At my confirmation I took the name of Martha -- a saint I identified with readily as she was always the first to cook for everyone, clean house for everyone, and in general, worry about everyone else. Admirable virtues to be sure -- but she needed a gentle reminder that there was nothing wrong with taking space and time for herself to reflect on her faith. The dinner could wait; so could the diners. On this All Saints Day, I remember her along with a few others I find helpful and worth thinking about: St. Ignatius, St Michael, St. Catherine, St Theresa, St Francis, St Peter, St John, St. Philip of Neri, St. Anthony, St. Jude, and St. Joan...to name a handful of regulars on my list. I have the four volume set of Butler's Lives of the Saints (and people ask me where I get my ideas) and it is very enjoyable to read through it, discovering the biographies of little known saints, while eating miniature bars of Halloween chocolate. Nice segue.
**Art: Johannes (Jan) Vermeer, "Christ in the House of Martha and Mary," 1655
Midori Snyder is the author of nine books for children and adults, published in English, French, Dutch, and Italian. She won the Mythopoeic Award for The Innamorati, a novel inspired by early Roman myth and the Italian "Commedia dell'Arte" tradition....
