SAINTS ALIVE! JULY 29: ST. MARTHA  
Patron Saint of Cooks
 
We learn about Martha's nature in the Gospel of Luke:"Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me"(Luke 10:40).
 
Perhaps it's no surprise that Martha is the patron saint of cooks.
 
Merriam-Webster defines a cook as a person who prepares food for eating.
 
This definition involves both food and preparation.
 
Let's look at "cook" four different ways:
 

• The most well-known of the Corporal Works of Mercy is "Feed the Hungry."  Serving meals is one of the more popular charitable practices of mercy. Of the many ways one can serve meals, cooking may be the most demanding. I serve when it's our parish's turn to volunteer at Faith Café. That's short and easy compared to the time and effort the cooks put into preparing a hot meal. As a head cook, my wife spends hours planning the menu for a nutritious meal. St. Martha would be proud of her and all the men and women cooks who prepare a hot meal for the lonely and hungry.

• Cooking appears to be a lost art and a forgotten pastime. Is pressing the “start” button on a microwave cooking? Our busy, unplannable, chaotic lives may reduce cooking to a task on the task lists of life. What can we do to give cooking a higher priority?

   

• The cook prepares "food." Michael Pollan advised not to eat anything that has more than five ingredients (recipes don't count). If it has more than five ingredients then it's not food. Convenience is the key driver of industrially-grown food but industrially-grown food needs more than five ingredients, most of which I can't pronounce, for processing, for shipping, and for a longer shelf life.  

• The cook is more than part of the process; the cook is the artist who prepares a healthy meal for enjoyment and eating. Alas, eating may also seem like a lost art and a forgotten pastime; a task on the task list of life. Many of the most memorable moments in the scripture occurred over a meal. That's where conversation, listening and sharing occur without a rush and a deadline. The meal is where family happens and friendships are strengthened.

Martha cooked for Jesus while Mary sat and listened to Jesus. Martha's culture placed great value on hospitality.
 
Mary understood the importance of paying attention to Christ.
 
The care with which cooks prepare nourishment for the enjoyment of others is often their way of paying attention to Christ.