Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. No, Virginia, Santa Claus will not be advancing in Lent Madness 2019. That's because yesterday, in a 
shocking upset that rocked the North Pole, Zenaida defeated Nicholas of Myra 59% to 41% to claim the final spot in the Elate Eight. (Also, Virginia, congratulations on winning yesterday's national championship in that other brackets-based tournament).
We started with 32 saints and 3/4 of them have been cast out, hanging their halos in shame. Okay, that's not how it works - we're pretty sure the saints themselves don't actually care about our little Lenten game of learning. And each and every one of them has already received their own crown of righteousness. Nonetheless, welcome to the Elate Eight.
Who remains? Well, Zenaida joins Martha of Bethany, Photini, Ignatius of Loyola, Gobnait, John Chrysostom, William Wilberforce, and Pandita Ramabai. One of these remaining eight will be awarded the coveted 2019 Golden Halo.
Things kick off with two Biblical heavyweights as Martha of Bethany takes on Photini. To make it to this point, Martha defeated Mary of Bethany and Nicodemus, while Photini took down Ananias and Tabitha. Don’t forget to click the Bracket tab and scroll down to be reminded of what was written about these two in the earlier rounds.
The Elate Eight is also known as the Round of Saintly Kitsch. After basic biographies, quirks and quotes, what else could there be? Now, there are always some folks who take offense to this approach — we call them Kitsch Kranks. Please remember that this round is not meant to belittle or demean our saintly heroes but to have some fun and gaze in wide wonder at the breadth of devotional practice. So kindly relax and enjoy the spirit of the Madness as we push ever onward toward our goal.
For more about all things Lent Madness, tune in to yesterday's edition of Monday Madness, if for some unknown reason you missed it. This week, among other things, Tim and Scott share the First and Great Commandments of Lent Madness.
Martha of Bethany
As an original disciple of Christ living in the first century, we have no idea what St. Martha looked like, nor much of her personality. Yet, people are drawn to her story and long to close the historical divide. Fortunately, there are many varieties of kitsch available to help us connect with her for devotion or emulation, from the orthodox to the syncretic.
On E-bay, you can purchase this multi-saint reliquary for about $1,300 that includes a tiny, holy piece of both Martha and Mary Magdalene, plus five other post-Biblical saints. What a bargain!
In the early days of photography, devotees dreamed up a new way to bring Martha close to us. These included dramatically staged Biblical scenes such as this one, showing the iconic Mary working/Martha listening scene.
And this one, showing the ruins of the house of Martha and Mary in Bethany, c. 1904.
As a novel writer myself, I appreciate the many authors who have chosen Martha as a subject and use their theological imagination to develop her character and explore Biblical themes in depth. I cannot yet personally attest to the theology or quality of writing in these books. However, they certainly have compelling covers that make me want to crack them open and dive in as soon as Martha stops winning in Lent Madness, and I have some time to read recreationally! (Just kidding, vote for Martha!)
And for those in the service industry, for whom Martha is the patron, comes this mini, plastic St. Martha statue, in which Martha holds a ladle and appears before a salver. Surely this devotional item has brought patience and solace to many a waiter while dealing with rude or difficult customers.
This Santa Marta Indio oil is meant for the anointing of the hands when one must overcome 
difficulties, such as a dragon threatening the town where you live. If you find yourself with that or a similar problem, you can order it online, only $2.50 per bottle! Or you can DIY with recipes available on the Internet.
The Indio oil above shows an offshoot of a Martha devotion I did not know about until I became her advocate in Lent Madness this year. She is honored in Voodoo and other syncretic spiritualities that developed among slaves in the Americas and mix Christianity with traditional West African religion. Martha is revered for her dragon slaying and worshipped as the Dominator, a symbol of female power. While the practices associated with this devotion fall outside orthodox Christianity, the symbol itself is potent: Martha, the friend of Christ and servant of all, is the champion of the oppressed and downtrodden.
Photini
Icons in the religious tradition are images of the holy, images filled with symbolism that invite us to venerate the examples of saints in prayer, to be still in the presence of an artistic imagining of a holy moment, and to be drawn closer to God in our prayer with them. The Woman at the Well is one of the most popular icons. The church built in commemoration of her encounter with Christ at the well is filled with artistic icons capturing the holy moment when she and Jesus speak with each other in the Gospel of John. While countless artists have i
magined that moment, the icons of this moment bring a precise, ethereal vision for us to pray with as we, too, encounter Christ.
Icons, however, may not fully capture the dimension of the encounter. For those of you who appreciate sculpture, Timothy B. Schmaltz has created this sculpture, available in a myriad of sizes, from extra-large for those hard to fill secluded spots in the church garden to personal devotional size, perfect for a coffee table.
If a sculpture isn’t quite your style, don’t worry. The well that played such a central role in the encounter between Photini and Jesus was likely simple - made from stone and materials easily available in the community. While large stones may not be readily available in many communities, old tires are in constant supply, so you, too, can repurpose tires in to your very own garden well, in Lent Madness purple, nonetheless!
While you’re contemplating the magnitude of Photini’s encounter with Jesus in your lovely garden complete with
a repurposed tire well, why not sit a while in this moment. But wait, while the ground is nice, having something to sit on would be helpful. And guess what? There’s a round beach towel complete with fringe that will create the perfect place to meditate on Photini and her witness to the Christian faith.
While her name isn’t recorded in the Gospels, after her baptism on Pentecost, the unnamed Samaritan woman in the Gospels is revealed as Photini, meaning, “the enlightened one.” And after a day of sitting on your Photini beach towel by your lovely well in your garden, wouldn’t you love a 
nice refreshing beverage served from your very own enlightened pitcher or lighted water bottles, for those times you’ve invited guests to your garden well?
Suddenly, you realize the day is done. The sun is setting and our eyes behold the vesper light. As we sing our praises to God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we can turn on our Photini nightlight in purple, the official color of Lent Madness.
Of course, Photini’s faith didn’t limit the sharing of the Light of Christ to her homeland. She traveled far and wide in her life to share the teachings of
Jesus, enlightening those whom she encountered with the Good News. Not all of us are called to travel the world to share the Light of Christ, but we all can enlighten our neighborhoods for all to see that we, too, are emulating the Enlightened One.
[poll id="263"]
130 comments on “Martha of Bethany vs. Photini”
#Photini. The woman shunned, scorned, used. Until THIS guy talked to her.
Tough choice. I did want to vote for Martha for her service, that much-ignored or maligned or thankless "women's work" which she faithfully performed on top of her devotion to Christ. But I have to go with Photini. She engaged Jesus in theological discussion, and any first-century woman theologian must get my vote.
Laurie Brock won my vote with the fabulous tire well, and inspired kitsch collection. Summer evenings in the garden will be transformed!
Let’s give Photini a chance. Love the purple tire well and need more nightlights these days. We voted for Photini!!!
We have my grandfather’s stereopticon cards too, quite a treasure including a series from the San Francisco fire.
I said what I meant, and I meant what I said. I'm voting for Photini 100%! I love this round also, Willa. I'm a kitsch collector, so this round always makes me covetous!
I decided to throw caution to the wind and vote today solely based on the kitsch. I had picked Tabitha for the biblical quadrant, so..... why not?
And Photini’s kitsch was the kitschiest, IMHO. That purple well, the nightlight, and the drink (a photini, right?)—what a combination! Hilarious! Voting for Photini!
The celebrity blogger's post above has reversed the Bible story -- Martha was the one working, Mary the one listening. Which is why Mary of Bethany should have had the chance to win the Golden Halo, not her sister, IMHO.
Also, What the heck is up with eliminating NICHOLAS of MYRA!? So disappointing!!
He probably got voted off Lent Madness Island because of all the Ponys that have not appeared next to Christmas trees. That and Saint Zenaida's example of providing universal health care without regard to the patient's ability to pay.
Difficult to make a choice but Martha has to be today for me. Our book study in my Sunday School class, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, has inspired more thinking about Martha in depth for me , as Jesus told Martha “There is only one thing needed “ and I strive for that one thing, intimacy with God, and I believe all else will fall into place, Thanks be to God!
This one is especially hard as both these women speak to different aspects of my personality. Who among us hasn't been so focused on putting together a big family or church dinner (no matter how much help you have) that you missed being involved in the important stuff going on? And then even complained that this one person can't lend a hand? Or been so consumed by grief that you blame others around you?
On the other hand, we have a woman who listened with her mind and her heart. When presented with something out of the ordinary she came to an obvious conclusion (Well, duh. You're the messiah. > eye roll<) and then others finally see what was right in front of them.
We have the OCD and the seer of the obvious. Today I shall go with OCD since I'm Spring Cleaning and that seems to be a very Martha thing to do. (If only St Brigit were also here to help!)
Martha has my heart.
It seems to me that there are more than enough real people who achieved sainthood, that Scott and Tim don't have to throw undocumented saints into the lists of Lent Madness. If this nonsense keeps up, I assume that next year we can expect to see Lady Godiva in the lists as the patron saint of Libertarians! My vote today goes to Martha, the patron saint of all the women who have toiled faithfully in the back rooms of the church down through the millenia. We can speculate that Photini talked with Jesus. We know that Martha did.
Photini is well-documented in the Gospels; she's just not named. Happened with women all the time, and in her case tradition remedied this very early on in Church history.
I don’t know what you mean by “undocumented,” René. All the saints we vote on in Lent Madness are genuine, bonafide saints recognized as such in at least one branch of the Church Universal. And both these ladies are in the Bible, so...?
Yup!❤️
But we do know that Photini spoke, at length, with Jesus. What we don’t know is what her real name was.
I think it’s safe to say it wasn’t Photini. Maybe it was Mariam, or Joanna. Or Shoshanna (Susan)!
Marvelous kitsch for both saints!! I was almost drawn over by the hysterical purple tire well but in the end couldn't vote against Martha.
I planned to vote for Martha the Dominator but the Enlightened One glasses and pitcher setchanged my mind. I'm sure Martha would live to use them in hosting!
Photini has the best kitsch today, but Voodoo Martha has my vote. For me, that statue embodies the archetype of woman's wisdom, symbolized in many cultures by the serpent. Let's be careful not to conflate white Western Christianity with "orthodoxy". Such phrasing suggests that the folk religion of black slaves--truly "the least of these" whom Jesus had special concern for--is less legitimate than the traditions of the masters.
This round has the two saints that sparked my imagination the most, and I must now chose between them.
1. I love that the tradition of the Church has provided very plausible snippets that follow-up the Biblical narrative.
2. With these ladies, I’ve appreciated that of course, they likely evolved in their faith and lives and became solid Christian workers.
3. Using a holy imagination, Lent Madness has allowed me to see Martha in a new light. I can now see that one biblical scene as but her beginnings and, like us all, God takes those disappointing characteristics and reworks them into strengths. It makes perfect sense that Martha’s grew up in her faith and found a balance between all service and burn-out with fulfilling contemplation practices.
4. I also LOVE that I now have “met” the wonderful, enlightened Photini! I love that the person with the checkered past has the longest recorded dialog with Jesus. I love that this nobody of nobodies in a nowhere backwater town had the attention of Jesus. Just as we have the attention of Jesus.
I voted for Photini but I’ll be pleased for Martha, for sure!
Oh! I forgot to share a fun kitschy Martha detail. Over the years, I’ve been involved with a wonderful Catholic retreat program called ACTS. In the ACTS playbook, there are teams that have responsibilities for specific retreat functions. The folks wearing the aprons who run around serving coffee to the retreatants and who clean up the tables between meals and program are called the “Martha’s”.
The Martha’s are always the funnest, hippest of the team members.
As a down-to-earth bishop wh0 lost out on Tabitha, I must vote for Martha who is the epitome of grounded holiness and service.
I'll champion Martha to the end. People remember one story about her complaining but forget that when her brother died, SHE was the one who went out and met Jesus. She was the one who proclaimed him the messiah and proclaimed her faith in him and in the resurrection. And then afterward she had to make Mary go see him. Martha was no slouch in the faith department. Plus, dragon.
As a Martha, I've always thought M of B got a raw deal -- glad she got out of the kitchen to France and polished her dragon killing skills. There was always more to her than a household drudge. Go Martha !
It remains that the story of the woman at the well has made the gospel clearer to countless people down thru the ages. I'm voting for my best guess at greates positive influence over centuries! (Besides, I'm a 'Mary'.)
Sipping a Photini Martini and sitting by the
tire well...what could be better? Perhaps it
could be better if I did this in the evening
rather than with breakfast! HMMM!
Outsider, open
to Christ’s transformation.
Photini is us.
Much as I admire Photini, the statuette of Martha as a voodoo dragon-slayer/serpent-wearer tipped the scales.
That and my original comment about God forgiving those of us who complain.
(And that purple nightlight was just a bit too much.)
My favorite round! Both celebrity bloggers are to be commended, but truly it was the purple nightlight that got my vote. Photini it is!
And I just hope ya’ll who didn’t vote for Santa Claus yesterday don’t find yourselves with coal...or worse! in those Christmas stockings come Dec.
One of my favorite images of Photini is a painting of Jesus sharing a smoke with the woman at the well. It’s one of the those traditional pieces of religious art with the cigarette photoshopped in. Not very edifying, but very human.
Also there’s a wonderful series of paintings of Jesus and the Samaritan woman done by Jacek Malczewski, in a style known as Polish Symbolism, that’s worth looking up on Google.
Links or photos, please!!
I have to vote for Photini all the way through. I have thought of Martha throughout my life as someone who didn't want to learn what God was teaching because of the pure act she never wanted to sit with Mary to listen to Him. I believe cleanliness is next to Godliness but when you have the chance to sit and be with the One you take that moment and put aside all things no matter what.
Kudos to Amber and Laurie for setting such a high bar for future rounds of Saintly Kitsch. Laughing out loud is the new Lenten devotion.
I voted for Martha. But during this kitsch round I wanted to share a photo of "Photini" from the Good Friday commemoration in the indigenous community Subtiava of Leon Nicaragua. I can't find any way to post a photo in my comment. I tried inserting it in a Word document and copying over the whole document, but the photo did not appear. Anybody know whether that's possible and how?
You would need to find (or post elsewhere) the image online and then post the link in a comment here.
She literally has the longest recorded conversation with Jesus in any gospel. And is the first to share the good news with others. Despite being maligned for centuries she is LITERALLY the first preacher, first to name Jesus messiah, first to come into the light. John 4 documents her well, better than almost any other woman in scripture...
OK, let's try that. I voted for Martha. But every Good Friday I travel to Leon Nicaragua to see the sawdust paintings (called “alfombras” which means carpets) that are created in the streets of the indigenous community Subtiava. At the end of the night, a funeral procession bearing an effigy of Jesus on a bier comes through and walks along all those alfombras, kind of like rolling out the red carpet. People along the procession route frequently set up altars and/or portray Biblical scenes. The woman at the well is a favorite. See photo at https://klf2017.blogspot.com
That seems to work! All one has to do is click on the link, even though it doesn't show up as a hyperlink. Thanks, Miss Jan.
Thanks, Kathy, for persisting and posting that cool picture! She looks elegant!
I saw the picture. Also at the symphony during the national anthem at the opening concert I "took a knee" in the aisle. Don't know if anyone paid any attention. Just FYI.
So glad to know that. Thanks for reading my blog!
This was the best kitsch ever. Except maybe for the bag of St. Stephen Rock Candy a few years ago.
or the "yellow fever" cocktail in honor of the Martyrs of Memphis:
1 1/2 ounces vodka
1/2 ounce Galliano
1/2 ounce lime juice
1 ounce pineapple juice
I still laugh about the rock candy!
The comments today have caused me to rethink my basic annoyance with Martha. It always bugs me that Martha feels compelled to complain to Jesus about Mary’s not helping her. I understand Martha’s frustration, but putting her guest on the spot seems totally out of line. So, yes, Martha can be viewed positively as “serving others,” but, to me, her complaining attitude negates her good works (in this instance).
Photini, on the other hand, impresses me as someone who, outside Jesus’ sphere, totally ‘gets’ him. What a long conversation she had with Jesus! She was immediately converted and converted many fellow Samaritans. And don’t forget, Photini was tortured and died for her faith!
Meanwhile, “Martha lived a life of daily devotion in France until she died.” She may have served Jesus (whilst complaining), but when and where did she serve others?
Obviously, my vote goes to Photini.
Delightful kitsch and witty write-ups! Thank you, Amber and Laurie! I especially love the stretch of “enlightening our neighborhoods. And wow, who knew that Martha was a powerhouse in Voodoo!
I admire the woman at the well, but I think it’s precisely because she was such a compelling character that later writers couldn’t resist giving her further adventures- holy fanfiction. I agree with Leslie’s comment in the Tabitha matchup: “Photini is a later character – given a name, and martyrdom – and merged with the woman at the well for greater effect.”
Martha has my vote. Outspoken, practical, hands-on active, and champion of all those who do invaluable but unvalued jobs.