St. Martha, St. Mary, and St. Lazarus

St. Martha, St. Mary, and St. Lazarus were the three beloved siblings of Bethany, close friends of Jesus, at whose home near Jerusalem the Lord was welcomed and refreshed. Martha appears in the Gospels as the busy, hospitable one who served, and who made a great profession of faith at her brother's tomb: "You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world." Mary is remembered for sitting at the Lord's feet to listen to his word and for anointing him with costly perfume, an act Jesus praised as preparation for his burial.

Lazarus is the brother whom Jesus raised from the dead after four days in the tomb, the great sign recounted in the eleventh chapter of John's Gospel that pointed toward Christ's own resurrection. The household of Bethany has been honored since antiquity as a model of friendship with Christ and generous hospitality; in 2021 Pope Francis extended what had long been the memorial of St. Martha to include Mary and Lazarus as well, so that all three are celebrated together on 29 July.