St Elias

[Charlie_Zeaiter]

Last night I attended a Mass for St Elias’ Feast Day (which happens to be July 20th). It was a Melkite Catholic church, called St Elias the Prophet. It also had a picture of St Elias, which I was uncomfortable with, because it looked a bit too “jihad”, if you know what I mean.

(I assume the picture to be a scene from 1 Kings 18:40; Elijah ordered, “Seize the prophets of Baal; don’t let any of them get away!” The people seized them all, and Elijah led them down to Kishon Brook and killed them.)

Are they confused with St Elias (the Arab), with the Prophet Elijah? I was too embarrassed to ask the priest.

Another reason for my confusion is that I don’t normally see Prophets from the Old Testament to be referred to as Saints.

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

Last night I attended a Mass for St Elias’ Feast Day (which happens to be July 20th). It was a Melkite Catholic church, called St Elias the Prophet. It also had a picture of St Elias, which I was uncomfortable with, because it looked a bit too “jihad”, if you know what I mean.

(I assume the picture to be a scene from 1 Kings 18:40; Elijah ordered, “Seize the prophets of Baal; don’t let any of them get away!” The people seized them all, and Elijah led them down to Kishon Brook and killed them.)

Are they confused with St Elias (the Arab), with the Prophet Elijah? I was too embarrassed to ask the priest. (

Another reason for my confusion is that I don’t normally see Prophets from the Old Testament to be referred to as Saints.

To judge from the calf in the picture, this is definitely St. Elijah the Prophet ​

He is honoured by the Carmelites as their founder (a bit of a stretch, admittedly ) - so his name is included in the (unrevised) Confiteor if you go to Mass offered by a priest who is following the older form of the Roman Rite.

The older Roman Martyrology includes 32 OT Saints - & he is one of them. AFAIK, the Eastern Rites make much more of the OT Saints than we do - very sensible It’s just a pity that we tend to ignore the OT Saints. ##