Pope Francis’ Church Calendar Catechesis: The Feast Day of Martha, Mary and Lazarus
National Catholic Register, 04 February 2021
This recent decision by the Pope illustrates how the liturgical calendar helps us to understand the sacred Scriptures.
Henceforth, July 29 will be celebrated as the feast day of Sts. Martha, Mary and Lazarus, the family at Bethany who were close friends of the Lord Jesus. It’s a subtle shift, as it was already their feast day, but not universally observed as such. Explanation to follow!
This recent decision by Pope Francis illustrates how the liturgical calendar helps us to understand the sacred scriptures.
For example, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord this week is observed on Feb. 2, precisely 40 days after Christmas, when the firstborn was taken up to the Temple. That was the Jewish custom of the time, observed by the Holy Family. The liturgical calendar helps us to live biblical rhythms.
There are thousands upon thousands of canonized saints. The Roman Martyrology is the liturgical book that records these canonized saints according to their feast days. Certain days may well have a dozen or more saints, for every saint (and blessed) has a feast day. Only a miniscule fraction of priests — let alone the lay faithful — even have a copy of the Martyrology (it’s only in Latin), so while it is an book of great importance, it is generally unknown.
Only a relatively small number of these saints are on the “universal calendar,” meaning that the entire Church observes their feast days. Changes to the universal calendar are made from time to time by the Holy Father, updating the calendar as new saints are canonized.
For example, when St. Faustina Kowalska was canonized in 2000, she had a feast day assigned (Oct. 5). But it was only last year that Pope Francis added that feast to the universal calendar. (He did it as a 100th birthday gift to St. John Paul II, who was born on May 18, 1920.)
There are also local calendars, for dioceses, nations or religious orders, which include saints important to those communities. For example, several American saints are celebrated in the United States, but are not on the universal calendar.
Mary and Mary or Just Mary?
The latest decision relates to Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany. Are they the same woman?
Through Church history some very prominent voices have argued that Mary of Magdala was the same person as Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus. Recent studies, referenced in the Holy Father’s decision, have now determined that the two Marys were different people.
How was this initial ambiguity reflected in the liturgical calendar? Mary Magdalene — the “Apostle to the Apostles” for her mission in announcing to them the news of the Risen Christ — has long had her own feast day, July 22. The octave day of her feast, July 29, was the feast of St. Martha. The setting of Mary Magdalene and Martha an octave apart would suggest a link between the two, namely that they were the sisters at Bethany.
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