Heeding even their inmost desires

Yesterday, I wanted to go to confession for advent, and since my pastor was on vacation, we had a visiting priest to serve us -- however, he did not hold confessions the previous week and I knew he probably wouldn't do so again this weekend. So I went to a church about 15 miles away, since they had 11 a.m. confessions.

As I waited for Father to arrive, another gentleman came in and asked me where Father was. He read to me the phone number of the rectory and I entered it on my cell phone -- but there was just a voice recording. The man said there was another church nearby that had confessions at 11:30, so I asked if I could follow him. I never knew this church was there, so I took a bulletin to look at their parish activity.

What enlightenment! They have a monthly First Saturday Mass at 9:00 am!! I had gone to Mass for First Friday at another nearby parish, since my pastor was gone, and lamented in my heart that no priest anywhere in my vicinity has a First Saturday liturgy. I did not PRAY about it, I just sighed with a wishful desire, never dreaming that God was preparing the answer the very next day, through this man who just happened to be in the right place at the right time to lead me to a parish that has First Saturdays!

This is not the first time that God has so graciously heard the inmost desire of my heart and anticipated the answer, though I never voiced a petition. I have a holy card in my bible from many years ago, whereon I penned three things that I wanted to do to please God. One of them was to "anticipate the inmost desires" of another and answer their need. Maybe God was reminding me of my resolutions, but even more, I realized once again that God knows our needs before we even ask Him.

I also realized how pleasing this must be to Mary that we fulfill her request to keep First Saturdays in honor of her. All in all, this was a special day, and I thought some might be encouraged by my sharing it.

This link might be helpful for you.

The devotion of nine First Fridays used to be coupled with five First Saturdays, until priests generally stopped the practice on Saturday. No longer do we have parishes with two priests, and since the pastor often has a wedding, funeral and the vigil Mass on Saturday, many simply stopped offering it.

To be honest, I remember doing this when I was in grade school due to the IHM nuns inspiring us, and I remember as a child walking to Mass on these First Saturdays. Of course, being a Catholic School, the entire school went on First Friday, and we ate a brown bag breakfast in the classroom. (The fast in those days was from midnight) But First Saturday was devotional as one may have felt inspired to go on their own.

I am not one to follow to the letter 9 Fridays and 5 Saturdays, so I have gone to First Friday Mass for many, many years out of personal devotion. Seems lately that I've had a desire for Saturday, too, but none in my area are being offered --- until the surprise blessing yesterday. I think maybe it would please Jesus and Mary for me to participate once again. I've never been attracted to Louis de Montfort's consecration, so this would be a way for me to give a little extra devotion to Mary.

God bless you much for asking!

The more I think about the sheer orchestration to get me to that church, unknown to me, I marvel at God's providential ways!

First, my pastor chose to go on vacation beginning the first Sun. of Advent.

Next, the visiting priest failed to offer confessions for our parish, which I wanted to go as we began advent. So I knew I would need to go elsewhere the following week, as he probably might not have confessions again. If he had been in the confessional before mass, as usually is done in our parish, it would be all over and done with.

Third, the priest just happened to miss the scheduled confession time in the second parish (for whatever reason) even though the online bulletin said they would be held.

Fourth, this man was nearly 40 miles from home doing work in the area, and just happened to come into the church where we both waited for Father to arrive. Since it was just he and I from outside the parish, maybe the regular parishioners had an announcement the week before, unknown to us. He said he works all over two dioceses and knows the schedules of many of these churches, so he led me to the new Church.

While we were there, I took their bulletin, and I noticed there is a regular mass listed for First Saturday of every month.

Whew!!!!! And it all seemed so natural.

As a conclusion to this thread, I fulfilled the conditions for a plenary indulgence this morning with the recitation of the rosary in Church after mass, with a group of faithful.

It occurred to me that God is so desirous of us entering heaven without passing through purgatory that He, through His Church, offers us these extraordinary opportunities to be fully cleansed, without a great deal of trouble. Many centuries ago, folks couldn't even go back to the Eucharist until they had satisfied literally months of public penance. Just another way that the Church has changed Her practice over the years, lovingly, with the very mercy of God at the heart of it.

And now, in obedience to my confessor, I leave this forum, wishing all a very holy, merry Christmas!