Have you ever heard someone mention the "nine First Fridays" and wondered what it actually involves? Maybe a grandparent kept them, or your parish posts First Friday Mass times and you've never been sure who they're for.
The First Friday devotion is one of the simplest practices in the Church, and one of the most rewarding. Here's where it comes from, how to keep it, and how to think about the promise attached to it.
What the First Friday devotion is
The First Friday devotion is the practice of receiving Holy Communion on the first Friday of the month in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, offered in a spirit of reparation. Reparation means making a return of love to Jesus for the coldness, neglect, and sin He receives, including our own.
Catholics traditionally keep this practice for nine consecutive months, which is why you'll hear it called the nine First Fridays. Many keep going long after the ninth, making it a monthly habit for life.
Where the practice comes from
The First Fridays trace back to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a Visitation nun at Paray-le-Monial in France. In 1674, during one of the apparitions she received, Jesus asked her to receive Communion on the first Friday of each month and to keep a Holy Hour on Thursday night in union with His agony in the garden.
Both the Catholic Encyclopedia and EWTN's account of the apparitions record these requests. You can read more about her life, and the Jesuit confessor who helped spread her message, in St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and the history of the Sacred Heart.
The Great Promise
In her writings, St. Margaret Mary recorded a number of promises Jesus made to those who honor His Heart. Much later, these were gathered from her letters into a numbered list, often called the twelve promises of the Sacred Heart. The last and best known is called the Great Promise.
In it, Jesus promises that those who receive Communion on the first Friday of nine consecutive months will receive the grace of final repentance. They will not die in His displeasure or without the sacraments they need.
This is a private revelation, so it's good to hold it the way the Church holds it. The Church has approved and encouraged the devotion for centuries, and no Catholic is required to believe any private revelation. Spiritual writers also stress that the promise depends on the interior disposition behind the practice: real faith, love, and a desire to make reparation. Think of each Friday as one more act of love offered to Jesus.
How to make the nine First Fridays
Here's a simple way to begin.
- Pick your start date. Look up the first Friday of next month and put it on your calendar. Then add the eight that follow.
- Find a Mass time. Many parishes offer an extra Mass, Eucharistic adoration, or extended Confession hours on First Fridays. Check your parish bulletin or website.
- Prepare with Confession. Receive Communion in a state of grace. If you're aware of serious sin, go to Confession beforehand. Many parishes schedule Confessions before First Friday Mass for this reason.
- Make your intention. Before Mass, tell Jesus you're offering this Communion in honor of His Sacred Heart and in reparation for sin. A sentence in your own words is enough.
- Receive Communion. Spend a few minutes after Mass thanking Him. Some people pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart, which you can find through EWTN.
- Track your progress. Mark each Friday on a calendar or a note on your phone so you don't lose count.
Adding a Holy Hour
Jesus also asked St. Margaret Mary to keep a Holy Hour on Thursday night, staying with Him in His agony in Gethsemane. EWTN's account describes this hour as being between 11 p.m. and midnight.
You don't have to start with a full hour at midnight. Try 15 or 20 minutes on the Thursday evening before a First Friday, either in a chapel with the Blessed Sacrament or in a quiet spot at home. Read Matthew 26:36-46 and stay with Jesus there. Archbishop Fulton Sheen is a helpful guide for building this habit, and we outlined his approach in Fulton Sheen's daily Holy Hour and how to begin your own.
Praying the Rosary on First Fridays
Fridays are traditionally the day for the Sorrowful Mysteries, which makes the Rosary a natural fit for this devotion. As you pray the fifth Sorrowful Mystery, the Crucifixion, picture the soldier's lance and the opened side of Christ.
If a full Rosary feels like too much on a busy Friday, pray a single decade. A Sacred Heart Pocket Rosary fits in a pocket or clips to a bag, so it's ready whenever you have a few minutes before or after Mass.
What if you miss a Friday?
Life happens. Sickness, travel, or a hectic month can break the chain. The traditional understanding is that the nine Fridays are consecutive, so if you miss one, simply start again at one.
Please don't let that discourage you. Every First Friday you've kept was a real act of love, and none of it was wasted. Start over gently, and trust that Jesus sees the effort.
First Fridays and First Saturdays
Many Catholics pair the First Fridays with the First Saturdays devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which Our Lady requested of Sister Lucia of Fatima in 1925. The two practices often fall on back-to-back days, and they reflect how closely the two Hearts are joined. We explain the connection in the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart.
Keeping First Fridays as a family
First Fridays are a great family habit. Children who've made their First Communion can keep them too, and younger children can come along and offer their own prayers. Some families go out for breakfast after Mass to make the day feel special.
If your family is already devoted to the Sacred Heart, the First Fridays are a natural way to prepare for an enthronement of the Sacred Heart in the home. And when June comes around, the Feast of the Sacred Heart is a fitting day to celebrate finishing your ninth.
