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59-561: (Redirected from St Martha ) Saint Martha may refer to: Martha of Bethany , Biblical character and contemporary of Jesus Saints Maris, Martha, Abachum and Audifax , third-century martyrs killed for their faith Saint Martha, mother of Simeon Stylites the Younger , saint in the Eastern Orthodox church Saint Martha (French) , fourth-century nun, wife of St Amator St Martha, Surrey ,

118-446: A castle, and was born of right noble lineage and parents, which were descended of the lineage of kings. And her father was named Cyrus, and her mother Eucharis. She with her brother Lazarus, and her sister Martha, possessed the castle of Magdala, which is two miles from Nazareth, and Bethany, the castle which is nigh to Jerusalem, and also a great part of Jerusalem, which, all these things they departed among them. In such wise that Mary had

177-571: A civil parish in England Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Saint Martha . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Saint_Martha&oldid=1014424205 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Title and name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description

236-453: A coffin for a loved one, even though there are poor that could be fed instead. In the autobiographical Palm Sunday , author Kurt Vonnegut reports being invited to preach on Palm Sunday in 1980, and chooses for his text the Gospel of John 's version of the anointing. Vonnegut did so because he had "seen so much un-Christian impatience with the poor encouraged by the quotation"; he questioned

295-454: A lion, tail like a serpent, that dwelt in a certain wood between Arles and Avignon . Holding a cross in her hand, Martha sprinkled the beast with holy water. Placing her sash around its neck, she led the tamed dragon through the village. There Martha lived, daily occupied in prayers and in fastings. Martha eventually died in Tarascon, where she was buried. Her tomb is located in the crypt of

354-416: A noble hostess ministered and served our Lord, and would also that her sister should serve him and help her, for she thought that all the world was not sufficient to serve such a guest. After the ascension of our Lord, when the disciples were departed, she with her brother Lazarus and her sister Mary, also Saint Maximin [actually a 3rd-century figure] which baptized them, and to whom they were committed of

413-510: A supper there: and Martha served." But St. John has given us a glimpse of the other and deeper side of her character when he depicts her growing faith in Christ's Divinity (11:20–27), a faith which was the occasion of the words: "I am the resurrection and the life." The Evangelist has beautifully indicated the change that came over Martha after that interview: "When she had said these things, she went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying: The Master

472-490: A village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha", the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing

531-610: A woman who had been sinful all her life and who was crying; and when her tears started landing on the feet of Jesus, she wiped his feet with her hair. Also unique to Luke's version is the inclusion of the Parable of the Two Debtors in the middle of the event. An argument can be made that this story could not have occurred only a few days before the crucifixion, due to the numerous events that followed in Luke's gospel. John 12:1–8 names her Mary, and

590-409: A year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly. "Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever

649-614: Is also a guest. The narrator only mentions that the meal takes place in Bethany, while the apparently parallel accounts in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark specify that it takes place at the home of one Simon the Leper . As the Catholic Encyclopedia notes, "We are surely justified in arguing that, since Matthew and Mark place the scene in the house of Simon, St. John must be understood to say

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708-620: Is come, and calleth for thee." In Eastern Orthodox Church tradition, though not specifically named as such in the gospels, 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 (expensive oil), according to the Jewish tradition, to anoint their Lord's body. The Myrrhbearers became

767-1156: Is commemorated on 29 July in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church , together with Mary and Lazarus. Martha is also commemorated on 29 July in the Calendar of saints of the Episcopal Church . Martha is remembered (with Mary and Lazarus ) in the Church of England with a Lesser Festival on 29 July . The Sisters of Saint Martha are a religious congregation founded in Antigonish, Nova Scotia , in 1894. A number of churches are dedicated to St. Martha including: According to legend, St. Martha left Judea after Jesus ' resurrection, around AD 48, and went to Provence with her sister Mary (conflated with Mary Magdalene ) and her brother Lazarus. With them, Martha first settled in Avignon (now in France). The Golden Legend , compiled in

826-524: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Martha of Bethany The name Martha is a Latin transliteration of the Koine Greek Μάρθα, itself a transliteration of the Aramaic מָרְתָא‎ Mârtâ , "the mistress" or "the lady", from מרה "mistress", feminine of מר "master." The Aramaic form occurs in a Nabatean inscription found at Puteoli , and now in

885-455: Is in the northern region, as Luke 7 indicates Jesus was ministering in the northern regions of Nain and Capernaum . The honorific anointing with perfume is an action frequently mentioned in other literature from the time; however, using long hair to dry Jesus's feet, as in John and Luke, is not recorded elsewhere, and should be regarded as an exceptional gesture. Considerable debate has discussed

944-554: Is labelled a 'village' (Greek: κώμη, kómé ) in verse 10:38. Luke therefore linguistically connects the sinful woman to the (larger) town/city of Nain, and distinguishes the unnamed place of Mary and Martha as a (smaller) village. Since Luke 7's sinful woman lived in Nain, Luke 10's Mary lived in a village somewhere else in Galilee, and John 11–12's Mary lived in Bethany, Judea, most modern scholars agree they are three different characters, and there

1003-433: Is more emotional, his response to Martha is one of teaching, calling her to hope and faith: When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. "Lord", Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in

1062-578: Is mostly found in art from the Counter-Reformation onwards, especially in the 17th century, when the domestic setting is usually given a realistic depiction. Typically, Mary, the elder sister, is preparing or serving food, while Martha is listening to Christ. However, it appears in some Ottonian cycles of the Life of Christ . Literary works about Martha include: Anointing of Jesus The anointings of Jesus ’s head or feet are events recorded in

1121-468: Is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." In the Gospel of John , Martha and Mary appear in connection with two incidents: the raising from the dead of their brother Lazarus (John 11) and the anointing of Jesus in Bethany (John 12:3). In the account of the raising of Lazarus, when Jesus hears of the death it is noted that "Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus" (John 11:5). Upon arrival, Jesus meets with

1180-512: Is no reason to assume that the sinful woman was named 'Mary' as well. Finally, the hosts receiving Jesus at their house seem to be four different characters across the stories: Simon the Leper in Mark and Matthew, Simon the Pharisee in Luke 7, Martha in Luke 10, and Lazarus of Bethany in John 11–12. John and Luke differ from Matthew and Mark by relating that the anointing is to the feet rather than

1239-439: Is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard . She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than

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1298-456: Is very remarkable. The familiar intercourse between the Saviour of the world and the humble family which St. Luke depicts is dwelt on by St. John when he tells us that "Jesus loved Martha, and her sister Mary, and Lazarus" (11:5). Again the picture of Martha's anxiety (John 11:20–21, 39) accords with the picture of her who was "busy about much serving" (Luke 10:40); so also in John 12:2: "They made him

1357-517: The General Roman Calendar of 1960 , and a memorial in the present General Roman Calendar . Until 2021, the liturgical celebration had been solely of Martha, except among the Benedictines . In that year, Pope Francis changed it to commemorate the entire family. He further clarified that, contrary to widespread speculation, this Mary was a separate individual from Mary Magdalene , called

1416-512: The Naples Museum ; it is dated AD 5 (Corpus Inscr. Semit., 158); also in a Palmyrene inscription, where the Greek translation has the form Marthein . In the Gospel of Luke , Jesus visits the home of two sisters named Mary and Martha . The two sisters are contrasted: Martha was "encumbered about many things" while Jesus was their guest, while Mary had chosen "the better part", that of listening to

1475-725: The four gospels . The account in Matthew 26 , Mark 14 , takes place on Holy Wednesday , while the account in John 12 takes place 6 days before Passover in Bethany , a village in Judaea on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives , where Lazarus lived. In Matthew and Mark, he is anointed by an unnamed woman. In John, the woman is identified as Mary of Bethany , the sister of Martha and Lazarus of Bethany . The event in Luke features an unnamed sinful woman, and

1534-514: The local Collegiate Church . The dedication of the Collegiate Church at Tarascon to St. Martha is believed to date from the 9th century or earlier. Relics found in the church during a reconstruction in 1187 were identified as hers, and reburied in a new shrine at that time. In the Collegiate Church crypt is a late 15th-century cenotaph , also known as the Gothic Tomb of Saint Martha. It is

1593-528: The 13th century, records the Provençal tradition: Saint Martha, hostess of our Lord Jesus Christ, was born of a royal kindred. Her father was named Syro and her mother Encharia. The father of her was duke of Syria and places maritime, and Martha with her sister possessed by the heritage of their mother three places, that was, the castle Magdalen, and Bethany and a part of Jerusalem. It is nowhere read that Martha had ever any husband nor fellowship of man, but she as

1652-813: The Apostle and assisted him with the Church of Jerusalem. According to Cyprian tradition, Lazarus and Martha later came to Cyprus , where Lazarus became the first Bishop of Kittim (modern Larnaca ). All three died in Cyprus . Martha is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church , and commemorated by the Lutheran Church and the Anglican Communion . Through time, as

1711-652: The Apostle to the Apostles. The Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Rite Eastern Catholic Churches commemorate Martha and her sister Mary on 4 June. They also commemorate them collectively among the Myrrh-bearing Women on the Sunday of the Myrrhbearers (the Third Sunday of Pascha – i.e., the second Sunday after Easter Sunday). Martha also figures in the commemorations of Lazarus Saturday (the day before Palm Sunday ). Martha

1770-585: The Holy Ghost, and many others, were put into a ship without sail, oars, or rudder governail, of the paynims, which by the conduct of our Lord they came all to Marseilles , and after came to the territory of Aquense or Aix , and there converted the people to the faith. Martha was right facound of speech, and courteous and gracious to the sight of the people. The Golden Legend also records the grand lifestyle imagined for Martha and her siblings in its entry on Mary Magdalene: Mary Magdalene had her surname of Magdala,

1829-436: The Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner." Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Tell me, teacher," he said. "Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave

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1888-463: The ascension of our Lord, they sold all these things. A further legend relates that Martha then went to Tarascon , France, where a monster , the Tarasque , was a constant threat to the population. The Golden Legend describes it as a beast from Galatia; a great dragon , half beast and half fish, greater than an ox, longer than a horse, having teeth sharp as a sword, and horned on either side, head like

1947-454: The castle Magdala, whereof she had her name Magdalene. And Lazarus had the part of the city of Jerusalem, and Martha had to her part Bethany. And when Mary gave herself to all delights of the body, and Lazarus entended all to knighthood, Martha, which was wise, governed nobly her brother's part and also her sister's, and also her own, and administered to knights, and her servants, and to poor men, such necessities as they needed. Nevertheless, after

2006-426: The debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?" Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven." "You have judged correctly," Jesus said. Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from

2065-460: The disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked. "This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor." Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel

2124-606: The first witnesses to the Resurrection of Jesus , finding the empty tomb and hearing the joyful news from an angel. Orthodox tradition also relates that Martha's brother Lazarus was cast out of Jerusalem in the persecution against the Jerusalem Church following the martyrdom of St. Stephen . His sister Martha fled Judea with him, assisting him in the proclaiming of the Gospel in various lands, while Mary Magdalene remained with John

2183-596: The gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. When

2242-496: The head. This, some argue, points to the idea that Luke is speaking of an entirely different event. J.K. Elliott says that, "It is generally agreed among scholars that all four accounts relate to the same episode." He explains the variations as the result of all four evangelists adapting the account to their own "...theological, and dramatic purpose...", using the oral and written traditions to convey their "...own apologetic aims". Luke's gospel speaks of Jesus' feet being anointed by

2301-427: The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. "Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "It

2360-413: The identity of the woman, the location, timing, and the message. The event (or events – see discussion below) is reported in Matthew 26 , Mark 14 , Luke 7 , and John 12 . Matthew and Mark are very similar: While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When

2419-445: The left, Saint Front, Bishop of Perrigueux, present at the funeral of Saint Martha, and on the right, Saint Marcelle, Martha's servant. The town of Villajoyosa , Spain, honors St. Martha as its patron saint and celebrates The 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, when, according to legend, St. Martha came to

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2478-486: The local duck industry once again flourished. The people of Pateros attributed this event to Saint Martha and a grand fluvial procession in honor of her has been held yearly since, in remembrance of the event. Martha appears in the sacred gnostic text Pistis Sophia . She is instructed by the risen Christ on several of the repentances that must be made in order to have salvation. She also makes several prophetic interpretations of different Psalms . The subject of Martha

2537-508: The master's discourse. The name of their village is not recorded, nor (unlike in John 11:18) is there any mention of whether Jesus was near Jerusalem. Biblical commentator Heinrich Meyer notes that "Jesus cannot yet be in Bethany , where Martha and Mary dwelt [according to John's Gospel]". But the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges claims that it was "undoubtedly Bethany". As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to

2596-473: The name of the town, but it may have been Magdala , and we should thus, supposing Mary of Bethania and Mary Magdalene to be the same person, understand the appellative "Magdalene". The words of St. John (11:1) seem to imply a change of residence for the family. It is possible, too, that St. Luke has displaced the incident referred to in Chapter 10. The likeness between the pictures of Martha presented by Luke and John

2655-578: The rescue of the townsfolk by causing a flash flood which wiped out the enemy fleet, thus preventing the corsairs from reaching the coast. Tradition recounts that in the 1800s, Saint Martha (who legendarily subdued the Tarasque), was invoked by the people of Pateros, a town in Metro Manila , Philippines , to vanquish a crocodile in the Pateros River that ate their ducks. These animals were the main source of

2714-513: The resurrection at the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" "Yes, Lord", she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." As the narrative continues, Martha calls her sister Mary to see Jesus. Jesus has Mary bring him to Lazarus' tomb where he commands

2773-471: The reverence for St. Martha developed, the images of maturity, strength, common sense, and concern for others predominated. The Latin Church celebrates the feast day of Martha, Mary of Bethany and their brother Lazarus on 29 July. The feast of Martha, classified as a "semi-double" in the Tridentine calendar , became a "simple" one in the General Roman Calendar of Pope Pius XII , a "third class feast" in

2832-671: The same; it remains to be proven that Martha could not 'serve' in Simon's house." It is at this meal that a woman (Martha's sister Mary, according to John) anoints Jesus with expensive perfume. In medieval Western Christianity , Martha's sister Mary was often equated with Mary Magdalene . This identification led to additional information being attributed to Martha as well: Mary, Martha, and Lazarus are represented by St. John as living at Bethania, but St. Luke would seem to imply that they were, at least at one time, living in Galilee ; he does not mention

2891-527: The sinful woman was living in the town/city (Greek: ἐν τῇ πόλει, en têi pólei ) Jesus was staying in; the preceding narrative of the Raising of the son of the widow of Nain (7:11–17) makes clear that this polis (translated in English as 'town' or 'city' ) was Nain . Luke 7:11–17 labels Nain a polis three times, in verses 7:11 and 7:12. On the other hand, the unnamed place where Mary and Martha live in Luke 10:38–42

2950-546: The sisters in turn: Martha followed by Mary. Martha goes immediately to meet Jesus as he arrives, while Mary waits until she is called. As one commentator notes, "Martha, the more aggressive sister, went to meet Jesus, while quiet and contemplative Mary stayed home. This portrayal of the sisters agrees with that found in Luke 10:38–42." In speaking with Jesus, both sisters lament that he did not arrive in time to prevent their brother's death: "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died". But where Jesus' response to Mary

3009-491: The stone to be removed from its entrance. Martha here objects, "But, Lord, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days", to which Jesus replies, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?". They then take away the stone and Jesus prays and calls Lazarus forth alive from the tomb. Martha appears again in John 12:1–8, where she serves at a meal held in Jesus' honor at which her brother

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3068-414: The text assumes her to be Mary, a sister to Lazarus , as it also identifies her sister Martha. The iconography of the woman's act has traditionally been associated with Mary Magdalene , but there is no biblical text identifying her as such (she is mentioned by name for the first time, immediately following this episode, at the beginning of Luke chapter 8). According to Mark 14:3 , the perfume in his account

3127-416: The time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little." Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" Jesus said to

3186-427: The townspeople's livelihood as their eggs are the main ingredient of the delicacy, Balút (fertilised duck egg), which is what the town is known for. One evening, under a full moon, an unnamed female bayani (hero) went to the river to tame the creature. At the river banks, the crocodile saw a light surrounding the figure, who was actually Saint Martha. At the sight of the glowing figure, the creature disappeared and

3245-511: The translation, saying that it lacked the mercifulness of the Sermon on the Mount , and took the opportunity to offer his own translation. The Scholars Version note to Mark 14:3–9 states: "The disciples miss the point, which Jesus makes clear: the woman has signaled his impending death and burial. It must be unintentional irony when Mark has Jesus predict that this story will always be told in memory of

3304-467: The woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard , an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And

3363-576: The work of Francesco Laurana , a Croatian sculptor of the Italian School, commissioned by King René . At its base are two openings through which the relics could be touched. It bears three low reliefs separated by fluted pilasters representing: on the left, Saint Martha and the Tarasque; in the center, Saint Mary Magdalene borne aloft by the angels; on the right, Lazarus as Bishop of Marseille with his mitre and staff. There are two figures on either side: on

3422-475: Was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me." Mark, Matthew , and John all place the incident in Bethany , a village in Judea. Mark and Matthew specify that it occurred at the home of Simon the Leper . Luke 7:36 states that Jesus had been invited to dinner at the home of Simon the Pharisee . Luke 7:39 makes clear that

3481-404: Was the purest of Spikenard . Another debate is over the implications of "the poor you always have with you"; some criticized this response as lax morality, others [1] have responded that, due to his impending crucifixion, Jesus is simply explaining that what was done was not a choice between two moral acts, but a necessity, and would no more be criticized in Jesus' day as a modern man purchasing

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