Growing up, there has always been, sitting on the top of my fireplace back home, a two-foot tall statue of Our Lady, though later it moved to another side of our living room. One thing, however, which has not changed is the presence of a blue shoelace bearing one side an array of knots. As a child, I never truly took the time to understand why Mary was adorned in this fashion. Because my dear mother has such a devotion to this prayer, I picked it up despite my initial indifference. Such devotion has shown it fruits time and time again, not least of which was when a friend, after years of avoidance, just decided to prepare for her Confirmation. Knowing the fruits of such devotion, I wish, through this article, to convey to you, dear reader, the love of Mary which my mother has spent the last 20 years spreading to all who will listen.
This devotion, Mary Undoer of Knots, is a tradition dating back to the second century, when St. 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.” This tradition offers, therefore, a depiction of Mary as loosening the knots of our sins. Considering our knots as representative of sins is a fair interpretation, but it misses what I would consider a crucial part of this devotion. There is, in the person of Mary, not only the Queen of Heaven, concerned with our sins and immortal souls, but also a mother concerned with our wants, needs, and daily struggles. As she always does, Mary cannot help but point to her Son, who himself is God almighty. This concern for our daily knots is what makes this devotion so powerful, because it reminds us that God cares not only for our souls but for the seemingly insignificant aspects of our life. Through the consideration of this prayer, one develops the understanding that Jesus, through Mary, walks beside us in all things. It is not only in time of sin that Mary reaches out to help—her hand is always stretched out, ready to take up the threads of our life and untie it, if only we would let her. Even if the only grace of such prayer is the true and deep understanding that God, through Mary, walks by us ready to help, it would be worth it. Even should it be that this prayer only teaches us to reach out and hand Mary the thread of our lives, it would be worth it. But above all this, considering the fact that this prayer works and Mary answers our prayers time and time again, what more can I say but that it is worth it? This prayer truly cultivates the understanding of who Mary is, not only as the Queen of heaven, given by God the ability to undo our knots, but also as a mother who so loves us and cares for the things we care for.
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