1st Friday

The Sacred Heart of Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque at Paray-le-Monial in France, during 1674.  Whilst in this Apparition, He spoke in detail of His wishes for the Holy Hour   First Friday Devotion  "The First Friday of each month was designated by our Savior Himself as a day to be consecrated to honoring His Sacred Heart…. As the object of this devotion is to make our Savior Jesus Christ ardently and perfectly loved, and to make reparation for the outrages offered to Him in the past, as well as for those which he daily receives in the Blessed Eucharist…Jesus Christ merits our love at all times, but alas! He is despised and outraged in the Sacrament of His love at all times, and so people should at all times make reparation to Him. We should then adore Jesus Christ in this august Sacrament, make a fervent act of love to Jesus in the tabernacle, thank Him for having instituted this Mystery of love, express our sorrow at seeing Him so abandoned, and resolve to visit Him as soon as possible and love Him unceasingly. Attendance at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is assuredly the best means of honoring and loving the adorable Heart of Jesus.


The following First Friday devotions are efficacious in honoring the Sacred Heart of Jesus: 

1. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
2. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
3. Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
4. Act of Reparation 
5. The Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
6. The Sacrament of Reconciliation

The Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque:

1. "I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life." 
2. "I will establish peace in their homes." 
3. "I will comfort them in their afflictions."
4. "I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all in death." 
5. "I will bestow a large blessing upon all their undertakings." 
6. "Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and the infinite ocean of mercy." 
7. "Tepid souls shall grow fervent." 
8. "Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection." 
9. "I will bless every place where a picture of My Heart shall be set up and honored." 
10. "I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts." 
11. "Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be blotted out." 
12. "I promise thee in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant to all those who communicate on the First Friday in nine consecutive months, the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving the Sacraments; My Divine heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment."


In order to help us to understand more deeply the development of the First Friday Devotion let us look at the work of Father John Croiset, S.J.

It was he who became St. Margaret Mary’s confessor and Spiritual Advisor, following the death of St. Claude La Columbiere.  Like St. Claude, he dedicated his life to the spreading of the Devotion.

 

In fact, through a request received in a message to St. Margaret Mary, Our Lord asked that Father Croisset write a detailed manual on the new Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
It is this book, The Devotion to the Sacred Heart, that we refer to here. Regarding the First Friday Devotion Father Croiset writes:

The object of this devotion is to make our Saviour Jesus Christ ardently and perfectly loved, and to make reparation for the outrages offered to Him in the past, as well as for those which He daily receives in the Blessed Eucharist.
 

 

Sacred Heart window, Co. Tyrone, Ireland

 

Father Croiset also points out, as I have noticed through my years of practice of this Devotion, that many people begin preparation for the First Friday, on the Thursday preceding it.

On this first Thursday, the Holy Hour is more greatly emphasized and confession is often made, in order to worthily communicate on the First Friday – in a state of grace.

Thus, one may wish to seek out a suitable Priest, who practices the Devotion himself. Such a priest will likely offer a number of beautiful, devotional practices which have become associated with the First Friday over the last centuries.

These include: particular or special confession times prior to Holy Mass, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction, recitation of the Litany of the Sacred Heart. He may even celebrate a votive Mass for the Feast of the Sacred Heart each First Friday.  Others may  offer exposition throughout the night, into the First Saturday (dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary).
Following Father Croiset’s direction,  it is important to spend the First Fridays (as also with the Feast of the Sacred Heart) contemplating the outrages and sacrileges, which have caused Our Lord so much distress.

Yet whilst the Sacred Heart revealed to St. Margaret Mary His suffering on account of our ingratitude, it is we who suffer most at being separated from Our Divine Lord. It is we who remain in sin, when we are not bathed in the Divine love, issuing forth from the Heart of Our Lord and Saviour.

Therefore, whilst Our Lord pleads with us to make amends, through Reparation to Him, we should remember that, whilst clearly pleasing Him, the effects of Communion and Reparation on the First Friday work to bring us back to Him.

They work to bring us back to the source of all life, to the Heart of God, present in the person of Jesus Christ: the Sacred Heart. They work to make amends that will bring us and our fellowmen, back into relationship with our means of salvation; Our loving Friend and God, Jesus Christ.
He is hurting because He has given us everything and we have not acknowledged this. We have in fact, turned our backs on Him. Yet He gave us everything, not for Himself, but for us.