Description
The devotion to Our Lady of the Snows, Undoer of Knots, came about from a story of a German nobleman and his wife who were on the brink of a divorce. Through prayer, the couple was able to reconcile. The devotion is focused on Mary's faithfulness in untying the knots of sin. The image of the Virgin Mary with her hands outstretched, loosening the knots of marriage, is on display in Augsburg, Bavaria. Prayers to Mary, Undoer of Knots can be found in an ovena and the Pope Francis prayer. The devotion is particularly helpful in the midst of marital or family problems, as well as struggles that seem impossible to fix.
2.5cm x 1.5cm
metal - nickel
Pope Francis
said
:
Through Mary, All the knots of our heart, every knot of our conscience can be undone.
Unlike many other Marian devotions, the devotion to Mary, Undoer of Knots did not come about through an apparition, but through her intercession!
The story:
German Nobleman Wolfgang Langenmantel and his wife, Sophie, had marital problems and were on the brink of a divorce.
Wolfgang was very distraught, and went to Jesuit priest Fr. Jakob Rem for counseling.
The two prayed together to the Blessed Virgin Mary for Wolfgangs marriage each time they met.
While meeting for the last time on Sept. 28th, 1615, Wolfgang provided Fr. Rem with his wedding ribbon, which was used during his wedding ceremony to tie the couple together as a symbol of unity.
Fr. Rem then took the ribbon, lifted it up next to an image of Our Lady of the Snows, and asked Mary if she would untie the knots of Wolfgangs marriage. The ribbon then loosened, completely untied, and became extremely white.
Even though precise details were not given,
Wolfgang and Sophie reconciled after this happened.
(This is the primary story behind the painting, but referring to Mary as an untier of knots goes back to St. Irenaeus, in the second century.
St. Irenaeus said, The knot of Eves disobedience was untied by the obedience of Mary; what the virgin Eve bound by her unbelief, the Virgin Mary loosened by her faith.)
The Image:
Wolfgang and Sophies grandson, Fr. Hieronymus Langenmantel, became a priest and asked for a painting to be done in memory of the story.
In the painting,
Mary unties the knots of marriage. One angel gives her the knotted ribbon, while the other holds the unknotted side and presents it to us.
Mary also crushes Satans head, representing her Immaculate Conception. The dove above her head symbolizes her spouse, the Holy Spirit.
At the bottom of the image,
St. Raphael the Archangel accompanies Wolfgang
walking towards a monastery
.
Johann Melchior Georg Schmittdner painted the Mary, Undoer of Knots image around the year 1700. It is on display at
St. Peter am Perlach-Church
in Augsburg, Bavaria in Germany.
Prayers:
There are several prayers to Mary, Undoer of Knots, including a
novena
, and
Pope Francis prayer
. Pope Francis came to love this devotion after seeing it while studying in Germany in the 1980s.
Mary, Undoer of Knots patronage:
One can turn to the Blessed Mother for any knot, because Marys faith
unties
the knot of sin.
Although, this devotion is particularly helpful in the midst of marriage or family problems, as well as struggles that seem impossible to fix.
Nothing is impossible for Gods mercy! Even the most tangled knots are loosened by his grace,
Pope Francis
said
.
Mary, whose yes opened the door for God to undo the knot of the ancient disobedience, is the Mother who patiently and lovingly brings us to God, so that he can untangle the knots of our soul by his fatherly mercy.
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