Saint Elijah feast day July 20

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Happy feast day of the Saint Elijah the Prophet! All of the Carmelites proclaim him as Carmeli Dux et Pater, Carmel’s guide and father, our leader and founder.

In his writings, Saint John of the Cross calls Elijah “our holy Father”:
When King Ahab had committed a very serious sin, God, through our holy father Elijah, sent him a message threatening severe punishment on his person, his house, and his kingdom (Cf. 1 Kgs 21:17-19; Ascent of Mount Carmel, II.20.2).
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In her poem “On the Way to Heaven” (Poem 10), Saint Teresa of Avila wrote:
Elijah, our Father, leads,
In our self-denying we follow him
Strongly and zealously,
Nuns of Carmel.
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And, the Carmelite Rule, written by Saint Albert of Jerusalem, mentions that the Carmelites were established on Mount Carmel “near Elijah’s spring”.
Albertus, Dei gratia Hierosolymitanae Ecclesiae vocatus Patriarcha, dilectis in Christo fillis B et caeteris Eremitis qui sub eius oboedientia iuxta fontem Eliae in monte Carmeli morantur, in Domino salutem et Sancti Spiritus benedictionem.
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The source of water in this icon represents Elijah’s spring in the Wadi Siah where the 13th c. archeological ruins are located, the remains of the first Carmelite monastery built by the hermits. (Photo credit: Johan Bergstrom-Allen, gbcarmelites/Flickr)

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The actual location is as rugged as one could imagine for ex-Crusader knights who left everything behind to dwell in mountainside caves. (Photo credit: Yarok Balev, Carmelists/Facebook)

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If you have ever gone on a Holy Land pilgrimage, then perhaps your tour group visited one of the two Discalced Carmelite shrines on Mount Carmel.

On the south end of Mount Carmel, our friars care for the shrine of the sacrifice of Elijah on Mount Carmel, at El-Muhraqa. (Photo credit: Discalced Carmelites)

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At the north end of Mount Carmel overlooking the Bay of Haifa and the Mediterranean Sea is our beautiful and historic Stella Maris Church, Monastery, and pilgrim’s hostel managed by the Carmelite Sisters of St. Teresa.

Stella Maris Church was built over the long-venerated grotto of Elijah (Photo credit: Archdiocese of Boston)
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The Carmelite liturgies for this feast day are very rich in scripture, writings from our Doctors of the Church, and Saints. You can find the Discalced Carmelite Liturgy of the Hours (Roman Rite, ordinary form) here.
 
St Elijah, wherever you are (heaven? earth? paradise?), pray for us!
 
Oh, my friend, we Carmelites either have this Bible passage memorized or can tell you where to find it: 2 Kings 2:1-12 is the fiery Ascension of Saint Elijah to heaven.
1 Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. […] 6 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. 7 Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. 8 Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground. 9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” 10 He responded, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.” 11 As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. 12 Elisha kept watching and crying out, “Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces (2 Kgs 2:1, 6-12).
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In 2 Kings 2:13-18 Elisha succeeds Elijah.
13 He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” When he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over (2 Kgs 2:13-14).
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Elisha performs miracles in 2 Kings 2:19-25; for example:
23 He went up from there to Bethel; and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go away, baldhead! Go away, baldhead!” 24 When he turned around and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two she-bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two [42!!] of the boys (2 Kgs 2:23-24). 😲
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Our Holy Father Elijah holds a prominent place, obviously in the religious art at Stella Maris Church on Mount Carmel in Haifa. Here is one of the stained glass windows. Sorry, I’ve long ago forgotten the credit for this photo, whether it’s from our order or another source.

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We love our Holy Father Elijah! May he teach us to listen in silence for the voice of God, to denounce evil without fear, never to give up when all seems hopeless, but to keep on climbing, strengthened by God. Saint Elijah, pray for us!
 
Dorothy said:
Thank you for sharing that site!
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At your service! Not everyone has all of those photos, so on a special day like this, why not bring out the best china and crystal and set a feast for everyone? 😋
 
He did not die. St. Elijah will die by the hand of the Antichrist (c.f. Apocalypse/Revelation).
 
Thank you for sharing those propers @Margaret_Ann ! We have the text file for the Byzantine Catholic liturgy, but a link is so much better. God reward you!
 
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We celebrated the Feast of St. Elijah today (Sunday) because usually very few people attend on weekdays.
 
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Margaret_Ann said:
Oh no! I totally forgot to ask Father to bless my car! 😱😫
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Um, could you take your holy icon, sprinkle some holy water and pray hard until you see Father next time? I don’t think Our Holy Father would mind too much. After all, he patiently waited on the side of the mountain through an earthquake and a forest fire until the Lord showed up in the breeze. 😉
 
Amen!

The Vespers Intercessions:

Let us give joyful praise to the living and true God, who chose the prophet Elijah to proclaim his power and mercy; let us say to him:

R/. Lord, make us witnesses of your love.

Lord, you accepted the sacrifice of Elijah and consumed it with fire from heaven; — accept our evening sacrifice which we offer for the good of the Church. R/.

When Elijah prayed on the mountain you sent saving rain from heaven; — fill us who have been called to Carmel with a spirit of prayer, so that we may draw a shower of grace to the world. R/.

You gave to the prophet Elijah the ministry of reconciling parents and children; — make us workers for peace, so that the peace of Christ may reign in the world. R/.

You made Elijah the defender of your honor and of true worship; — increase our concern for justice, so that by giving you all that is your due, we may serve our brothers and sisters in the spirit of the Gospel. R/.

You took the prophet Elijah to yourself in a whirlwind of fire; — graciously admit our departed brothers and sisters into the embrace of your glory. R/.

Our Father …

Prayer

Almighty, ever living God,
your prophet Elijah, our Father,
lived always in your presence
and was zealous for the honor due to your name.
May we, your servants,
always seek your face
and bear witness to your love.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
 
An update from the Carmelite shrine at El-Muhraqa in the village of Isfiya…

On his feast day, the great statue of Our Holy Father Elijah always is resplendent in his red mantle. It’s a holy tradition at the shrine, one that the local faithful appreciate. Today, 20 July 2020 the Greek Catholic (Melkite Rite) community gathered to celebrate the Divine Liturgy at the shrine.

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At Stella Maris Church every July 20, customarily there is a massive crowd of faithful who gather on the property. Catholics of every rite, Orthodox, even Muslims come to Mount Carmel to pray on July 20. Catholic radio in northern Israel for years has broadcast the Mass from Stella Maris on the feast of Elijah.
 
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