Devotional Material in English
- Saint Martha
- Pateros Legend
- Prayer, Novena, and Litany
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Saint Martha, Disciple of the Lord
29 July
Saint Martha is commemorated each year on 29 July. From her diligence, we learn not to allow ourselves to be so overcome by daily duties that we neglect love; from her profession of faith we learn that life in God makes us experience wonders that we could not believe possible.
We learn about Saint Martha from the Gospels. She was from Bethany, a village a few kilometers from Jerusalem. The sister of Lazarus and Mary, she was considered diligent and meticulous; she was certainly one of the first to believe in Jesus. The Lord was often a guest in her home, especially during the time of His preaching in Jerusalem.
Saint Luke especially is able to “draw us a picture” of Saint Martha, describing her daily life. In his Gospel, relating one time when Jesus was visiting His friends in Bethany, the Evangelist writes: “As they continued their journey He entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed Him. She had a sister named Mary [who] sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to Him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to Him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.’ The Lord said to her in reply, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.’”
The Master helps her to understand that even praiseworthy labour can risk obscuring the interior life. It is a warning that causes one to reflect on how important it is to nourish the spirit, to listen to the Word of God, because it is the Word of God that gives meaning to our daily activities. Nonetheless, on account of her admirable dedication to doing the work necessary to offer a guest a comfortable respite, the Church recognizes Martha as a model of industriousness.
And so Martha and Mary are serve respectively as examples of the active and the contemplative life; the life of external activity and the life of prayer. In the life of a Christian, neither should be lacking; activity and contemplation should be seen as complementary, and not opposed to one another.
Martha’s profession of faith
Saint Martha has also left us a strong witness of faith. We see, in her response to Jesus’ questions after the death of her brother Lazarus, a total belief, a faith that does not hesitate, does not doubt. Martha has complete confidence in God, even in the face of what seems impossible on a human level: “When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him; but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. [But] even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.’” It is already an extraordinary profession of faith; but the colloquy between Martha and Jesus continues. And from this simple woman of Bethany, we come to understand what it means to believe in Jesus Christ: “Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise.’ Martha said to Him, ‘I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.’” It is the essence of Christianity; Martha, in her answer, condenses the whole of the faith into a simple confession of belief, which in turn is the faith of every believer; a simple answer in which every Christian can recognize the meaning of life.
The origins of her liturgical memorial
Tradition tells us that, after the first persecutions of Christians, Saint Martha, with Mary, and Lazarus, and other disciples, left their own land and went to France, arriving in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, in Provence, where they brought the Christian faith. The liturgical memorial of Saint Martha was begun by Franciscans, in 1262, who celebrated her feast on 29 July, eight days after the feast of her sister, Saint Mary Magdalene. In Bethany (now known as El-Azariyeh, “the place of Lazarus”), one can find the tomb of Lazarus, as well as a sanctuary built upon the remains of Byzantine and Crusader structures -- themselves constructed on top of a pre-existing structure. This is believed to be the house of Martha. The church, with its sanctuary in the form of a Greek-cross, is embellished with beautiful mosaics, that portray the episodes related in the Gospel that refer to Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.
The legend behind ‘Rosas ng Pateros’
April 21, 2019
Santa Marta de Pateros is the patron saint of duck-raisers and alfombra/abalorio makers. The shrine is located at the Pateros Church, alternately called San Roque Parish Church, on B. Morcilla Street, built in 1815.
According to folklore, Saint Martha (who tamed Tarasque – a fearsome legendary dragon-like mythological hybrid that inhabited Provence, France – with hymns and prayers) in 1700s was invoked by the people of Pateros to vanquish a giant crocodile that attacked their ducks in the nearby river.
The image of Pateros’ patron saint, Santa Marta, is shown crushing a crocodile with her dainty feet based on what was believed to be miracle in 1700 that led to the rise of the town’s duck-raising industry.
According to folklore, Saint Martha (who tamed Tarasque – a fearsome legendary dragon-like mythological hybrid that inhabited Provence, France – with hymns and prayers) in 1700s was invoked by the people of Pateros to vanquish a giant crocodile that attacked their ducks in the nearby river.
One evening, under a bright full moon, a brave local decided to slay the monster. On his way, at the banks of river, he saw a brilliant light surrounding the figure of Saint Martha; the giant crocodile was never seen again after that and the duck-raising industry flourished.
People of Pateros attribute this miracle to their patron saint and a grand fluvial procession is traditionally held in memory of the miracle. Thus her image shows crushing a crocodile with her dainty feet.
Variably, the local feast in honor of Santa Marta de Pateros was held in the months of January, February or March – based on the abundance of balut and rice harvests, coinciding with a full moon that illuminates the surroundings as there was no electricity yet.
However, the feast was fixed to second Sunday of February in the 1960s, following economic and environmental changes to the municipality. Moreover, there was a move from the parish priest to change the date to July 29, Saint Martha’s liturgical feast in the Catholic Church.
The church is the only major shrine dedicated to Saint Martha in the whole of Southeast Asia to date, and there is a proposal to elevate it to the status of National Shrine of the Philippines.
Even with the loss of a fluvial procession, the Santa Marta de Pateros Fiesta remains an old-fashioned fiesta in urban Metro Manila. Devotees form a long line to offer their petitions and touch the image of the town’s patron saint in the church patio. After the mass, a roving band of musicians play fandango music while a group of strong men carrying the image dance to the beat, as the crowd chant the song for “the savior” of their livelihood.
Source: The Manila Times
Prayer to Saint Martha
Nihil Obstat: Msgr. Jose N. Jovellanos
Imprimatur: Msgr. Justino C. Ortiz
O glorious virgin Saint Martha, I come to thee to ask for a favor and help. Thy devotion and fervor in the service of the Divine Master, Jesus Christ, have merited for thee graces which made thee a powerful intercessor before His Divine Throne.
Obtain for me the grace of which I am in need, if it will not be an obstacle to my spiritual welfare.
O almighty and everlasting God, who didst draw to Thyself Saint Martha, even from her tenderest years, making her Thy beloved friend, grant we beseech Thee, that imitating her example we may be made like unto her, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Novena to Saint Martha
The novena is to be said 9 consecutive Tuesdays with a lit blessed candle. One often obtains what one desires before the ninth Tuesday.
O admirable Saint Martha, I have recourse to thee and I depend entirely on thy intercession in my trials. In thanksgiving, I promise to spread this devotion everywhere. I humbly beg thee to console me in all my difficulties. By the immense joy that filled thy soul when thou didst receive the Redeemer of the world at thy home in Bethany, be pleased to intercede for me and my family, in order that we may keep God in our hearts and therefore, deserve to obtain the remedy to our necessities, especially the present situation that overwhelms me (mention your request). I implore thee, O auxiliatrix in all our needs; help us to overcome our difficulties, thou who so victoriously fought the devil. Amen.
Then say: One Our Father; One Hail Mary; One Glory be; and three times the invocation: Saint Martha, pray for us.
Litany to Saint Martha
Are you a workaholic person? A housekeeper? A cook? Yes, these are the few words that describe the identity of this humble house maiden of Bethany who have defended the sublime dignity of work and housekeeping, before Jesus. Eventually by God’s grace, she turned into an illustrious powerful maiden in Paradise, the House of the Father! Come, pray, and experience Saint Martha’s powerful generosity of intercession especially to the strangers who might want to experience similar generosity that she herself have rendered to Jesus Christ, The Master himself!
Personal Composed Litany Prayer as a Grateful Tribute to Saint Martha of Bethany (Patron of Cooks, Housekeepers, and Busy People) by Fray Bobby S. Castellano Jr., OP
This Litany Prayer is dedicated to the zealous devotees of the lowly virgin of Bethany!
Novena Period: July 20-28/Feast Day: July 29
S-elfless oblation to the God of Work, pray for us.
A-ffable servant who generously served the noble guest, Jesus, pray for us.
I-lluminated by Christ that her sister Mary have chosen the better part, pray for us.
N-otable model of generosity for serving guests, pray for us.
T-eacher par excellence of sublime dignity of work, pray for us.
M-agnanimously chosen by the Triune God, to intercede for her beloved brother Lazarus, pray for us.
A-dvocates of cooks, butlers, and housekeepers, pray for us.
R-esplendent model of holiness, pray for us.
T-rue mistress of hospitality and guest accommodation, pray for us.
H-umble disciple of her Master, Jesus Christ, until death, pray for us.
A-dvance in divine wisdom to recognize that Christ is the Son of God, pray for us.
O-ne with the Suffering Christ in serving the person of strangers and homeless, pray for us.
F-ortified by the Paraclete in taming the beast Tarasque, pray for us.
B-ore the name, Martha, which in Aramaic means “mistress or lady”, pray for us.
E-xcellent model of attaining sanctity through dutifully attending to menial labors, pray for us.
T-actful preacher of the gospel in Provence, France, pray for us.
H-eart filled with compassion in attending the needs of the visiting Jesus, pray for us.
A-dmonisher of sloth, laziness, and mediocrity, pray for us.
N-otable loving sister to her brother, Saint Lazarus, and sister, Saint Mary, pray for us.
Y-ielder of multitude of miracles, anchored on her meritorious power, before the Son of God as narrated in the gospel of John, pray for us.
V. Pray for us, O Saint Martha of Bethany.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray: Almighty Father, you bestowed to your beloved handmaid, Saint Martha of Bethany, the gift of valuing the sublime dignity of work as a means of glorifying the God of Work. By the help of her unfailing prayers, we too be truly faithful to our Christian duty by working for the salvation of our souls and tilling labors to save the soul of others, despite the difficulties it entails. Through the inexhaustible merits before the throne of the Triune God, of our beloved advocate, Saint Martha, grant us a sound health of body and soul. And in return we can become God’s instrument to unconditionally serve the Suffering and Poor Christ in the person of strangers and homeless. By the powerful patronage and protection of the lowly house maiden of Bethany, turned, an illustrious, powerful heavenly maiden of Heaven, The House of the Father, Saint Martha, may we be preserved from all the assaults of the adversaries of faith, continue to grow in the spirit of charity and generosity until we can gratefully greet her in Paradise someday. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Saint Martha of Bethany, pray for us. (3X)
Santa Marta de Pateros (PNG)
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