![\"our_lady_undoer_of_knots_spotlight\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/398\/2015\/10\/our_lady_undoer_of_knots_spotlight.jpg\")
<\/a>The devotion to Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, has garnered a lot of attention lately. This renewed focus upon this classic devotional is due largely in part to Pope Francis\u2019 own promotion of it. Marge Fenelon has brought readers an excellent resource for use titled Our Lady, Undoer of Knots: A Living Novena<\/a><\/em>. It\u2019s a great little book I found useful in \u201cundoing\u201d some recent knots in my own life and think you will find it useful as well.<\/p>\nThe book uses as its central focus the 2014 pilgrimage of Pope Francis to the Holy Land. Marge, a Catholic journalist, was also following this event herself from the Holy Land. What this provides is an intimate look at nine sacred sites that Pope Francis visited on this trip. In essence it becomes what others have called \u201can armchair pilgrimage\u201d and I couldn\u2019t agree more. This is your typical nine day formatted novena. The subject matter for each day is as follows:<\/p>\n
Day One: Bethany the Jordan \u2013 The Knot of Injustice<\/p>\n
Day Two: Wall of Bethlehem \u2013 The Knot of Separation<\/p>\n
Day Three: Grotto of the Nativity \u2013 The Knot of Confusion<\/p>\n
Day Four: Mount of Olives \u2013 The Knot of Hopelessness<\/p>\n
Day Five: Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre \u2013 The Knots of Grief and Loss<\/p>\n
Day Six: Western Wall \u2013 The Knot of Discord<\/p>\n
Day Seven: Yad Vashem, Mount of Remembrance \u2013 The Knot of Betrayal<\/p>\n
Day Eight: Temple Mount \u2013 The Knots of Envy and Pride<\/p>\n
Day Nine: The Cenacle \u2013 The Knot of Affliction<\/p>\n
Each of these chapters begins with a brief overview of the days knot. Next up are Signs from the Holy Land which detail Pope Francis\u2019 visit to the site covered that day. Following that you will be taking a look inward by Viewing Our Interior Landscape. Finally comes the prayer for the day and a section of reflection questions relative to the topic of the day.<\/p>\n
As you can see you not only get a pretty neat trip through the Holy Land from the comfort of your own home but you also get a pretty thorough examination of the daily troubles we are all afflicted with. Heading into this nine day novena you will undoubtedly be troubled by at least one situation in your life. By the end of the nine days Marge will have led you down a path to Our Lady that will result in change in your situation. You will find that handing these knots in your life over to Our Lady you will undoubtedly find some much desired relief.<\/p>\n
As Marge states in the introduction: \u201cWe\u2019ll petition Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, together to undo the knots in our lives \u2013 injustice, separation, confusion, hopelessness, grief and sorrow, discord, betrayal, envy and pride, and affliction. By releasing these knots into her hands, we\u2019ll begin working toward peace for which we\u2019ll long, in our own lives and in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marge Fenelon has taken the ancient, second century devotion, and added a fresh spin to it giving modern Catholics a classic of their own. This book is one that can be turned to time and again. The meditations are written on such detail that you feel you are almost standing right beside Marge as she experiences some of the most important locations in the Holy Land. Add to this the thought provoking prayers of this nine day novena and this book is a homerun. Undoubtedly this book will be one readers return to often\u2026..buy two because you are going to wear the cover off the first one!<\/p>\n
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I received this book from the publisher, Ave Maria Press, in exchange for an honest review.
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