St. Elijah the Prophet

Last night the sky was orange as the sun set behind heavy storm clouds. The weatherman promised us severe storms and we could hear thunder rolling in the west. But the promised rain never came and the thunder passed away to the north of us. This morning, we woke up disappointed – unbroken humidity making even the early morning air feel oppressive. We had been hoping the storms would break up the heat and bring in freshness, as storms so often do. When they failed to arrive, the whole atmosphere felt heavier than ever.

The feast of St. Elijah the Prophet is upon us. The weather in July is a perfect reminder of the world in need of “a fire” to “burn like a torch” all that it touches. When the lightning comes, it cracks through the heavy atmosphere, startling the whole world into life. St. Elijah, the patron of thunderstorms and lightning, has a similar effect on the heaviness of sin in the world.

Elijah – Then and Now

In the Old Testament, Elijah is a wild figure. Like St. John the Baptist, later, he is clothed in camels’ skins. A wild, hairy, ascetic man, he is the greatest of the Old Testament prophets and the prefigurement of the last of the prophets, John the Baptist.

His whole known life is one of protest, rebellion against the immorality of Israel’s rulers. Rebellion in the service of God. He is famous for his flight to the desert and the tender care God gives him there when his spirit is crushed under the weight of his calling. At the end of his life, Elijah is carried up – body and soul – into heaven in a fiery chariot, dropping his cloak down to his heir, Elisha.

In Catholic tradition, Elijah is one of the few saints in heaven who is there both body and soul; the others being the Blessed Virgin, the patriarch Enoch, and possibly Moses. Because he is one of the Old Testament saints, Elijah is often neglected in the Latin Church, though the Eastern Rites often have a deep devotion to him. His feast is associated with fires, storms, and a single-minded devotion to God.

He is considered the founder of the Carmelite Order. During his life, St. Elijah often ascended Mount Carmel to fast and pray. After his death, holy men and women continued to go up to Carmel to seek union with God. They imitated Elijah’s penance, contemplation, and zeal for God and prepared their hearts for the coming of the Savoir. It’s even said among the Carmelites that the pre-Christian “monks” of Carmel developed a devotion to the woman who would be the Mother of the Messiah, long before she was born. How delightful for Christ to see His Mother so loved before she existed! How delightful for Mary to meet these loving ancestors later in Heaven!

Dog Days of Summer

The hot, slow, oppressive days of July can feel overwhelming. It’s hard to rouse ourselves sometimes. I have yardwork to do. I have my homeschool work to send off for approval. I have an enthusiastic new puppy to train. I’ve got gardens and children to tend, and yet, it’s hard to get moving at all. The hazy sky and diffused, orange light of these humid days are stagnating. Maybe that’s why Elijah’s day is in the heart of the “dog days” of summer. He is the anti-stagnation. Elijah wakes us up with his powerful words and fierce defense of the truth.

Catholic folklore tells us that on the feast of St. Elijah, he rides through the sky in his fiery chariot, striking down Satan wherever he finds him. That makes his feast day a little unsettling for those of us who are still at least somewhat attached to sin. Elijah’s reputation as a hard line in the sand against the corruptions of sin can feel intimidating. In Russian folklore, people were encouraged to spend the feast of Elijah indoors – away from the open places where the lightning of the Saint might strike the devil hiding within them.

Welcoming Elijah

But we don’t have to fret about Elijah like that. Instead, we can welcome him into our homes in this season of heat and storms. He is the ideal saint for a life under pressure – for those of us aching for the world today and weeping for the broken hearts of our fellow men. He stands in opposition to oppressive governments that violate the dignity of their people, just as Ahab and Jezebel did.

He reminds us, as Francis will much later, of the balance between the ascetic life and the healing power of hospitality. In his relationship to the widow of Zarephath, he blesses her hospitality and repays her generosity. It’s a reminder that even in dark times, we should pull closer to each other, entrusting ourselves to Christ and to our neighbors.

Elijah is “a fire, and his word burned like a torch,” but he also tells us, “Do not be afraid.” He goes with God into the desert and is comforted there. He invites us to do the same. Today I’m stepping outside into the hazy light of a humid summer day. I can close my eyes and feel the breeze, hear the birds, and smell the balsams near the house. And I can pray with the Church in honor of Elijah’s day: “O Prophet and foreseer of the great works of God, O greatly renowned Elias, who by your word held back the clouds of rain, intercede for us to the only Loving One.”