This Novena to St. Martha is the traditional prayer to the hostess of Our Lord, said on nine Tuesdays for the needs of one’s family. It is given here as a parish dedicated to her prints it, without the superstitious additions found online. The traditional Collect of her feast follows.
St. Martha, I resort to thy protection and aid, and as a proof of my affection and faith I offer this light, which I shall burn every Tuesday. Comfort me in all my difficulties, and through the great favor thou didst enjoy when the Savior was lodged in thy house, intercede for my family, that we may always hold God in our hearts, and that we may be provided for in all our necessities. I ask, St. Martha, to overcome all difficulties, as thou didst overcome the dragon at thy feet. Amen.
As a novena, this may be said for nine Tuesdays with the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be. If you cannot burn a candle, you may say instead: “as a proof of my affection and faith I promise faithfully to complete this novena.”
Christ in the House of Martha and Mary, by Johannes Vermeer (c. 1655), National Galleries of Scotland. Public domain.
Hearken unto us, O God, our Savior, that as we rejoice in the festival of blessed Martha, Thy Virgin, so we may be instructed by the affection of pious devotion. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
Pray the prayer on nine Tuesdays in a row, each time with an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be, and light a candle if you are able. Name your family’s needs, and pray especially before her feast on July 29. The novena carries no promise of an answer by a set day; it is an act of trust in Christ through the prayers of His friend. The prayer follows St. Martha Catholic Church, Sarasota, and the Collect is from the traditional Roman Missal (propers for July 29).
Martha of Bethany, sister of Mary and Lazarus, welcomed Jesus into her home (Luke 10:38–42). When Lazarus died she confessed, “Yea, Lord, I have believed that thou art Christ the Son of the living God” (John 11:27). She is the patroness of homemakers, cooks and all who serve.
A medieval legend of Provence tells that St. Martha tamed a dragon, the Tarasque, with holy water and the sign of the Cross. Sacred art shows the dragon at her feet as a sign of evil overcome by faith, and the prayer asks her help to overcome our own difficulties.
Her feast is July 29. Since 2021 the current calendar keeps it as the memorial of Sts. Martha, Mary and Lazarus.
