Yesterday, 20 July 2010, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel delivered a sermon in the chapel of the Patriarchal Residence dedicated to “Saint Gregory the Enlightener”, “Saint Prophet Elijah the Tishbite” and to “Pious Daniil the Hermit”, in which he evoked the personality of Saint Prophet Elijah – informs “Lumina” newspaper.

His Beatitude presented several aspects related to the prophetic life and activity of Saint Elijah: “This great servant of God lived in the 9th century before Christ and is very appreciated in the tradition and piety of the Orthodox people, because he is the saint of the Old Testament to whom a special devotion was granted, written with red letters in the calendar. Of all the saints and righteous of the Old Testament, only Elijah enjoys this special honour, and so we see that the Church emphasized the work of God made through Saint Prophet Elijah.”

The Patriarch of Romania explained that Saint Elijah began his activity when king Ahab of Israel married a Phoenician princess from Tyr, who brought the devotion to idol Baal to Israel. “Through this pagan faith the faith in the only true unseen God, the Creator of heaven and earth the Jews had, is altered. In times of idolatry, when people forget about the true God, prophet Elijah is the one who wakes up the consciences and restores the right faith”. His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel underlined the fact that Saint Elijah was the man of God even when all those around him estranged themselves from God, so that prophet Elijah “has always been the protector of those who keep the right faith in times of persecution and trial”.

The Primate of our Church has also said that: “in the Hebrew language, the name of Saint Prophet Elijah means ‘Yahve is God’. So, he has the vocation to witness God through his own name. His mission begins with the words: ‘Alive is God, the true One!’ Saint Elijah is a man of prayer, a fasting man, a prototype of the monastic life, the spiritual father of monasticism. He lived in chastity, fasted a lot, prayed a lot and strived to keep the right faith. At the same time, he is also merciful and helper of the poor ones.’

His Beatitude underlined the fact that the Holy Fathers have seen in Saint Elijah a prefiguration or a prophetic image of Christ, because lots of his wonders have a symbolic value for the future work of Christ. A series of prophetic, symbolic gestures in the activity of Saint Elijah send to the mystery of Christ.
To end with, the Patriarch of Romania congratulated all those of the name of Saint Prophet Elijah and wished them to grow in their piety and endeavour for the true God for the salvation of the soul and joy of the angels.