"Am I not here; I who have the honor and joy to be your mother?"
These words spoken to a peasant Mexican man named Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill in Mexico City in 1531 are as true today as they were then. The Blessed Virgin Mary is mother to all of God's children and wants to be remain close to her spiritual children.
A new short film released by the Knights of Columbus on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12, showcases Mary's maternal care, especially as the one who brings Jesus to us. As the first tabernacle of the Lord, she continually invites us to draw close to Jesus in the Eucharist to find sustenance in His Real Presence. The film is titled Our Lady of Guadalupe: Woman of the Eucharist.
“This powerful and moving film shows how Catholics encounter Christ through prayer and devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Mary was completely focused on Our Lord with ever greater devotion,” said Patrick Kelly, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus. “To imitate her and to be devoted to her as Mother of our Lord and our mother is a sure way to greater love of the eucharistic Lord, who gave up his life for the world. And the more we devote ourselves to the Eucharist, the more we will understand what it means to live a life of self-gift to one another and so strengthen the unity of the body of Christ.”
The Knights announced that they will be providing $1 million to support the upcoming National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, Indiana, July 17-21, 2024. They have also developed several resources, including eucharistic procession training materials, in consultation with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). According to a press release, these will serve as a key component of the Knights’ support for the three-year National Eucharistic Revival, organized by the USCCB and officially launched on June 19, 2022, the feast of Corpus Christi.
This year’s feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is extra special because it begins a nine-year novena in anticipation of the 500th anniversary of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s apparitions to St. Juan Diego -- which will occur in December 2031.
The 10-minute film Our Lady of Guadalupe: Woman of the Eucharist can be viewed below, or by visiting the Knights of Columbus YouTube Channel.