Our Lady, Untier of Knots (sometimes called Undoer of Knots) is a Marian devotion that has brought comfort and encouragement to countless people across the world, myself included. I first learned about this title five years ago, and since then it has become one of my favorite ways to ask for Mary’s help in my life.
In this blog, I’ll share the history of this devotion and some practical ways you can begin praying to Mary, Untier of Knots—including a new favorite prayer of mine!
Wait, What’s a Marian Title Again?
In case you’re not familiar with Marian titles, here’s what you need to know before reading any further:
Mary has been given many different titles throughout the ages that honor and recognize her important role in salvation history. These titles also reveal the different ways she reflects God’s grace to the world.
When we invoke her under a particular title, we ask for her intercession while focusing on the aspect of her identity that speaks to our specific need. That’s why we turn to Mary, Untier of Knots when we need help with the complex problems of life.
Now that we’ve got that covered, let’s take a look at where this title came from in the first place.
The History Behind Our Lady, Untier of Knots
Around the year 180 AD, St. Irenaeus of Lyons wrote in his principal work Adversus Haereses that, “The knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by Mary’s obedience: what the Virgin Eve bound through her disbelief, Mary loosened by her faith.”
More than fifteen centuries later, this brilliant bit of Marian theology inspired artist Johann Georg Melchior Schmidtner to paint Mary Untier of Knots in Augsburg, Germany around the year 1700. The painting was the first to call Mary the “Untier of Knots” and depicts her undoing knots from a long ribbon against a heavenly backdrop.
 |
Devotion to Our Lady, Untier of Knots remained localized to the Augsburg region for the next 200 plus years until Father Jorge Mario Bergoglio, known today as Pope Francis, encountered Schmidtner’s painting in the 1980s. He loved the devotion so much that when he returned to his native Argentina, he helped make it known there and across the globe. |
How to Pray to Mary, Untier of Knots
When life is full of challenges, starting a new devotion can feel daunting. Thankfully, praying to Mary under this title doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are four simple ways to begin:
1. Pray the rosary while focusing on Mary’s role as the Untier of Knots.
2. Use a structured prayer (like this one or the one in the section below) to direct your mind and heart to Mary.
3. Pray a novena to Our Lady, Undoer of Knots to entrust your challenges to Mary’s care.
4. Offer a personal or spontaneous prayer to Mary, Untier of Knots, asking for her intercession.
New Favorite Prayer to Our Lady, Undoer of Knots
If you’re looking for a structured prayer to start with, here’s a prayer we love. Kathleen, one of our wonderful customers, kindly shared it with our team earlier this year.
It’s such a good one we wanted to make sure it had a permanent place on our website so you could learn and use it too. Thank you for passing it along, Kathleen!
"O Virgin Mary,
mother who never refuses to come to the help of your children in need,
mother whose hands never stop working for the welfare of your children,
moved as they are by the loving mercy and kindness that exists in your Immaculate Heart,
cast your compassionate and merciful eyes on me and see the snarl of knots that exists in my life.
O Mother! You know the difficulties, sorrow, and pain that I’ve had because of them.
O loving Mother, I place the ribbon of my life and this knot (these knots) into your loving hands, hands which can undo even the most difficult knot.
Most Holy Mother, come to my aid and intercede for me before God with your prayers.
I cast this knot into your hands (mention your intention or need here) and beg you to undo it, in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, and for the glory of God, once and for all.
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for us!"
Entrust Your Difficulties to Mary
The next time you’re overwhelmed by life’s many challenges, know that you can always turn to Our Lady, Untier of Knots, in prayer to ask for her guidance and intercession.
If you’re looking for a tangible way to focus your devotional prayers, our Our Lady Untier of Knots Rosary and Our Lady Undoer of Knots Prayer Card can help—check them out in the store today.
