St. Martha Complex

I bought a magnet of St. Martha about a year ago. It says "Patron Saint of Hospitality Workers" - in other words, of maids and cooks and all those who served. My first thought was - what a lowly vocation!  However, I soon realized how shallow I was.

I have known for a long time that I was born on the Feast of St. Martha. I never gave too much attention to it and I did not really care - until I started to understand who St. Martha was and her journey with the Lord.

Martha is best remembered as the sister whom Jesus rebuked for calling his attention to the fact that she (Martha) was doing all the work and her sister Mary was (just) sitting there listening to his teaching. With affection, Jesus said “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her” (Lk 10:41-42). Others would have been put off, but clearly she was not. She may have even been offended, but she loved the Lord too much, she let it go.

The Gospel reading on her feast day however showed the other side of Martha - the one who put aside her own grief when she heard that Jesus had come after Lazarus' death. The Martha who, like Peter, professed her faith in Jesus as the Son of God, as the resurrection. The Martha who has matured in her faith and understood the Lord better.

The last mention of St. Martha in the bible is simple, yet powerful - "Martha served." (John 12:2) No drama, no glamour - nothing earth-shaking. She simply served. (This was during that dinner when Mary anointed Jesus' feet with the expensive oil and Judas Iscariot made a big fuss about using the expensive oil when the money could have been used for the poor.)

I do my share of service, but sometimes my weakness get the better of me. In my frailty, I look at other people who don't do as much as I (think) I do and question and complain to the Lord about the others. I am Martha - raw, blemished and still growing in grace and faith.

Someday - one day - I hope my faith will mature like my patron saint's. One day, I want to be able to just serve.