Four years ago, a decree from the Congregation for Divine Worship announced that Pope Francis was including the three sibling saints, St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus in the General Roman Calendar on a combined Feast Day, “considering the important evangelical witness they offered in welcoming the Lord Jesus into their home, in listening to him attentively, in believing that he is the resurrection and the life.”
The General Roman Calendar (GRC) is the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church, which denotes the dates of holy days and the feast days of saints that are commemorated annually.
St. Martha was already included on the GRC with a memorial on January 29th, but St. Lazarus and St. Mary had been left off due to uncertainty about the identity of Mary Magdalene and possible confusion with this St. Mary. The decree explained that these uncertainties “have been resolved in recent studies and times,” and pointed out that Mary and Lazarus are already commemorated on July 29th in the Roman Martyrology, the Church’s official catalog of martyrs and saints.
Signed by Robert Cardinal Sarah, then prefect of the Divine Worship congregation, the pope’s decree said that “in the household of Bethany the Lord Jesus experienced the family spirit and friendship of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, and for this reason, the Gospel of John states that he loved them.”
“Martha generously offered him hospitality, Mary listened attentively to his words and Lazarus promptly emerged from the tomb at the command of the One who humiliated death,” the decree continued.
“Jesus loved Martha and Mary and Lazarus.” This unique statement in John’s gospel tells us of the special relationship Jesus had with Martha, Mary, and her Lazarus. Apparently, Jesus was a frequent guest at Martha’s home in Bethany, a small village two miles from Jerusalem. We read of three visits there in Luke 10:38-42, John 11:1-53, and John 12:1-9.
Many of us find it easy to identify with Martha in the story that Luke tells. Martha welcomes Jesus and his disciples into her home and immediately goes to work to serve them. Hospitality is paramount in the Middle East and Martha believed in its importance. Imagine her frustration when her sister Mary ignores the rule of hospitality, and Martha’s work, in order to sit and listen to Jesus. Instead of speaking to her sister, she asks Jesus to intervene.
Jesus’ response is not unkind, which gives us an idea of his affection for her. He observes that Martha is worried about many things that distract her from really being present to him. He reminds her that there is only one thing that is truly important — listening to him. And that is what Mary has done.
In Martha, we see ourselves — worried and distracted by all that we have to do in the world and forgetting to spend time with Jesus. It is, however, comforting to note that Jesus loved her just the same.
The July 29th feast day of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus will now appear in the Church’s calendars and liturgical texts as a memorial. Memorials rank third in the classification of feast days on the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar. The memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus is an obligatory memorial, which means it must be observed throughout the Church.
May God Bless You and Grant You His Peace!