Read

"A Love Letter to the Marthas"

Published:
December 15, 2023
September 20, 2022
Read "A Love Letter to the Marthas", a poem about how to be still.

How much salt water has been shed
over those pots and pans,
and how many different uses
for those knives
have you dreamed of
as you worked, always fighting
the clock;

last to be seated, first to stand.
The work is never done; it grows,
consuming everything in its path
like the never-ending flow of ravenous
guests who come to your table. What a luxury
not to know what can’t be left undone,
not to know in your bones the price
of contemplation.

Oh but Martha, there is a better part
and you know it. You, too, have a right
to embrace stillness. Will the world really end
if you lay down your burdens and rest awhile?
Might not somebody else step up?
What would it feel like to join
the conversation, to be fed
instead of feeding?

You, too, were made
for higher things,
and peeling potatoes is
only one thing you can do.

Creators:
Sophie Caldecott
Published:
December 15, 2023
September 20, 2022
On a related note...
Find Peace in Holiday Chaos with This Contemplative Practice

Find Peace in Holiday Chaos with This Contemplative Practice

Michael O'Neill

Things To Never Say to a Grieving Person

Things To Never Say to a Grieving Person

Stephanie DePrez

Kick off the New Year, Windy City-Style

Kick off the New Year, Windy City-Style

Jennon Bell Hoffmann

St. Pope John XXIII Spotify Playlist

St. Pope John XXIII Spotify Playlist

Grotto

Why We Need to Get Comfortable with Death

Why We Need to Get Comfortable with Death

Sophie Caldecott

Good and Decent S2|E6: Is It Real?

Good and Decent S2|E6: Is It Real?

Grotto

Finding Joy & Healing Through Photography

Finding Joy & Healing Through Photography

Grotto

Family of Piñata Artists Shows Resilience

Family of Piñata Artists Shows Resilience

Grotto

Four Ways Fitness Can Help Your Prayer Life

Four Ways Fitness Can Help Your Prayer Life

Bridget McCartney Nohara

"Orchids"

"Orchids"

Barbara Lisette

10 Creative Ways to Show Gratitude

10 Creative Ways to Show Gratitude

Aldrin Nacu

What is Lent? Catholic Trivia

What is Lent? Catholic Trivia

Grotto

This 5-Second Prayer Gets Me Through My Day

This 5-Second Prayer Gets Me Through My Day

Molly Gettinger

Blind Inventor Creates Assistive Technology

Blind Inventor Creates Assistive Technology

Grotto

The Inspiration Behind the ‘Black Saints Matter’ Project

The Inspiration Behind the ‘Black Saints Matter’ Project

Molly Cruitt

An Inside Look at Teaching Service Programs

An Inside Look at Teaching Service Programs

Mary Cunningham

"Green"

"Green"

Sarah Cortez

The Surprising Way Self-Care and Service are Linked

The Surprising Way Self-Care and Service are Linked

Jessica Mannen Kimmet

Saint Stephen Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Saint Stephen Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

The Shroud of Turin and the Science of Resurrection

The Shroud of Turin and the Science of Resurrection

Tara McMullen

newsletter

We’d love to be pals.

Sign up for our newsletter, and we’ll meet you in your inbox each week.