The painting “Maria, Undoing Knots” it was painted in 1700 by Johann Melchior Schmidter at the request of Father Jerome Ambroise von Langenmantel and as a reminder of the miracle his grandparents experienced nearly a century earlier. Over time, there have been many replicas of this paintingnevertheless, the original work it is still preserved in the church of Father von Langenmantel (St. Peter’s Church of Perlack, in Augsburg, Germany). In fact, in Germany a strong Marian devotion thanks to this painting. Two centuries later the devotion spread in South America and later throughout the world, after the diffusion of the image and a novena to María Desatanudos by Jorge Mario Bergoglio, whom we know today as Pope Francis.
Representation of the Virgin Mary
Maria, the woman of the apocalypse
In this frame, the representation of Mary corresponds to the one described by Saint John in the Apocalypse: “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.” (Revelation 12:1). Mary is illustrated in this painting:
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Crowned with 12 stars: the number 12 is very present in the Bible. For example, the 12 apostles and the 12 tribes of Israel are often referred to, which gives the Virgin Mary the status of the mother of the people of God, mother of the Church.
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Dressed in a blue cloak: Since the Middle Ages, blue has been a symbol of purity. This color has become that of the Virgin Mary in most representations of her.
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Between the sky and the earth: Mary’s place is certainly between God and men.
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Crushing the serpent’s head under his feet: Since Genesis and throughout the Bible, the serpent symbolizes Evil. By her virtue, the Blessed Virgin defeats hell and demons: “Satan flees and hell trembles when I say: Hail Mary.”
Maria’s attitude untying the knots
In this painting, Maria works diligently to untie ribbon knots. Her face and her hands express tenderness and patience: she seems to work while she is attentive to our prayers. Furthermore, we notice that her head is bowed: her right ear listens to the Lord, the other listens to the supplications of men.
The other topics in the box
The Holy Spirit guides Mary
We can see on the Virgin a white dove descending on her. It is the Holy Spirit, who accompanies her and reminds us that God chose her to be her mother, and the mother of all men. The light emitted by the dove that surrounds Mary reminds us that it was through the Holy Spirit that the miracle took place.
Angels surround the Blessed Virgin
A troop of angels surrounds the Blessed Virgin. Angels are beings of love and light, to whom God has given the mission of protecting us and accompanying us in our spiritual life. In the specific case of the painting, they collaborate with María’s work. In fact, two angels can be seen surrounding Mary:
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The angel to the left of Mary (ie on the right of the frame) holds the end of the ribbon that is full of knots. These knots represent our sins and the difficulties we encounter throughout our lives. The angel has her eyes fixed on the Virgin Mary and looks at her with confidence.
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The angel to the right of Mary holds the smooth end of the ribbon, which has already been unraveled by Maria. This angel turns to us and shows us the work of Mary. She looks like she wants to call us to tell us: “look at her and trust her.”
Tobias and Sara, an example of dedication to divine grace
At the bottom of the painting, a passage from the Old Testament is depicted. It is about the archangel Raphael accompanying Tobias to meet his future wife, Sara. Probably, this biblical story was chosen because it recalls the story that originated the miracle of Maria Desatandos. In both cases, reference is made to couples, and to surrender to God, the latter being an essential element for Him to act in our lives, cleanse our sins and extend His graces to us.
Meditation on Eve and Mary
Is Image of Maria Undoing Knots it is the perfect illustration of a meditation by Saint Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons and martyr of the second century, in which a comparison is made between Eve and Mary: “Eve, by her disobedience, tied the knot of misfortune for the human race; instead, Mary, by her obedience untied him.”
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