Saint Martha: A Perfect Example of Spiritual Development for Catholic Women
“‘Yes, Lord,’ she replied, ‘I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is coming into the world’” (John 11:27).
Saint Martha is an example of spiritual growth and maturity in the Gospels. She is only mentioned by Saint Luke and Saint John as the woman who was upset with her sister, Mary, who sat at Jesus’ feet while she prepared the food (Luke 10:38-42) and the woman who proclaimed that if Jesus had been there, her brother Lazarus would not have died (John 11:20-27). She also plays a role as the server at the supper for Jesus where Mary anointed his feet (John 12:2).
Two Views of Martha
Martha was a worker, a doer. How many of us can resonate with her? She was dedicated, she knew what needed to be done, and she completed her work with efficiency. She got upset with Mary who appeared to be slacking on her duties when she sat at the feet of Jesus while there was work to be done. As she chided her sister, Jesus responded that Mary had chosen the better part, which would not be taken from her (Luke 10:41-42). Martha was dedicated to completing her work before taking what appeared to be leisure time to sit and listen to Jesus’ teachings.
We see another side of Martha after her brother Lazarus died (John 11:1-53). Jesus was at a distant location when He received word that His close friend, Lazarus, had passed away. When Martha heard Jesus was approaching two days later, she went out to meet Him and said that if He had been there, Lazarus would not have died. She proclaimed that Jesus was the Resurrection and the Life, the Messiah and the Son of God.
How can we have two such opposing views of the same woman? In one, she does not realize the value and importance of Jesus’ presence, and in the other, she is faithfully aware of His divinity and His ability to enact the miraculous. How can one woman have had two such diametrically-opposed descriptions? Is it possible she experienced profound spiritual growth between the two events?
Learning to Swim
Martha is an apt example for modern women who want to develop a deep spirituality and reliance on Jesus’ personal touch in our lives in a culture fraught with secularism. We have opportunities to join Bible studies at our church or become involved in a one-time retreat or presentation. We can join groups that address the needs of our specific stage in life. However, the most important factor we must tackle when developing spiritual depth is to understand where we are in our spiritual journey and determine the next logical next step in our spiritual development.
We do not want to become discouraged that we do not think we are as far along in our spiritual journey as other women we see. We must all remember that spirituality is not a competition but, rather, a collaborative experience. Pope Leo XIV made “In the One, we are one” his motto. We are called to support and encourage one another on our spiritual journey.
Spirituality can be likened to learning to swim. We do not jump off the diving board and expect to master the American crawl without instruction or practice. Rather, we begin in the shallow end with an instructor and a specific method of progression. We advance to swimming with assistance, in case we need to hold on to something for safety. We then progress to swimming in the deep end with supervision and surveillance to prevent accidents.
This is not unlike spiritual growth. A woman must first learn to pray and talk to God, recognizing God’s voice in her head, heart, and soul and trusting what she hears. No matter a woman’s upbringing, spirituality provides the sustenance for a life of peace, quiet, and trust. It is the means of righteous living, not only offering the objectives of a holy life, but also the spiritual walk a woman can traverse to attain this new, spiritual perspective.
We do not live as the world lives because we are not of the world (John 17:16). We may be in it, but we do not take our guidance from it. We are guided by our faith, the lives of Jesus and the saints, Catholic social teaching, the Catechism, and the witness of other faithful Catholic women.
It is important for Catholic churches to offer women a variety of opportunities to develop their faith life. Whether they are new to the faith journey or more advanced, whatever amount of time they have to commit to taking classes or attending retreats, churches must make it easy and simple for women to integrate their developing faith into their busy life.
Saint Martha is the perfect example of spiritual growth and maturity for women in the modern world. Like Saint Martha, we too, may undergo an intense deepening of our spirituality, finding that we can proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. Turn to Saint Martha this month and ask for her intervention and encouragement, allowing her to offer you strength so you, too, can assume the posture of the deep closeness and spiritual intimacy you desire with Our Lord.
Dr. Kate Walsh-Soucheray taught high school religion in St. Paul, Minnesota and then became a licensed marriage and family therapist. She has master’s degrees in theology and marriage and family therapy, and a doctorate in educational leadership. Dr. Kate and her husband John have been married for 42 years and they have three, adult married children and six, soon to be seven, grandchildren. Dr. Kate is retired and writes and speaks for Catholics.