The Ancient Order of Our Lady of Mt Carmel honors the Prophet St Elias as the founder of their contemplative order, which is also known informally as “the order of prophets.” Historically, disillusioned crusaders from the west saw that due to sin and discord amongst the crusading armies that the Holy Land would not be wrested from Muslim control; some of these became hermits by the spring of St Elias on the slopes of Mount Carmel. They took him as their inspiration, spending their days in solitary prayer for the modern people of Israel, the Church. They asked the Bishop of Jerusalem for, and got from him a rule codifying their simple lifestyle. When Muslims eventually pushed out the last of the Crusaders, most of the hermits of Mt Carmel were reluctantly evacuated to Sicily, France, and England, (the remaining ones were martyred) after which they were ordered by the Pope to become a mendicant order–but to this day, each good Carmelite is at heart a hermit.
It is said among some cloistered Carmelite monasteries that as the monks or nuns walk up in single file to receive Holy Communion, —that sometimes, they suddenly see at the end of the queue a barefoot, shaggy old man clad in animal skins who also receives Holy communion; and then suddenly he isn’t there;—St Elias visiting, and in communion with, the modern members of the Order of prophets!
The Carmelite definition of a prophet is not so much “one who foretells the future” --as one who announces the coming of the Kingdom of God, (like St John the Baptist) which everyone is glad to hear; AND who denounces everything which interferes with the coming of the Kingdom of God (like Elias denouncing the wickedness of King Achab; and St John Baptist denouncing King Herod’s taking his brother’s wife) which often gets the prophet’s head chopped off. (Like St John the Baptist. St Elias had a price put on his head by evil Queen Jesebel, and fled for his life.)
As Our Lord said, A prophet is not appreciated in his native land or by his own people. . .:sad_yes:
