Blessed Mother Mary: The Invincible Shield & Invisible Help

On this Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I found myself uncertain about the topic for today's BibleOn blog. Writing a weekly article every Sunday had become routine, yet I felt blank during Mass. I prayed, asking Jesus for inspiration. It wasn’t until I received Holy Communion that He reminded me of a life-changing moment—when the mother of Jesus saved my life along with four of my friends.

How Mary Saved My Life: A Story of Her Timely Help While I Drowned at Hogenakkal

I have experienced Mary’s invisible and timely help many times in deeply personal ways. One such moment was powerfully reminded to me this morning during Holy Mass. During my engineering days, a group of five close school friends from my hometown and I took a trip to Hogenakkal, a beautiful tourist destination known for its majestic waterfalls and the picturesque flow of the river. What began as a day of fun and exploration quickly turned into a life-threatening experience.

We were swimming when we suddenly found ourselves being pulled under the water by something like a whirlpool. Panic set in as we struggled to stay afloat, but there was no one around to help. On the third time we went under, as I sank deeper and lost consciousness, I thought it was the end for all of us.

But then, something miraculous happened. When I regained consciousness, I found myself lying safely on the shore. I was the first to wake, and as I looked around, I saw my friends also lying nearby, still unconscious but alive. One by one, they too began to wake up, all of us saved, though no one had been there to rescue us, and none of us know how we were saved.

The only tangible sign of what had happened was my rosary, which had been stretched as if it had been physically pulled. I firmly believe that it was Mary who saved us that day. Just as she interceded at Cana, arriving at the perfect moment to help, she had been there to pull us from the waters and save our lives. This experience solidified my faith in Mary as our invisible and timely help, always present to protect us, especially in our most desperate moments.

Mary: Our Invisible Help

Though often unseen, Mary’s help is constant and mighty. She never seeks attention but always points us toward Jesus. At the wedding of Cana, she gently told the servants, “Do whatever He tells you” (John 2:5), quietly guiding them to witness Christ’s first miracle. No one at the wedding knew that Mary’s timely intercession had saved the feast, even though Jesus said His time had not yet come and had not begun His public ministry. Similarly, in our lives, Mary’s quiet intercession works behind the scenes, often unnoticed, yet it draws us closer to Christ and gently guides us to follow His will.

Saint John Paul II frequently referred to Mary as a guide for Christians, especially in difficult times. He once said, “To her, I entrust the difficulties and future of the world.” Even when we don’t see her hand, Mary’s prayers are constantly at work, offering us hope and strength.

Mary, the Undoer of Knots

One of Mary’s beautiful titles is Mary, the Undoer of Knots, reflecting her ability to untangle the challenges and complexities in our personal and professional lives. Whether it’s a complicated task at hand, personal or professional relationship issues, business critical issues, solving complex legal issues, spiritual difficulties, or anxiety, Mary patiently helps us resolve what seems impossible. At work, when things became too twisted or overwhelming, I would write my struggles on a piece of paper, place it under the statue of Mary Undoer of Knots, and pray the Mary, Undoer of Knots prayer. Each time, I felt her gentle presence untangling the knots in my life.

I remember a colleague whose wife was expecting a baby. One day, he received a panicked call, the baby had stopped moving, and doctors suspected the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby’s neck, causing fetal distress. She was rushed to another hospital for an emergency cesarean section. I arranged a vehicle for him, and before he left, I asked him to pray the Mary, Undoer of Knots prayer and we all prayed. Miraculously, minutes later, he got a call saying the baby was safe, and surgery wasn’t needed.

Amazingly, a similar situation happened with another colleague few years later. I suggested the same prayer, and again, Mary interceded, and the crisis was resolved without surgery. Mary untied the knots both times, showing her powerful, timely help.

Saint Irenaeus beautifully expressed this when he said, “The knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by Mary’s obedience.” Through her prayers and intercession, Mary helps us resolve what we cannot handle on our own, bringing clarity and peace where there was once confusion and struggle.

Mary, Mother of Mercy

As the Mother of Mercy, Mary opens her tender, compassionate heart to all who seek her. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux beautifully reminds us, "Never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided." In every moment of fear, pain, or uncertainty, we can trust in her loving and powerful intercession, knowing that she is always by our side, ready to lift us up and bring us closer to her Son. Mary will never abandon us—her love is constant, and her presence is our safe refuge.

On this joyful Feast of the Nativity of Our Blessed Mother, I wish each of you a blessed day. Let us embrace Mary as our own mother, for Jesus, with His dying breath, entrusted her to all of us when He said to John, “Behold, your mother” (John 19:27). May we always run to her in our need, confident in her love, and feel the warmth of her embrace in every moment of our lives.