20 July: St. Elijah, prophet

Did you know that today is the feast of St. Elijah, the Old Testament prophet?  Many Old Testament figures are considered saints by Holy Church.

You can read about Elijah in the Books of Kings.  God worked many wonders through Elijah as he warred against the impious worship of Baal.  Elijah eventually ascended into heaven on a whirlwind with a fiery chariot.  His return before the end times is prophesied in the Book of Malachi.

Remember: Reading the stories of these great figures in the Bible is like reading your own family history.  All these people and the events they were bound up in, all of salvation history, is your history.

Here is the entry for St. Elijah, prophet, in the Roman Martyrology:

2. Commemoratio sancti Eliae Thesbitae, qui propheta Domini in diebus Achab, regis Israel, Dei unici iura vinidicavit adversus infidelem populum tali animi robore, ut non modo Ioannem Baptistam, sed etiam Christum ipsum praefiguret; oracula scripta non reliquit, sed eius memoria fideliter servatur, praesertim in monte Carmelo.

Anyone?

And since St. Elijah is a central figure of veneration for Carmelites everywhere, including Carmelites in Wyoming who sell coffee in order to build their monastery, I will offer that today is a particularly good day to stock up on your coffee supply!

Mystic Monk Coffee!  It’s swell, especially when it is iced coffee – or iced tea – on a sweltering day!

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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9 Comments

  1. KAS says:

    I love the monks in Wyoming– the drawings of their proposed monastery are just beautiful– and I already get three bags a month– Fair Trade, Organic Decaf–mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

  2. Tom in NY says:

    “The commemoration of St. Elias, from Thisbe, who was a prophet of the Lord in the days of Ahab, king of Israel. He defended the rule of the one God against an unfaithful people with such a strength of spirit, that he prefigured not only John the Baptist, but even the Christ himself. He did not leave written prophecies, but his memory is faithfully served, especially at Mt. Carmel.”

    “Testament” animated this story with music based on Mendelssohn’s “Elijah.”

    Salutationes omnibus

  3. JKnott says:

    Happy Feast of St Elijah Father and all!
    This is the Hymn for the Office of Readings that our OCDS community uses with the Proper offices today. The Hours of this feast are inspiring.
    Great Author of all things that are
    To you we sing in joyful praise
    Of him, Thesbite, whom you love,
    Elijah, seer of ancient days.

    With burning zeal for your blest name
    He challenged wicked priests of Baal
    And conquering, killed them in his might
    To make your sacred law prevail.

    The victims offered by his prayer
    Drew heaven’s blest consuming flame
    In vain Baal’s servants scream and rave
    Their frenzy brings them only shame.

    Then Jezebel, unholy queen,
    In fury raves, the prophet flees,
    Beneath the sheltering juniper
    He sleeps and then an angel sees.

    The angel offers strengthening bread
    With water pure his thirst to end
    And marks a journey he must make
    Mount Horeb’s summit to ascend.

    No food but this for forty days
    He journeys through the desert land
    Prefiguring the royal feast
    Prepared for us by the Father’s hand.

    To Father, Word and Paraclete
    All glory, honor ever be
    O undivided Trinity
    Through whom creation came to be. Amen

  4. carl b says:

    A rough shot, especially in the second sentence:

    The commemoration of holy Elijah the Tishbite, who, a prophet of the Lord in the days of Ahab, king of Israel, vindicated by oath the one God against the faithless people of such hardened souls, that none, save John the Baptist, more prefigured Christ himself; prophecies having been written and not abandoned, but his memory faithfully preserving, particularly on Mount Carmel

  5. Animadversor says:

    The commemoration of St. Elijah the Tishbite, who as a prophet of the Lord in the days of Ahab, king of Israel, did vindicate the laws of the one God in the face of a faithless people with such resolute courage that he prefigures not only John the Baptist, but even Christ Himself; he left behind no written prophecies, but his memory is faithfully preserved, particularly on Mount Carmel.

  6. Father G says:

    Blessed feast of St. Elijah the Prophet!

    As permitted by GIRM 355C, I celebrated Mass this morning in honor of St. Elijah.

  7. Slappo says:

    Elijah will be the name of my first born son :). Wife is due in 10 days, but we don’t know the gender yet – could have a son named after St. Elijah soon!

  8. ReginaMarie says:

    Slappo,
    Wonderful! Prayers for a safe delivery for your wife & the little one! We knew some folks who named their daughter after St. Elijah, her name was Elisha (sounded like Alicia).
    As is the custom in the Eastern Catholic Churches, Father blessed our vehicles (& bicycles on occasion) after the Divine Liturgy tonight, since St. Elijah ascended to heaven on a fiery chariot.

  9. Sid says:

    I tell my Protestant friends that The Assumption isn’t in scripture, but it’s not repugnant to scripture. And Elijah’s going in “a blaze of glory” is my first proof text.

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