Saint Martha

Our brief history states: "Saint Martha was a sister of Mary and Lazarus. When she received the Lord as a guest in Bethany, she looked after him with devoted attention. She begged the Lord to raise her brother, Lazarus, from the dead" (Magnificat, 391). Two gospel passages are offered for our consideration on this feast day. The first is John's Gospel (11:19-27), where Martha tells Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." The second is Luke's Gospel
(10:38-42), where Martha tells Jesus to tell her sister Mary to help her. Obviously Martha was not afraid to tell the Lord what she was thinking. Jesus had a response for her each time. He told her that her brother would rise and asked for her confession of faith. Then, Our Lord told Martha that she was anxious and worried about many things and that Mary had chosen the better part. In each instance, Martha received a valuable lesson. We also receive a valuable lesson as we celebrate this feast today. As part of the opening prayer reads, "By her (St. Martha's) prayers may we serve Christ in our brothers and sisters and be welcomed by you into heaven, our true home." May Saint Martha intercede for us as we live the gift of faith and service to the fullest. Have a blessed day!