Santa Marta: Unveil its history and celebrate your day

Santa Marta is known as the Catholic patron saint of housewives, nutritionists, cooks, cleaning women and receptionists. In Umbanda, she is worshiped as the protector of women, family, work and love.

Regardless of the religious denomination, the history of Santa Marta is rich in demonstrations of faith and love for others, as she is always prepared to receive in her home all people who are in need. For this reason, she is also known as the saint of hostesses.

Find out more here about who Santa Marta was and its importance to Catholicism and Umbanda, religions that celebrate Santa Marta on July 29th.

Take the opportunity to learn about the history of Nossa Senhora do Carmo, the holy symbol of the Scapular.

Who was Santa Marta?

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If you are a devout Catholic, you must have read the name of Santa Marta in the bible, right? This is because she is mentioned 13 times in the holy book as a figure close to Jesus Christ and who participated in important passages that mark the Catholic religion.

Santa Marta was the sister of Lazarus, friend of Jesus, and Mary, the one who listened to the sacred word sitting at the feet of Christ. But it wasn’t through her brothers that she became known. In fact, Jesus stayed at Mary’s house whenever he was passing through the village of Bethany.

By always dedicating herself to the comfort of Jesus and his disciples, offering to eat, drink and where to sleep, Santa Marta became the patron of household chores. It is not by chance that, by invoking the saint, her devotees seek to transform their homes into safe havens where loved ones can feel safe and welcome.

Scholars of the faith see Martha as the image of the active woman (or life), the one who acts when necessary, while her sister Mary symbolizes the contemplative woman (or life) seated at the feet of Christ to listen to his word.

This analogy places Santa Marta as the representation of dynamic female strength and her role as a caregiver for the most disadvantaged.

History of Santa Marta

The name Martha in Hebrew means “lady” and symbolizes the role of the woman as head of the home and who thinks of everyone’s comfort, when opening the doors of the house. Therefore, Jesus saw the house of Santa Marta as a refuge to shelter after long hours of travel.

“While Jesus was on a journey, he entered a village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet to hear him speak. Martha, all preoccupied with the household chores, came to Jesus and said: Lord, do you not care that my sister leaves me alone to serve? Tell him to help me. The Lord said to her, Martha, Martha, you are restless and worry about many things; however, one thing is needed; Mary chose the good part, which will not be taken from her.”. (Luke 10, 38-42)

In this passage of the bible, it is possible to see the dedication of Martha who, concerned with the comfort of her visitors, preferred to tidy the house instead of listening to the Lord. However, in the same passage, we can see the affectionate way in which Jesus “pulls the ear” on Martha for not paying attention to the most important thing: the word of God.

Santa Marta’s approach to Jesus made her a true devotee, always prepared to listen to him, serve him and welcome him into her home. It is not surprising that, upon learning of the death of his brother Lazarus, Jesus performed a miracle.

Immersed in a deep sadness for the death of Lazarus, Martha sent for the Lord who arrived just 4 days after the death of her great friend. The saint, kneeling at his feet, said to Jesus: “Sir, if I had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now, I that whatever you ask of God, God will give.”.

With faith in the power of Christ, Martha cried out for divine intervention and Jesus granted Lazarus resurrection. This event only strengthened her belief in the Lord even more.

Saint Martha’s Day

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Santa Marta’s day is celebrated on July 29 and is especially dedicated to cooks, housewives, cooks, nutritionists and hoteliers. The first celebration of the saint dates from 1262 and was carried out by Franciscans.

Since that time, her image depicts her with a dragon at her feet. This is because, according to tradition, the persecution of the Jews after the death of Jesus forced Santa Marta and her brothers to flee to France. There, they dedicated themselves to the evangelization of peoples.

When passing through the French city Nerluc, residents reported that they were going through moments of terror with the Tarasca dragon that devoured animals and children. Knowing that love can conquer hate, Santa Marta does everything possible and impossible to tame the ferocious animal.

In this way, the dragon was at his feet and the people of Nerluc slept peacefully. With that, it didn’t take long for everyone to convert to Christianity thanks to the preaching of Santa Marta. In fact, in his honor, the city was renamed Tarascon and a monastery and basilica were founded in his name.

Santa Marta in Umbanda

Santa Marta na Umbanda is a very respected and admired entity, even more, by women. This is because she is known as the protector of the home, domestic work, the sacred feminine, work, love and family.

In addition, Santa has always been linked to powers considered “magical” or miraculous. Therefore, she was invoked by persecuted women during the Inquisition in Europe. Today, people turn to it in times of hardship and desolation.

Invocation of Santa Marta in Umbanda:

• Family protection;
• Defense in case of abusive relationships;
• Open paths;
• Guidance of children;
• Acquire self-confidence;
• And facing challenges.

To worship the Saint, her devotees usually offer red wine, white flowers, colored ribbons and coffee. Normally, the day of the week dedicated to the worship of Santa Marta is Tuesday.

The faithful protector of all women is a Saint who goes beyond traditions and religious denominations. Therefore, when invoking it, you will have the divine strength of pure and supreme faith. In this way, take advantage of July 29th to ensure the protection of your home and everyone who lives in it.

If you are interested in knowing more about the Saints, we have separated posts with stories from other Saints: