Thanks, Praetorian, for the reminder. Started the first Saturdays (again) today and first Fridays yesterday. I have never managed to complete either. I can only hope that God will give me some credit for trying.
You're welcome I have started them a number of times and am not sure if I did them satisfactorily. I think we should keep doing them even if we have completed them as they are a sign of reparation anyway.
If we go to mass every day we cover all the bases . As St Augustine said, 'Love and do what you will'. I know getting to mass everyday may be hard but it is the ideal.
Just a reminder it's First Saturday this week There are only 7 Months left until the 100th Anniversary of Fatima. Just enough time to get them in
There is so much talk these days about whether or not the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart was accomplished, but we also must take note that Our Blessed Mother has asked us for Devotion to Her Immaculate Heart in reparation for the offenses against Her. Please try to make your First Saturdays and offer them in reparation for all who offend our dear Mother. From EWTN's website regarding First Saturday Devotion: Many ask why Our Lady asked her children to observe FIVE first Saturdays. Our Lady told Sister Lucia the five Saturdays are to make reparation for the five kinds of offenses and blasphemies uttered against her Immaculate Heart. The offenses are 1.) against her Immaculate Conception, 2.) against her virginity, 3.) against her Divine maternity, 4.) by those who openly seek to foster in the hearts of children indifference, or even hatred, for this Immaculate Mother, and 5.) by those who directly outrage her holy images. What if you’ve already made the Five First Saturdays? Should you do it again? Said Father Joseph: “There is always a need for reparation. Although we can trust in the promises of Our Lady that we have satisfied her desires for ourselves personally, nonetheless, it will still be beneficial for us in making reparation for sins which continue against her Immaculate Heart and for obtaining world peace.”
I very much want to do this beginning tomorrow and am looking for some guidance. I sat and thought about then wrote out the sins I have committed but I have never been to confession in the Church. Up until a few months ago I have been in evangelical churches my entire life. I was baptized as an infant in the Church but was not brought up in it and only attended Mass one time as a young child other than attending for the last 3 months. While an evangelical I did meet with my pastor weekly and confessed to him my sins. All of them. I held nothing back and was rigorous about it. I feel very called to take part in this and would like to do it before the anniversary of Fatima. I would very much like to make reparation to our Blessed Mother. My confession would be my first with our Pastor and I think that I should again confess my mortal sins to him so that I can partake in penance and hopefully have absolution. Does this sound OK or am I biting off more than I should at such a short notice? I guess I am just nervous about going to confession and not knowing what to expect or what I need to say (other than confessing my sins of course) while I am there. I feel that it is important to confess to him because I do not believe that the pastor that I confessed to had the authority to absolve me of them. I just don't want to put the cart before the horse and if it means waiting or doing something else before hand I just want to go about it the right way and will do so.
Hi Don, I believe you should go to the Sacrament of Confession at your earilest convenience. To be absolved by a Catholic priest is where you will recieve a multitude of graces which will strengthen you, also it is advantageous for the soul and body, to go to confession at least once a month! If you are able to start making the 5 first Saturdays on the very day of your first confession and also recieve Jesus in Holy Communion, attend the Holy Mass and meditate on passion of Jesus for 15 minutes in company with Our Blessed Mother Mary, than this is indeed a beautiful grace. And Of course it is possible! God Bless you. You must have had a very interesting past! It would be lovely to hear how Our Lord called you back home! Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Our Lord Jesus be a mother to Don now. Amen
Don, if it were me I would go to confession today, Tell the priest just what you have said up above. He will be very kind and patient. Repeat all the sins you can remember or have them written down so later you won't start to feel like, did I tell him all my sins? He will tell you if it is ok to start going to communion right away or if he feels you need some Catholic instruction before hand. The words I use I have said since child hood. "Bless me father for I have sinned. It has been (amount of time) since my last confession. These are my sins. You will say this is my first confession. Then after telling him all my sins I say "For these and all my other sins I am very sorry" He will tell you to say to him a good act of contrition. There are different acts of contrition but this is the one I say. "O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace to confess my sins, to do penence and amend my life , Amen" Then he will give you a penence to say or do that you will go back into the church to say on your own. God Bless you Don!
Wonderful Patty, And your act of contrition is so very similar to mine! Also Don, after the Priest gives you your penance [penance is normally prayers that the priest asks you to pray, when you leave the confessional] he will then give you absolution. Absolution was instituted by Jesus to His apostles. The absolution of sins is only available through a Catholic priest. When the priest gives absolution he uses the words of Jesus and the Church and he makes the sign of the cross over you, and your sins are forgiven, just as our Lord Jesus had instituted!, and you also make the sign of the cross over yourself at this time. Before I leave I always say Thank you Father and God Bless you Father. Then leave the confessional and kneel in front of the tabernacle and say your penance! God Bless you Don.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen said that in the Confessional we are before Jesus Himself and that when the Priest absolves us of our sins, the blood of Jesus drips from his hands onto us. Welcome home! God bless you.
May Bishop Fulton Sheen pray for all of us. We are in need of every prayer that the saints pray in communion with us. Lord have Mercy on us and on our families! Now at this very moment! Amen.
I want to thank you all, your words helped me immensely this morning (especially yours Patty) and the video of Bishop Sheen was very comforting. Thank you so much for urging me on. I went and gave a good confession as well as penance. I will be going back this evening for Mass and communion. Nothing I confessed today was something that I had not confessed to another before today but the authority of the Church passed down through the Priesthood to absolve us of sin is a very great gift and one I whole heartedly believe in. I spent quite a bit of time as well in adoration. I know that it was pleasing to our Lord and Holy Mother. I felt light as a feather and so very very thankful afterward.
Thank you for your testimony, Don. Confession to a priest is offputting to so many, yet it is really Jesus in the Sacrament, and it is the way we are supposed to confess. Hope people reading this thread realize what a blessing it is, as Dolours said. Patty did an excellent job of explaining it. Happy for you.
Don, it has just occurred to me that you might need to talk to your priest about getting Confirmed. Sorry if I've got the wrong end of the stick but reading your post, it looks like you might have missed out on that Sacrament. People don't talk about it much because, unlike Confession and Communion, Confirmation is a one-off Sacrament bringing the gift of the Holy Spirit. You may be required to satisfy the priest that you have sufficient understanding of the faith before you can receive the Sacrament, so best to have a chat with him if you haven't already been confirmed.
