MOUSIER  MARTHA

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this feast of St. Martha is “Mousier Martha.”

Last night in preparing this homily I noticed on Google that description of Martha as “mousier.”  

Interesting.

That’s a metaphor: Martha being described as a mouse – scurrying around – but also notice the “ier” in the word “mousier.” It’s a comparison  - referring to another. That would be Mary – also being described as a mouse – as in “a church mouse” or being as quiet as a mouse.

In the Detroit Institute of Art there is a famous painting by Caravaggio entitled, “Martha and Mary.”

It has two other titles as well: “Martha Reproving Mary”; and, “The Conversion of Magdalene.” It hit me: maybe some artists or at times artists don’t give their paintings the names we see on the wall next to the painting. So from now on when I see the title of a painting – I’ll have the wondering, “Is this their title or did someone else make it up.”

In 1985 I visited the Detroit Art museum  - but I don’t remember that painting. I do remember the big pictures and stories in the mural paintings by Diego Rivera. Now he was an interesting character. Check him out as well as Caravaggio.

I love to look at paintings in art museums – not trying to see all the paintings – scurrying around like a mouse – but only a few – and to see those few very well. Would that be how Martha and Mary would do a museum?

And there’s one more beauty of Google and the  Internet. It's this:  one can slowly look at copies of so many great paintings – and get excellent commentaries on a painting – and take one’s time – in doing so.

In fact, as I was looking up Caravaggio’s painting on the Internet, “Martha and Mary,” that's where I spotted that writer describing Martha as being “mousier” than her sister – and having an insistent presence.  So that’s where that mousier metaphor comes from.

CARAVAGGIO’S PAINTING

The painting shows two women: Martha and Mary.

Mary is touching  a big mirror  - as well as holding a flower in her hand.

A commentator says Martha – the one on the left is pleading something to Mary.  Martha is the more active one; Mary is the more quiet one.

The Gospels have several Mary’s – and they get mixed up at times – in the scriptures – as they have often been done by preachers – and now an artist by the name of Caravaggio.

Caravaggio mixes up the Mary in this story with Mary Magdalene – which makes it a good story telling painting.

Some think the painting was commissioned by a rich woman in Rome. Here’s the comment I noticed: the paining “was commissioned by a noblewoman and sole heiress to a vast family fortune, Olimpia Aldobrandini, since it is first listed in an inventory of her collection, made in 1606. It is itself an object of conspicuous consumption, displayed to show off Aldobrandini’s taste and wealth among the elite of Rome.”

The two models were Anna Bianchini (Martha) and Fillide Melandroni (Mary). The painting must have gotten lots of comments because Fillide was a well know courtesan in Rome and Anna as well. They were used by Caravaggio in several paintings. In an earlier painting “Penitent Magdalene” (1591), he cast Anna Bianchini as Mary. [Notice the pearls and perfume of her former way of life off to the side - bottom left.]

QUESTION

If you were looking at either painting – what would be your thoughts and reactions?

To see the first painting - the one on top,  you could go to Detroit – and to their famous art museum – but check first – because the city is in financial problems – big time – and there has been talk of selling some of their famous paintings – or you can check the painting out and study it on line – or you can find it on my blog with this first draft sermon.

Question: in life am I more like Martha or more like Mary?

Question: am I mousy? Or would I pick another animal to describe myself  – dog, cat, monkey, bird? “Woof! Woof!”  “Meow! Meow!” "Eeek! Eeek!" “Chirp! Chirp!”

Question: is there someone I can encourage to be better – and how would I do just that? Check out the two different gospel texts we can use for today: John 11: 19-27 or Luke 10:38-42 - and picture Martha's approach. There there Jesus' approach. How do they differ?

Question: do I need to change? Do I need a conversion?  How and where I do need to meet Jesus?

CONCLUSION

The thing I like the best in the top  Caravaggio painting of Martha and Mary or The Conversion of Magdalene or Martha Reproving Mary is what’s in the center of the mirror. It's not a person – but a small light.

What is the symbolism of that light? 

I noticed the commentators say: it’s Grace.