Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Martha. There are two different Gospel choices for today. We see a different aspect of Martha in each, and we will talk about both.
Martha was an interesting woman. She was the sister of Mary and Lazarus. Jesus had a special place in his heart for this family. Today at Mass, you may hear a Gospel reading from John 11 where Martha shares her great faith. “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” A great witness. She echoes the great profession of St. Peter in Matthew 16.
But I think most of us remember Martha from the picture painted in Luke 10 where she complains to Jesus that her sister will not help her with the serving. Martha kind of gets branded a whiner in this story. But you know, I can really relate to her. I mean, haven’t you ever felt like you’re the one doing the bulk of the work; at the office, around the house, in the church, etc. I think we’ve all felt this way at one time or another. Martha was experiencing a bit of burnout, perhaps. Maybe the next time we have one of those Martha moments, we can remind ourselves that all we need to do is take a moment to rest in the Lord.
Father, forgive us for those times when we can’t see past our own desires; when we feel as though we are the only ones doing anything at all. Help us to remember to rest in Jesus. Amen.
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