The devotion to Mary, Undoer of Knots has become more popular ever since Pope Francis encouraged the devotion in Argentina, and then spoke about it during his first year as pope.
‘Mary, Undoer of Knots’ is the name of both a Marian devotion and a Baroque painting which represents that devotion. The painting by Johann Georg Melchior Schmidtner, of around 1700, is in the Catholic pilgrimage church of St. Peter am Perlach, otherwise known as the Perlach church, in Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany. Pope Francis saw the image while in Germany as a student and promoted her veneration in Latin America.
Pictured here is a beautiful representation of that painting in icon form by Fr Jim Nolan, PP Davidstown, Co. Wexford.
The theology of the devotion actually goes back to the second century. Saint Irenaeus wrote that, “The knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by the obedience of Mary; what the virgin Eve bound by her unbelief, the Virgin Mary loosened by her faith.”
So we pray that the Blessed Virgin Mary will intercede for us all, to untie the knots of sin in our lives – so that we may be drawn ever closer to God.
Here is a prayer composed by Pope Francis to Our Lady Undoer of Knots:
‘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 to tie you around with his confusion. Once with your Son you interceded for our difficulties, and, full of kindness and patience you gave us examples of how to untie the knots of our life. And 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 motherly heart the knots of our life, we pray to you to receive in your hands (the name of 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.’
Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me. Hear my plea.
Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Amen.