St. Luke Byzantine Catholic Church

The Feast of the Elijah the Great Prophet is celebrated on July 20. 

Liturgy:

Monday, July 19 - Festal Vespers at 4:30 pm

Sunday, July 20 - Divine Liturgy at 10:00 am

The Holy Prophet Elijah

The Prophet Elijah, the God-seer, miracle-worker and zealot for faith in God, was born of the tribe of Aaron in the town of Tishba, for which he was called the Tishbite. When Elijah was born, his father Sabbas saw angels of God hovering around the child, wrapping the child in fire and feeding him flames. That was a foreshadowing of Elijah’s fiery character and his God-given fiery power. He spent his entire youth in divine contemplation and prayer, withdrawing frequently into the wilderness to contemplate and pray in tranquility. At that time, the Jewish kingdom was divided equally into the kingdom of Judah consisting of only of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, with their capital in Jerusalem and the kingdom of Israel consisting of the remaining ten tribes, with their capital in Samaria. The former was governed by the descendants of Solomon, and the latter was governed by the descendants of Jeroboam, a servant of Solomon. The greatest confrontation that the prophet Elijah had was with the Israelite King Ahab and his evil wife Jezebel for they worshiped idols and were turning the people away from serving the One Living God. In addition, Jezebel, a Syrian, persuaded her husband to erect a temple to the Syrian God Baal and appointed many priests to the service of this false god. Through great miracles Elijah displayed the power and authority of God. He closed the heavens so there was no rain for three years and six months. He called fire down from heaven to consume the sacrifice to God which the pagan priests were unable to do for the false god Baal. He brought rain by his prayer and miraculously multiplied flour and oil in the home of the widow at Zarephath and he resurrected her son. He prophesied to Ahab that the dogs would lick up his blood, and to Jezebel, that the dogs would consume her flesh and both came true. He performed many other miracles, and prophesied other events as well. He spoke with God, and heard the voice of God in the calm after the wind, earthquake and fire on Mount Horeb. Before his death, he designated Elisha as his successor in the prophetic calling and with his mantle, he divided the waters of the Jordan. Finally, he was taken into the heavens in a fiery chariot drawn by fiery horses. On Mount Tabor he appeared together with Moses beside our Lord Jesus Christ. At the end of the world, Elijah will appear again, to put and end to the power of antichrist (Rev 11).  

Troparion

An angel in the flesh, the foundation of the prophets, and the second forerunner of Christ, the glorious Elijah from on high sent grace to Elisha to cure sicknesses and cleanse lepers. He likewise overflows with healing for those who honor him. 

Kontakion

O Savior, you descended into Hades. You crushed its gates as the Almighty. You raised the dead and destroyed the sting of Death as the Creator. You delivered Adam from the curse, O Lover of us all; therefore, all cry out to you, O Lord save us.