Beginning in September, St. Philip’s will add the following Masses to our schedule: a 9:00 am Mass every Tuesday, and a 9:00 am Mass on the First Saturday of each month. St. Francis of Assisi taught that “all the steps we take to hear Mass are counted by the Holy Angels and that person will be given a high reward by God in this life and in eternity.” That’s because the Mass is our highest form a prayer, and the source of great grace for our souls. It is a blessing that we can celebrate the sacrifice that brings salvation each day of the week, and your attendance is strongly encouraged on Tuesday or any other of our daily Mass celebrations.
The First Saturday custom comes from a specific request made by Our Blessed Mother herself during one of her apparitions at Fatima, Portugal in 1917. She asked that people attend Mass on the first Saturday of the month in order to make reparation for the many sins of the world. In our day and time we can surely sympathize with the need for much prayer and atonement for sin. Beginning in September, we will honor Our Lady’s request by offering a 9:00 am Mass on the first Saturday of the month. Please note these Masses will be daily (weekday) Masses and will not fulfill the Sunday obligation. Nevertheless Our Lady made a wonderful promise: those who attend for five successive first Saturdays are promised the grace of final perseverance, which is the grace necessary for salvation. Other conditions for receiving this wonderful grace include praying the Rosary, which will begin at 8:30 AM, receiving Communion in a state of grace, confession within 8 days, 15 minutes of meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary, and the specific intention of offering these Masses in reparation, as Our Lady requested. May Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death!