Happy Name Day to all the Marthas, Marys named after Mary of Bethany, and Lazarus-named persons. Martha is a great saint, but sadly gets bad press for her unholy time. Imagine being rebuked by the Son of God in person. Oh, dear. Apparently, she changed and started to be a Mary.

She had a moment. or maybe, a habit of anxiety. Many of us have had to be purged of that sin. But, she was a friend of Jesus. The Scriptures tell us that she was loved by Jesus along with her brother and sister.

At the raising of her brother, she is the first sister to run out and meet Christ. She is the one who knows that Christ is the Resurrection and the Life. She is a woman of Faith.e

She also proclaims that Christ is the Son of God. This is no small witness. In the Eastern Church, she is called one of the Myrrh-bearing Women.

John 11:20-27 Douay-Rheims

²⁰ Martha therefore, as soon as she heard that Jesus had come, went to meet him: but Mary sat at home.

²¹ Martha therefore said to Jesus: Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

²² But now also I know that whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

²³ Jesus saith to her: Thy brother shall rise again.

²⁴ Martha saith to him: I know that he shall rise again, in the resurrection at the last day.

²⁵ Jesus said to her: I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, although he be dead, shall live:

²⁶ And every one that liveth, and believeth in me, shall not die for ever. Believest thou this?

²⁷ She saith to him: Yea, Lord, I have believed that thou art Christ the Son of the living God, who art come into this world.

She is called a "Disciple of the Lord." Nice title.

The important part of her life for me is after the Resurrection, she is supposed to have gone to Cyprus, according to the Orthodox, with her brother and sister, where they all eventually died in Larnaca. The Orthodox apparently took their relics, which the French took back to Marseilles. No one knows where these relics are now. But, in the Western Church, all three sailed to Provence and spread the Gospel in France. The great Cathedral of Autun is said to have Lazarus' relics. I watched an EWTN video on these facts earlier this year. The historical evidence for this French trip is both convicing and mysterious, as how could relics be found in Cyprus, if they all went to France.

Being a Western Catholic, I shall go with the French stories, but the Cyprus one must be considered.

Actually, today is technically the Feast of Lazarus, Mary and Martha, but my wall calendar only states Martha. Other calendars have all three.