Who was Our Lady who untied the knots?

Our Lady Untying the Knots was a representation of the Virgin Mary made in a painting commissioned by a canon in a German city in 1700. The art composition has very representative elements of the religious history of humanity, with the Saint untying the knots that would be the cause of the misfortunes of humanity.

There are two very present narratives in the image, one from the book of Revelation in the Bible, and the other from a discourse by St. Irenaeus of the Third Century. As a whole, the image represents the holiness of the Virgin Mary, who through obedience delivered humanity from sin with the conception of the Son of God. The knots represent this resignation and work for love.

The image yielded graces to the devotees who resorted to it with faith and, therefore, the figure was spread all over the world as one of the forms of Our Lady. In this article, you will know the main aspects of this figure that was spread all over the world, such as its history, the symbolism of its image, the prayers for its devotion among others. Follow.

History of Our Lady Untying the Knots

Unlike many of the depictions of Our Lady, which originate from spiritual apparitions, Our Lady Untying the Knots descends from a painting commissioned by a priest in a chapel in Germany.

The painting, however, was quite important for the culture of faith of the time, and its image and story spread throughout the world, being well known and accumulating many devotees until today.

Follow below the main issues involved in the history of Our Lady Untie the Knots, such as the origin, the strength of its image, the invocation of Our Lady Untie the Knots, among other issues.

Origin of Our Lady Untie the Knots

Our Lady Untying the Knots originated in a German chapel in Augsburg in the 1700s, when the canon of the church, Hieronymus Ambrosius Langmantel, commissioned a painting for his personal collection.

For art, he would have been inspired by the passage in the Book of Revelation (Rev 12:1) that said, "A great sign appeared in heaven: a Woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars."

In addition, the painting also made reference to St. Irenaeus' phrase from the Third Century: "Eve, by her disobedience, tied the knot of disgrace for the human race; Mary, by her obedience, untied it."

The power of your image

The most intriguing issue in the story of Our Lady Untying the Knots is the power of its image, as it combines elements of religiosity and the mysteries of humanity. The painting portrays the salvation of the world through the attitude of Mary, who would have freed humanity from sin and guilt by being able to obey God's commandments without fear.

It alludes to the story of Eve, who allegedly disobeyed God and was expelled from paradise, and Mary, who gave birth to the son of God who would later save humanity with her flesh. The knots represent the attitude of Mary, who with patience, resignation and obedience cured the ills of the world.

The image of Our Lady Untying the Knots

The image of Our Lady Untie the Knots has a crown of stars on her head, the sunlight behind her and the night under her feet, in accordance with the text of the book of Revelation (Rev 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.

In addition, she has in her hands a ribbon with knots, which she is untying, receiving and delivering to angels. This image refers to the discourse of St. Irenaeus, who said that Eve brought the guilt of the world by disobedience and Mary removed it, by her obedience. The knots represent the problems and misfortunes, which Our Lady is able to heal by her attitude and faith.

The Invocation of Our Lady Untying the Knots

The image, which initially had been made available only for the admiration of the faithful, became a symbol of faith, in which people came to ask and give thanks for their lives. The presence of the divine, in this case, occurred in a very organic way, because people channeled their faith to the painting and the graces were answered.

This can be considered a miracle because, even if there was no spiritual presence, as in Fatima; or mysterious facts, such as the image of Our Lady of Aparecida, the invocation of Our Lady Untying the Knots occurred from the mere exposure of the image. Both the idea of the painting and the exposure of the work as a channel for graces are divine proof itself.

Graces and more graces obtained

The painting was originally commissioned to be part of the religious's personal chapel, but the result was so incredible that he left it on display in the church of Sankt Peter am Perlach, so that the entire town's population could admire it.

It happens that after this exposition of the image, many faithful started to report that they had obtained graces after making requests to the image of Our Lady. This is, thus, the miracle of Our Lady Untying the Knots, in which the prayers to the image, in fact, brought blessings to people.

Detailed symbolism of the image

The image of Our Lady Untying the Knots, as it was conceived, is what actually brings so much faith and mystery to this story, for it combines quite significant elements of Christian history that justify humanity's sin and healing through redemption.

Thus, there are several faith meanings and explanations introduced in the image that was exposed in the church in Augsburg, Germany. The combination of the symbols with the texts of the Bible, the Book of Revelation and the Discourse of St. Irenaeus make this a revealing and miraculous image.

The following is an analysis of each element of the painting of Our Lady Untie the Knots individually, such as the red tunic, the Holy Spirit, the ribbon in her hand, and more. Please follow along.

The blue cloak of Our Lady Untying the Knots

The blue mantle appears on the image of Our Lady Untying the Knots to represent the purity of the Saint, which is confirmed mainly by her virginity.

Our Lady's virginity is the proof that the child she conceived is really God's, for it could not be anyone else's. That is the miracle of the Immaculate Conception, and the connection between heaven and earth by a child conceived by a virgin and the Holy Spirit.

The red tunic of Our Lady Untie the Knots

The red tunic of Our Lady Untie the Knots represents the maternity of Mary, because it was through the pregnancy of the Virgin Mary that Jesus descended to Earth to save men from sin. It is precisely Mary's maternity that makes her Holy, because besides being the mother of the Son of God, all this happened in the midst of trials of faith.

The colour red represents love above all, therefore Mary is the protagonist of a story of unconditional love, which is how a Mother's love is characterised. Motherhood, in this case, is the path by which Our Lady reached divinity and tasted unconditional love and divine presence.

The Holy Spirit on Our Lady Untie the Knots

The Holy Spirit appears in all history as the presence of God on earth, and it is he who is responsible for the great divine works. Thus, in the painting of Our Lady Untying the Knots the Holy Spirit appears over her head, indicating divine presence and protection, as if divine permission were present there.

In addition, the Holy Spirit is also represented because it is through him that Mary becomes the mother of the son of God while still a virgin. Thus, the whole miracle of motherhood and the redemption of humanity relies on the presence of the Holy Spirit.

The 12 stars on Our Lady Untie the Knots

The 12 stars on the head of Our Lady Untie the Knots refers to the quotation from the Book of Revelation (Rev 12:1) which says: "A great sign appeared in heaven: a Woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

Therefore, it is possible to interpret that the crown of stars appeared in the image to show that this is the Saint of redemption, of the end of times.

Thus, Our Lady Untying the Knots is the Saint who frees humanity from sin, by her conduct of untying the knots of disgrace. The proof of her capacity of salvation comes with the biblical text that says that in the Apocalypse, the woman of salvation carries a crown of twelve stars on her head.

Our Lady Untie the Knots among the Angels

The angels in the image of Our Lady Untying the Knots represent heaven, from where she is untying the knots that represent the misfortunes of humanity. This is another sign that, in fact, this image is spiritual and, even if you cannot see the divine world, Our Lady is there, in a protective mother posture, acting calmly and dedicatedly to protect her children on earth.

The ribbon in the hand of Our Lady Untie the Knots

The ribbon in the hand of Our Lady Untie the Knots is probably the strongest element in the painting of the Saint, because it is the one that brings all the symbolism of the liberation from guilt by the obedience, love and faith of Our Lady. The knots of the ribbon would be the representation of the problems and pains of humanity.

In the painting, the Saint carries the ribbon and is untying the knots, handing the other end, without knots, to an angel. This act of untying the knots is the representation of liberation. The image has its origin in the discourse of Saint Irenaeus, who said that Eve tied the knot of disgrace for humanity, which Mary untied through the conception of Jesus Christ in a story of faith.

The hands of Our Lady Untie the Knots

In the image of Our Lady Untying the Knots, the hands of the Saint are precisely untying the knots. The difference between this and the different representations of Our Lady is the fact that this one has one activity, which is to untie the knots.

The knots are the representation of the misfortunes of humanity and, by untying these knots, the Saint is responsible for saving the world from sin. Here there is the representation of obedience, resilience and patience as essential values to achieve divine grace.

The gaze of Our Lady who unties the knots

The gaze of Our Lady Untying the Knots in the image is turned to her hands, with attention to the knots that the Saint is untying. This is the representation that Our Lady is attentive to what she is doing, because she acts with love for humanity. She is dedicated, because she understands the importance of untying the knots correctly and with patience.

The angel presenting the knots to the Virgin Mary

The angel presenting the knots to the Virgin Mary represents the prayers made to God, the Virgin Mary and the heavens in general, which come to be answered. Thus, the message of this representation is that whenever something is asked of Our Lady, this request is answered with love by the divine parents that are God and Our Lady.

The crescent moon at the feet of Our Lady Untying the Knots

The crescent moon, which is represented in the painting of Our Lady Untying the Knots, has its origin in the biblical text from the Book of Revelation, which inspired the image together with the discourse of Saint Irenaeus of the Third Century. The passage speaks of a woman who appears in the sky and who, among other things, has the moon under her feet.

The moon, in this case, is the proof that Our Lady Untie the Knots is the woman spoken of in the book of the end of times. Therefore, she is the one who carries redemption and salvation, precisely because she is the one who unties the knots of humanity's misfortune.

The Serpent at the Feet of Our Lady who Untied the Knots

The serpent at the feet of Our Lady Untie the Knots symbolizes the devil, evil and deception that are below her and do not reach her.

The image of this saint is closely associated with Eve, who disobeyed God and accepted the serpent's apple, resulting in her expulsion from paradise. In the case of Our Lady Untying the Knots, she is the representation of God's obedience and is therefore above the evil that the serpent can cause.

Rosary of Our Lady Untying the Knots

When praying the rosary, you can channel your intentions to ask a specific saint or one of Our Lady's forms for the grace you seek to attain. Thus, by saying a few specific prayers, you can access the full power of Our Lady Untying the Knots so that your prayers will be answered.

Check below the description of the prayers and the power of the Rosary of Our Lady Untying the Knots and have all the knowledge so that your prayers are answered directly by the Saint.

The power of the Rosary of Our Lady Untying the Knots

The power of the Rosary of Our Lady Untie the Knots lies in the fact that by praying with intentions to this mother, you can present all the knots in your life and ask her to help you solve them one by one.

In doing so, the full force of the Saint's story and its connection to your reality will be turned toward granting the grace you desire.

How to pray the Rosary of Our Lady Untying the Knots

The rosary itself to be used in a prayer to Our Lady Untie the Knots is an ordinary rosary, but you should direct your intentions to the intercession of the Saint. To do this, use an image, light a candle, and repeat the initial and final prayers in the name of Our Lady Untie the Knots.

Opening Prayer

It is important to pray correctly at the beginning of the Rosary of Our Lady Untying the Knots, so that your intentions are directed to her. To do this, you should repeat the following words:

"O Jesus, with a contrite and humbled heart, I turn to your infinite mercy. Forgive my sins and, through the powerful intercession of your Blessed Mother, grant my requests."

Closing Prayer

For the closing prayer, repeat the following:

"Holy Mary Mother of God, Virgin full of grace, you are our untier of knots. With your hands full of God's love, you untie the obstacles in our path, like knots that fall apart and become a straight ribbon of the Father's love.

Untie, Virgin and Mother, holy and admirable, all the knots that we create of our own accord, and all the knots that impede our path. Cast your eyes of light upon them, so that all the knots may be untied, and that, filled with gratitude, we may, through your hands, resolve what seems impossible to us.

Amen."

Day and prayer of Our Lady Untie the Knots

If you feel identified with the faith of Our Lady Untie the Knots, know that this representation of the Virgin Mary has its own day of devotion and its own prayer. Knowing these elements help to approach the power of the image of the Saint.

So, below you will find the information about the day of Our Lady Untie the Knots and the Prayer to Our Lady Untie the Knots.

The day of Our Lady Untie the Knots

The celebration of the day of Our Lady of the Untying of Knots takes place on August 15. On this day, it is convenient to say a prayer, pray a rosary, or even start or finish a novena, which are ways of adoring the Saint, asking for graces or thanking her for what you have received.

In Brazil, there are churches of Our Lady Untying the Knots scattered in some cities, such as Armação dos Búzios-RJ, Campinas-SP, Belo Horizonte-MG, among others. Going to one of these places on August 15 is a form of devotion.

Prayer to Our Lady Untie the Knots

The specific prayer to Our Lady Untying the Knots is as follows:

"Virgin Mary, Mother of beautiful love. Mother who never fails to come to the aid of an afflicted son.

Mother whose hands never stop serving her beloved children, for they are moved by the divine love and immense mercy that exist in your heart, turn your compassionate gaze upon me and see the tangle of knots that exist in my life.

You well know my despair, my pain and how tied up I am because of these knots.

Mary, Mother whom God has entrusted with the task of untying the knots in the lives of her children, today I entrust the ribbon of my life into your hands.

No one, not even the evil one, can take her away from Your precious protection. In Your hands there is no knot that cannot be undone. Mighty Mother, by Your grace and Your intercessory power with Your Son and My Deliverer, Jesus, receive this knot into Your hands today (talk about your affliction).

I ask you to undo it for the glory of God, and for ever and ever. You are my hope. O my Lady, you are my only God-given consolation, the strength of my feeble strength, the riches of my miseries, freedom, with Christ, from my chains. Hear my supplication. Guard me, guide me, protect me, O sure refuge!

Mary, Untier of Knots, pray for us. Amen."

Does Our Lady Untie the Knots fulfill only this mission?

Our Lady Untie the Knots fulfills the mission of untying the knots of humanity that are a representation of the misfortunes of the world. Thus, this is the way she answers the requests to grant divine peace.

Unlike Eve, the Virgin Mary does not succumb to sin and evil, for she remains resilient to God's teachings and lives according to His word. For this reason, she is responsible for promoting salvation to the world, which happens by her life of love, faith and the conception of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, untying the knots is not a simple task, this is an image of the intercessory function of Mary, who asks and answers requests at God's side to free her children from pain and suffering. The mission she fulfills requires love, attention, resilience and obedience, which leads to divine peace.