St. Martha is a saint for our times. She is a saint for those who easily get anxious and worried and distracted... for those of us who easily get preoccupied with work, and duties, and our families. She is a saint for people who are busy. She is a saint for us.

Interestingly, we meet St. Martha at three points in the Gospel. And in these three points, we see a development. The first time is in Galilee, when Martha and her sister, Mary, invite Jesus over for dinner (Lk 10:38-42). Martha is taken up with serving their privileged guest. She is a good woman who is praiseworthily concerned for her guest. She is eager in serving and generous in hospitality. Yet, when she sees her sister sitting at the feet of Jesus and not helping, she complains to Jesus and orders her to command her sister to help her. Jesus, as you will remember, gently rebukes her. He gently points to her own anxiety and distraction as the real source of her frustration, and invites her to focus on the one thing necessary in life, the better part that her sister has chosen, the kingdom of heaven.

The second time we meet Martha is when her brother, Lazarus, has died, in Bethany, just outside of Jerusalem. Martha approaches Jesus, and, as before, complains to Him. She complains that if He had been here, her brother would not have died (Jn 11:21). Yes, she complains, but in these same words she also shows great faith in Jesus' power to save from death. She then goes on to say to Jesus, "I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you" (11:22). After assuring her that her brother will rise again (11:23), Jesus then brings her faith to a further level so that she may see that Jesus is not only powerful with God, but that He is one with God. He tells her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die." He then asks, "Do you believe this?" (11:26). Remarkably, she responds with a faith that sees far more in His identity than most of His disciples were able to recognize at that time. She says, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, He who is coming into the world" (11:27). In one short profession of faith, Martha has just confessed the Messiahship of Christ, His Divinity, and His incarnational mission in the world. Martha has come a long way since Jesus first met her. She still struggles with control and anxiety, but she is able to bring it to Jesus in faith and trust.

The last time we meet Martha is six days before Jesus dies, six days before the Passover. Jesus is dining with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. All we hear about Martha is, "Martha served" (Jn 12:2). She says nothing. She only serves. More than that, her sister, Mary, is busy with pouring extremely expensive anointment over Jesus' feet. But this time, Martha doesn't complain or say anything. She is quietly serving and seeking the one thing necessary in her own way, while she realizes that her sister is seeking it in another way. She now gives her sister the space to express her gratitude and love for Jesus without interfering. Here, we see yet further progress.

Along the way, Martha was able to receive Jesus' gentle corrections and grow from them. Why? Because, as we read, "Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus." It was this love that gently coaxed her to become a more perfect and trusting disciple. In Martha, therefore, we see the triumph of grace in someone who struggled like we do. What a great source of hope for us! St. Martha, pray for us!