Monday, July 29, 2013

First Friday Devotion

    This Friday, August 2nd, we celebrate First Friday.  Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will be after the 9:00 a.m. Mass until Benediction at 6:45 p.m.  Immediately following Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is Mass at 7:00 p.m. Come and spend some time in prayer before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

What is the First Friday Devotion, you ask?

    The First Friday Devotion was popularized by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. St. Margaret Mary was a mystic to whom the Lord appeared frequently and entrusted her with the mission of establishing devotion to His Sacred Heart.

    Basically, the devotion consists of going to Mass and receiving Holy Communion for nine (9) monthly consecutive Fridays with the particular intention of honoring Jesus’ Sacred Heart and in preparation for those who do not love Him or receive Him. In His own words, he said to St. Margaret Mary:

“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 of without receiving their sacraments, my divine Heart making itself their assured refuge at the last moment.”

    Jesus actually made 12 promises to anyone who would honor Him by this devotion. This shows His amazing mercy and love: we give him a little thing, like the sacrifice of our time for Mass, and He gives back so much more!
       SimpleCatholicLiving.com


~Cheryl Kreifeldt

No comments:

Post a Comment