Martha, Mary, Lazarus, and Us

I am writing this on July 29, the feast of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, some of Jesus’ best friends in his days on earth. Franciscans established Martha’s feast in 1262. Pope Francis made it a family affair in 2021, when he updated the General Roman Calendar. For centuries, Roman Catholic tradition has merged and confused Mary of Bethany with Mary of Magdala, though the Eastern church kept them separate. Most modern scholars agree there were two clearly distinct Marys in Jesus’ life, in addition to his mother. Some still dispute the distinction. 

In any case, Martha and Mary are clearly distinct. I have always thought of myself as a Martha and felt guilty about not being more of a Mary—especially since I realized how radical it was of Jesus to praise a woman for escaping her traditional role and joining his male students. My number one goal for these mission years is to spend less time doing and more time at my Master’s feet.

I think I am making slow progress toward that goal. This summer, while my teaching in Juarez is on break, I’m trying to keep one day a week for reading and reflection. I am also seeing, though, that it’s okay to be both Mary AND Martha—and perhaps a little Lazarus too. As in, “Hey, Jesus, let’s just hang out!” 

Thanks be to God, my FMS formation has encouraged all three kinds of relationships. I can be an activist, a listener, and a friend to our dear Lord—Martha, Mary, and Lazarus in one—as I do for, listen to, and spend time with the people I encounter. At my best, I can be a human be-ing as well as a human do-ing. 

I need natural and human-made beauty like I need air, but I’m not artsy-craftsy. When I sit, it’s usually at the computer or with a book. I never, ever imagined myself as the kind of grandma who sits and knits! Yet, here you could find me at the Opportunity Center, at Guiding Star, or at DIF in Juarez, finger weaving (AKA knuckle knitting) with the young people or the adults. Conversation seems to flow more easily when we’re all doing something with our hands. 

At the Opportunity Center, I have shifted from sorting and distributing clothing to meeting with a group of women who are in the process of merging into a community. This week, I read one of my favorite short stories to them, De Maupassant’s “The Necklace,” and they gasped at the ending just the way I did when I first read it, 70 or so years ago. Next week, we may knit, or color, but the ladies are eager for another story. 

Though my six-year-old playmate at Guiding Star sets the agenda for our time together, I will definitely have yarn in my kit bag on Wednesday evenings, as well as in the afternoons when I meet with the young moms and moms-to-be. The mostly-teen boys at DIF surprise me by being as enthusiastic about yarn crafts as the women and girls. They can make a nifty braid in just a few minutes with three strands and four hands, and they sport their products proudly. I still haven’t mastered that technique. Maybe next week I will?

Mega masters continue at the courthouse—137 cases for one judge, on a recent morning, almost all ruled Removable in Absentia. Most of these individuals never received the Notice to Appear that is supposed to summon them to court, and some of the judges consider that in making their rulings. Others side with the government attorneys who are present at every hearing. With unaccountable ICE forces at large and quotas to be filled, the difference may not keep them free.

I am currently visiting three ICE prisoners, none of whom has any immediate prospects for release. We always conclude the visit with prayer, and they continue to inspire me with their faith and stubborn hope. Cooking with the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary is another consistent delight for the Martha in me. I still work with the Diocesan Laudato Si Commission, with Pax Christi, and with the El Paso interfaith community, as well as taking part in some of the city’s cultural activities. 

Whenever I review the news, I know I could do much more. Yet, I enjoy my day of rest and delight in my daily dose of beauty because I know I’m not alone. We are building and rebuilding together. In Magnifica Humanitas Pope Leo contrasts the culture of power that built the biblical Tower of Babel and builds the modern concentration camps for migrants to the civilization of love. “The civilization of love will not arise from a single or spectacular gesture,” he reminds us, “but from the sum total of small and steadfast acts of fidelity that serve as a bulwark against dehumanization.” 

Thank you, dear readers, friends and supporters, for doing your part and making it possible for me to do mine.

Question for Reflection: How do you relate to Martha, Mary, or Lazarus?