THE FEAST OF ST. MARTHA OF BETHANY (JULY 29TH)

 

A Contemporary Icon of Sts. Martha, Mary and Lazarus with Our Lord Jesus Christ

Edited by Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West)

INTRODUCTION

Blessed Feast of St. Martha of Bethany, sister to Sts. Mary and Lazarus, friend of Jesus, patroness of waiters and cafe workers, early confessor of the Faith, and unlikely slayer of dragons!

SCRIPTURE READING 

“Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 

"Now Martha said to Jesus, 'Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.' Jesus said to her, 'Your brother will rise again.' Martha said to Him, 'I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.'

"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?'

"She said to Him, 'Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.'” (John 11:20-27 NKJV)

A Late Medieval Stained Glass Depicting Sts. Mary and Martha

HISTORY

In Orthodox Tradition, Sts. Martha and Mary were among the Myrrh-bearing Women. These faithful followers of Jesus stood at Golgotha during the Crucifixion of Jesus and later came to his tomb early on the morning following Sabbath with myrrh, according to the Jewish tradition, to anoint their Lord's body. The Myrrhbearers became the first witnesses to the Resurrection of Jesus, finding the empty tomb and hearing the joyful news from an angel.

Tradition also relates that St. Martha's brother St. Lazarus was cast out of Jerusalem in the persecution against the Jerusalem Church following the martyrdom of St. Stephen. St. Martha fled Judea with him, assisting him in the proclaiming of the Gospel in various lands, while St. Mary Magdalene remained with John the Apostle and assisted him with the Church of Jerusalem. The three later came to Cyprus, where Lazarus became the first Bishop of Kittim (modern day Larnaca). All three died as martyrs in Cyprus according to a reputable tradition.

THE GOLDEN LEGEND

At the time of the Apostles, a huge monster emerged from the sea and chose the river Rhone as its new home. It was a dragoness, appearing like half land mammal, half fish. She outsized twelve elephants, had teeth like swords and a skin like iron. Her name was Tarasque, and wherever the beast appeared, she brought terror and destruction. All animals fled her. She destroyed houses, and her breath was poison and flames. Many heroes tried to kill her, but all perished before her terror.

After many years, the Tarasque had destroyed all bridges and devoured everyone who wanted to cross the river. Every seven years she would shed her skin, and the farmers would find her scales cast off in the forest. At last the inhabitants of the troubled area tried to lure the dragoness into a trap, but they only succeeded in making her angry and feeding her more livestock before she returned to the swamps. 

Seven years passed. One day St. Martha happened to visit the area with her brother, the great Apostle Lazarus. When she heard of the beast, she went out to catch it - barefooted, in her white dress, with no other weapon than a jar of holy water blessed by her brother. The dragoness came out to devour her, but was bound solely by the power of the cross and the holy water. St. Martha led the beast meekly into the town, where the people finally killed it. The citizens errected a new church in honor of the power of Christ to defeat all dragons, naming it after St. Martha, and the town changed its name to Tarascon, where they still celebrate the slaying of the terrible dragoness until this day. 

COLLECT 

ALMIGHTY GOD, Whose Son called Lazarus to life from the grave. and was pleased to be welcomed in Martha's house as a guest, grant, we pray, that, serving faithfully our brothers and sisters, we may merit, with Martha, to serve in Thy Holy Church and be fed by meditating on Thy Holy Word. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who livest and reignest with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

St. Martha, pray for us!