The Holy and Glorious Prophet Elijah (Elias) (9th c. BC)
James 5:10-20; Luke 4:22-30
All-Night Vigil Feast. A day when the faithful are highly encouraged to participate in the Divine Liturgy.
Read James 5:10-20
Elijah was the great prophet of the Lord. We celebrate his feast today. He is a wonderful example of a righteous person who has placed their trust in the Lord.
On Mount Carmel, there is a competition between Elijah and the priests of Baal. Although they cry loudly and even cut themselves in order to have their ‘god’ act, the divine fire did not descend upon their sacrificial offering but on Elijah’s water-soaked wood, consuming not only Elijah’s offering but that of the priests of Baal. Our own passions (the evil thoughts that lead to sin) and weaknesses are like greenwood or water-soaked wood. The divine fire of charity can consume them and warm, purify, and illuminate.
As a righteous man, he prayed fervently for rain after a three-and-a-half-year drought, and it rained, and the earth brought forth fruit. He had come to learn that the Lord was not in the big things (wind, earthquakes, and fires) but He is in small things like a gentle breeze, like a still small voice which speaks to conscience.
This same selection from the Letter of St. James is used for the Holy Mystery of Anointing for the healing of illness. Sometimes, when we get sick, we turn first to worldly solutions, and then when they have failed, as a last resort, we turn to the Lord. We ought to turn first to the Lord in faith (going to the presbyters, that is, the priests, and asking for prayer) and then, also, seek the aid from our doctors. Prayer has serious effects, even healing! And Elijah knows this. Let’s ask for his prayers today.