In the penultimate match-up of the First Round, two women square off with the winner taking on Harriet Tubman. Thérèse of Lisieux, the original flower child, takes on Martha of Bethany, Biblical disciple. Yesterday Gregory the Great defeated Martin of Tours in the Battle of the Bishops and will face Florence Li-Tim Oi in the next Round. We understand that, in an act of deferential concession, Martin then sliced his miter in half.
If you missed yesterday's release of the People's Edition of Monday Madness make sure you watch it today. Tim and Scott aren't in it -- we defer to the "little people" of Lent Madness. AKA some people who were with us in San Diego last week that were duped into finishing the statement "I love Lent Madness because..."
Thérèse of Lisieux
While experiencing nervous tremors as a young girl, Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897) believed that she saw a vision of the Virgin Mary and was healed. She described this to Carmelite nuns, whose questions filled her with self-doubt and caused her to believe, wrongly, that she had lied about it. Several years later, on Christmas Eve 1886, she had what she said was a “complete conversion” as love entered her heart and liberated her to serve others.
The next year she told her father about her desire to mark the first anniversary of that conversion by joining the Carmelite nuns before Christmas. He picked up a little white flower with its roots and gave it to her. He said that God had created it and cared for it. Thérèse, who would eventually become known as “The Little Flower,” believed that to be a metaphor for her own life and that she would be planted in different soil. Yet she was still considered too young to be planted in the soil of the Carmelite nuns.
Later that same year, on a pilgrimage to Rome, she knelt before Pope Leo XIII and asked him to allow her to enter that religious community. He blessed her but left the decision in the hands of its superiors. She stubbornly remained there and had to be removed from the room by the Swiss Guard. Finally, however, she was allowed to become a Carmelite postulant at the age of 15 and moved into a cloistered community in Lisieux, which is located in northwestern France. Thérèse made her religious profession there at the age of 17.
She finally had the life she wanted – a life dedicated to prayer. So it’s interesting to note that she frequently fell asleep while praying and was embarrassed that she couldn’t stay awake in chapel with her religious community. But she realized that parents love their children while they sleep just as much as they do when they’re awake. In the same way, she knew that God loved her.
Chapel presented other challenges too. One of the nuns made clicking noises in that setting that drove Thérèse nuts. She might have been playing with her rosary. She might have had bad dentures. Whatever the true cause, it was simply maddening to Thérèse. But Thérèse decided to make it into a kind of music and offer it as a prayer as she sat there in the presence of God.
Those are both examples of her “little way” of being a Christian. After Thérèse’s death from tuberculosis at the age of 24, her writings were collected and published as The Story of a Soul. That’s how the world came to know and love her.
Collect for Thérèse of Lisieux
O God, by whose grace Thérèse of Lisieux became, with the fire of your love, a burning and a shining light in your Church: Grant that we may be inflamed with the same spirit of love, and ever walk before you as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Martha of Bethany
Though Martha of Bethany is mentioned in only two places in Scripture (Luke 10:38-42, John 11-12), she has had a lasting impact, for good and ill, on our conception of the spiritual life. It is sometimes hard to remember that Martha is a person and not a type. But, as one commentator puts it, “She looks at us out of the pages, a curiously vivid personality; downright, honest, practical, unselfish” (Interpreter’s Bible 1952, Volume 8, p. 636).
Martha is a devoted sister, never mentioned except alongside one or both of her siblings, Mary and Lazarus. Whether Martha is the oldest in the family is uncertain. However, Luke makes it plain that Martha invites Jesus to her house for that fateful meal when Jesus takes her multitasking to task. “Tell my sister to come and help me,” Martha says. In reply, Jesus speaks to Martha’s inner state rather than the presenting issue: “you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing.” Martha, who had sought to serve Jesus and wishes for Mary to do the same, is instead invited to be served.
John reports that when Jesus arrives at Bethany after the death of Lazarus, it is Martha who first goes out to greet him. They engage in a conversation in which Martha’s statement of Christ’s ministry rivals the Confession of Peter.
Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world" (John 11:23-27).
Also like Peter, Martha has a habit of saying exactly what she’s thinking and keeping it real. As with Peter, Jesus treats this forthrightness with forthrightness. When Jesus tells those gathered to remove the stone from Lazarus’ tomb, it is Martha who points out Lazarus has been dead four days and smells pretty ripe. This earns her another ding from Jesus who says, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”
Martha seems to take these rebukes in stride, continuing in her faithful discipleship and love of her Lord. In the final mention of Martha in Scripture, John 12:2, Jesus again joins the beloved siblings for dinner. Lazarus is at table; Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with perfume. And Martha served.
Collect for Martha of Bethany
Generous God, whose Son Jesus Christ enjoyed the friendship and hospitality of Mary, Martha and Lazarus of Bethany: Open our hearts to love you, our ears to hear you, and our hands to welcome and serve you in others, through Jesus Christ our risen Lord; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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162 comments on “Therese of Lisieux vs. Martha of Bethany”
While in some ways it's so much easier in this day and age to identify with busy Martha, St. Therese's simple wisdom may be what we need so desperately. "The Story of a Soul" is an extremely powerful little book. If you haven't read it because you don't think you can relate to a young, cloistered, 19th century, French, nun, I urge you to give it a try anyway.
It is often those who are most hidden away who provide an example for others to strive to reach. Here's to Therese.
Absolutely Therese: has changed countless lives as one in a deliberate line of strong Teresas (Avila, Lisieux, Calcutta) whose influence continues to be incalculable on both men and women. Gotta comment that -as good as they usually are- this is the first LM writeup I felt undersold the real strengths of the saint. We're not talking a stubborn girly-girl with a strong private piety and cute mini-reminders of God in daily life here. We're talking a Doctor of the Church and a very formidable woman.
I feel compelled to point out that I believe there is an error being promulgated here. It is Teresa of Avila who was a Doctor of the Church. She too was also a Carmelite. Avila deserves the honor of being named a doctor of the church. Avila wrote letters and books that are widely regarded as classics including The Way of Perfection (1573) and The Interior Castle (1577). She was named the first woman Doctor of the Church in 1970. No fair combining your saints, thereby doubling their chances of making it to the finals. You Episcopalians! Ask any old time strictly raised RC if you want to know the difference between the two Carmelites Theresa and Teresa. Me...I love them both but felt the need to clarify their accomplishments.
From Catholic Encyclopedia: "John Paul II added St. Thérèse of Lisieux in 1997." She's a Doctor of the Church along with Teresa of Avila.
Actually, BOTH Teresa of Avila and Therese of Lisieux are Doctors of the Church. Teresa of Avila came first, though!
Sorry, Conny...Robin is correct!
With all due respect to the sweet child Therese, my vote goes to my sister Martha, whose focus on the non-essential details of life I have shared so often. The lessons Jesus taught her in letting all that go and focusing on the spiritual have taught me as well, and I am grateful.
Jesus went to Martha's house which was always welcome and inviting. Imagine if our houses were always ready to receive Jesus! GO, Martha!
Gotta vote for Therese - my husband's great grandfather came from the Gelsemino, a.k.a. "Little Flower" orphanage in Northern Italy with only a first name. Ellis Island insisted on a surname so he took "Gelsemino", the orphanage name, which was Americanized to Jasmine.
Tough one! I'm always drawn to monastics and contemplatives - nuns especially - and I really like all the Theresa anecdotes today. I haven't read "The Story of a Soul," but will be doing that shortly.
And I guess Martha's playing the role of "active" here today, isn't she? Normally I'd vote the other way, but Martha is such a great persona - not to mention a close personal friend of Our Lord and Savior. She's a patron of single laywomen and travellers, among other things - and should be a patron saint of "friendship," I think.
So Martha got my vote today, although I almost went with the sympathy vote for Theresa....
I worked at a children's home in Ft. Worth named after Therese, so I have to vote for her! but I have always loved Martha, too. Hard choice!
got to go with Martha, remembering an essay by Edwina Gately called "Where are Martha's keys?" She recognized the Messiah and served him admirably.
I am Martha. Give me a minute here, and I will get snacks and tea for everyone while you are voting....
Love this! It made me laugh. I'm going for Martha, for all the women of the church offering hospitality, making coffee, washing the altar linens, cleaning up after the party, AND being the ones to greet Jesus and proclaim Him Messiah.
It's Martha all the way for me and I hope others here in Kansas, AKA Big Sunflower. Martha and Mary were the namesakes of an Episcopal girls school in Topeka that existed from 1870 to its close in 1928 -- the College of the Sisters of Bethany. The value of such an important institution prompted a major gift of land from the founders of Topeka to the Diocese of Kansas as a home for the school. The diocese and Grace Cathedral now occupy this land, along with the majestic Topeka High School. I'm happy to support one of these sisters, a personal friend of Jesus who was could speak her mind to him. Go Martha!
The story of the "clicking noise" spoke to me. To take something that annoying and turn it into a blessing. That is a women I hope to emulate. One of the dear nuns of the order of which I am an associate has taken the name Theresa, and she is a kind and gentle soul, who seems to have the same attributes as Saint Theresa. In light of those two facts, Theresa gets my vote.
Got to go with my patron saint here. I believe her struggles were deeper and more complicated than The Story of a Soul conveys, but "little things with great love" is an incredible goal that gives all of us ordinary people a path.
I have always loved Martha! She works at her service and recognizes that, although it would be swell to sit at the feet of Jesus, come lunchtime, HE and all the others would be looking for something to eat. Hooray for those who serve in real and tangible ways.
Both delightfully, humanly flawed. Who hasn't nodded off while in prayer. Who hasn't had anger with God? God understands all and forgives. Isn't that the Greatest Gift?! Today I go with Therese.
Another day of great education. These two seem very similar.. Knowing nothing about either one, in a toss of the basketball at center court....(Like March Madness...)Therese controls the jump, breaks away for a stuff. Besides that Carmelite's rule. The holy fool votes for Therese.
Martha all the way. How many times have I heard the Lord speaking to me as he did to her? "Come sit at my feet and be." "Stop trying to organize things. I can do it better."
I am married to a "Martha" but her middle name is Carmel!
Therese carries the day over the best supporting actress in Weekend at Bernies IV: Back from the Dead.
This was a tough call. Both women were deeply human in their varied emotions and both were good examples to us in the way of serving Christ but I voted for St. Therese because as one commentator put it, roughly, serving is not my love language. Martha met Jesus. She knew the Apostle in the flesh. Little Sr. Therese knew him well in spirit and her book was defining the language is a bit out dated but read , at least excerpts.
Nothing against Martha, but Thérèse of Lisieux influenced well known and respected modern saints such as Br. Roger of Taize', Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and Jean Vanier who founded L'Arche. Catholics see her as one of only four female Doctors of the Church, and her legacy was shared in both Lutheran and Reformed seminaries as a positive legacy. I love her "little way" and her view of a tender, loving God helped transform my earlier deformed view. Her writings have helped me, so I'll help her toward the Golden Halo - or at least try. She has my vote.
Martha got a bad rap. My guess is that the men of her time really wanted their coffee WHILE they listened to Jesus said. There is no report of Martha's "not listening."
A young child who has a religious experience and knows it is real--adults who pat her on the head and say "Come back when you grow up"--and her persistence and knowing that God has come to her--so familiar to me--I vote for Theresa.
Vote Martha - for all those women whose work, service, and forthrightness have kept the church alive for the last 2,000 years!!!
Poor Therese. I'm enough of a Martha to think she died of boredom at 23. Everybody wanted to be a nun at 12 or 13. Then you realized there's a wild world out there and you want to be part of it. My own choice is to bring my acts of goodness out into the world, not to lock girls up forever. Yuck. I guess I don't actually get the monastic life as a lifetime choice. Anyway, this girl's for Martha all the way.
About Therese's early death: I was very touched to read that she believed she was dying young because God compassionately called her from this life prior to the age at which a priest would normally be ordained: because she so very deeply and wholeheartedly yearned to be a priest, and have the privilege of offering the eucharist.
I knew nothing but the name of Therese, and that she had died very young--but Martha lives in my soul, always pulling at the Mary who lives there, too. No contest: Martha.
I always thought Martha got a bad rap. Too bad Jesus or one othe disciples didn't offer to help. In spite of my name, I am really a Mary at heart, and I don't consider it one of my better traits.
Go Martha(s)!!!!!!!!!
Martha is one of my faves.. sorry, Terry.
Voted for Blessed Theresa - anyone who can make falling asleep in church a spiritual exercise has my vote. And for sheer tenacity in following her vocation...well that's another great reason to vote for her.
I harbor dreams of an alternate universe where the female disciples and followers of Jesus occasionally mentioned in the canonical texts actually were given the stature and respect they earned. If plainspoken Martha were instead the Keeper of the Gates, what would Christianity look like today?
If I had read Mountain Lover's comments on Therese before I voted, I might have changed my mind. But I cast my vote for forthrightness and I'm fine with that.