by her to adorn His throne.
And finally, she gave us the “great promise” attached to the five First Saturdays devotion, that she would be present at the hour of our death with all the graces necessary for our salvation. We can often be anxious about how we will die and when we will die. To be assured of the Queen of Heaven’s presence with us at that hour, is very consoling.
With these promises from the Mother of God, who does not speak lightly, what a gift for parents to offer this protection and guidance to their children. It’s like taking out a heavenly life insurance policy on them. By doing the Five First Saturdays together as a family, with the hope of making them every month or as often as you can after, you are helping your children develop a special relationship with Mary who will never fail them, even if you do.
In fact, one of the five blasphemies that Jesus identified to Sister Lucia that we are to make reparations through this devotion is offenses by those who “openly seek to foster in the hearts of children indifference or contempt and even hatred for this Immaculate Mother.” Jesus wants us to teach our children to know and love His Mother. The First Saturday devotion is a precious treasure we can give to them.
No child is too young to participate. If a child has not yet made a First Communion or First Confession, the parents can lead them in a spiritual Communion and help them start to see how the Blessed Mother and our Lord are wounded in their Hearts when we decide to disobey or ignore God. Certainly, children can participate and learn the Rosary at young ages and visualize scenes from the Bible attached to each mystery.
Our Guide to Family First Saturdays
Our Fatima Friends Adventure Guide offers a colorful guide for parents to teach their children about Mary and the spiritual aids she gave us to help us live consecrated to her Immaculate Heart. It includes a guide for the child to participate in First Saturdays and provides simple meditations on Joyful Rosary for each of the five months. The family is encouraged to go out for Super Saturday ice cream sundaes after to make it fun and memorable.
Another aid for Family First Saturdays is our Great Promise Passport, a free download that provides a fun way for children to track each First Saturday by cutting and pasting a stamp in the passport after each month is completed. Your great promise can be to go out for a Super Saturday ice cream sundae after.
In some parishes, family groups attend First Saturday Mass and Confession, then gather together after to pray a Rosary with meditations and share a potluck dinner. The younger children are kept entertained during the Rosary by the coloring pages from our Fatima Friends Guide. These and other resources are available by clicking on the links included above.
Families should also seek to enroll their children in the Brown Scapular, which is Mary’s mantle of protection over them. A priest or deacon can say the prayers of enrollment, which is for life. Once enrolled, you do not have to get enrolled again, or have a scapular blessed when you need to replace it.
Finally, parents can consecrate their children to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, especially on First Saturdays. Here is a simple Prayer of Entrustment of the Family to the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts.
Mary desires us to have a relationship with her so that we can deepen our relationship with Jesus. She especially wants us to entrust our children to her because she is their powerful advocate in heaven and will safely see them to their eternal home. That is a promise!
Barb Ernster is the National Coordinator/Communications Manager/Editor for the World Apostolate of Fatima USA.
