St Martha
On the 3rd day of the Coptic month of Paona we celebrate the life of St Martha.
Martha was born in the city of Cairo to wealthy Christian parents. She loved fornication and unchastity in her youth and her works became known. However, the mercy of God from above encompassed her, and moved her to go to church. That was on the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. When she came to its door however, wishing to go in, the servant delegated to watch the door told her, "It is not right for you to go into the holy church, for you know what you are?" A confrontation took place between them, and when the Bishop heard the clamor, he came to the door of the church to see what had happened. When he saw the girl, he said to her, "Do you not know that the house of God is holy, and only the pure may enter." She wept and said, "Accept me O father, for I am repentant from this instant. I have decided not to go back to my sinful life." The bishop replied, "If it is true what you have said, go and bring back here all your silk clothes and gold ornaments."
She quickly home and brought back all of her possessions and gave them to the Bishop. He ordered that they be burned immediately, then he shaved off the hair of her head. He put on her the monastic garb and sent her to one of the convents. She fought a great spiritual fight, and she frequently said in her prayers: "O Lord, if I could not bear the disgrace from the servant of Your house, so please do not put me to shame before Your angels and saints." She continued the spiritual fight for twenty-five years, during which she did not go out of the door of the convent, until she departed in peace.
Lessons from this story
“Who shall cast the first stone.” Jesus said. Not really a question, but a statement. Martha’s life is like so many of use in that we get lured by the many temptations of this world. It need not be sex, greed, anger or any well known vice. Sometimes it can be the lesser known sins like laziness.
When we think of the Prodigal Son we must remember that he, while sitting in the filth of the pig mud, made the effort to come home. But he did not even get halfway down the road when his father spied him and ran out to meet him. Although it does not say in this story, I can almost hear the rejoiceful singing of angels and saints the day Martha changed. But when was that actually? Was it when the bishop burned her possessions? Shaved her head or put on the covenant garb of a nun? It when, in her heart, she said “I am repentant at this instant.” In that very moment did the heavens rejoice.
My father always said to me, “never do anything halfway. Either do it or don’t.” We all work and are distracted by other affairs of the mind and heart. We have a deadline, a project, something that takes our full concentration that even the slightest distraction can make us mad, lose our train of thought and/or focus. This is what my father would say “halfway”. Doing something right takes all your might. Not just physical, but emotionally, spiritually and mentally.
Participating in our own salvation needs the same kind of singular dedication. When you come to church, leave your cell phone in the car, leave your watch at home. Come all the way, not just halfway.
Prayer
May the prayers of St Martha be with us and her intercessions be heard to help each of us find the strength, like she did, to focus fully on you oh Lord. And may we all be grant the chance to meet her face to face as well with you our Lord Jesus Christ.