14 June Memorial
"Elisha came to Elijah, who threw his cloak over him and he, abandoned the oxen, followed Elijah and became his servant" (1 Kgs 19: 19, 21). Elisha received the spirit of Elijah and, among the many outstanding prodigies; he cured Naaman from leprosy and raised a boy from the dead. He lived among the sons of prophets and was frequently present, in the name of God, in the events of the People of Israel.
The Carmelite Order, mindful of its origin on Mount Carmel, with the liturgical celebration of the great Prophets Elijah and Elisha, intends to perpetuate the memory of their presence and of their works. This is why in the year 1399 the General Chapter decreed the celebration of the feast of Saint Elisha. In our time the Prophet gives effective witness of the prophetic Charism by means of fidelity to the true God and the service to his people.
Photo © Nick Thompson
Prophet Elisha from a series produced c1690 for the Chapel of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Couvent de Grande Carme, Toulouse by Marc Arcis. Musée des Augustins, Toulouse.