FEAST OF ST ELIJAH - July 20th

Hello Everyone:

Today in the Carmelite calendar, it is the feast day of St. Elijah.  The Prophet of Carmel, St. Elijah, has always been regarded by the Carmelites as their Leader and Founder – a tradition which Holy Church has confirmed in granting to the Order a Proper Mass and Office of the saint on July 20th and in permitting the erection of his statue in St. Peter’s Rome, among the Founders of Religious Orders. Innumerable monasteries have been established in Europe and over time - around the world. It is this spirit of Elijah, that burning zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of souls that consumes the Carmelite nuns and friars to appease the wrath of the Lord. Another beautiful aspect of the Carmelite Order, especially today, is that we are to pray for the Second Coming of Christ and for Elijah and Enoch to return at the time of the Antichrist which we see signs that this time is not far off. We can continue the prayers of the early monks on Mount Carmel who dedicated themselves to pray for the FIRST COMING of Christ --- We now must pray for the time of CHRIST’S SECOND COMING! This is an exciting calling for us and the Prophet Elijah has a part in it!  (Rev 11:2-6)

I am not finished with my posts on the life of St. Elijah but I will conclude with these facts about the end times. This post on his feast day is a little break in the middle of this study to exalt the great man of God - St. Elijah! I should have started earlier in order to finish it today on his feast day but hopefully we will finish before July is over! I will end with the relationship St. Elijah has to St. John the Baptist to make our study complete.

There is something special about this Prophet Elijah who was privileged to be seized by angels and carried aloft in a chariot of fire to remain alive in his mortal flesh even to our day and beyond it, until the time when he will descend on earth to be a martyr for the Faith which may happen very soon! It was God’s Will that he who had been in such union with God in his preaching and in his courage during tribulation that he should be conformed to Him in His Ascension.  We get to look forward to his coming again at the time of the Antichrist with Enoch. They will experience death, resurrection and ascension just before the ruin of the Antichrist, “whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the spirit of His Mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming.” 2 Thess 2:8

The life of Elijah while on this earth was so filled with God. This was beyond what many of the Prophets experienced. His piety, courage and contempt for the luxury of the courts of earthly kings, his fearlessness in carrying out the commands of God make him a great example for these times when Satan is unleashed like never before. Elijah is, by his great example of austerity and prayer upon the sacred slopes of Mt. Carmel, a Godly model to all Carmelites who make for themselves a solitude of love and zealous prayer in the midst of this cold and indifferent world. The call for all Carmelites is to promote the interests of God’s kingdom during their vigils of prayer for the salvation of souls and for God’s glory. We can focus today on prayer to Our Lady of Mount Carmel for that final battle against Satan and for the Second Coming of Her Son Jesus Christ!!

May all Carmelites today, honor the greatness of this amazing Prophet who will be visiting us very soon. May we prepare for him with our prayers, fasts and good works. May we look forward to this day with great hope and joy at a time when evil, sadness and despair are all around us.

Let us be beacons of light and the salt for all those around us. Let us repeat the words of Elijah from the First Book of Kings, 19:10: “With zeal have I been zealous for the Lord God of Hosts.” These words perfectly express the life of the Prophet Elijah, yet for those of us who wear the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, this motto also perfectly conveys the mission to which we are each called.

Please read the post at the link below as well---  God bless your day!!

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, pray for us!
St. Elijah, pray for us!

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WITH ZEAL