Category Archives: Tradition

MARY, Undoer of Knots by Deacon Marty McIndoe

Agony and Difficulty, Anxiety and Worry, Blessed Virgin Mary, Church, Community, Cross to Bear, Demons, Discernment, Early Church Fathers, Healing, Holiness, Holy Spirit, How to be Catholic, Marriage, Miracles, Pope Francis, Prayer, Relationships, Scripture, Service, Spirituality, Tradition, Undoer of Knots

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.

Open Doors Podcast

Anxiety and Worry, Apologetics, Blessed Virgin Mary, Book Review, Books, Charity, Communication, Community, Conversion, Cross to Bear, Death and Dying, Demons, Discernment, Early Church Fathers, Easter, Ethics, Eucharist, Evangelism, Family, Fasting, Forgiveness, Healing, Heresy, Holiness, Holy Spirit, How to be Catholic, Incarnation, Jewish roots, Lent, Life in the Spirit, Liturgy, Marriage, Miracles, Morality, Mystics, Peace and Justice, Penance and Reconciliation, Pope Francis, Prayer, Preaching, Priesthood, Pro-Life, Purgatory, Relationships, Relics, Rites of the Church, Rosary, Sacraments, Scripture, Service, Social Media, Soldiers, Spirituality, Suffering, Teaching, Terrorism, Tradition, Trust, Vocation, Women,

The leaders of our local Patchogue Prayer Meeting produce a PODCAST each week. I would like to recommend it to you. They talk about real life issues of living out our Catholic faith by sharing stories and experiences as well as teaching moments. To me, the thing that makes them stand out is the range in ages from teenage to Grown Adults. I asked them to write a short description and to give links to their podcast. Please find that here:

The Open Doors Podcast is a local Long Island–based, Catholic faith-centered podcast rooted in Christian testimony, reflection, and honest conversation. Through real-life stories of trials and triumphs, the podcast creates space for listeners to encounter God’s presence in everyday moments—especially when faith feels messy, uncertain, or difficult to articulate. Its mission is to encourage deeper trust in Christ and remind listeners that they are not alone on their spiritual journey.

The podcast is hosted by four voices from different seasons of life: Marissa (36), Janine (49), her son James (15), and Ivette (25), from Spain. Together, they offer an intergenerational perspective on faith, family, doubt, perseverance, and grace. Their conversations are intentionally relatable and welcoming, with a special heart for those who may feel disconnected, overlooked, or unsure if they truly belong within the Church.

At its core, The Open Doors Podcast exists to support evangelization by welcoming all—especially those searching for meaning, healing, and belonging. Select episodes are also available in Spanish, helping to reach listeners who feel more comfortable engaging in their native language. Wherever someone finds themselves on their faith journey, the podcast seeks to remind them that God meets them exactly where they are—and that the door is always open.

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@theopendoors.podcast?si=oqPxmoYtER9wyoIT

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ry05GnYAhYbIJ9eweZ60D?si=_lDnii6KQ9KLXsZHoP5ffw

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-open-doors/id1777095076

The FIFTH GLORIOUS MYSTERY of the Rosary – THE CORONATION OF MARY AS QUEEN OF HEAVEN AND EARTH – by Deacon Marty McIndoe

Apologetics, Assumption of Mary, Blessed Virgin Mary, Church, Community, Converts, Evangelism, Family, Healing, Holiness, How to be Catholic, Jewish roots, Nativity, Prayer, Rosary, Scripture, Tradition, Women, , ,

First of all, I feel so inadequate to write this because I was brought up as a Protestant Methodist (I converted in 1972) and I heard very little about Mary when I was growing up. About the only time we heard about her was at Christmas. However, after becoming Catholic, I have grown in love with Mary, not only as the mother of Jesus, but also as my mother. Because of this, I am very excited to write about her Queenship. Believe me, most Protestants do not understand how we Catholics can see Mary as Queen. Hopefully, this might help. I think that it is interesting that the Protestant Evangelist and Conservative commentator, Charlie Kirk, only two months before his assassination/death, had this to say, “But let me first say, I think we as Protestants and Evangelicals under-venerate Mary. She was very important. She was a vessel for our Lord and Savior. I think that we, as Evangelicals and Protestants, we’ve overcorrected. We don’t talk about Mary enough. We don’t venerate her enough. Mary was clearly important to early Christians. There’s something there. In fact, I believe one of the ways that we fix toxic feminism in America is that Mary is the solution. Have more young ladies be pious, be reverent, be full of faith, slow to anger, slow to words at times. Mary is a phenomenal example, and I think a counter to so much of the toxicity of feminism in the modern era.” Whether or not you agree with the political side of that statement, I think that it is notable that a Protestant Evangelical made such a statement about Mary. I once read an article stating that Mary would be the one who brings the Protestant and Catholic Church back together. I would love to see that happen.

The main scripture that shows Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth is Revelation 12: 1-6 which describes a woman, with a Crown of 12 stars giving birth to a male child who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” It tells how the Devil wished to devour the child. This vision that Saint John descibes, clearly shows Mary, the Mother of Jesus as a Queen. But the question is often asked, “why does the Church need a Queen? Didn’t Mary fulfill her duty by giving birth and raising Jesus?” The answer is clearly, no. Mary was chosen not only to be the mother of Jesus but our mother too, She was chosen to be the Queen of Heaven and Earth. We can understand this better when we look at the Hebrew scriptures and the history of their Kings. Don’t forget that Jesus is known as the King of Kings and Son of David. The Davidic Kingdom finds its fulfillment in Jesus as KING OF THE UNIVERSE.

In the Davidic Kingdom of the Jews, the King had primary authority and often they had many brides. Even if there was one favored bride, the Mother of the King was known as the Queen. This was a recognized office and not just a title. In her office she possessed a Crown and a Throne and had signigicant powers. The Queen had the title of Gebirah (Hebrew for Great Lady) and served as a powerful and influential person within the King’s royal court. Often the King would have his subjects go to her with their requests and she would bring to him the ones she thought were necessary and would often handle many on her own. Catholics continue this tradition by often bringing to Mary their intercessions, to then to bring to Jesus. Remember that the Queen mother had the highest royal position, even above any of the King’s wives. Today the Church is seen as the Bride of Christ and we can all thus be seen as his bride (males too). There are many scriptures that show this, but my favorite is Isaiah 54:5 – “For your Maker is your husband; the Lord of hosts is His name; and the Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall He be called.” However, even though we have many Brides of the King, we have only one Queen, His mother Mary. This is just like the Davidic Kings.

Bathsheba, the wife of Solomon, is known as the first Gebirah, or Queen mother. Many others followed; Maacha, Azubah, Zibiah, Jehoaddom, Jecholiah, Jerusha, Abi, Hephzihah, Meshullemeth, Jedidah, Hamutal, Zebidah, and Nehusta who was the last when the Babylonians conquered the Kingdom. It should also be noted that the royal expression for addressing the Gebirah was “the mother of my Lord”. This is the same exxpression that Elizabeth called Mary when the Visitation occurred (Luke 1:43). Even Elizabeth, during that very special meeting, while Jesus was still within Mary’s womb, recognized Mary as the Gebirah or Queen Mother. Today the Church continues that tradition of recognizing Mary as the Queen Mother, the Queen of Heaven and Earth. Why? Because Jesus is the King of Kings, the King of Heaven and Earth and Mary is His Mother and both Scripture and Tradition tell us to..

QUESTIONS TO PONDER:

1 – Do I really honor Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth?

2 – Do I appreciate the rich link between our Christian faith and the Jewish traditions?

3 – Do I see Mary as someone to intercede to?

4 – Do I recognize Jesus as the King of the Universe?

5 – Do I see how God was at work within the Jewish nation and how it led to our beliefs today?

6 – Do I stand up for my beliefs even among people who believe differently than me?

7 – Can I think of ways to give special honor to Mary, as Queen of the Universe”

8 – Again, how am I doing on praying the Rosary on a regular basis?

9 – In the midst of her Queenship, can I see Mary as my mother?

10 – Do I understand how special I am as a believer in Jesus, as having Him as my Spouse and as having His Mother as my mother too?

The FOURTH MYSTERY of the Rosary – THE ASSUMPTION OF MARY IN TO HEAVEN – by Deacon Marty McIndoe

Ascension, Assumption of Mary, Blessed Virgin Mary, Books, Church, Early Church Fathers, Holiness, How to be Catholic, Prayer, Relationships, Relics, Resurrection, Rosary, Saints, Scripture, Spirituality, Tradition, Women, ,

This is the only Mystery of the Rosary that does not have a DIRECT scriptural reference. It has a very strong TRADITIONAL reference going all the way back to the apostles. This mystery celebrates the fact that Mary, at the completion of her time on earth, was taken body and soul in to heaven. The Church carefully uses the word ASSUMPTION for Mary compared to ASCENSION for Jesus. The ASCENSION of Jesus implies that He did this on His own (by His own power – He was God). The ASSUMPTION of Mary implies that it was done to her (not by her own power – She was human). There are several indirect scriptural passages that can be used in seeing how this happened. First of all, the Hebrew scriptures (the Old Testament) tell us that two previous human beings were taken in to heaven, Enoch and Elijah. Genesis 5:24 tells us about Enoch and 22 Kings 2:11 tells us about Elijah. These set the precedent for Mary being taken up too. Also Psalm 132:8 describes God arising into his resting place with the ark. Mary is seen as the new Ark of the Covenant, in that she carried the very presence of God within her. In line with that, Revelation 11:19 shows the presence of the Ark in heaven right before it describes Mary as Queen of Heaven in Chapter 12.

One of the ways that we can see that Catholic Tradition is correct about the bodily assumption of Mary is by considering that there are two tombs, dating back to the earliest times that say that Mary had died there. Both were in places where she had lived, one in Ephesus and the other in Jerusalem. Both of these tombs are empty and tradition indicates that although Mary was placed there after her death, the tombs were found to be empty shortly afterwards. ALSO, the Church loves relics (including body pieces) and has relics from the Apostles and the early Saints, it does not have any body relics of Mary. There have been attempts to reconcile the two separate traditional places of Mary’s “dormition” but we simply do not know. I have been to both spots, the tomb in Jerusalem and the tomb in Ephesus, Turkey. Both are credible but I have to say that the location in Ephesus sent shivers up and down my spine. I felt the presence of Mary there and it was a very holy place.

Although the Assumption of Mary was believed and celebrated from the earliest times, it was not made a dogma of the Church until 1950. The Assumption of Mary tells us many things. First of all, it highlights the position of Mary as the Mother of Jesus. Secondly, it shows us what all Christians will be receiving at the end of time. The very fact that the unstained (Immaculate Conception of Mary) body of Mary is the “NEW -ARK OF THE COVENANT” demands that it could not be left on the earth to decay. For me, it also tells me that my mother (Mary given to us in John 19: 26-27) is alive in Her fullness. I personally believe that is why she appears to us in so many apparitions. Hail Mary, FULL OF GRACE………

QUESTIONS TO PONDER:

1 – Do I consider the Blessed Virgin Mary an important part of God’s plan of salvation?

2 – Do I consider the Blessed Virgin Mary an important part of my life, especially in prayer?

3 – Do I consider Mary as my mother too, as Jesus said in John 19: 26-27?

4 – Have I tried to find out more about Mary (suggestion for Scott Hahn’s book, Hail Holy Queen)?

5 – Do I see Mary as the Ark of the Covenant?

6 – Do I pray the rosary often?

7 – Do I understand that someday I too, like Mary, will be body and soul together in Heaven?

8 – Do I appreciate the role of Tradition in my faith?

9 – Do I believe that I will be going to heaven after my time on earth is done?

10 – Am I doing what is necessary to get in to heaven?