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to help us undo knots in our lives. |
Reprinted with kind permission from GARABANDAL International
April-June 2006
by Gabriel Garnica
In the Church
of Mary, the Door to Heaven in Brazil there is a unique painting of Mary
undoing a ribbon of knots. It seems that the original painting has been
venerated in Perlack, Germany since 1700. While its artist is unknown,
it is believed to have been inspired by a meditation made by St Irenaeus,
who once said:
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"Eve, by her disobedience, tied the knot of disgrace
for the human race; to the contrary, Mary, by Her obedience, undid it.
"
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The "Knots" in our Lives
A knot is simply an entanglement difficult to undo. Try as we may, knots are sometimes very hard to untangle and may lead to our simply giving up. Even when we manage to undo these tangles, our struggle to do so may damage the string, rope or whatever object was originally knotted. When knots are positive, they are called bonds, but when negative, they are seen as yokes or a form of bondage that enslave us in some way. If we see our lives as the ribbon held by Mary in the above painting, then these knots could be anything from troubling situations, long-term problems, addictions, sorrows, fears, mental states, hurts, anger, resentment, sinful inclinations, or simply the lack of happiness, love or peace in our lives or homes. Just as knots on a rope may create obstructions in that rope, likewise knots in our lives often create obstructions and obstacles in our lives.
Mary as Undoing Knots
As our Mediator and loving Guide, Mary is in a clear position to help us undo those knots in our lives. Even as we struggle, despair and lose patience in dealing with these issues and situations, Mary will calmly help us to undo the knots that enslave us to sin and keep us from approaching Christ. Just as a mother's love toward her children is so often expressed in the simplest acts of affection and kindness, so too Our Blessed Mother's love for us is shown by her simple and calm ability to undo what to us seem like permanent knots in our lives!
The Clear Garabandal Connection
We have all heard of the miraculous events during the Garabandal apparitions in which people's rosaries, scapulars and medals, entangled when presented by the girls to be blessed by the Blessed Mother, would incredibly untangle smoothly when being returned to their owners. As often happens with the sacred and divine, what appears at first to be simple or merely meant to prove supernatural origin, turns out to convey its own message as well. Given what has been said here, it is not unreasonable to see the miraculous undoing of these items as something more than originally thought. Might not these wonders be yet another reminder to us that Our Blessed Mother is our Heavenly Undoer of Knots? In fact, is not the entire Garabandal Message a gift that, if followed and taken to heart, will undo the knots in our lives and in our path to salvation?
Conclusion
Mary once stated at an apparition,
"In prayer, you shall perceive the greatest joy ... and the way out of
every situation that has no exit." Is not a situation with no apparent
exit just another way of saying "a life knot"? It is not a mere coincidence
that a synonym of "knot" is "not", as in "not" being able to do something.
Clearly, the devil thrives in convincing us that we cannot do something,
that we cannot follow Christ, that we cannot be better, and that we cannot
seek God's mercy. The simple message of this perception of the Blessed
Mother is that she often comes to our aid in many seemingly unsolvable
circumstances. Humility, trust and faith in God is what allows Divine Assistance
of this kind.
All of the visionaries are married
and have children. You will recall that Conchita tried to enter the convent
and was told in a locution from Our Lord that she was following her will
and not His. Some Garabandal followers were almost scandalized by Conchita's
marriage to Patrick Keena. They incorrectly expected any young girl who
had received apparitions from the Virgin Mary, to enter the convent. The
example of the four girls highlights the beauty and importance of the marriage
vocation. With the loving assistance of Our Blessed Mother as expressed
in Garabandal, we may very well be able to untangle the knots from our
lives and the devil from our path to salvation! •
Reprinted with kind permission from GARABANDAL
International, April -June 2006
by Gabriel Garnica
