Have you made the nine First Fridays?
We were in Mary’s White League when Joe & Jem were little. They made their nine First Fridays several times in a row, but now that I’ve got six in tow…
Well, we haven’t been all that diligent.
Thus this reminder for you and for me. We’ll go to Mass at 9:00 or at noon because this afternoon we’ve got…BASEBALL.
And so it begins.
“It” being the season of baseball and soccer.
We will need all the grace we can get.
(as given by Our Lord to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque)
1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
2. I will give peace in their families.
3. I will console them in all their troubles.
4. They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life and especially at the hour of death.
5. I will pour abundant blessings on all their undertakings.
6. Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection.
9. I will bless the homes in which the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and honored.
10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.
11. Those who propagate this devotion shall have their name written in My Heart, and it shall never be effaced.
12. I promise thee in the excess of the mercy of My Heart, that its all-powerful Love will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of Nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under My displeasure, nor without receiving the Sacraments; My Heart shall be their assured refuge at that last hour.
“On Friday during Holy Communion, He said these words to His unworthy slave, if I mistake not: I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that its all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on nine first Fridays of consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they will not die under my displeasure or without receiving their sacraments, my divine Heart making itself their assured refuge at the last moment.” (from the writings of St. Margaret Mary)
Happy First Friday! Don’t forget to make it count…and by “it,” this time, I mean your life.
may God bless your charitable reminder.
don't forget the First Saturday Devotion in honor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
prayers for a blessed first friday.
pax Christi – lena
I truly believe this. My father was a deacon and a daily communicant. He had a massive heart attack at home. It just so happened that my brother (a priest) happened to be there at that moment and gave him his Last Rites. He had a beautiful death.
Love First Fridays! I was pregnant with BigBoy when my grandmother passed away. We all went to her funeral and realized on the way home that her funeral Mass was on the first Friday of January. We made the commitment to make the First Friday devotions in memory of her. We did it, even the month that BigBoy was born a week and a half before the first Friday of June. Since he was with us in utero, I assume it counted for him too. I guess I should be thinking about how to get this little one there next.
I've done them….before children!
I started it with the kiddos a couple years ago and I think I broke my leg or something?
Thanks for the reminder, we will go at noon today!
I love reading and re-reading those promises.
That's really beautiful, JMB!
Thank you for your comments, everyone–have a great weekend. 🙂
We've never ever made the nine first Fridays. I guess we should make an effort? No time like the present, I suppose, though the "present" will have to be next month. 🙂 And then we have to go to a church that nobody else we know goes to because irritating people around here keep track of how many times you go to confession and how long you stay for adoration and whether or not your skirt is long enough. Too much pressure. 😉
yes, yes, and yes (to include, First Fridays-made easier by the fact that the homeschool choir sings at the noon mass so we have a duty and an obligation!). Also to the baseball-but we have said "no" to soccer for the first time in 20 years-and I am enjoying the time off!
Thanks for the sweet reminder-and Capt. Adventure was just asking what the specific promises were, and now, there they are in print!
Happy Mother's Day., Margaret!
p.s. thanks for your piece in the article in Catholic Faith and Family. beautiful and so needed.
As soon as each of my children reach Communion age, we make a chart to check off each month's First Friday when we receive Communion. It is such a comfort to me as a mother knowing that each of my children, no matter how they choose to live their adult life, will have already made the nine First Fridays in the state of grace, and we will, through the mercy of God, some day be together again in Heaven.
This is such a great reminder and a beautiful thing to do with your children. I have 4 children who have successfully completed their First Fridays. My second son was not very interested and insisted that he had done them while in Catholic school, but I feared that he had not — and had no way of checking. I had the idea of doing them for him and asked a dear Carmelite priest if they could be done by "proxy". He told me that they certainly could be. Maybe this would be helpful to other parents who were not on task when they had the opportunity to do this with their young child.