Saint Martha:

Feast day : 29 July

Today the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Martha, a faithful disciple of Jesus and the sister of Lazarus and Mary. They lived in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem. Jesus often visited their home and Martha, being the eldest, always assumed the charge of serving the Lord and busied herself in her chores whilst her sister Mary chose to sit at His feet and feed her soul. Speaking to her, Jesus taught an important lesson “there is need of only one thing” and it was what Mary had chosen. Again before the raising of Lazarus, whilst speaking to her, Jesus made another important revelation "I am the resurrection and the life." The Scriptures also bear witness to her confession of her deep faith in Jesus, being the Son of God and her trust in His power to raise her brother Lazarus from the dead. After the Ascension of the Lord, she is believed to have spent her life preaching the gospel in France. She is the patron saint of housewives, servants, waiters and cooks.

Scriptures:

The gospel of Saint Luke and Saint John reveal that Martha was the sibling of Lazarus and Mary, who lived in the village of Bethany, near Jerusalem. The Lord loved them and often visited them in their home. The gospel of St. Luke narrates one such visit where Martha is seen to be keen to serve the Lord. Whilst she busied herself with her chores, Mary, her sister chose to sit at His feet and listen to His words. In her eagerness to provide her best service to the Lord she complains about Mary not helping her and asked the Lord to command her to come to help her. Jesus then revealed an important message to Martha which applies to us also “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10 : 41-42

The Gospel of St. John narrates the death and raising of Lazarus, from the dead. After the death of Lazarus, when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out and met him, while Mary stayed at home mourning the death of Lazarus. When she met Jesus she professed her faith in Him saying “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” John 11:21. Again speaking to her, Jesus gave an important revelation “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? She said to him, “Yes Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.” John 11:25-27

The tomb of Lazarus was a cave with a stone placed at the entrance. When Jesus arrived at the tomb he asked for the stone to be rolled away. When Martha expressed her concern that the stench of Lazarus’s decomposed body could cause discomfort to the Lord, Jesus in His reply to her again teaches us an important message “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” John 11:40

Martha is always seen as a disciple keen to please the Lord with her service. In the gospel of St. John 12:1-8 we read that six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus. There again, “Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with him.” whilst Mary chose to anoint the Lord's feet with a costly perfume and wipe his feet with her hair. She did this with great love and was commended by the Lord for her heartlfelt gesture of love.

Tradition:

According to tradition, the sisters Martha and Mary were also among the women who stood at the foot of the Cross during the Lord’s crucifixion. They were also among the women who ran to the tomb early in the morning, thereby becoming the first witnesses to the Resurrection of Jesus. After the Ascension of the Lord, during the persecution of Christians, Martha alongwith her brother Lazarus and sister Mary are believed to have fled to Provence, France. They were put on a boat without oars and set sail in the hope of being drowned in the sea. However, by the grace of God, they arrived safely at the shores of France. Martha is believed to have spent her remaining life preaching the gospel alongwith her brother Lazarus.

According to another legend, after the Ascension of the Lord, Martha went to Tarascon, France where a Tarasque, a monstrous creature was a constant threat to the people of the land. Holding a cross in her hand, Martha is believed to have sprinkled holy water on the beast, placed her sash on its neck and gently led the beast through the village. She is believed to have spent her life preaching the gospel at Tarascon till her death. Her tomb was located in the Collegiate Church in Tarascon. The church was later rebuilt in the year 1187 and dedicated to Saint Martha.