Grace That Sets Us Free
We all carry things we wish we could change.
A relationship that has become difficult. A decision we cannot seem to make. Something from the past that still weighs on us. A worry about someone we love. A situation we have prayed about many times, yet still do not know how to resolve.
Sometimes we know what we want to happen, but we cannot make it happen. Sometimes we have tried everything we can think of, and still find ourselves waiting for an answer.
What do we do when something in our lives feels tangled, unresolved or beyond our control?
Grace That Sets Us Free is a nine-day prayer journey with Mary, Untier of Knots, inviting us to bring these situations honestly before God and learn to entrust them to Jesus.
The Origins of Mary, Untier of Knots
The devotion is inspired by a painting made in Augsburg, Germany, around 1700, which depicts Mary patiently loosening the knots in a long, tangled ribbon, one by one, alluding to an ancient Christian reflection on Eve’s disobedience creating a knot that Mary’s faith and trust in God helped to loosen in time.
The original painting is attributed to German Baroque artist Johann Georg Melchior Schmidtner and it is still housed in the Church of St Peter am Perlach in the heart of the city.
Over time, the image became a way for people to bring their struggles and complicated circumstances to prayer, asking Mary to intercede for them and lead them closer to Jesus.
At its heart is a simple reminder: even when life feels tangled, we can turn to God for the grace, wisdom and patience we need to take the next step.
A journey of prayer, trust and freedom.
Over these nine days, you are invited to choose one particular situation and bring it with you into prayer.
Each day offers a reflection, a passage of Scripture, a practical invitation and a prayer with Mary. Together, the days lead us through the experience of naming what we carry, being honest with God, looking beneath the surface, asking for what we need, letting go of control, remaining faithful in times of waiting and learning to entrust our lives to him.
This is not a promise that every problem will be resolved in nine days. Rather, it is an opportunity to discover how God’s grace can begin to set us free from the fear, anxiety, resentment or need for control that can keep us bound to our circumstances.
Sometimes our situation changes. Sometimes it does not. But we can learn to face it differently, with greater trust, renewed hope and the knowledge that we do not have to carry it alone.
Begin wherever you are.
We are launching this prayer journey in October, when the Church traditionally gives particular attention to Mary, especially through the Rosary. But this is a timeless invitation, and you can return to it whenever you need to make space for prayer.
You might pray the novena over nine consecutive days, or move through the reflections at your own pace. There is no set schedule you need to keep. Simply take the time you can, and allow each day’s reflection to meet you where you are.
POPE FRANCIS
Even the most tangled knots are loosened by his grace.
Meet your companions along the way.
Chloe and Crystal from the Synodal Evangelisation Team will be your prayer companions for Grace That Sets Us Free. They alternate in guiding you through the nine days, taking turns reading each day’s reflections, Scripture and prayers as you bring your knots to Jesus and make space for God’s grace to work in your life.