The Heart of the Matter

A new devotion to Mary

This is from SpiritDaily.com

In a new book, Archbishop Timothy A. Dolan, of New York, promotes the relatively new devotion known as "Our Lady Undoer of Knots."  [This is from SpiritDaily.com]

In the book, entitled Doers of the Word, the archbishop says: "I'm always fascinated by the different titles Mary has in the Church. "The abundant names we give her serve as testimony to the influence she has in our life.

"These descriptions can describe an event -- the Annunciation, the Assumption, Sorrowful Mother -- or can almost be at times a 'job description' of her duties in the Church -- Refuge of  Sinners, Health of the Sick, Comforter of the Afflicted, Gate of Heaven, Perpetual Help, or Star of the Sea.

"Then there are the titles that come from her apparitions -- Guadalupe, Lourdes, Fatima, or Knock come to mind. And different countries honor her under various banners, such as Our Lady of Czestochowa or Our Lady of Pompeii.

"Just when I thought I had heard them all, I learned a new one: Mary, Undoer of Knots! The friend who introduced me to this one travels the world helping people undo the knots in women and men tied up emotionally after the horror of abortion and testifies to Mary's efficiency under this intriguing title.

"Listen to how one booklet describes her:

"'With the infinite love of a mother and moved by her extraordinary power of intercession with her Son Jesus, Mary, the one who unfastens the knots of our life, comes to you today and she comes beautiful, triumphant, splendid, and gracious to meet you, bringing with her the heavenly court to unfasten the knots in your life.

"How great is her love and the love of her Son for you. He wants you to discover this love because it will dry the tears from your eyes and move the gracious hands of Mary to undo all the knots which afflict you so.'"

"Ah, the knots in our life!" continues the archbishop. "How they suffocate our soul, beat us down, betray our heart's joy, and even bind our will to continue living. Knots separate us from God, chaining our very being and strangling our faith, keeping us from flinging like children into the arms of God, our loving Father.

"The Virgin Mary does not want these knots to continue anymore in your life. She comes to you today asking you to give her these snarls to undo them one by one.

"Today, recognize the greatness of your mother, undoer of knots, and let her lead you to know the wonders that will be done for you. Come close to her now. See her beauty. Entrust your afflictions to her, knowing that she will unravel all the knots in your life."

Archbishop Dolan -- who heads one of the country's largest archdioceses -- said the basis for calling Mary "Our Lady, Undoer of Knots" probably dates back to Irenaeus, who wrote in the second century that "the knot of Eve's disobedience was untied by Mary's obedience; for what Eve bound by her unbelief, Mary loosed by her faith."

[Check out Mary, Undoer of Knots novena booklet]

 

 

150 years ago today

On February 11, 1858 a 14 year old French teenager experience the first of 18 apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  She saw a young, beautiful lady, "lovelier than I have ever seen," clothed in while, wearing a blue sash, with hands together in a posture of prayer and a rosary hanging from her right arm.  Eventually the beautiful lady in the apparition told Bernadette Soubiroux, "I am the Immaculate Conception." 

The incredulous local priest had told Bernadette that he wouldn't believe the apparitions were real unless the lady told Bernadette what her name was.  Bernadette had not known that just 4 years earlier Pope Pius IX had declared the Immaculate Conception as a doctrine of the faith.  Imagine how pleased the Pope was when he heard that the doctrine he had defined was affirmed by Our Lady herself! 

In time Lourdes became the most visited shrine on earth.  Not just Catholic shrines, or Christian shrines.  Lourdes is the most visited of all shrines on earth and an untold number of miracles of healing have happened there.  Why?  Because the biggest secret about Lourdes is that the whole focus at the shrine is on Jesus and the Eucharist, with Mary as intercessor, but with Jesus clearly being the healer.  Mary did not seek for herself devotion from Bernadette, but sought that she and all those who would come to the shrine would be devoted to Jesus and the Eucharist.  Therein lies the reason for all the healings.

The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Boulder

At 5:00 AM this morning our church was filled with moms and dads and grandparents and teenagers and lots of little children who had come on Mary's feast to greet her with roses and song and dancing and praying the rosary and a festive breakfast before the adults went to work and the children went to school. 

For almost 500 years people have loved and honored the Mother of God in the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  The Conquistadors had come to the New World with their culture and their religion; but the evangelization of the New World was going very slowly as could be expected of invaders.  Then between Dec. 9th and December 12th, 1531 Mary appeared to Juan Diego and gave the famous proof of her appearance through her image on the tilma (or cloak) that Juan Diego used to carry roses to the bishop to prove that his apparition was true indeed.  Within a few years millions of Indians rushed to join the Church and embrace Christianity willingly and enthusiastically, and with an undying love for La Morenita, the Little Brown One.  (For Mary had appeared to Juan Diego as a brown skinned Indian.)

The love for Mary is palpable.  Thank God for these devout souls whose children come at 5:00 AM without a complaint and fill our church with love and devotion.  This love could melt the coldest heart.

December the 8th is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

Have you ever met someone who seemed to you to be good to the bone?  Someone whose presence is desired, whose words are filled with prudence, whose actions are wise, whose kindness is genuine and consistent, whose intelligence is keen?  Someone who knows the right thing to do and is a joy to be around?  Someone whose compassion conveys the healing touch of genuinely caring about the sufferings of others?  Someone whose virtue has been tested and proven? 

Don't we all know at least one person who strikes us as one of the finest people we've ever met?  How does a person get to be like that? 

That's what this Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is about.  A lot of people think this feast is celebrating the Virginal Conception of Jesus, but it's rather the doctrine, infallibly defined, that Mary was conceived without sin.  In other words, Mary's "Yes" was a result of grace.  Mary was the extraordinary one who was able to cooperate with the plan of God in such a way that her "Yes" opened the way for the mysteries of the Incarnation, Redemption and Salvation found in the Word Incarnate, Jesus the only mediator between God and man.

The incredible people we have met in life, the saints they we have journeyed with, the lights in our lives, the beacons of hope whom we have known and been inspired by, are that way because of grace.  It's not their own doing.  They are able to get themselves out of the way so grace can flow more purely.  Mary's title of the Immaculate Conception is a reminder that all the good that comes forth from a human being is not his or her own doing.  It is a result of grace, and the grace of being open to the effect of grace upon the choices we make in life.  We are always free to reject that grace; and most of do, many times.  But, oh how wonderful it is when we know someone who cooperates with God's grace consistently.  Like Mary.