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Mary of Bethany

the one at Jesus’ feet

Who was Mary of Bethany?

She is not the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, and she is not Mary Magdalene: she is another Mary.

The name
“Mary” is Miriam, the Hebrew name of the sister of Moses. Its meaning is not known for certain. Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), “The Name of Mary” (H. Pope)
From
Bethany, about two miles from Jerusalem John 11:1, 18
Feast day
July 29: Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus
Mary of Bethany, an artistic recreation

What the Bible says

John 11:1-2

1Now there was a certain man sick, named Lazarus, of Bethania, of the town of Mary and Martha her sister. 2(And Mary was she that anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair: whose brother Lazarus was sick.)

Luke 10:39

And she had a sister called Mary, who sitting also at the Lord’s feet, heard his word.

John 12:3

Mary therefore took a pound of ointment of right spikenard, of great price, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.

The path of Mary of Bethany

  1. With Jesus. She sat at the feet of Jesus, listening to him speak, while Martha served. Luke 10:39-40
  2. With Jesus. Jesus said she had chosen the better part. Luke 10:42
  3. With Jesus. When Lazarus fell ill, Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus. John 11:3
  4. With Jesus. Lazarus died. Many people came to comfort Martha and Mary over the death of their brother. John 11:19
  5. With Jesus. When Jesus arrived, Mary stayed at home. When Martha called her, Mary got up quickly and went to meet Jesus. John 11:20, 29
  6. With Jesus. The people comforting her in the house saw her leave quickly. They followed her, because they thought she was going to the tomb to weep. John 11:31
  7. With Jesus. She fell at the feet of Jesus, weeping. When Jesus saw her weeping, he was deeply moved. John 11:32-33
  8. With Jesus. Jesus called Lazarus, and Lazarus came out of the tomb. Many of those who had come to be with Mary believed in Jesus. John 11:43-45
  9. With Jesus. Some time later, in Bethany, they gave a dinner for Jesus. Martha served, and Lazarus was at table with him. John 12:1-2
  10. With Jesus. Six days before Passover, she anointed the feet of Jesus with perfume made from nard. Then she dried them with her hair. John 12:1, 3
  11. With Jesus. Judas objected, but Jesus defended her. He said the perfume was meant for the day of his burial. John 12:4-7

Words of Mary of Bethany

“Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” John 11:32

After Lazarus died, when she came to where Jesus was and fell at his feet.

What they were like

Not to be confused with

In the Church today

Feast day: July 29, Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus (memorial). General Roman Calendar; Liturgical Calendar for the Dioceses of the United States of America (USCCB); Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, decree of January 26, 2021 (Prot. N. 35/21)

In art, recognized by: Sitting at the feet of Jesus while Martha serves From Lc 10, 39-40; painted this way by Velázquez and Vermeer, among others, in “Christ in the House of Martha and Mary”

Mary of Bethany in art

Christ in the House of Martha and Mary, by Johannes Vermeer
Christ in the House of Martha and Mary, Johannes Vermeer, h. 1654-1655. Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh
Christ in the House of Martha and Mary, by Henryk Siemiradzki
Christ in the House of Martha and Mary, Henryk Siemiradzki, 1886. State Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg

What people ask

Is Mary of Bethany the same person as Mary Magdalene?

No. They are two different women, though people in the West confused them for centuries. Since 2021, the Church has celebrated Mary of Bethany together with her brother and sister. Congregation for Divine Worship, decree of January 26, 2021

What was the better part that Mary chose?

Jesus said only one thing is needed, and that Mary had chosen it by listening at his feet. It would not be taken from her. Luke 10:39, 42

How much was the perfume she used on Jesus worth?

Judas said it could have been sold for three hundred denarii. A denarius was a day’s wage. John 12:5; NABRE note on Jn 12, 5

What did Mary of Bethany say?

The Gospels record just one sentence of hers: if Jesus had been there, her brother would not have died. Martha had told Jesus the same thing. John 11:21, 32

Why did Jesus defend Mary when she anointed his feet?

Judas complained about the cost. Jesus told Judas to leave her alone, and said the perfume was for the day of his burial. John 12:4-7

What did Martha do when Jesus arrived, while Mary stayed at home?

Martha went out to meet Jesus. Then she went and called Mary privately, and told her that the Teacher was there and was asking for her. John 11:20, 28

Do the other Gospels tell about the anointing at Bethany?

Matthew and Mark tell that in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, a woman poured very costly perfume on the head of Jesus. They do not give her name. A note in the NAB says it is probably the same scene that John tells. Jesus said that what this woman had done would be told all over the world. (Mt 26, 6-7.13; Mc 14, 3.9; NAB note on Jn 12, 1-8)

When she was criticized Judas complained that the perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Jesus defended her: “Let her alone.” John 12:4-7 Little known…

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Who Mary of Bethany is connected to

More people

All the people of the Bible · The Twelve Apostles · Women of the Bible

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