Jul 25, 2009 / 03:10 am
On Wednesday, the Church will celebrate the feast day of St. Martha, a contemporary of Christ who is mentioned in both the Gospels of Luke and John.
St. Martha lived in the time of Jesus. She, along with her brother Lazarus and sister Mary had a special friendship with the Lord. The Scriptures tell us, "Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister and Lazarus" (John 11:5).
This friendship with Christ is illustrated in the three Gospel passages in which Martha is mentioned. Through her example in these Gospel stories, Martha teaches Christians about faith, love, and service to the Lord.
Martha first appears in Scripture in Luke 10:38-42. Martha and Mary receive Jesus as a guest into their home. Martha immediately strives to show him hospitality, and becomes "burdened with much serving," while Mary simply sits at the feet of Christ, "listening to Him speak."