Saint’s Life Story

Her Early Life

Martha was born into an aristocratic and affluent family in the first century in Judea (now Israel). In Aramaic, the name Martha means “the lady, the mistress“, the feminine counterpart of “the master”. Martha was the sister of Mary and Lazarus.

Her father was of Syria, her mother of Judaea. After their death, she inherited their house and estate at Bethany.

Close Friends with Jesus

Martha, Mary and Lazarus were close friends of Jesus, for whom He had great affection. In fact, the Gospel tells us: “Jesus loved Martha and her sister Mary and Lazarus” (John 11:5). Jesus often came to visit them in their home in Bethany.

Rebuked by Jesus

In the incident described by Luke 10:38-42, Martha is introduced as the woman who “welcomed Jesus into her house”. Martha may have been the eldest, for she directed the household and took special pains to make Jesus comfortable. Active in her ministrations, Martha asked Jesus to direct her sister, the more contemplative Mary, to help her serve Him. Instead, Jesus replied, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her” (Luke 10:38-42). Thus, Jesus reminds us that active works can distract us from God, while contemplation brings one closer.

Death of Lazarus

It was Martha who went out to meet Jesus after the death of her brother, Lazarus. She met Him when He was still a few miles outside their village. Martha said to Jesus, “If you had been here my brother would not have died, but I know that even now whatever you ask of God, he will grant you”.

In response to this act of faith, Martha was the first to hear one of Jesus’ deepest revelations. As Jesus continued to question her, Martha said she believed her brother would rise again on the last day.

Then Jesus said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Martha replied, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God” (John 11:1-44)

And when Jesus goes to the tomb and says to take away the stone, it is she who, ever practical, objects: “Lord, by now he will smell, it is now the fourth day.” When Jesus saw Lazarus, he wept with Martha and Mary. Then, Jesus went on to perform the great miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead!

A Meal Held in Honor of Jesus

Martha appears again in John 12:1-8, where she serves at a meal held in Jesus’ honor at which her brother, Lazarus, is also a guest. During this meal Mary (no further specification – can we presume it’s again Martha’s sister?) anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them with her hair. This occasioned Judas’s question, “Why wasn’t this ointment sold for 300 denarii and the money given to the poor?” and Jesus’s remark: “She had to keep this scent for the day of my burial. You have the poor with you always, you will not always have me.”

Evangelized in France

We do not hear of the Martha, Mary or Lazarus again in the Scriptures. But tradition tells us that after Jesus’s death, Martha left Judea around AD 48. Martha with a few companions, including her Mary and Lazarus, were put into a boat without oars or sail, and borne miraculously to the coast of France. They settled in and are said to have evangelized in the Provence area of southern France. Here, Martha lived in great austerity of life and admirable sanctity

Legends

Among the legends associated with Martha is the one associated with the town of Tarascon, France. A mythological dragon monster, half beast and half fish, the Tarasque, said to have lived in the town during the 1st century. In the year 48, the Tarasque was purportedly tamed by Martha by holding a cross in her hand and sprinkling the beast with holy water. Then, Martha placed her sash around its neck and led the tamed dragon through the village.

Her Death

Around the year 80, Martha died in Tarascon, France. There, Martha was buried and her tomb is located in the crypt of the Collégiale Royale Sainte-Marthe in Tarascon, France. Relics found in the church during a reconstruction in 1187 were identified as hers, and reburied in a new shrine at that time. The Collegiate Church crypt is a late 15th-century cenotaph, also known as the Gothic Tomb of Saint Martha.

Villajoyosa, Spain

The town of Villajoyosa, Spain, honors Saint Martha as its patron saint and celebrates a Festival of Moors and Christians annually in her honor. The 250-year old festival commemorates the attack on Villajoyosa by Berber pirates led by Zalé-Arraez in 1538. At that time, according to legend, Saint Martha came to the rescue of the townsfolk by causing a flash flood which wiped out the enemy fleet, thus preventing the pirates from reaching the coast.

Born:                  Early first century in Judea (Israel)

Died:                  Around 80 in Tarascon, France

Beatified:          Pre-Congregation

Canonized:       Pre-Congregation

Feast Day:        July 29

Patron Saint:    Butlers; Cooks; Homemakers; Hoteliers; Innkeepers; Laundry Workers; Maids; Servants; Servers; Tarascon, France; Villajoyosa, Spain; Waiters; Waitresses

Source:

• • St. Martha, patron of cooks and housewives by Catholic Fire
  • Jul 29 – St Martha, Mary and Lazarus of Bethany (1st century) – Catholicireland.net
  • CatholicSaints.Info » Saints of the Day – Martha by Katherine I Rabenstein
  • Saint Martha of Bethany – Saint for a Minute: Saints & Blesseds
  • Martha – Wikipedia

Prayers

Video Link

St. Martha: Faithful Servant – YouTube (The True Enlightenment!)