 Throughout the ages there has been
theological discussion and debate around Mary of Bethany
and Mary Magdalene. Were they two separate women or were
they one in the same? To answer this question is to
answer from a place of faith rather than intellect.
In my heart I believe that Mary of Bethany was Mary
Magdalene sister to Martha and Lazarus. Therefore, the
following materials that I have been guided to create
when referring to Mary are referencing Mary Magdalene. I
respect other viewpoints on this subject because as I
stated, I believe this to be an issue of faith. I
welcome your interpretations and heartfelt thoughts on
this subject. Please send your comments to dana@sacredimagination.com
Books about Mary and Martha
Luke 10:38-42, Catholic Bible
 Now it came to pass as they were on their journey,
that He entered a certain village; and a woman named
Martha welcomed Him to her house. And she had a sister
called Mary, who also seated herself at the Lord’s
feet, and listened to his word. But Martha was busy
about much serving. And she came up and said,
"Lord, is it no concern of thine that my sister
has left me to serve alone? Tell her therefore to help
me."
But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha,
Martha, thou art anxious and troubled about many things;
and yet only one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the
best part and it will not be taken away from her."
This passage reflects the inner struggle many of us
seek to resolve today. Martha and Mary’s spirits live
within us.
Martha is the productive sister. She tends the house,
cooks, cleans, works at her job with a high attention to
detail and a scheduled plan. She is all about
accomplishment, getting things done, keeping up
appearances, serving others. Martha is dedicated to
organization, deadlines, and the task at hand. She is
hard-working, a dedicated friend, someone to be counted
upon.
Mary is the contemplative sister. She is peaceful,
centered, and prayerful. She is also a strong social
activist. Her life and inner strength are rooted in her
spiritual practices. She is a student of sacred
knowledge and mystical wisdom. Silence is a key to inner
kingdom. Her ability to listen is one of her greatest
strengths. Mary is passionate and strong in her reserve.
Like Mary and Martha we are women living in a time of
shifting paradigms and worldly chaos. How do we
reconcile our inner Martha and Mary, our Sisters of
Bethany? Our creative spirits long to serve the planet,
tend the hearth and home, children, lovers, partners,
and friends. We awake each morning to a list of "to
dos." We go to work, drive carpool, cook, clean,
garden, take care of the needs of our beloveds, and a
host of other tasks. Our busyness is Martha’s pull
into the world.
Meanwhile, deep within us Mary is waiting. She
emerges as we whisper our prayers in the middle of
morning traffic. Her presence is felt when we fall into
bed at night and we hear her voice say, "Tomorrow
take time to be still…to be with God…"
The Sisters of Bethany offer us the opportunity to
become active yet contemplative servants to God. Through
prayerful spiritual practice and the acknowledgment of
our inner Truths, we can begin to forge a plan of sacred
action in the world. When our prayer life, our sacred
rituals and study become the center of our lives
miracles begin to happen. Synchronicity and guidance
find us to open the door to new possibilities for ways
to be spiritual activists in the world, for ways to
serve God and ways to enrich the lives of others. We
balance Mary and Martha within us.
Mary and Martha’s spirits are alive today to guide
us to become the new Sisters of Bethany. Read
further to discover the simple ways that you can begin
to integrate the modeling of the spirits of these
ancient women. May they offer guidance for your life and
your spiritual journey as you bloom into your full
awakening and conscious mystical action in the world.
Mary
 Mary is the witness. Mary is the one who became
Christ’s companion and some scholars believe she was
His bride. Mary was keeper of the holy oils and balms,
guardian of rituals. She was the anointer. She
stayed with Christ at the cross with his mother and
John. It was Mary who Christ appeared to immediately
after His resurrection. She became the first woman
priest/minister when He sent her to tell the others of
the greatest miracle the world has ever known. She was
"the apostle to the apostles." Her
contemplation called her to social action and service.
She saw the resurrected Cosmic Christ and she still
invites others to see Him today.
This was her calling, her Truth. She was
contemplative but not passive. She was the steadfast
friend, the patient student. She offers us the model for
balancing our inner desires to be outwardly active with
inner service through prayer, the study of sacred
wisdom, and contemplation. When we are centered in our
inner spiritual life Mary invites us to put our
spiritual energies into active service in the world.
In our contemporary fear-ridden and chaotic world,
Mary calls us to listen to the voice of the Cosmic
Christ. She invites us to become attuned to our
callings. She is asking us to be courageous and to be
way-showers for others. Her message is to be prayerful,
contemplative and to be informed both spiritually and
globally. Mary’s spirit reaches out to inspire us
through the veil of time and space. She invites us to
deepen our connection to God through our spiritual
practices, to sit at the feet of the Lord, to listen to
His guidance. Here are some simple ways to engage with
the Divine through Mary’s wisdom.
- Invocation to Mary -
Blessed Mary sister of sacred practice, teach me to
embrace stillness, contemplation, and prayer as doorways
to co-creation with the Divine.
Awaken my senses so they may become the pathways
bridging my body to my soul. Help me to reclaim the
ancient sacred practices of healing and anointing so
that I might share these rituals with others. Give me
the grace to go into silence to listen for the voice of
God so I might know my true calling.
Oh, beloved sister in spirit, I welcome your ways
into my heart and mind, that I might join you in
faithful service to our Lord. Amen.
1. Sit at the feet of the Lord. Shift
from doing into being. Devote a portion of your day to
sacred study, prayer, and contemplation. Light your
candles, burn incense, create your altar, read sacred
texts. Become the scribe and record your questions and
revelations in your journal. Practice the ancient
monastic practice of Lectio Divina. http://www.valyermo.com/ld-art.html
Visit these web-sites to deepen your study and
spiritual practice:
http://www.orders.anglican.org/arcyb/ssb.html
http://www.soulfulliving.com
http://www.csp.org
http://www.meditationsociety.com
http://www.jesuit.ie/prayer
2. Fast and create your sacred rituals.
Begin to develop a "fasting" consciousness.
Ask yourself, "Will this action, purchase,
conversation, or activity be of service to the Highest
plan for my life or the life/ or cause of someone
else?" Be conscious of how you spend your energy
each day. Design your sacred practices to take you into
the deepest recesses of your soul. Pour your oils,
spikenard, frankincense, myrrh as you prepare your
anointing rituals.
While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the
leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came with an
alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she
broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head.
But some were there who said to one another in anger,
"Why was the ointment wasted in this way? For this
ointment could have been sold for more than three
hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor."
And they scolded her. But Jesus said, "Let her
alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good
service for me. For you always have the poor with you,
and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but
you will not always have me. She has done what she
could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its
burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is
proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be
told in remembrance of her" (Mk 14.3-9).
Visit http://www.youngliving.us
to learn more about aromatic oils. Bless those who cross
your path. Nurture your body as the temple of your soul.
3.
Ask God to reveal your calling. Pray for
guidance regarding how you are to serve the Lord in the world and in
your daily life. Watch for synchronicities and signs
from the angels. Pay attention to your dreams.
4.
Put prayer into the fabric of each moment.
Prayer is the pathway to healing. Let your life become a
continual river of prayer, the inner silent prayer of
your heart. Prayers of thanksgiving for the countless
blessings of each day. Prayers of adoration to the
Creator of the entire Universe. Prayers of petition for
personal and global needs.
Visit http://www.thecentering.org/therapy.html
to learn more about centering prayer.
To read The Gnostic Gospel’s Gospel of Mary
Magdalene follow this link:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/maps/primary/mary.html
Martha
Martha is our model for determination and
perseverance through conscious social/spiritual action.
Martha sees the needs of others and responds. Martha
invites us to draw from what Mary teaches us and then
put that wisdom and our spiritual awareness into action
to be of service to God and humanity. Martha teaches us
to be mindful of creating beauty and sacred space, of
nurturing others, of tending the hearth and tending the
soul of the world. Here are some ways to deepen the
connection with the spirit of your inner Martha.
- Invocation to Martha -
 Blessed Martha, sister of sacred action, guide my
outreach in the world. Help me to be conscious in each
moment to recognize the needs of those around me. Open
my eyes to suffering, hunger, abuse, and neglect.
Give me the courage to do what I can to bring healing
to the planet through my active service and
compassionate interaction and conversations with others.
Inspire me to spread beauty, intentional gestures of
kindness, and to create sacred space wherever life leads
me.
I turn to you, Martha, for strength and physical
stamina to follow you in active creative service to God.
Amen.
1.
Create your map for spiritual activism. Write
your vision statement in response to God’s call. How
will you begin to move into service? What are your goals
for the next week, the next month, and the next six
months? Post reminders to yourself to stay centered in
your calling. Engage your sacred imagination to birth
your spiritual and creative gifts to share with the
world.
Visit http://www.main.nc.us/stewardsoftheearth/activism.shtml
to learn more about spiritual activism.
2.
Call a circle of support. Call together a
circle of women, as fellow spiritual seekers, to join
you as Sisters of Bethany. Be clear in your intention of
how to work together. Agree to meet frequently to create
community for prayer and support of one another.
Co-create through active service in the world and
share time in contemplation and sacred study.
Send your circle’s story to dana@sacredimagination.com
Visit http://www.peerspirit.com/htmlpages/circlebasics.html
to learn about calling a circle.
3.
Keep informed on world events. To do God’s
work in the world we must be well informed on the ever-changing global
conditions. Choose your sources of information
carefully. Be careful not to become addicted and
obsessed by media coverage. Stay balanced regarding your
intake of reports on world affairs.
Visit http://www.alternativesmagazine.com/13/harvey1.html
to learn more about the importance of being socially
active.
4.
Be consciously aware that we are all One. Greet
everyone who crosses your path as your brother or sister. Feel
your connection to the entire world. Focus on those
areas that are of special interest and calling to you.
Research all the options to find the organization(s)/causes
that are meaningful to you and ways you can contribute
your gifts, talents, and treasures to help bring healing
to our planet.
Visit these web-sites to begin to
explore ways that you can be of service to others in the
world.
http://www.thehungersite.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/CTDSites
http://www.netscout.net/oneworld
http://www.1wow.org
http://www.greenpeace.org/homepage
http://www.nationalhomeless.org
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer
http://www.unaids.org/en/default.asp
http://www.cancernews.com/support.html
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