St. Martha

Sister of Mary and Lazarus, hostess of Jesus at Bethany. The Gospels show her busy with hospitality while her sister sits at the Lord's feet, and at the tomb of her brother making the great profession that opens the Resurrection chapter of John: "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." Pope Francis added Mary and Lazarus to the calendar with her in 2021.

Martha is often remembered for her complaint that Mary left her to serve alone, and for Jesus' gentle correction that Mary had chosen the better part. Yet the Church has always seen in Martha not a rebuke but a model — the patron of active service, of those who love Christ precisely by feeding, sheltering, and tending to the needs of others.

A medieval French legend holds that Martha sailed to Provence after the Resurrection and tamed a dragon called the Tarasque with holy water and prayer, giving the town of Tarascon its name. Her feast on July 29, now shared with her siblings, celebrates the whole household at Bethany that opened its doors to the Lord.