St Elijah
The Old Testament figure of St Elijah who had lived as a hermit on Mount Carmel belongs with Our Lady to the earliest Carmelite tradition.
A charismatic patron of the Order he ‘arose like a fire, his word flaming like a torch’ in his zeal for the Lord God of Israel before whom he stands at all times.
“With zeal I am zealous for the LORD God of hosts. “
The fire of his compelling witness is lit by his prayer as he withdraws into solitude to listen to the Lord, not in the wind, the fire or the earthquake but in the gentle breeze, with its still, small voice.
As Carmelites we share Elijah’s prophetic mission, listening to God’s word and prayerfully attending to the Lord’s presence in all human life and throughout creation, trying to obey God’s will at each moment and empowered by the Spirit to witness to God as the only absolute by the totality of our self-giving in Carmel.
Being human, like Elijah we inevitably have our times of desolation –
“It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am no better than my fathers"
But God is always at hand to those who seek him in trust and confidence and comes to their help –
“And he arose, and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God.
We see that food as prefiguring the Eucharist which we daily receive, so that we too are strengthened by the Bread of Life and are able to rise and continue on our life’s journey to the mountain of God.
