What to do depending on the availability of the priest and/or Masses
Situation 1: Near you, there’s already a Saturday morning mass.
There are two possible cases:
a) The priest already organizes the 1st Saturday devotional (in whole or in part), or is interested in starting one. This is ideal! Check that the request to Our Lady has been made in its entirety (the meditation is often missing). Help him make these 1st Saturdays solemn with, if possible, a statue of Our Lady in the spotlight, songs, etc. See if it’s possible to announce the1st Saturday on the previous Sunday, put up a poster in the church, in the parish bulletin, etc.
b) The priest is not interested: we stay within the framework of his normal ministry to receive communion at his Saturday morning mass. Afterwards, members of the 1st Saturdays group organize themselves to do the 15-minute meditation and recite the rosary before or after mass (coordinate so as not to interfere with other possible activities).
Situation 2: There’s no Saturday morning mass near you.
a) Try to find a priest (parish priest, family, friend, community, etc.) who is willing to celebrate a morning mass on the 1st Saturday of the month. If you find one, it works like the previous situation (1a).
b) If it is impossible to have mass on Saturday morning, then use the anticipated evening mass(1) to take communion, without forgetting the intention of the 1stst Saturday of the month to make reparation for offenses against the Blessed Virgin. If possible, schedule the rosary and meditation before/after evening mass, so you don’t have to go twice, or at another time of day.
Note 1: This mass is not used as an early mass and must be attended on Sunday (unless unable to attend on Sunday due to force majeure).
Note 2: If you don’t have much time, you don’t have to attend the “Liturgy of the Word”, as it will be said at Mass on the following Sunday anyway. It is therefore possible to arrive only for the offertory and to take communion.
Situation 3: There is no Saturday mass near you
This can happen, for example, in the countryside. Christ himself answered this question put to him by Sister Lucy, and explained that in the event of total impossibility of receiving communion on Saturday, Sunday communion was valid provided that 1/ we receive communion in reparation for offenses committed against the Blessed Virgin and 2/ we inform the priest beforehand that our communion will be taken on the1st Saturday. All other requests (rosary and 15-minute meditation) must be made on Saturday.
Situation 4: No possibility of mass at all (very isolated area, persecution)
In this case, meet in a church, chapel or even a private place to recite the rosary and do the 15 minutes of meditation (individually or in a group, depending on the situation). Then, in place of confession, make an examination of conscience and ask God’s forgiveness for your sins by reciting your act of contrition. Then make a spiritual communion. (See isolated case sheet 4)
