As I write this, Pope Francis remains in the hospital and people throughout the world are praying for him. One of the things that I will always remember about Pope Francis, aside from his visit to Philadelphia in 2015, is a devotion that he introduced. Francis undertook some studies for a time in Germany. While there, he had an opportunity to visit Augsburg. In one of the churches, he encountered a painting of the Blessed Mother in which she was enveloped by a rope with knots in it. He learned of a local devotion bringing it to Argentina when he returned there and to the world’s attention when he became Pope. The Blessed Mother as Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, can and certainly will intercede for us as we make effort to untie the various “knots” that we inevitably experience in our lives. These can be “knots” of anger or lust or impatience. One might have “spiritual knots” such as dryness in prayers or a listless Faith. Perhaps one’s “knots” might be a physical ailment of some sort. I actually had an opportunity myself to see that painting in Augsburg and the image has always stuck with me. All of us have our own “knots” and Mary certainly can help us to untie them. A friend of mine also recently gave insight to undoing knots and helped me to untie one quite literally. A drawstring on a pair of sweatpants was so tightly knotted that I simply couldn’t undo it. I tried and I tried, but the darn thing wouldn’t give. Without the drawstring, my old, comfy sweats would be useless to me since they would fall to the floor from around my waist. My friend told me to try a hammer. Huh? He said that he had seen some YouTube short or Tik-Toc video where impossible knots could be “tamed” and made manageable by giving them a pounding with a hammer. Are you serious? He said that he, himself, had never tried it, but hey, it couldn’t hurt. It might even work. I set my knotted sweats on the floor and gave a little pounding with my old, trusty hammer. Well, guess what! Voila! It does indeed work! The slight tapping of a hammer loosened the tightly wound knot and enabled me to undo it! This had me thinking that this might be a very good tip for our upcoming Season of Lent. Next time that I’m in Augsburg, I’ll have to take a closer look at that painting of Our Lady, Undoer of Knots. I’ll have to see if she’s wielding a hammer! Although we may not see it in her hands, there is a hammer that Our Lady bears. It is actually the Hammer of her Son – the Hammer of the Cross. It is this Hammer that ultimately loosens all “knots” enabling them to be undone. As we soon begin the Season of Lent and seek to untie our various “knots,” remember the devotion proclaimed by the Pope. Remember to turn to Our Lady Undoer of Knots and take the Hammer of the Cross in hand in order to loosen the “knots” making an “old pair of sweats” like new!
Peace!
Fr. Wilson