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Martha was the sister, most likely the elder, of St. Mary of Bethany, traditionally identified in the West as St. Mary Magdalene, and of St. Lazarus, who was raised from the dead by Our Lord. St. Luke’s Gospel notably tells of Martha’s overemphasis on activity and work at the expense of the contemplative life, compared to Mary’s place at Our Lord’s feet. Like her sister, Martha was almost certainly among the holy women who attended at the Cross and witnessed the Ascension. A venerable tradition in the West describes how Martha, Mary, Lazarus, and a few companions were set adrift on the sea by the Jews after the Ascension. Their tiny boat was miraculously guided to Marseilles in France, where the bishop Lazarus established his diocese. Mary Magdalen lived the rest of her life alone in the wilderness as a penitent. Martha was more active, converting many fellow women, and miraculously defeating a terrible beast that was terrorizing the village of Tarascon. Having been taught the excellence of the contemplative life, Martha also founded an early convent of consecrated virgins, where she died eight days after her sister Mary, whose feast is July 22nd. Martha is a patroness of housekeepers, servants, and other such workers.
AT Tarascon, in France, St. Martha, virgin, the hostess of our Saviour, and sister of blessed Mary Magdalen and St. Lazarus.
At Rome, on the Aurelian road, St. Felix II, pope and martyr. Being expelled from his See by the Arian emperor Constantius for defending the Catholic faith, and being put to the sword privately at Cera, in Tuscany, he died gloriously. His body was taken away from that place by clerics, and buried on the Aurelian road. It was afterwards brought to the church of the Saints Cosmas and Damian, where, under the Sovereign Pontiff, Gregory XIII, it was found beneath the altar with the relics of the holy martyrs Mark, Marcellian, and Tranquillinus, and with these was put back in the same place on the 31st of July. In the same altar were also found the bodies of the holy martyrs Abundius, priest, and Abundantius, deacon, which were shortly after solemnly transferred to the church of the Society of Jesus, on the eve of their festival.
Also at Rome, on the road to Porto, the holy martyrs Simplicius, Faustinus, and Beatrix, in the time of the emperor Diocletian. The first two, after being subjected to many different torments, were condemned to suffer capital punishment; Beatrix, their sister, was smothered in prison.
Again, at Rome, the holy martyrs Lucilla and Flora, virgins, Eugenius, Antoninus, Theodore, and eighteen companions, who underwent martyrdom in the reign of the emperor Gallienus.
At Gangra, in Paphlagonia, St. Callinicus, martyr, who was scourged with iron rods, and given over to other torments. Being finally cast into a furnace, he gave up his soul to God.
In Norway, St. Olaf, king and martyr.
At Troyes, in France, St. Lupus, bishop and confessor, who went with blessed Germanus to England to combat the Pelagian heresy, and by assiduous prayer defended the city of Troyes from the furor of Attila, who was devastating all France. At length, having religiously discharged the functions of the priesthood for fifty-two years, he rested in peace.
At St. Brieuc, St. William, bishop and confessor.
Also, the demise of blessed Prosper, bishop of Orleans.
At Todi, St. Faustinus, confessor.
At Mumia, St. Seraphina.
℣. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
℟. Thanks be to God.