In the Catholic Church, private devotions are cherished, optional practices of personal prayer and piety that invite individuals to cultivate a deeper, more intimate relationship with God, distinct from the Church’s official liturgical worship. These heartfelt expressions of faith, such as praying the Rosary, making novenas, spending time in Eucharistic Adoration, or practicing the Nine First Friday Devotion, are not required by Church doctrine but are warmly encouraged as beautiful ways to reflect on scripture and the lives of Jesus and the saints. The Nine First Friday Devotion, a beloved private devotion, involves receiving Holy Communion on nine consecutive First Fridays of the month, often with a tender focus on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as a personal offering of love and reparation. These meaningful practices of piety enrich the spiritual life, drawing the faithful closer to God’s heart.
In the late 17th century, Our Lord Jesus Christ appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647–1690), a Visitation nun, entrusting her with the mission to spread devotion to His Most Sacred Heart. This devotion, known as the First Friday Devotion, invites the faithful to deepen their love for Christ by making reparation for the sins and ingratitude of humanity. In a letter to her Mother Superior in May 1688, St. Margaret Mary shared the words of Our Lord, which form the cornerstone of this devotion, known as the Great Promise:
“On Friday during Holy Communion, He said these words to His unworthy slave, if I mistake not: ‘I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that Its all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on nine first Fridays of consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they will not die under My displeasure or without receiving their sacraments, My divine Heart making Itself their assured refuge at the last moment.’”
The First Friday Devotion calls Catholics to dedicate nine consecutive First Fridays to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. As Pope Pius XI noted in his encyclical Miserentissimus Redemptor (1928), devotion to the Sacred Heart is “the extraordinary remedy for the extraordinary needs of our time,” urging the faithful to make reparation for the sins that wound Christ’s Heart. Similarly, St. John Paul II emphasized its importance, stating in a 1985 letter to the Superior General of the Jesuits, “The Sacred Heart of Jesus is the source of the Church’s mission and the fountain of her love.”
Requirements for the First Friday Devotion
To fulfill the First Friday Devotion, Catholics must, on each First Friday for nine consecutive months:
1. Attend Holy Mass.
2. Receive Holy Communion.
3. Go to Confession.
There is some variation in the interpretation of the Confession requirement. Some sources clarify that Confession is necessary only if one is not in a state of grace to receive a worthy Communion. Others recommend Confession within eight days before or after the First Friday, even for those already in a state of grace. The latter view is more commonly prescribed, but if uncertainty arises, it is best to consult a spiritual director for guidance.
Participants should approach this devotion with the intention, at least implicitly, of making reparation to the Sacred Heart for the sins and ingratitude of humanity. As St. Augustine reminds us, “God loves each of us as if there were only one of us,” underscoring the personal and transformative love of Christ’s Heart.
The Twelve Promises of the Sacred Heart
Our Lord revealed to St. Margaret Mary twelve promises for those who faithfully practice the Nine First Fridays and cultivate a deep devotion to His Sacred Heart. These promises, including the Great Promise (number 12), reflect the boundless mercy and love of Christ
1. I will give them all of the graces necessary for their state of life.
2. I will establish peace in their homes.
3. I will comfort them in all their afflictions.
4. I will be their strength during life and above all during 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 you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant all to 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 their sacraments; My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.
The First Friday Devotion remains a powerful invitation to encounter the merciful love of Christ. As Pope Francis reflected in a 2018 homily, “The Heart of Jesus is the ultimate symbol of God’s mercy, but it is not an imaginary symbol; it is a real heart, which beat and was pierced for us.” Through this devotion, Catholics are called to draw closer to the Sacred Heart, finding in it a refuge and a source of grace for their lives and their final moments.