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What is the distinguishing characteristic of the message of Fatima? It was at Our Lady’s second visit, on June 13, 1917, that she spoke of the distinguishing characteristic of Fatima for the first time, yet not the only time.

The distinguishing characteristic is that God wishes to establish in the world devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This is what really sets Fatima apart.

At this visit, Our Lady held out her heart in her hand. The children understood this to mean that she was seeking reparation. By holding her heart, she emphasized what is most important to devotion to her Immaculate Heart: reparation.

In Our Lady’s third visit on July 13th, to save souls, she again said that God wants to establish in the world devotion to her Immaculate Heart. She went on to say that to practice devotion to her Immaculate Heart, two special requests need to be fulfilled. If both of the requests are fulfilled, Russia will be converted and there will be a period of peace in the world. Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart will triumph.

The first special request is one we are all familiar with, the consecration. This has been fulfilled by the pope and the bishops. The second special request is for the faithful to do. This second special request is the First Saturdays.

When Our Lady came with Our Lord in 1925, he said to have mercy on the heart of his mother. Mary is our mother too, and yet neglected. Our Lady then explained what must be done to make reparation.

Our Lady asked for four practices in reparation to her Immaculate Heart on the First Saturdays, including a Communion of Reparation. The other practices are confession, the Rosary and a separate and additional 15 minute meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary in Our Lady’s company. There are four practices and one intention. This intention is the very purpose that Our Lord himself insisted on, that each practice be done in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. 

Our Lord gave us his mother at the foot of the cross. When we offend the gift, Our Blessed Mother, the giver, Jesus, is offended. When Our Lady is offended, Our Lord is even more offended. These offenses require reparation. Further, reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a primary and an essential part of reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The more disposed a person is to receive a sacrament, the more sanctifying grace he or she receives. Reparation to our Blessed Mother will make us more prepared to receive the grace of the Holy Eucharist. 

In summary, the First Saturdays, requested by Our Lord and Our Lady, help us be more disposed so that we may receive the graces of Holy Communion much more fruitfully.

Of course, we need the First Saturdays to be public and communal in the parishes so that we can bear visible witness to the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This also helps show parishioners how they can be better disposed to receive the source and summit of our Christian life, the Holy Eucharist.

How can this be done easily and effectively? The Communal First Saturdays Apostolate (CFSA) makes this possible.

The Communal First Saturdays is a public practice of the First Saturdays that makes it easier for a larger number of people to fulfill the conditions of the First Saturdays. The Communal First Saturdays is the first canonically approved public First Saturdays devotion accompanying the Liturgy in a standardized written form that can be established in any parish. The devotional materials have the imprimatur and are in English and Spanish. 

The very way the practices of the First Saturdays are arranged in the Communal First Saturdays helps the faithful be even more disposed to receiving the Blessed Sacrament. 

The CFSA has materials to help parishioners sustain and maintain the devotion in the parish. Lay leaders lead the devotion so that the priest is able to concentrate on sacramental ministry. However, a priest can lead if he prefers.

The Communal First Saturdays are in different parts of Texas, the United States, the UK, and Mexico. It is already in three parishes in the Tyler Diocese. Please consider bringing the Communal First Saturdays to your parish. Contact information is below.

For those who want to learn even more, the CFSA has a Fatima and the First Saturdays study groups. These are 13-week, one hour zoom groups. These are fantastic and really help the faithful understand the Fatima message and the great importance of the First Saturdays. Many participants are on fire after going through these study groups. They have really enjoyed them and learned key information they have not found in any other book on Fatima. 

The next round of study groups starts the week of September 11-17, 2022. Groups are available Sunday-Thursday at different times to accommodate schedules and time zones. For more information, please visit studygroups.communalfirstsaturdays.org.

To bring the Communal First Saturdays to your parish, or for more information, please visit www.CommunalFirstSaturdays.org. You may also contact Norbert Wake at nwake@communalfirstsaturdays.org.