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"She was the sister of Mary Magdalen and Lazarus, who entertained Christ at her house at Bethania, and being busy in making preparation for him, asked that Mary, who sat at the feet of Christ, might be desired to help her. To whom Christ made answer: "Martha, Martha, thou art careful, and art troubled about many things. But one thing is necessary: Mary hath chosen the best part." After Christ's ascension, being seized by the Jews, as it is related in her life, she was forced on board a ship with all belonging to her, and having no other pilot but Providence, arrived at Marseilles, where she spent her days in prayer, and all the exercises of a holy life, and thus waited till death carried her to be his guest, whom, she had before entertained.

Pray for the spirit of Martha in all your labours; that whatever you do may be designed for the entertainment of Christ. This has been the practice of many servants of God, who being obliged to an active and laborious life, have always endeavoured to direct and offer all their labours to Christ, in the person of those whom they served, according to his own precept: "Whatsoever you do to any of these little ones, you do it to me." For this end, in all business avoid solicitude, as much as possible. Go on with peace and submission to the will of God, and often remember the one thing necessary. That is a happy family, where Martha calls in Mary to her help; where prayer and the love of retirement sanctify their labours and all exterior employments. For the mind is so easily taken up with these, either through desire of success, or the solicitude of giving satisfaction, or escaping reproof, or seeking the esteem of others, that if it be not recalled by prayer and seasonable retreats, it will be wholly dissipated, and so occupied with this world, as to lose the greater concern of the next. Be therefore watchful against this evil, and pray for remedy. Your time in this world is to be short, but your being in the next is to be eternal. Provision must be made for both; but let that which is the greater, be your greater concern: so that being busy about many things, you may still remember the one thing necessary." The Catholic Year, by Fr. John Gother