There are as many ways to witness as there are witnesses. Not everyone can be like Andrew, who never met a stranger, or Peter, whose eloquence brought thousands to Jesus. (Acts 2:14-42) But one thing is sure. Each of us has a witness to bear.

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For Mary of Bethany the witness took the form of the hours she spent at Jesus' feet. It was an act of devotion the very sight of which must have spoken as tellingly to her neighbors as anything she might have said to them. It was not that she would have been content merely to sit mutely before Jesus. On the contrary. She would undoubtedly have lost no opportunity to share with her neighbors the gist of her conversations with him.

Granted, there were always the Twelve to whom she might expect the Master to turn when he felt the need to talk. But t…