One of my favorite descriptions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is her title as MARY, UNDOER OF KNOTS. The sin of our first mother, Eve caused sin to enter in to the world and because of that, our lives are continually knotted up with difficulties. The YES of the Virgin Mary to become the Mother of the WORD, (JESUS) allowed God to offer us salvation from the sin caused by Eve. Nonetheless, sin still affects us and causes our lives to be knotted up with difficulties. When Jesus gave us His Mother to be our Mother too, this very act allowed Mary to help us undo the knots (or difficulties) in our own lives. The title of Mary, Undoer of Knots recognizes this, and I would like to delve deeper in to it.
Our previous Pope, Pope Francis helped to bring us a new awareness of Mary as Undoer of Knots. He had a great devotion to Mary, and to that title of her. However, the devotion itself goes back to the time of Saint Irenaeus (and probably before) in the 2nd century. St. Irenaeus wrote that “And so it happened that the knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by Mary’s obedience. What the Virgin Eve tied by unbelief, the Virgin Mary untied by faith.”. Just as Mary untied Eve’s disobedience, we can see how she unties ours.
Around the year 1700, a painting of Mary as Undoer of Knots was made to celebrate an event that occurred in 1615. A German nobleman, Wolfgang Langenmantel, and his wife, Sophie, were about to divorce when they turned to their parish priest, Fr. Jakob Rem for help. He had a great devotion to Mary. Wolfgang gave Father Rem the ribbon used for their wedding. It was quite yellowed and tangled with many knots. The priest held the marriage ribbon before a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and prayed that she would untie the knots of their marriage. Miraculously, the ribbon became untangled and also became brilliant white symbolizing that the marriage was healed, which it was. Years later, Wolfgang’s grandson, Father Hieronymus Langenmantel, commissioned Johann Georg Melchior Schmidtner to paint this event. The artist painted Mary untying the ribbon with the help of angels while standing on a crescemt moon (the Immaculate Conception) and upon the head of a knotted serpent (representing the devil). The Holy Spirit is above the head of Mary as is a crown of 12 stars. This beautiful painting was hung in the church of St. Peter in Augsburg, Germany. Pope Francis saw this painting and brought many copies to South America, helping to spread the devotion. He also composed a special prayer for this devotion which says: “Holy Mary, full of God’s presence during the days of your life, you accepted with full humility the Father’s will, and the devil was never capable of tying you up with his confusion. Once with your Son you interceded for our difficulties, and full of kindness and patience, you gave us the example of how to untie the knots in our life. By remaining forever Our Mother, you put in order and make more clear the ties that link us to the Lord. Holy Mother, Mother of God and our Mother, to you who untie with a motherly heart the knots of our life, we pray to you to receive in your hands (the name of the person), and to free him/her of the knots and confusion with which our enemy attacks. Through your grace, your intercession and your example deliver us from all evil, Our Lady, and untie the knots that prevent us from being united with God, so that we, free from sin and error, may find Him in all things, may have our hearts placed in Him, and may serve Him always in our brothers and sisters. Amen.”
This devotion spread quite quickly through the church. It should be noted that when the Nuclear accident at Chernobyl happened, the people of the Ukraine, who already had a deep devotion to Mary, sought her intercession/ They did this under the title of Mary, Undoer of Knots. The first chapel dedicated to her, under this title, was built in 1989 in Styria, Austria. The painter, Franz Weiss, painted a new painting of Mary, Undoer of Knots using the theme of the Chernobyl accident. The devotion to Mary under this title continues to grow. You can see why the devotion has grown so much. We all have lives that are tangled with knots. We believe that our loving and caring mother, Mary, helps us to untangle these knots and lead us closer and closer to her son Jesus.
Brother Justinus Grebowicz, O.P. Of Augsburg Germany tells us “No matter how great the conflicts, no matter how tight the knots in our lives, no matter how deep the bite of the serpent, Mary is with us. She prays for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
Mary, Undoer of knots, I come to thee carrying many joys and burdens with me.
Mary, Undoer of knots, who did not listen — the knots are many, they do not loosen.
Mary, Undoer of knots, how comforting it sounds: there is a hand, that unties the knots profound.
Mary, Undoer of knots, look at this ball! I cannot untie it – help me, holiest woman of all.
Mary, Undoer of knots, I am the knot – I am all confused: Beg for me by God!
Mary, Undoer of knots, you are already in the light, you know yourself what I still lack is in your sight.”
I end with a beautiful prayer that I found that does not list the author. It says:
Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose hands never cease to serve your beloved children because they are moved by the divine love and immense mercy that exists in your heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots that exist in my life. You know very well how desperate I am, my pain and how I am bound by these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the undoing of the knots in the lives of His children, I entrust into your hands the ribbon of my life. No one, not even the evil one himself, can take it away from your precious care. In your hands there is no knot that cannot be undone. Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory power with Your Son and My Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today this knot: (insert your prayer request here) I beg you to undo it for the glory of God, once for all, You are my hope. O my Lady, you are the only consolation God gives me,the fortification of my feeble strength, the enrichment of my destitution and with Christ the freedom from my chains. Hear my plea. Keep me, guide me, protect me, o safe refuge! Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me. Amen.
Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for us.