The Holy Prophet Elijah – A Prophetic Image of the Person of Our Savior Jesus Christ

On Saturday and Sunday, July 19 and 20, His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian was present among the faithful of St. Paraskeva and the Holy Prophet Elijah Parish in Newmarket, Ontario, on the parish’s second patronal feast.

The celebration began on Saturday evening with the service of the Holy Unction, attended by several clergy from the Toronto area: Petre Busuioc (vicar-administrator), Viorel Țencaliuc (dean), Mihail Cristea (parish priest), Ion Bucur, Lucian Azoiței, Emanuel Țencaliuc, Hieromonk Polycarp, and Deacon Ștefan Cârcoană.

On Sunday, July 20, which this year coincided with the feast of the Holy and Glorious Prophet Elijah the Tishbite, His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian celebrated the Holy and Divine Liturgy, together with the parish priest and the parish deacon.

In the homily delivered at the end of the Divine Liturgy, the hierarch highlighted several important aspects of God's ongoing work in the Church and the personality of the Holy Prophet Elijah.

Referring to the healing of the paralytic, the hierarch reminded the faithful that:

“The forgiveness of sins, as the Church understands it, is an attribute of God and the foundation of healing. It is given through the hands of the bishop or priest, but it is Christ who forgives sins. We see that the Jews who were around the Savior knew the Law well and understood that only God could forgive sins, which is why they accused Him of blasphemy. However, Christ, by healing the paralytic, shows His desire to heal and restore human health, and affirms that He is the Son of God.”

The bishop further emphasized the importance of the Church’s mission to preach the Gospel and call sinners and the lost back to faith:

“The Holy Prophet Elijah was an ascetic, a man of fasting, and a confessor of the true faith among the people, bringing them back to God. From the reading of the Apostle James, we see why the Church's mission to preach and return those who have gone astray to the faith is important: it ensures the salvation of the soul from death and covers a multitude of sins. The one who brings someone back to the true faith will gain forgiveness of sins and salvation of his own soul from death. Thus, St. Elijah was a witness of the true God.”

His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian showed how the Holy Prophet Elijah deeply experienced the encounter with God and became a prophetic image of Christ the Savior:

“The Holy Prophet Elijah is also a model for monastics, being a great ascetic and hermit. At the same time, he is also the protector of widows and orphans, as he raised from the dead the child of the widow of Zarephath of Sidon, thereby becoming a prophetic image of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Apostle James says that Elijah was a man with weaknesses like all of us, but strong in prayer. His 40-day journey through the desert to Mount Sinai also reminds us of the 40-day fast of the Savior or that of Moses when he received the Law. Elijah received strength from God and the same testimony as Moses. God sent him to Mount Sinai to show him that He had not abandoned him.

God revealed Himself to the Prophet Elijah in the cave — first in wind, earthquake, and fire, and then in a gentle breeze, just as it happened at the Descent of the Holy Spirit.

Seeing all these aspects of the life of the Holy Prophet Elijah, which resemble those in the earthly life of the Savior, we can say that he is a prophetic image of Christ, a person whose presence and miracles prefigure what would later happen through the person of the Savior.”

At the end, Father Mihail Cristea thanked hierarch for the joy of serving and celebrating the parish feast day together.

The celebration concluded with a traditional meal prepared by the parish Ladies’ Committee, to which all those present were invited.

(notes by Nun Ana Bulgariu)