As I’ve expressed before, I’ve been a bit weary of the massive attachment
some Catholics have to Mary. I’ve just never had that strong of a draw to her,
but I do find her loving and interesting. And the whole
New-Eve-bringing-forth-our-Savior-into-the-world thing was pretty rad. But
since it’s May, which is a month often associated with Mary, I decided that
each Monday in May will look at some of Mary’s titles that I really like.
The first is the Undoer (or Untier) of Knots. I’m picking this one first
because I’m currently doing this novena. But it’s actually a rather late title
attributed to Mary, based on a seventeenth century German painting in which,
surprisingly, Mary is undoing knots. It’s such a basic, tangible representation
of the saints’ intercessions. We take Mary our problems, and like any mother,
she helps us. Maybe I relate to this title a lot because my own mother has
many, many times gotten tiny knots out of my silver chain necklaces. The
symbolism hits close to reality.
The painting, by Johann Georg Melchior Schmidtner, also shows Mary
stepping on the head of a knotted snake, which ever since I learned about it, I
love images of Mary crushing the serpent. The world that Eve’s disobedience
tangled up, Mary’s obedience sets straight again. The Undoer of Knots is one of
Pope Francis’ favorite devotions.
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