Bringing life's tangles to Our Lady Undoer of Knots

(OSV News) -- Our lives have knots that can seem impossible to untie: marriage troubles, money problems, unemployment, illness, loneliness, fears and worries of all kinds. When we find ourselves facing challenges and seem to have no solutions, there is a devotion we can turn to that unties the knots for us so that we might, in the words of Pope Francis, "better unite with God and serve him always."

The devotion to Mary as "Undoer of Knots" is recent; it's only been around for a few decades. Pope Francis is credited with bringing it to Argentina. From there, the devotion spread to Brazil and is now rippling throughout the entire Catholic world.

Of course, devotions aren't magic. Just saying words doesn't do anything. But the trust we have in Mary's ability to intercede for us and the faith in God to answer prayer can lead to changes in our lives that we never dreamed possible.

Devotions to Mary have entered the church in many different ways: apparitions (Fatima and Lourdes), sacramentals (the rosary), doctrines (the Immaculate Conception), and miraculous statues and icons (Our Lady of Guadalupe). Sometimes, a devotion arises simply because it touches hearts and minds at a time of particular need. In the case of Mary Undoer of Knots, Pope Francis was instrumental in pulling the devotion out of obscurity, and its popularity has spread most likely because all of our lives are filled with "knots" that need Mary's intercession to untangle.

While this devotion is new, the image of Mary Undoer of Knots and its story are not. Even in the second century, St. Irenaeus described Mary as an untier of knots. The roots of the current devotion, however, date to 1612 with a miserably unhappy marriage. A German nobleman, Wolfgang Langenmantel, and his wife, Sophie, were on the brink of divorce. Desperate, Wolfgang sought advice from Father Jakob Rem, a revered Jesuit priest.

The story goes that at their last visit, Wolfgang handed his wedding ribbon to Father Jakob, who lifted it up to an image of "Our Lady of the Snows" and, while untying its knots, prayed: "I raise up the bond of marriage, that all knots be loosed and resolved." (At the time, a bride and groom were "tied" together in the wedding ceremony with a ribbon, symbolizing their unbreakable union.) The unknotted ribbon became bright white -- a sign of Mary's intercession -- and the Langenmantels' marriage survived.

Years later, the Langenmantels' grandson, a priest, donated a family altar dedicated to Mary at the Church of St. Peter am Perlach in Augsburg, and commissioned painter Johann Georg Melchior Schmidtner to provide a painting. The painter was fascinated by the Langenmantels' story and incorporated the unknotted ribbon in his image of Mary.

Pope Francis' introduction to the devotion came while he was in Germany in 1986 studying for his doctorate. While visiting St. Peter am Perlach, then-Father Jorge saw a painting of Our Lady untying the knots in a white ribbon. He was captivated by the painting and the story behind it. He bought a postcard of the image, and brought the devotion to Argentina, where it has grown in popularity. As cardinal, he had the image engraved into a chalice and presented it to Pope Benedict XVI.

In the image, one angel hands Mary a white ribbon while another smoothes the opposite end. The Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, appears over Mary's head and is surrounded by 12 stars and eight angels. Mary unties knots in the ribbon while she stands above a crescent moon, crushing a twisted serpent under her heel. The scene recalls the words of Revelation 12:1: "A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head."

Pope Francis is known to be devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary. One of the first things Pope Francis did after being elected was to visit the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome and dedicate his tenure as pope to Mary's care.

As Father Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis is attributed with composing his own prayer in devotion to Our Lady Undoer of Knots, which serves as a central part of a special novena to Our Lady. Say this prayer to call on Mary to help untie the knots in your life:

"Holy Mary, full of the presence of God, during your life you accepted with great humility the holy will of the Father and the legacy of your Son our Lord Jesus Christ, and evil never dared to entangle you with its confusion. Since then you have interceded for all of our difficulties as you did at the wedding feast of Cana.

"With all simplicity and with patience, you have given us an example of how to untangle the knots in our complicated lives. By being our mother forever, you arrange and make clear the path that unites us to Our Lord.

"Holy Mary, Mother of God and ours, with your maternal heart, untie the knots that upset our lives. We ask you to receive into your hands (here mention your prayer request) and deliver us from the chains and confusion that restrain us.

"Blessed Virgin Mary, through your grace, your intercession, and by your example, deliver us from evil and untie the knots that keep us from being united to God. So that free of all confusion and error, we may find him in all things, keep him in our hearts, and serve him always in our brothers and sisters.

"Mother of Good Counsel, pray for us. Amen."