Holy Martha

Life

The mother of Saint Simeon of the Wondrous Mountain (see May 24). Wholly devoted in soul to the faith, she had no thought of marriage. And when her parents betrothed her to a young man, she resolved to leave her parents' home and withdraw from the world. But Saint John the Forerunner appeared to her and counseled her to do her parents' will and enter into marriage, which she did. From this marriage was born the wondrous Saint Simeon, the ascetic of the Wondrous Mountain. She had the steadfast custom of rising at midnight for prayer. With great compassion she helped the destitute, visited orphans, and served the sick. A year before her death, she beheld a multitude of angels with candles in their hands, and learned from them the time of her death. Upon learning this, Martha devoted herself with even greater zeal to prayer and good works. She reposed peacefully in the year 551 and was buried beside the pillar of her son, Simeon the Stylite. After her death she appeared many times, for the instruction of people and the healing of the sick. Particularly noteworthy was her appearance to the abbot of Simeon's monastery. After the burial of Saint Martha, the abbot placed a vigil lamp upon her grave with the resolution that it never be extinguished. But after some time the people grew negligent, and the lamp went out. Thereupon the abbot fell ill, and the saint appeared to him and said: "Why do you not light the lamp upon my grave? Know that I have no need of light from your candles, since I have been deemed worthy of the eternal heavenly light from God; but it is needful for you. For when you kindle a light upon my grave, you move me to pray for you to the Lord." From this it is clear that the purpose of our veneration of the saints is to move them, as ones more worthy than we, to pray to God for us and for our salvation.