My brothers and sisters in Christ, as we embark on this novena dedicated to Our Lady, Untier of Knots, I encourage you to open your hearts fully to the healing and renewal that only she can provide. What are these "knots" of which we speak? They are the tangled messes of our lives - the problems, worries, anxieties, and sins that bind us up inside and prevent us from living freely as children of God. They are the points of frustration, indecision, suffering and fear that form knots in our mental and spiritual well-being. For centuries, the faithful have turned to St. Mary under this beautiful title, sharing with her our deepest troubles in confidence that as the loving Mother of God, she has the unique power to untie even the most snarled and stubborn of knots. Through this novena, we invite her to work her grace upon our lives, to gently loosen each knot until it falls away, leaving our souls feeling light and unrestrained once more. Over the coming days, we will reflect on Mary's life, virtues and maternal care, finding in her example the encouragement we need to persevere to the end. We will ask for her intercession through the recitation of the Chaplet. And we will have the opportunity to present her with our own personal intentions, sharing the load she is always eager to help us carry. At the conclusion of the novena, may we experience in full the untying effects of her love. May knots of worry be replaced with peace, knots of suffering transformed into joy, and knots of sin completely undone so that Christ's grace may flow freely within us. And so brothers and sisters, let us begin - with faith in Mary's maternal assistance, and hope that by the power of her Son we will see change. She who is the mighty Untier of Knots awaits to work her wonder in our lives.