First Friday and Saturday devotions are two popular, enduring practices that also happen to fall under this week’s topic of having an indulgence attached.
First Friday Devotions were derived from revelations made by Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque and include the practice of receiving Holy Communion on nine consecutive First Fridays of the month in reparation to “the Heart that has loved men so and is loved so little in return” (Words of Christ to Margaret Mary). Among the graces Christ is said to have promised to those faithful to this devotion are: final perseverance in the Catholic Faith, reception of the last sacraments, death in the state of grace, and the consolation of the love of Christ’s Sacred Heart at the time of death.
First Saturday Devotions is the practice of receiving Holy Communion on five consecutive first Saturdays, receiving the Sacrament of Penance within 8 days before or after this reception, reciting five decades of the Rosary, and making a 15 minute meditation on one of these mysteries.
You can learn more about each devotion from the ever-helpful Wikipedia. (Friday, Saturday)
It has been my experience that kids who have just received their first Holy Communion are particularly interested in coming to Mass again to receive their “second Holy Communion” and their “third Holy Communion” and so on. I know of kids who keep counting their times of receiving Communion to quite a high number. Why not take advantage of that enthusiasm by adding as many Masses as possible into your weekly routine?
One of our Family Formation families has had the same experience with their children and created an easy (and beautiful) way for them to keep track of the requirements of this devotion. You can print your own copies from the link at the bottom of this page.
Family Formation 