FIRST THINGS FIRST

www.FATIMA.org
FIRST SATURDAY

Tomorrow is March 1. There is throughout Catholicism a powerful devotion to the Blessed Mother following a tradition set at Fatima (correct me if I am wrong) that occurs on the First Saturday of every Month. This month, March this year it also falls on the first day of the month. It's a special day. Every month it's a great practice to start the month with a serious prayer for the intentions of the month, but this month is significant because it falls on a First Saturday.

This giving First Things to God concept is found everywhere. I am particularly drawn to it because I am the oldest child of two oldest children parents. So I am a first thing myself. Both my parents are first things-
All male children who "open the womb" or were first born were considered holy and consecrated to the Lord. That would include my Dad- who was a Deacon.
The First Fruits of the harvest were always to be given to the Lord in the tithe. All first created or born things belong to the Lord. In truth, everything belongs to the Lord of all creation, but there is a special consecration called for those first things. Tomorrow is such a day.

I was reminded by a kind anonymous person who commented on an earlier archived blog entry that Samuel, the great prophet, was the son of Hannah who prayed for a child after going many years barren without one and in answer to her prayer conceived, so consecrated her first born male who opened the womb to the Lord. The name Samuel actually means 'because i asked the Lord for him.'

Jesus of course also was so consecrated as the first born male who opened the womb (as if he needed consecration by any human when he was divine). He was consecrated at the Temple after the time of Mary's purification when Mary and Joseph could travel to the Temple.

John the Baptist would also have been such a first born male who "opened the womb."

We don't know (I don't know) of any siblings that Mary had, so Mary herself was in all liklihood a first born, first thing consecrated to the Lord. She was a "handmaid" of the Lord, perhaps a consecrated Virgin devoted to temple service. The reference to her stating to Gabriel essentially--how can this be? I have not been with any man, I am a Virgin--has been expounded upon to signify that she was a consecrated Virgin, for Life, dedicated to God, and Joseph was assigned by lot or duty to be her guardian-husband, forever chaste.

God calls people to himself- for himself. And as he created everything,
he calls us to give of ourselves back to him- in everything we are, have and make- including our children-especially, it would seem the first born of them.

Remember when you were a child and the first allowance money you got-I bet you bought something for your Mother with it.

If you are around a Catholic Church tomorrow- stop in and say a prayer. You may be surprised to see what you find there.