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In our Gospel today, the angel Gabriel calls Mary the “favored one”, literally, “one who has been graced”. By analyzing the language we know that Gabriel announced something that had already happened. Mary was already full of grace when Gabriel greets her…something that happened in the past with effects that continued throughout her life.

Throughout the centuries, the Church has believed that Mary was “full of grace” at the moment of her conception. Pope Pius IX proclaimed this as dogma in 1854 when he said the most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, preserved from all stain of original sin.

This makes sense in light of the mission she was about to receive. Without sin to restrain her and hold her back, she was able to give herself entirely to the mission of her Son. With her perfect faith, she was able to humbly express her consent to God’s plan through her fiat: “May it be done to me according to your word”.

Our Blessed Mother was not held back by sin but unfortunately, we can be. Church Fathers compared the sin of Adam and Eve to a knot in a rope. St. Irenaeus wrote that, “The knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by the obedience of Mary; what the virgin Eve bound with her disbelief, Mary loosened by her faith.”

This theology was brought to life in a painting by Johann Schmidtner in 1700 and this devotion for Mary, Undoer of Knots has become more popular with help of Pope Francis.

Let us reflect today on the knots that are holding us back from embracing God’s plan for our lives and ask for Mary’s help to untie them.