First Saturday
FEAST OF ST. AGATHA
Unless one holds fast to the FEAR
of the Lord, with sudden swiftness will one’s house be thrown down.
Today
try and be 100% for God.
As iron,
cast into the fire, loses its rust and becomes bright with the flame, so too a
man who turns his whole heart to Me is purified and all sluggishness and
changed into a new man.[1]
The
practice of the First Saturday devotion was requested by Our Lady of Fatima,
who appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal, multiple times
starting in 1917. She said to Lucia, the oldest of the three children: “I shall
come to ask . . . that on the First Saturday of every month, Communions of
reparation be made in atonement for the sins of the world.” Years later she
repeated her request to Sr. Lucia, the only one still living of the three young
Fatima seers, while she was a postulant sister living in a convent in Spain:
“Look, my daughter, at my Heart, surrounded with thorns with which ungrateful
men pierce me at very 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 15 minutes while meditating on the 15
mysteries of the rosary, with the intention of making reparation to me.”
Conditions
to Fulfill the First Saturday Devotion
There
are five requirements to obtain this promise from the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
On five consecutive first Saturdays of the month, one should:
1.
Have the intention of consoling the Immaculate Heart in a spirit of reparation.
2.
Go to confession (within eight days before or after the first Saturday).
3.
Receive Holy Communion.
4.
Say five decades of the Holy Rosary.
5.
Meditate for 15 minutes on the mysteries of the Holy Rosary
with the goal of keeping Our Lady company (for
example, while in church or before an image or statue of Our Lady).
Read How to Make Your First Saturday Rosary Meditation According to Sr. Lucia
Why
Five Saturdays?
Our
Lord appeared to Sr. Lucia on May 29, 1930 and gave her the reason behind the
five Saturdays devotion. It is because there are five types of offenses and
blasphemies committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary:
1.
Blasphemies against the Immaculate Conception
2.
Blasphemies against Our Lady’s perpetual virginity
3.
Blasphemies against her divine maternity, in refusing at the same time to
recognize her as the Mother of men
4.
Blasphemies of those who publicly seek to sow in the hearts of children,
indifference or scorn or even hatred of their Immaculate Mother
5.
Offenses of those who outrage Our Lady directly in her holy images
Never
think that Jesus is indifferent to whether or not His mother is honored!
Reflect
today on what it took to make Christ the gentle shepherd of our souls!
FEAST of Saint AGATHA[3]
Agatha
came from, Catania, a city in Sicily. I was stationed there while in the Navy
and lived in a small town of Nicolosi which was situated on the Volcano (Etna)
near the city of Catania. I was impressed and formed as a young man by the
faith and beauty of the people of Sicily.
Agatha
was born in Sicily and died there a martyr. She belonged to a rich, important
family. When she was young, she dedicated her life to God and resisted any men
who wanted to marry her or have sex with her. One of these men, Quintian, was
of a high enough rank that he felt he could force her to acquiesce. Knowing she
was a Christian in a time of persecution, he had her arrested and brought
before the judge - - himself. He expected her to give in to when faced with
torture and possible death, but she simply affirmed her belief in God by
praying: "Jesus Christ, Lord of all,
you see my heart, you know my desires. Possess all that I am. I am your sheep:
make me worthy to overcome the devil." Quintian imprisoned her in a
brothel in order to get her to change her mind.
He
brought her back before him after she had suffered a month of assault and
humiliation in the brothel, but Agatha had never wavered, proclaiming that her
freedom came from Jesus. Quintian sent her to prison, instead of back to the
brothel -- a move intended to make her more afraid, but which probably was a
great relief to her. When she continued to profess her faith in Jesus, He had
her tortured. He refused her any medical care, but God gave her all the care
she needed in the form of a vision of St. Peter. When she was tortured again,
she died after saying a final prayer: "Lord,
my Creator, you have always protected me from the cradle; you have taken me
from the love of the world and given me patience to suffer. Receive my
soul." Because one of the tortures she supposedly suffered was to have
her breasts cut off, she was often depicted carrying her breasts on a plate. It
is thought that blessing of the bread that takes place on her feast may have
come from the mistaken notion that she was carrying loaves of bread. Because
she was asked for help during the eruption of Mount Etna, she is considered a
protector against the outbreak of fire. She is also considered the patroness of
bell makers for an unknown reason -- though some speculate it may have
something to do with the fact that bells were used as fire alarms.
Prayer: Saint Agatha, you suffered sexual assault
and indignity because of your faith. Help heal all those who are survivors of
sexual assault and protect those women who are in danger. Amen
Things to
Do[4]
·
Bake an Agatha loaf! On St. Agatha's feast day
people would bake loaves attached to a picture of St. Agatha and prayers for
protection from fires. The parish priests would bless the loaves, and people
would keep them in their homes in case of a poor harvest and famine. The
prayers would then be hung above the main door of each home to invoke St.
Agatha's guardianship.
·
Spanish tradition associates this feast day with
ancient fertility customs. Young men would visit many farms throughout the
countryside, singing songs of praise to St. Agatha and invoking God's blessing
upon people, animals, and fields. However, if they did not receive the
customary gifts of money or food for their services, they would call down a
'quick old age' upon the ungrateful inhabitants of that farm. Although most of
us do not live in such communities where this kind of custom would be
practicable or even understood, we can pray to St. Agatha for a greater
openness to the transmission of new life in our culture, and actively affirm
and support young couples with children whenever possible.
·
St. Agatha is the patron saint against fire.
Take this day to establish a fire escape plan for the family and to practice a
family fire drill. Also check the smoke detectors, fire alarms, and carbon
monoxide detectors to see if they are all working. Change the batteries on all
the alarms!
Chill
Out at Saranac Lake Winter Carnival
February 5-13
Party
Adirondack style. Since its start back in 1897, the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival has grown into one of the oldest
winter carnivals in America. The 10-day event showcases plenty of winter magic,
from an ice palace made from blocks of ice to the coronation of a winter
carnival king and queen.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: True
Masculinity
· Saturday Litany of the Hours Invoking the Aid of Mother Mary
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
· Rosary
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