First Friday Devotion
What Did Jesus Say About First Friday?
Of the 12 Promises Jesus gave to St. Margaret Mary, the 12th one was perhaps the most important to you and your family. Jesus gave the 12 Promises to St. Margaret Mary between 1673 and 1675. Life was not so good for the common people as the rapidly growing population was sapping the ability of the county to produce enough food for the people (if you were rich, you probably did not notice).
The First Friday Devotion is also referred to as the “Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus” for our sins against Jesus and His Sacred Heart.
The 12th Promise was:
"The all-powerful love of My Heart 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 their Sacraments; My Heart shall be their assured refuge at the last hour."
Let us just take a brief look at what Jesus said to St. Margaret Mary in 1673-1675.
1. “The all-powerful love of My Heart will grant to all those who shall receive Communion….”
a. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “Anyone aware of having sinned mortally must not receive Communion without having received absolution in the sacrament of penance”(Confession). If you truly forgot to go to Mass then it is not considered a mortal sin. But if you decided not to attend Mas, that requires a trip to your friendly and loving priest.
b. The Catholic Church still considers it a mortal sin to miss Mass on a day of obligation without good cause. So, to receive the 12th Promise, it is suggested you go to Confession and unload all your sins for absolution. Look at the benefits, “the grace of final repentance”. You should be looking for ways to live in a manor that pleases Jesus, not giving Him reason to judge you harshly.
2. “on the First Friday of nine consecutive months”, that is nine First Fridays in a row. As I told my friend, if you miss the 7th first Friday of your 9-month program to receive Communion on the First Friday of each month, you need to begin again. Don’t be discouraged, just make it happen and put it on your calendar.
3. “the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under My displeasure, nor without receiving their Sacraments; My Heart shall be their assured refuge at the last hour”. Jesus is offering you to “grace of final repentance” or turning away from sin and dedicating oneself to the amendment of one's life.
Jesus is not hanging over us to look for opportunities to punish us. He has given his life to save you from sin and hell. Recall what he said to the woman caught in the act of adultery, “Neither do I condemn you, Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”
Give Jesus a chance to forgive you.
