Now you see why she complained to Jesus, that she was left alone cooking while Mary sat down to chit chat with Jesus. I always had a soft spot for St Martha. She was criticized by Jesus for not sitting down at his feet and listen to Him as her sister Mary did. Poor Martha was respecting the rules of hospitality, and having such an honored guest, she was probably preparing some snacks to serve when Jesus arrived, possibly unexpected. This painting by Vincenzo Campi gives Martha a lot of reason to complain, as she had a quite a meal to prepare, with fish, poultry, artichokes, cabbage, cauliflower, beans, carrots and all kinds of vegetables. Of course it may be exaggerated, but is funny in a way. But whenever I look at it, and see Jesus talking to Mary in the background, I always feel sorry for poor Martha. I would say “Hey Lord, first things first - let’s just prepare a few snacks for us all, and then we can sit and chit-chat, while nibbling on the snacks, or feast on the big meal that Martha probably prepared.” St Martha is the patron saint of housekeepers, housewives and waitresses. And guess what? Mary does not have a liturgical feast dedicated to her in the liturgical calendar. She is also known as Mary of Bethany. But the church realized that Martha was treated a little bit unfairly and gave her July 29 as her annual feast day.
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