Here is my way of making the meditations on the mysteries of the Rosary on the first Saturdays: First mystery, the annunciation of the Angel Gabriel to Our Lady. First prelude: to imagine myself seeing and hearing the Angel greet Our Lady with these words: “Hail Mary, full of grace.” Second prelude: I ask Our Lady to infuse into my soul a profound sentiment of humility.

1st point: I will meditate on the manner in which Heaven proclaims that the Most Holy Virgin is full of grace, blessed among all women and destined to become the Mother of God.

2nd point: The humility of Our Lady, recognizing Herself and declaring Herself to be the handmaid of the Lord.

3rd point: How I must imitate Our Lady in Her humility, what are the faults of pride and arrogance through which I most often displease the Lord, and the means I must employ to avoid them, etc.

On the second month, I make the meditation on the second joyful mystery. The third month, I make it on the third joyful mystery and so on, following the same method of meditating. When I have finished the five first Saturdays, I begin five others and meditate on the sorrowful mysteries, then the glorious ones, and when I have finished them, I start over again with the joyful ones.

… I don’t know if you already know about the reparatory devotion of the five Saturdays to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. As it is still recent, I would like to inspire you to practice it, because it is requested by Our Dear Heavenly Mother and Jesus has manifested a desire that it be practised. Also, it seems to me that you would be fortunate, dear godmother, not only to know it and to give Jesus the consolation of practising it, but also to make it known and embraced by many other persons.

It consists in this: During five months, on the first Saturday, to receive Jesus in Communion, recite a Rosary, keep Our Lady company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary,^[1] and make a confession. This confession can be made a few days earlier, and if in this previous confession one has forgotten the (required) intention, it can be offered at the next confession, provided that on the first Saturday one receives Holy Communion in the state of grace, with the intention of making reparation for the offences against the Most Holy Virgin which afflict Her Immaculate Heart.^[2]

It seems to me, my dear godmother, that we are fortunate to be able to give Our Dear Heavenly Mother this proof of love, for we know that She desires it to be offered to Her. As for myself, I avow that I am never so happy as when the first Saturday arrives. Isn’t it true that our greatest happiness is to belong entirely to Jesus and Mary and to love Them, and Them alone, without reserve? We see this so clearly in the lives of the saints … They were happy because they loved, and we, my dear godmother, we must seek to love as they did, not only to enjoy Jesus, which is the least important — because if we do not enjoy Him here below, we will enjoy Him up above — but to give Jesus and Mary the consolation of being loved … and in exchange for this love They will be able to save many souls. Adieu, my dear godmother, I embrace you in the Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

---

^[1] Let us recall that according to the Blessed Virgin’s exact request, this quarter of an hour of meditation must be performed outside of the time when the Rosary is recited. Bishop da Silva’s interpretation, according to which it suffices to meditate during recitation of the Rosary, is a regrettable dilution of Our Lady’s true requirements.
^[2] It is clear, according to this letter, that there is no need to express this intention to the confessor, but only to offer God this monthly confession, in the spirit of reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Let us also make it clear that the Mass of Saturday evening, even if it is an “anticipated Sunday Mass”, can be counted as Mass of the first Saturday of the month.