Although not common, it is not completely unusual for whole families to be saints. Before canonizations were under the direction of the papacy in the eleventh century, saints were often chosen by local churches and the people. Thus, whole families were known as saints, including Elizabeth, Zechariah, and John the Baptist; Basil the Elder, Emilia, Macrina the Elder, Macrina the Younger, Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, and Peter of Sebaste; Augustine and Monica; Benedict and Scholastica; Louis, Zelie, Thérèse of Lisieux, and Leonie Martin; Clare and Agnes of Assisi; and today’s saints, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus of Bethany.
“Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus were added to the General Roman Calendar as a combined memorial on July 29th by Pope Francis on January 26, 2021. This replaced the previous celebration of Saint Martha alone on that date.” This is because the identity of Mary of Bethany was not definitively established until recently by scholarship.
“Martha, Mary, and Lazarus of Bethany were beloved by Jesus. We don’t know the full background, but it appears all three siblings were loved by the Lord and were close friends and disciples of his. Each had a different charism. We know that Martha had a servant’s heart and that Mary preferred to sit at the feet of her Lord and learn from him. We don’t know as much about Lazarus other than he is one for whom Jesus wept and who he rose from the grave. John’s Gospel also tells us that because Jesus rose Lazarus from the grave, the chief priests and elders also plotted to put Lazarus to death, but we don’t know if they succeeded. May we be more like Martha, Mary, and Lazarus and draw near to Christ to love and serve him.”
Sts. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, pray for us.
Many times we think of St. Martha as a "busybody" saint, trying to get Jesus to tell her sister Mary to help her with the responsibilities of hospitality. But we must not forget that she is also the woman who expressed complete faith in Jesus: "I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world" (Jn. 11:27). It was after this confession of faith that Jesus raised her brother Lazarus from the the dead. She and her sister and brother were friends of Jesus. When he came to Jerusalem, he stayed with them. That can be taken as a sign of trust.
Maybe we have a "Martha" in our families. Perhaps she is the grandmother or the aunt or mother or sister who goes around the house with an apron on and a washcloth in her hand, constantly finding things to clean and chores to do. Maybe she is always making sure that guests, both invited and pop-ins, are welcomed and cared for. Maybe she is also the person who strongly influences our faith by her constant prayer with the Morning Offering glued to the medicine cabinet mirror. Maybe she has her rosary with her, praying at moments of rest. Maybe she has a print of the crucifixion of Jesus above her bed a or a picture of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane in the living room or a picture of the Last Supper in the dining room.
Martha is the patron saint of housewives, waiters, and waitresses. These are the people who serve us and make sure that the necessities and niceties of hospitality are observed. She is also very much the patron saint of those who love us and care for our everyday physical and spiritual needs. They may not have the name of Martha, but they embrace her legacy. May we be "Marthas" to others.
