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ST. MARTHA 33 priests and begged to be instmcted. They buried Urban and the martyrs who Boffered with him. Lucina distributed all her property to the poor among the Christians. Marmenia, Lncina and twenty-two of their newly converted seryants were beheaded, and many other Christians were pat to death by Alma- chins, and are honoured on the same day. AA,SS. Baillet. The story is taken from the Acts of St. Urban, which, though very ancient, are not authentic. St. Marninta, or Manintia, Feb. 28. M. with many others. AA,SS. St. Maroye, Mart of Oiomes and Mabt of the Incarnation, Guenebault. St Martana, Dec 2 (RM), Dec. 10 (Lightfoot and Tillemont), Nov. 30, + between 250 and 265. A Christian lady who came to Bome with her daughter Valeria (4) some months after the martyrdom of SS. Adrias and Paulina and their family. Martana and Valeria were made to die of hunger for their faith, and were buried beside Paulina and hor companions in the sandpit, at the first milestone from the city. Bishop Lightfoot, Hippolytua of Partus, St Martha (l) of Bethany, the entertainer of Christ, July 29. 1st century. Patron of housekeepers, inn- keepers, publicans (with Zaccheus), hos- pitiJlors, laundresses (with Hunna) ; patron and model of women who serve Grod in an active life, while her sister Mart is the patron of those who choose the contemplative state; Martha is patron of Provence, Aiz en Provence, Cadiz, Castres, Tarascon, Martos. He- presented carrying a bunch of keys, or with a dragon beside her. It is conjectured that she was the wife or daughter of Simon the Loi)er. We are told that " Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus." After the death of Lazarus, the Lord came to Bethany ; and Martha, as soon as she heard that He was coming and before He entered the town, went and met Him, but Mary sat still in the house until Martha came back and called her, saying, ** The Master is come and calleth for Thee." Each sister, as she met the Lord, said, '^Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my VOL. n. brother had not died. They knew that he was to rise again at the last day, but as yet they knew not that he was to be given back to them at once. After the raising of Lazarus, the Saviour again visited the family at Bethany, where they made Him a supper, and Martha served ; many of the Jews came that they might see Lazarus, and because of him many believed in the Lord Jesus. To these details, tradition adds that after the death of our Saviour, Martha with her brother Lazarus and sister Mary, Maroella their maid, and St. Marimus, one of the seventy-two disciples, were put by the Jews into a boat without oars, sail, or rudder, and committed to the sea, with the intention that they should all perish; the boat, however, arrived safely at Marseilles, of which Lazarus became the first bishop, and Maximus, bishop of Aiz. Martha con- verted a groat number of persons by her preaching. A large district on the bank of the Ehone suffered great loss and terror from a dreadful dragon named Easconus ; Martha killed it, and the town of Tarascon, which in the course of years grew up on the spot, bears the name of the monster, to this day. St. John xi., xii. B.M. AA,SS. Villegas. Mrs. Jameson, St Martha (2), Feb. 23, V. M. 251 or 252. In the time of Decius, a ruler named Paternus came to Astorga in Asturias. There he summoned all the people to a great feast to sacrifice to the gods. A certain Christian virgin, named Martha, of noble birth and great riches, absented herself ; he had her seized and commanded her to worship idols. On her refusal she was placed on the rack and beaten with knotted sticks. After a time Paternus told her that if she would renounce her religion, she should marry his son ; if not, she should be put to death. As she disregarded his promises and threats, she was stabbed and her body thrown on a heap of rubbish. A charitable matron buried her. B,M. AA,SS. Baronius. St Martha (3), Dominica (1). St Martha (4), Feb. 24, M. at Nicomedia in Bithynia with many others. AA.SS,