Happy St. Martha's Day!

July 29:  Feast of St. Martha 

              
Saint Martha (1st c.) was from Bethany near Jerusalem. She is mentioned in Sacred Scripture as being a close friend of Jesus during his earthly ministry, as was her brother, St. Lazarus, and her sister, St. Mary of Bethany. The Gospels tell us that "Jesus loved Martha, and her sister Mary and Lazarus."

Martha would serve the Lord when he was a guest in her home, once busying herself with so much work that she neglected to spend time with him. Martha was a believer and had great faith in Christ, especially evidenced in her belief that he could raise her brother Lazarus from the dead.

In the Gospels we read that St. Martha testified that Jesus was the Son of God even before his Passion and Resurrection.

According to tradition, after the Ascension of Jesus into heaven, St. Martha gathered a group of women together to live, pray, and do penance in common, one of the early Christian convents of nuns. 

St. Martha is the patron of butlers, maids, servers, single laywomen, homemakers, domestic servants, and dieticians.

Her feast day is July 29th.