Women of the Bible I would Like to Meet:: Part 3:: Martha

 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.  She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying.  But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.”  But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10: 38-46 

I think, when I meet Martha, I will find her in the kitchen cooking.  She has the Gift of Hospitality.  

Martha, you were good friends with Jesus and His followers, weren't you?  How did you feel about that?

Did Jesus visit you often? 

Were you always busy cooking for Him?

What were His favorite foods that you cooked?

Did you get to meet His Mother, too?

Did Jesus ever help you out in the kitchen?

Did you have many quiet conversations with Jesus?

Were there many who wanted to eat at your home when Jesus was there?

How did Lazarus and Mary feel about Jesus being at your home?

Did you and Lazarus and Mary share a home?

Were you the eldest child?

You must have been very stressed when Jesus was at your home that time.  Were there a lot of people who were hungry or was it just a bad day for you?

How did you feel when Jesus, your Master, reminded you that you were distracted because you had so much to do?

How did you feel when He reminded you that you should relax and follow your sister's lead?

Were you embarrassed?

What did you do after Jesus said that Mary had chosen the better part?

How did you feel when Jesus refused to tell Mary to go and help you?

Did you cry?

Did you forget about the kitchen and sit down with Jesus and Mary?
 
Did you continue to work in the kitchen?

How was the meal?  

Did Jesus enjoy the lovingly cooked meal you prepared?

Did Mary help?



 
 

Letter to Our Mother

Dearest Mother,

It's May, and it's your month.  We honor you as the Mother of God!  Thank you for listening to the angel's words and saying yes.  You are our advocate before Your Son, Jesus, our God and our brother.  For this, we thank you, and we praise God. 

St. Therese said that we, your children, are like flowers in a garden.  Each one is special and unique.  Each one of us has a purpose in life.  Each one of us was born with a mission that will glorify God.  How do you keep track of all your children dearest Mother?  It must have been easier with only one Son.

Dearest Mother, I often wonder about your life.  What was it like raising the King of Kings?  Did you and Joseph stand by His cradle and look at Him as He slept?  Did you wonder if He would fit in with the other children in your village?  Did you wonder how The Father would accomplish His gift of salvation through your Son?  Did you talk about this in your family as Jesus grew? 

Did Jesus help you in the kitchen when He was too young to work with Joseph?  Did you teach Him to cook and to clean?  When Joseph died, did you hold Jesus close and tell Him that all would be well? 

When Jesus grew into manhood, did you worry about Him?  You knew His mission of salvation would begin as Jesus left to find John and be baptized by Him.  You knew that He would do as you asked at the wedding in Cana even when He bantered with you.  We all know He couldn't resist your smile and love.  All you had to do was to tell the servants, "Do whatever He tells you." Jesus couldn't say no.  You pushed your little bird out of the nest and into His public life.  You had your mission, too. 

Dearest Mother, how your heart must have broken when you saw Jesus beaten, bruised and near death on His way to the cross.  How could you stand the pain? When Jesus gave you to John as his mother, he took care of you and gifted us with His Mother.  When Love died on the cross, your heart was pierced.  Your heart was shattered and broken.  You understood undying pain in the death of Love, but you accepted the sacrifice of the Lamb to the Father for the redemption of sin. 

Mother, how great was your joy, then, on Easter morning when you saw your Risen Son?  You, who gave birth to the Messiah, the great High Priest, saw your Son as God!  Mother, dear, how you must have rejoiced with the Apostles and disciples at the news of His resurrection.  How you must have rejoiced when His chosen ones saw Him for the first time.  The Promise of the Father was fulfilled.  Heaven was opened for mankind! 

Now, Mother of God, your mission continues.  Your job is to lead your children to your Son.  You work hard at this job.  You ask us to pray for peace, to pray for the conversion of sinners.  You ask us to pray the rosary daily.  You ask us to pray and fast. 

Our world is a difficult world in which to live.  You know that.  You try to teach us, but like naughty children, we forget.  Dearest Mother, pray for us.  We are your children.  Hold us close to your Immaculate  Heart.  Never stop trying. We will hear you.  Thank you, Mother.  Thank you.

We love you,
Your children

Mary, Mother of God, Pray for Us Now and at the Hour of Our Death. Amen

Magnificat

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever. 

(Luke 1:46-55)

Thoughts on Mary, the Mother of God, During Advent

God has a way of working things out when we trust Him.

Mary trusted God.

She was young. She was engaged to a man named Joseph who was of the House of David.

(Luke 2: 26-38)
When the Angel Gabriel appeared to her, she was troubled at his greeting.  “Hail, Favored One.”  Then she heard the rest of his message, “Mary, Don’t be afraid, for you have found favor with God. You will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you will call Him, Jesus.”  She heard the angel say, “ He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the Throne of David, His father, and He will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of His Kingdom there will be no end.”

She did not doubt the messenger when he told her she had been chosen to be the mother of the Most High.  She only asked one question when Gabriel appeared to her.  “How shall this be done?  She was a virgin.  She had no relations with a man.

She was reassured when the angel said: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.  Therefore, the child to be born will be called Holy, the Son of God.”

Gabriel went on to tell Mary that her elderly cousin, Elizabeth would also give birth soon.  She was in her sixth month. “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.  May it be done to me according to your word.”  Then the angel departed from her.

Mary trusted in God. She knew that everything would work out according to His plans.  She left to visit and help care for her elderly cousin, Elizabeth, who was also carrying a child.  Even as she went on her way, she simply trusted God would take care of everything.

The problem was that Mary was unmarried and pregnant.  She was also engaged to Joseph, and he was not the baby’s father.  When Mary left to visit Elizabeth, Joseph didn’t know that Mary was with child, much less that this child was the Son of God. All would be revealed , and when Joseph learned that his bride was going to have a child that was not his,  he would have to make a decision.  By law, under these circumstances, Joseph did not have to take her into his home as his wife.  According to the law, he could divorce her.  At that point, Mary would be subject to the law, and as an adulteress,  she could be stoned to death.  Joseph was concerned for the safety of Mary and her child.  Joseph’s decision would be to divorce her quietly and not subject Mary to shame and cruelty.

God, knowing the great faith of Joseph, stepped in to take care of the Mother of His Son.  God sent an angel to Joseph in a dream.  The angel told Joseph not to fear, and to take Mary into his home as his wife.  The angel told Joseph that this child was the Promised One.  Without delay, Joseph took Mary as his wife.

God chose well. 

Jesus Visits His Friends, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus

Luke 10: 38-42
Jesus Visits Mary, Martha, and Lazarus


    Jesus was tired from the long journey, and He was looking forward to His visit with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.  He could see the small buildings in Bethany, and in the distance, He could see His friend Lazarus waving to Him and His Apostles.  Lazarus came running to greet Jesus,
    “My Lord,” said Lazarus, out of breath when he reached Jesus, “We look forward to your visit with us.”  Lazarus greeted the Apostles.  They greeted Lazarus in return.  The people of the village came running to greet Jesus, bringing their sick with them.  Before Jesus could even reach the outskirts of Bethany, He was touching and healing the sick and the dying. 
    Jesus saw what was in their hearts, and He was filled with compassion for them.  The Apostles tried to rush Him forward, but the crowds would not let Him pass.  He spoke to them and smiled.  He touched them, and they were healed. Lazarus smiled as he saw the children rush to Jesus.  Jesus would smile and lift them into His arms.  With some He would circle and dance.  To the weak, He would give strength.  To the widows, he would give hope.  He was there for all of His Father’s creations.
    The walk through Bethany was the most difficult part of their journey.   The apostles were complaining.  Judas squirmed close to the Master and said, “Rabbi, do not look into their eyes.  They will only want more.”  Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Do not stop anyone from coming to Me.”  Peter cleared the way ahead of the Rabbi, but  he allowed all those in need of healing or consolation to come to Jesus. 
    Lazarus, Jesus, and the apostles finally reached the home of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary.  Martha and Mary raced to embrace Jesus and His friends.  Martha had already been preparing the food.  She had grown anxious because of the wait.  She was afraid that dinner would be cold, so when Jesus arrived and she greeted Him, Martha rushed to the kitchen to finish preparing  Mary lead Jesus to the place of honor in their home.  Feet were washed.   Hands were washed  All were ready for the feast. Jesus began to speak so the crowds who were waiting.  Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened as He spoke.  Mary, knowing how much Jesus loved her cooking stayed in the kitchen preparing the food.   She could not hear what Jesus was saying, and she began to grow resentful that she was the only one in the kitchen working.
    Martha kept waiting for Mary to come back and help her.  Dinner was taking so long to be made because Martha was the only one working to make a meal for the Master.  She was anxious and distracted.  She finally decided that she would talk to Jesus and have Him direct Mary to come back to work with her. 
    “Jesus,” Martha said, as she worked her way back to Him.  “Jesus, Don’t you care?  I’m working alone in preparing the meal.  I need help.  My sister continues to sit here instead of helping me in the kitchen.  Tell Mary to help me.”
    Mary looked at her sister.  She was stunned by Martha’s anger.  She started to get up with tears in her eyes.  Jesus looked at Mary, and He signaled her to sit down.  Mary sat down, and Martha was stunned. 
    Jesus turned to Martha and said, gently, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things;  there is only need of one thing.  Mary has chosen the better part, and this will not be taken away from her.”  Martha bent her head in shame.  She could not answer the Master.  Jesus signaled her to sit next to Mary, which she did.  Later when dinner was served by Martha, Jesus smiled and ate a large helping of Martha’s food.  He smiled with joy as He ate.  The dinner had been cooked in spite of the interruption.  Mary worked hard serving the meal.  Martha worked alongside of her sister serving Jesus and His Apostles.