Homily on the Prayer of the Prophet Elijah (St. Luke of Simferopol)

By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

(Delivered on July 20/August 2, 1951)

When we read in the Bible, in the Third and Fourth Books of Kings about the amazing deeds of the holy prophet Elijah, our mind is amazed by them, we are amazed very much: we are amazed at his extraordinary zeal for the glory of God and his complete fearlessness in planting faith among the pagan people (and such was then the people of Israel); our mind is amazed when we read about his extraordinary miracles; we are most amazed, perhaps, when we read about the amazing power of his prayer, for you know that with his prayer he commanded even the elements: he forbade the rain to fall on the land of Palestine for three and a half years, and then again with his prayer he brought down rain to the ground.

Homily for the Feast of the Prophet Elijah (Archpriest Rodion Putyatin)

 By Archpriest Rodion Putyatin

In honor of the prophet of God Elijah and for your edification, listeners, I would like to say a word. Let me tell you one incident from yesterday. We walked past your temple. Your all-night vigil had not ended yet; we rejoiced at this - we approached the church and saw the magnificent illumination of your temple, and heard your harmonious singing. How good it is, in a Christian way, in an Orthodox way; the prophet Elijah, a zealous zealot for the glory of God, no doubt rejoiced that you made up such a solemn feast in his honor. But listen to what we immediately saw. I can't keep silent about it. When adults stood with reverence and prayed in church, at that time small children misbehaved, ran around, laughed in the church, and of those who saw this, no one could find zeal to reason with them, appease them, stand up for the glory of God, for the honor of a prophet of God. This is not good, not Christian; this is not how the children of Orthodox parents should behave.

Homily One on the Glorious Prophet Elijah (Archimandrite George Kapsanis)

By Archimandrite George Kapsanis

(Delivered in 1984)

For all Christians, in whatever situation they are in, the Prophet Elijah is a model and an example. For those living in the world, he is a model and example with his faith and devotion to God, and the faithful observance of His holy commandments, and the spiritual zeal he had. For the pastors of the Church, because he did not retreat from seeking the statutes of the Lord God Almighty. But also for the monks, because the Prophet also loved the solitary life, and noetic and secret prayer he is considered a teacher and initiate, but also of virginity he was a lover and representative, and in fact one of the few men of the Old Testament who had the gift of virginity. For all these reasons we feel the Prophet Elijah very close to us, we love him, we honor him, we ask for his intercessions and we admire his life, his works, his faith, his love for God, but also his boldness which he had before the Lord.

How Saint George Karslides Once Celebrated the Feast of the Prophet Elijah

During the years of the Bulgarian occupation (1941-1944), mother Argyro lived in the monastery near the Elder George Karslides and took care of him. One night, around 2:20 a.m., a loud noise was heard as if the wall of the church had fallen. She was afraid that the Bulgarians might come to kill the Elder, but she saw that the church was locked. She went out into the courtyard, but the Elder was nowhere to be found. She went to the corner of the fence and there she saw approaching something flying in the air wearing black.

The Cave Where Saint Joachim, the Father of the Theotokos, Prayed for Forty Days and Nights

The cave where Saint Joachim, the father of the Theotokos, spent forty days and nights in prayer and fasting, as recorded in the Protoevangelion of James, is located above the Monastery of Chozeba in the Holy Land, which is dedicated to the Theotokos. Weeping here for forty days and nights, with fasting and praying over the infertility of Saint Anna his wife, who was doing the same as her husband within the confines of their home, because they were considered outcasts for being childless, Joachim said: "I shall not descend even for a drink until my Lord and my God visits me." He was visited by an Angel at this time who proclaimed to him the good news of the conception of the Panagia, through whom the salvation of humanity was accomplished. This cave had also previously been visited by the Prophet Elijah, when he fled the wrath of Queen Jezebel, and he went on from here to eventually settle for a time at Mount Sinai.

Holy Prophet Elijah: Epistle and Gospel Reading

Holy Prophet Elijah

July 20

 Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Mode 1.
Psalm 109.4,1
You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
Verse: The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies my footstool.

The reading is from St. James' Universal Letter 5:10-20

English

Brethren, take as an example of suffering and patience the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we call those happy who were steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath, but let your yes be yes and your no be no, that you may not fall under condemnation. Is any one among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects. Elijah was a man of like nature with ourselves and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth its fruit. My brethren, if any one among you wanders from the truth and some one brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

A Clarification on the Ascension of Enoch and Elijah by St. Gregory Palamas

By St. Gregory Palamas

Today the Lord not only stood with His disciples after His resurrection, but was also parted from them and was taken up into heaven as they watched, ascended and entered into the true Holy of Holies and sat down on the right hand of the Father, far above all principality and power and every name and honor that is known and named, either in this world, or in that which is to come. There were many resurrections before Christ’s resurrection, and similarly, there were many ascensions before His ascension. The Spirit lifted up Jeremiah the prophet, and an angel took up Habakkuk. In particular it is written that Elijah went up with a chariot of fire. But even he did not go beyond the realms of earth, and the ascension of each of those mentioned was just a sort of movement lifting them up from the ground without taking them out of the area surrounding the earth. Similarly, the others who were resurrected all died and returned to the earth. By contrast, Christ has risen and death no longer has dominion over Him, and now He has ascended and sat down on high, every height is below Him and bears witness that He is God over all.

- Homily 1 on the Ascension of Christ

God carried away Enoch too, but did He take him to Heaven? Certainly not! For "no man hath ascended up to Heaven, but He that came down from Heaven." ... If, however, it is written that Enoch was moved to somewhere on earth by God, he was clearly taken to a lesser place than that now allotted to the Virgin, for nowhere on earth is more sacred than the Holy of Holies.

- Homily 2 on the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple

Overcoming Slavery to the Passions as Typified in the Prophet Elijah (St. Maximus the Confessor)

By St. Maximus the Confessor

(On the Lord's Prayer)

It is our aim to make the nous stand alone, stripped through the virtues of its affection for the body; for this affection, even when totally dispassionate, is still natural. The spirit, completely triumphing over nature, has to persuade the nous to desist from moral philosophy in order to commune with the supra-essential Logos through direct and undivided contemplation, in spite of the fact that moral philosophy helps the nous to cut itself off from, and to go beyond, things pertaining to the flux of time. For when the nous has become free from its attachment to sensible objects, it should not be burdened any longer with preoccupations about morality as with a shaggy cloak.

Elijah and the Mercy of God's Judgments

By Caesarius of Arles

Wretched men are apt to censure the writings of the Old Testament saying: "How was it just for blessed Elijah to burn two captains with their soldiers by means of fire brought down from heaven?" How justly and mercifully this was done, dearly beloved, we want to indicate briefly to your hearts.

In the days of the Old Testament, any crimes or offenses committed among the people were ordered to be physically punished. Thus it is written: "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth." Indeed, some were punished in order that the rest might fear bodily punishment and refrain from sins and offenses. Now, in the time of the prophet, all the Jewish people had abandoned God and were sacrificing to idols, not only refusing to honor God's prophets but even very frequently trying to kill them. For this reason blessed Elijah was aroused with zeal for God and caused some to be punished physically, so that those who had neglected the salvation of their souls might be healed in heart by fearing bodily death. We should consider that not so much blessed Elijah as the Holy Spirit did this.

The Monastery of the Prophet Elias in Santorini (Documentary)

The Monastery of Prophet Elias in Santorini is situated 4 km away from Pyrgos. The Monastery stands at an altitude of 586 meters above sea level on the highest point of the mountain of Prophet Elias. It was built in 1712 by the Hieromonks Gabriel and Joachim Belonias, that’s why it is not only a tourist attraction, but also an architectural monument.

Immediately after construction, the monastery became a strong economic place, also playing political and cultural role on the island. During Ottoman domination there was an underground school in the monastery, it was teaching people Greek language and literature. Since 1860 the monastery gradually began to lose its influence. In 1956 there was a strong earthquake on the island, which severely damaged the building.

Prophet Elijah: Alone Against All!

By Metropolitan Dionysios of Servia and Kozani

In the ranks of the Old Testament prophets, a special position is occupied by the Prophet Elijah, whose sacred memory the Church honors and celebrates today. In the New Testament, the name of the Prophet Elijah is frequently mentioned by Christ Himself. Zechariah, the father of the Forerunner, said that John would come “in the spirit and power of Elijah”, that is, that he would have the features and the zeal of the Prophet Elijah, that he would be the Prophet Elijah himself, whose return the people were awaiting. When Jesus bore witness to John the Baptist and praised him highly, He said that he was Elijah: “If you want, accept that he is Elijah who was to come”.

Holy Prophet Obadiah

Holy Prophet Obadiah (Feast Day - November 19)

Verses

Once Obadiah made known the future,

Swiftly bringing shame.

On the nineteenth the life of Obadiah passed beyond.

The name Obadiah (Abdias) means "servant of God." He was from the valley of Betharam in the region of Shechem, and lived about eight hundred years before Christ. He first served under King Ahab of Samaria, then under King Ahaziah. In those days the whole of Israel had turned away from the true God and had begun to offer sacrifice to Baal, but Obadiah faithfully served the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in secret.

The Prophet Elijah as the Patron of the Macedonian Dynasty

Emperor Basil I

By John Sanidopoulos

Though many Roman emperors had as patron saints those with either a royal or military background, Emperor Basil I (r. 867–886), the founder of the Macedonian Dynasty (867-1056), had as his prime patron the Prophet Elijah. This is because, according to many sources, the Prophet Elijah appeared to his widowed and impoverished mother in a dream when he was a boy, appearing as a tall old man with white beard from whose mouth a flame was burning, saying: "God will hand over the scepter of the Roman Empire to your beloved son Basil; you should persuade him to go to Constantinople." Upon reaching the city, Basil settled down to spend the night by the gates of the Monastery of Saint Diomedes. During the night, this Saint appeared to the Abbot in a dream and commanded him to invite the stranger in and give him everything he required, since he would one day be emperor.

After ascending the throne, Basil remembered his benefactors, founding and rebuilding churches in their honor, including the palatine Nea Ekklesia in Constantinople in May 880, which contained the sheepskin cloak of the Prophet Elijah as a revered relic. This church was dedicated to the Prophet Elijah, the Archangel Gabriel, Christ, the Theotokos and Saint Nicholas. He also reintroduced the feast of the Prophet Elijah to Constantinople, since before his reign the Prophet Elijah was not as venerated by Christians as he was after.

The Prophet Elijah's Church in Koufonissia

In the area of Profiti Ilia (named after the Prophet Elijah or Elias) at Koufonissia in the Cyclades of Greece, there are traces of an early Roman Orthodox church.

In the early 1940s the inhabitants raised money to restore the church, but the sum was not sufficient and two local people undertook to take the money to the Dodecanese to invest so that the necessary funds were collected. However, they vanished without trace and this was considered a bad omen for the reconstruction of the church.

Greek Folk Traditions and the Prophet Elias

By John Sanidopoulos

The Prophet Elias (the Greek rendering of Elijah) is honored by the Orthodox Church on July 20th. Along with this festival many traditions and customs have become associated with his name, not only in Slavic lands, Bulgaria and Serbia, but especially in Greece, with its hundreds of monasteries, churches, chapels and shrines dedicated to him, particularly on mountaintops and high places.

In many regions of Greece, especially Thrace and Macedonia, the Prophet Elias is considered the overseer of rain, thunder, lightning, and the wind. This likely comes from the Old Testament, where it says that Elias prevented rain from falling on the land of Israel in his days by the word of his mouth for three years, at which time again by his word he was able to make it rain and relieve the land of its drought. Folklore says that lightning and thunder are his weapons and he unleashes them as he chases the devil, or variously, the dragon, across the heavens in his chariot, and he also prevents insects from destroying crops. It is perhaps this reason why the Prophet Elias has almost a monopoly on churches closest to the heavens.

What Saint Paisios the Athonite Said About the Prophet Elijah

- Elder, I am jealous of a fellow sister nun.

- I know which sister you are jealous of, but I learned that she also is jealous of you! I pray both of you become jealous of the zealous Elijah, and that he will cast jealousy away from both of you, and give you his own divine zeal. Amen.

Synaxarion of the Holy Prophet Elijah the Tishbite

On the twentieth of this month [July], we commemorate the fiery ascent to Heaven of the Holy and Glorious Elijah (Elias) the Tishbite.

Verses

He shut off the rain, thrice bringing fire below,

Parting the river, Elias was carried off above.

On the twentieth you were taken up, Elias, by chariot.

The Highest Altitude Orthodox Chapel in All of Greece and the Balkans (photos + videos)

The peak of Profitis Ilias on Mount Olympus in Greece

Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece and the second highest mountain in the Balkans. Built at an altitude of 2803 meters on the Mouson Plateau (Plateau of the Muses), 10 minutes from the Skiing and Hiking Association refuge, Profitis Ilias (Prophet Elijah or Elias) is the highest chapel in all of Greece and the Balkans (and perhaps the world).

The Fiery Saint, Elijah the Thesbite (Photios Kontoglou)

A sketch of the Prophet Elijah by Photios Kontoglou

By Photios Kontoglou

The Prophet Elijah is very honored by us Greeks. Wherever you go you will see his cliff-side chapels on the mountain tops, both small and large.

Saint Nicholas protects the seas and the Prophet Elijah the mountains. In his cliff-side chapels you will see him depicted by those old craftsmen as a shepherd with his flock, with rumpled hair and beard that is twisted like a wild oak, is hawk-nosed like an eagle, with fiery eyes. He sits on a stone, in front of a cave, like a vulture in its nest. He rests his head on his palm, and looks behind him, as if he hears the voice of God speaking to him from the void of those ruthless cliffs. Above him flies a raven with a piece of meat, soaring downwards to give it to him.

The Miracle of the Church of the Prophet Elijah in Chernobyl

The only church in Chernobyl dedicated to the Old Testament Prophet Elijah is first mentioned by chronicles in the 16th century. Following the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power station in April 1986 the church was closed. Services in it were resumed in 2001. The church contains the revered icons of “The Saviour of Chernobyl” and of St. Nicholas the Wonder-Worker.

In April 2011, on the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia visited Chernobyl. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church served a funeral service (panikhida) there for the repose of the accident victims. The Patriarch then noted that the containment and stoppage of the nuclear power station accident “became a great moral feat for thousands of people” and called upon the gathered people not to forget the Chernobyl disaster victims.