De sancta Martha
The Noble Hostess of Christ
Martha's noble origins, her service to the Lord, and her miraculous victory over the dragon of Tarascon are established.
Martha, the hostess of Christ, came from a royal line; her father was Syrian and her mother was Eucharia. Her father served as a leader over Syria and many coastal regions, and Martha, along with her sister, held three towns by right of maternal inheritance: Magdala, both Bethanias, and a portion of the city of Jerusalem. However, it is never recorded that she had a husband or lived in the company of men. This noble hostess served the Lord, and she also wanted her sister to serve alongside her, because it seemed to her that even the whole world would not be enough to serve such a guest. After the Lord's Ascension, when the disciples had been scattered, she—along with her brother Lazarus, her sister Mary Magdalene, and the blessed Maximinus who had baptized them and to whom they had been entrusted by the Holy Spirit—was set adrift by the infidels along with many others, without oars, sails, or a rudder, and without food; yet, with the Lord as their guide, they arrived at Marseille. Eventually, they reached the territory of Aix and converted the people there to the faith. The blessed Martha was very eloquent and gracious to everyone. At that time, there was a dragon on the Rhône in a forest between Arles and Avignon—half animal and half fish, larger than an ox and longer than a horse, with teeth like swords and sharp as horns, protected on both sides by two shields. It lurked in the river, killing everyone who passed by and sinking ships. It had come by sea from Galatia in Asia, spawned by Leviathan—which is a watery and most ferocious serpent—and by an animal called an Onachus, which the region of Galatia produces; this creature directs its dung at its pursuers like a spear over the space of an acre, and whatever it touches, it burns like fire. At the request of the people, Martha approached the beast, and finding it in the forest eating a man, she threw holy water upon it and showed it a cross.
A Life of Austerity and Mercy
Following the dragon's defeat, Martha commits herself to a life of prayer, fasting, and miraculous intercession.
Instantly defeated, it stood there like a sheep, was bound by Saint Martha with her own belt, and was killed on the spot by the people with spears and stones. The dragon was called Tarasconus by the locals, which is why the place is still called Tarascona in his memory; it was previously called Nerluo, meaning 'black lake,' because there were dark and shadowy woods there. There, with the permission of her master Maximinus and her sister, blessed Martha remained from then on, devoting herself unceasingly to prayer and fasting. Later, after a large community of sisters had gathered there and a great basilica had been built in honor of the Blessed Mary, ever-virgin, she led a life of considerable austerity, avoiding meat, all rich foods, eggs, cheese, and wine, eating only once a day, and kneeling a hundred times during the day and just as many at night. Once, while she was preaching near Avignon between the city and the Rhône river, a young man standing on the other side of the river wanted to hear her words. Since he had no boat, he stripped and began to swim, but he was suddenly swept away by the force of the river and drowned immediately. His body was found on the second day and brought before the feet of Saint Martha to be raised to life. She, prostrating herself alone in the form of a cross, prayed like this: 'Adonai, Lord Jesus Christ, who once raised my brother Lazarus, your beloved, look, my dear host, upon the faith of those standing here and raise this boy.' Taking his hand, the young man immediately rose and received holy baptism. Eusebius reports in the fifth book of his Ecclesiastical History that the woman with the issue of blood, after she was healed, made a statue in her garden in the image of Christ with his cloak and fringe, just as she had seen him, and she revered it greatly. The herbs growing under that statue, which previously had no power, became so potent when they touched the fringe that many sick people were healed by them. Ambrosius says that the woman with the issue of blood whom the Lord healed was Martha. However, Jerome reports—and it is held in the Tripartite History—that Julian the Apostate removed the image the woman with the issue of blood had made and placed his own there instead, which was shattered by a bolt of lightning.
The Final Guest
Martha faces her final spiritual battle and death with the assurance of Christ's presence and promise.
The Lord revealed her death to her a year in advance. Throughout that entire year, as she suffered with fevers, she heard the angelic choirs carrying her sister's soul to heaven eight days before her own passing. She soon gathered the community of brothers and sisters and said, "My companions and dearest students, I ask you to rejoice with me, for I joyfully see the angelic choirs carrying my sister's soul to the promised seats." "O most beautiful and beloved sister, may you live in the blessed seat with your Master and my Guest." Immediately sensing that her own death was near, blessed Martha warned her people to keep lights burning around her until the end. But in the middle of the night before the day of her passing, while the guards were heavy with sleep, a violent wind rushed in and extinguished all the lights. Seeing a crowd of evil spirits, she began to pray: "My Father, my dear Guest, my seducers have gathered to devour me, holding the evil writings of what I have done." "My God, do not stay far from me, but hasten to my help." And behold, she saw her sister coming toward her, holding a torch in her hand, and from it she lit candles and lamps. As they called each other by name, behold, Christ arrived, saying: "Come, beloved hostess, and where I am, there you will be with me." "You received me into your home, and I will receive you into my heaven, and I will hear those who call upon you because of your love." As the hour of her passing drew near, she had herself carried outside so that she could see the sky. She ordered herself to be placed on the ground on ashes, and the sign of the cross to be held before her, and she prayed in these words: "My dear Guest, guard this little pauper of yours, and just as you deigned to be hosted by me, so receive me into your heavenly home." She ordered the Passion according to Luke to be read before her, and when it was said, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit," she gave up her spirit.
The Witness of the Tomb
The miraculous burial of Martha and the subsequent healings at her tomb confirm her eternal remembrance.
The next day, Sunday, while they were singing praises around her body, the Lord appeared to blessed Fronto in Perigueux around the third hour. He was celebrating Mass and dozing in his chair after the Epistle when the Lord said to him, "My beloved Fronto, if you want to fulfill what you once promised our hostess, rise quickly and follow me." Having fulfilled these commands, they suddenly arrived at Tarascon. While singing the entire Office around her body with the others responding, they performed the rites and placed her body in the tomb with their own hands. Meanwhile, as the deacon in Perigueux was finishing the chants and seeking a blessing from the bishop to read the Gospel, he roused the bishop. Barely awake, the bishop replied, "My brothers, why have you woken me?" "The Lord Jesus Christ led me to the body of Martha, our hostess, and we committed her to the grave. Therefore, send messengers there quickly to bring back our ring, the gold, and the golden gloves, which I entrusted to the sacristan while I was preparing to bury the body, and then forgot about because you woke me so quickly." The messengers were sent and found exactly what the bishop had described, bringing back the ring and one glove, though the sacristan kept the other as proof of the matter. Blessed Fronto also added, "When we were leaving the church after the burial, a certain brother of that place, who was learned in letters, followed us and asked the Lord by what name she was called." He answered him nothing, but showed him the book he was holding open in his hand, in which nothing was written except this verse: 'The just shall be in everlasting remembrance; she shall not fear the evil report on the last day.' But when he turned the pages of the book, he found this written on every leaf. As miracles began to occur frequently at her tomb, King Clovis of the Franks—who had become a Christian and been baptized by Saint Remigius—came to her grave suffering from severe kidney pain and was completely healed. Because of this, he enriched the site by donating land, villages, and forts within a three-mile radius on both sides of the Rhône, and he granted it its freedom. Martilla, her servant, wrote an account of her life; she later traveled to Slavonia, where she preached the Gospel of God and, ten years after Martha’s passing, rested in peace.
Read the original Latin
Martha hospita Christi Syro patre, Eucharia matre regali ex progenie descendit: pater ejus Syriae et maritimarum multarum orarum dux exstitit, tria autem oppida, scilicet Magdalum et Bethaniam utramque et Hierosolimitanae urbis partem Martha cum sorore jure maternae hereditatis possidebat. Nunquam autem legitur virum habuisse aut hominum contubernium subiisse. Ministrabat autem domino nobilis hospita et sororem pariter ministrare volebat, quia videbatur sibi, quod ad serviendum tanto hospiti non sufficeret etiam totus mundus. Post adscensionem domini cum facta esset dispersio discipulorum , ipsa cum fratre suo Lazaro et sorore sua Maria Magdalena necnon et beatus Maximinus, qui eas baptizaverat et cui a spiritu sancto fnerant commendatae, multique alii ablatis remis, velis et gubernaculis omnibus et alimentis ratibus ab infidelibus includuntur, qui domino duce Massiliam pervenerunt. Tandem territorium Aquense adeunt et ibidem populum ad fidem convertunt. Erat autem beata Martha valde facunda et omnibus gratiosa. Erat autem tunc temporis super Rhodanum in nemore quodam inter Arelatem et Avenionem draco quidam, medius animal, medius piscis, grossior bove, longior equo, habens dentes ut spata, acutos utcornua, binis parmis ex utraque parte munitus, quilatens in flumine omnes transeuntes perimebat et naves submergebat, Venerat autém per mare de Galatia Asiae, generatus a Leviathan, qui est serpens aquosus et ferocissimus, et ab Onacho animali, quod Galatiae regio gignit, quod in sectatores suos per spatium jugeris stercus suum velut spiculum dirigit et quidquid tetigerit, velut ignis exurit. Ad quem Martha a populis rogata accedens ipsumque in nemore quendam hominem manducantem reperiens aquam benedictam super eum jecit et crucem quandam sibi ostendit.
Qui protinus victus ut ovis stans a sancta Martha proprio cingulo alligatur et illico a populo lanceis et lapidibus perimitur. Vocabatur autem draco ab incolis Tarasconus, unde in hujus memoriamlocusille adhuc vocatur Tarascona, qui antea vocabatur ) Nerluo, id est niger lacus, eo quod ibi erant nemora nigra et umbrosa. Ibl igitur beata Martha de licentia magistri sui Maximini et sororis suae deinceps remansit et orationibus et jejuniis indesinenter vacabat, deinde congregato ibidem magno sororum conventu et ad honorem beatae Mariae semper virginis magna aedificata basilica satis ibi asperam duxit vitam, carnem et omnem pinguedinem, ova, caseum, et vinum vitans semel tantum in die edebat, centies in die, toties in nocte genua flectebat. Quadam vice dum apud Avenionem inter urbem et flnvium Rhodani praedicaret, juvenis quidam ultra fluvium consistens ejus verba audire desiderans, eum navigio careret, nudatus natare coepit, sed subito vi fluminis rapitur et protinus suffocatur. Cujus corpus vix secunda die inventum ante pedes sanctae Marthae resuscitandum praesentatur, illa vero in modum crucis sola prostrata taliter oravit: Adonay domine Jesu Christe, qui fratrem meum Lazarum dilectum tuum olim resuscitasti, respice, mi hospes care, ad fidem circumstantium et resuscita puerum istum, et apprehensa ejus manu mox juvenis surrexit et sacrum baptisma suscepit. Refert Eusebius in libro Hystoriae ecclesiasticae quinto, quod mulier Einorroissa, postquam sanata fuit, in curia sive viridario suo statuam fecit ad imaginem Christi cum veste et fimbria, sicut ipsum viderat, et eam plurimum reverebatur, herbae vero sub illa statua crescentes, quae ante nullius erant virtutis, cum fimbriam attingerent, tantae virtutis erant, ut multi infirmi inde sanarentur. Illam autem Emorroissam, quam dominus sanavit, Ambrosius dicit fuisse Martham. Refert autem Hieronymus et habetur in Hystoria tripartita, quod Julianus apostata imaginem, quam Emorroissa fecerat, inde sustulit et suam ibidem collocavit, quae ictu fulminis confracta fuit.
Obitum autem suum sibi dominus ante per annum revelavit, in quo toto anno febribus elaborans ante octavum diem sui exitus angelicos choros sororis suae in coelum animam deferentes audivit, quae mox fratrum et sororum conventu congregato ait: mei comites et dulcissimi alumni, mihi, quaeso, congratulamini, quoniam angelícos choros sororis meae animam ad sedes pollicitas ferentes ovanter cerno. O pulcherrima et mi dilecta soror vivas cum magistro tuo et hospite meo in sede beata. Statimque beata Marthà exitum suum vicinum praesentiens suos admonuit, ut luminaribus accensis circa se usque ad obitum vigilarent, nocte vero media ante transitus sui diem custodibus somno gravatis ventus vehemens irruit et luminaria cuncta exstinxit, illa vero malignorum spirituum tutbam cernens orare coepit: mi pater ely, ml hospes care, congregati sunt ad devorandum me seductores mei, scripta tenentes mala, quae gessi. Ely ne elongeris a me, sed in adjutorium meum intende. Et ecce sororem ad se venientem vidit, quae manu facem tenens cereos et lampades inde accendit, dunique altera alteram proprio nomine vocaret, ecce Christus advenit dicens: veni, dilecta hospita, et ubi ego sum, illuc mecum eris. Tu me suscepisti in hospitio tuo , ego te recipiam in coelo meo et invocantes te exaudiam amore tuo. Appropinquante vero hora sui transitus foras deferri se fecit, ut coelum posset videre, jussitque se in terra super cinerem poni et signum crucis coram se teneri et in haec verba oravit: hospes mi care, hanc pauperculam tuam custodi, et sicat mecum dignatus es hospitari, sic me suscipe in hospitio tuo coelesti. Jussitque, ut passio secundum Lucam coram se legeretur, et cum diceretur: pater, in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum, illa emisit spiritum.
Sequenti vero die, scilicet dominica, dum circa corpus ejus laudes exsolverent, circa horam tertiam apud Petrogoricas beato Frontoni missam celebranti et post epistolam in cathedra dormitanti dominus apparuit dicens ei: dilecte mi Fronto, si vis adimplere, quod olim hospitae nostrae pollicitus es, surge velociter et sequere me. Quo jussa complenté subito mbo Tarasconam venerunt et circa corpus ejus psallentes totum Officium ambo caeteris respondentibus peregerunt et corpus ejus in sepulchro suis manibus collocaverunt. Verum dum apud Petrogoricas finitis cantibus dyaconus evangelium lectnrus benedictionem petens episcopum excitaret, ille vix excitatus respondit: fratres mei, cur me excitastis? Dominus Jesus Christus ad corpus Marthae hospitae suae me duxit et ipsam tradidimus sepultnrae, dirigite igitur illuc velociter nuntios, qui nobis annulum nostrum, aurum et cyrothecas criseas deferant, quae, dum ad corpus sepeliendum me aptarem, sacristae commendavi et ex oblivione dimisi, quia me tam cito excitastis. Missi nuntii et hoc, ut episcopus dixerat, invenientes annulum solamque cyrothecam attulerunt, aliam vero in hujus rei testimonium sacrista retinuit. Addidit quoque beatus Fronto dicens: cum post sepulturam ab ecclesia exiremus, frater quidam illius loci literis peritus nos insecutus dominum interrogavit, quo nomine vocaretur. Cui ílle nihil respondens ostendit ei codicem , quem in manu tenebat, apertum, in quo nihil aliud erat scriptum, nisi versus iste: in memoria aeterna erit justa hospita mea, ab auditione mala non timebit in die novissimo. Cum vero codicem revolveret, cunctis foliis hoc reperit scriptum.
Cum autem ad ejus sepulchrum crebra miracula fierent, Clodoveus rex Francorum christianus effectus a sancto Remigio baptizatus cum gravem renum pateretur dolorem, ad ejus tumulum veniens sanitatem integram reportavit, quapropter illum locum ditavit et trium milliariorum spatio in giro ex utraque parte Rhodani terram, villas et castra dedit locumque illum liberum fecit, Martilla vero ejus famula vitam conscripsit ipsius, quae postmodum in Sclavoniam pergens et ibi evangelium Dei praedicans post decimum annum à dormitione Marthae in pace quievit.
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