On Thursday, June 14 /27, 2024, the feast of the Holy Prophet Elisha was celebrated by the Patriarchate at his holy monastery in Jericho, at the fig tree of Zacchaeus.
This monastery is located in Jericho, due to the prophet's activity mainly in this very place, where he turned the bitter and deadly spring water into sweet and wholesome.
During this feast, the Church commemorates the prophet Elisha, who came from the village of Abel Meil. He was the son of Shaphat, a farmer by profession and called by God to the prophetic office through the prophet Elijah. The prophet Elijah anointed Elisha as a prophet and cast his favor upon him. Elisha left the twelve pairs of oxen on which he had plowed, and slaughtered them, and used them for a feast for the people, and followed the prophet Elijah, being faithful to him all his life. He performed many miracles, which are narrated chiefly in the books of the "Kings" of the Old Testament. He saw his teacher Elijah ascended to heaven in a chariot of fire, and asked for and received his grace and favor, on which he crossed the Jordan River as on a boat.
In the aforementioned holy monastery, His Divine Beatitude Our Father and Patriarch Theophilus of Jerusalem celebrated the Divine Liturgy with the co-service of Their Eminences Metropolitan Isikhios of Capitolias and Archbishop Aristarchus of Constantine, The Holy Sepulchre Fathers, the first of whom was the Charterer of the Church of Saints Constantine and Helen, Archimandrite Alexis, Archimandrites Silouan and Kiriak and Presbyter Issa Musleh, Archdeacon Mark and Hierodeacon Dosifey. Hierodeacon Simeon sang in Greek with the assistance of Mr. George Varaklas, while the parish choir and the Orthodox assembly sang in Arabic.
Before Holy Communion, His Beatitude preached the divine word as follows:
"And it came to pass, and Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I will do unto you before I am taken from you. And Elisha said, "Let the spirit that is in you be in me. And Elijah said, "You are hardened to ask: if you see me taken from you, it will be so" (4 Sam. 2:9-10).
.
Dear brothers in Christ,
Reverend Christians,
The spirit of the prophet Elijah, that is, the Holy Spirit that was imparted to his disciple Elisha, has gathered us all at this biblical site of Jericho near the Jordan River, where the holy monastery of the prophet Elisha is located, so that we may commemorate his annual memorial.
The holy prophet Elisha stands out among the prophets who prophesied the incarnate presence of our Lord Jesus Christ on earth, because, as a disciple of the great prophet Elijah, he received the double grace of the prophetic spirit and God worked many miracles through him, as his synaxarium writes about, And Elisha went out to the spring of water, and poured salt into it, and said, "This is what the Lord says: 'I have healed these waters; there will be no death or barrenness from them. And the waters were healed until this day, according to the word of Elisha, which he spoke." (4 Sam. 2:20-22).
Moreover, the great Elisha raised dead people; he cleansed Neeman the Syrian from leprosy and made his servant a leper as punishment for his greed and disobedience; he even struck the waters of the Jordan River and divided them, using Elijah's mercy (cf. 4 Samuel 2:14).
The Holy Church of Christ honors the prophets as "righteous" men of God, the Saints of God. The prophets, and certainly the prophet Elisha, are God's chosen vessels, inspired by the luminous power of the Holy Spirit. "The Spirit (is) God: and whosoever boweth down to Him, in spirit and in truth shall he bow down" (Jn. 4:24) says the Lord.
The Holy Prophets are those who prepared and foretold the great mystery of Divine Providence in the person of Christ, as divine Paul preaches, "And great is the mystery of godliness confessed: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, revealed by an angel, preached in the Gentiles, believed in the world, ascended in glory."(1 Tim. 3:16).
In this regard, the words of the Lord to His disciples after His resurrection are noteworthy: "O unthinking and stagnant in heart, that ye believe all things whatsoever ye have said. The prophets, "Is it not this that Christ must suffer and enter into His glory? And when Moses and all the prophets had spoken, they said to him from all the Scriptures that were written about him." (Luke 24:25-27).
Interpreting these words of the Lord, St. Cyril of Alexandria says: "Nothing proceeding from God is without significance, but everything and each of them has its definite place and application. The servants of the Lord were sent to the right place beforehand to prepare the coming of the Lord, introducing prophecy as a necessary preparation for faith in Christ."
In other words, my dear ones, the gift of prophecy that God gives is the gift of revealing God's hidden designs, as the prophet Amos says: "For the Lord God will not do a work unless He reveals His chastisement to His servants by a prophet."(Am. 3:7).
Like the other Paul who ascended to the third heaven (cf. 2 Cor. 12:2), the prophet Elisha reached spiritual heights and received God's hidden knowledge of God. As his songster writes: "Clearly informed by the divinely inspired oracle, the marvelous Elijah anointed you into a prophet, glorious Elisha. In you the generous grace of the Holy Spirit has found rest and indwelt you."
Clearly, the gift of prophecy is a prototype of the apostolic ministry, from which both prophets and apostles derive strength and authentic divine authority. According to the truthful testimony of the author of the Book of Kings, the prophet Elisha took advantage of Elijah's favor, parted the waters of the Jordan River and walked through them, reaching the other side of the river. By this "sign" the other prophets recognized Elisha as a disciple of Elijah and worshipped him to the ground (cf. 4 Kings 2:13-15).
Let us beseech this great and marvelous vessel of the Holy Spirit, the great prophet of God, that he, through the intercessions of our Most Blessed Lady, the Theotokos and the Prisnodeva Maria, pray for us all. And let us say together with the chanter: "With songs, faithful ones, let us honor Elijah and Elisha, the pinnacles of the Prophets, the brightly shining lights of the whole world; and let us cry melodiously to Christ: Merciful Lord, through the prayers of Thy Prophets grant Thy people forgiveness of sins, (peace) and great mercy." Amen, long and peaceful years."
After the Divine Liturgy, Archimandrite Parthenios, who takes good care of the monastery, received the Patriarchal escort and assembly.
At noon, Archimandrite Chrysostom, Abbot of the monastery of Abba Gerasimos, offered a rich meal in honor of His Beatitude in one of the restaurants of the city.
This monastery is located in Jericho, due to the prophet's activity mainly in this very place, where he turned the bitter and deadly spring water into sweet and wholesome.
During this feast, the Church commemorates the prophet Elisha, who came from the village of Abel Meil. He was the son of Shaphat, a farmer by profession and called by God to the prophetic office through the prophet Elijah. The prophet Elijah anointed Elisha as a prophet and cast his favor upon him. Elisha left the twelve pairs of oxen on which he had plowed, and slaughtered them, and used them for a feast for the people, and followed the prophet Elijah, being faithful to him all his life. He performed many miracles, which are narrated chiefly in the books of the "Kings" of the Old Testament. He saw his teacher Elijah ascended to heaven in a chariot of fire, and asked for and received his grace and favor, on which he crossed the Jordan River as on a boat.
In the aforementioned holy monastery, His Divine Beatitude Our Father and Patriarch Theophilus of Jerusalem celebrated the Divine Liturgy with the co-service of Their Eminences Metropolitan Isikhios of Capitolias and Archbishop Aristarchus of Constantine, The Holy Sepulchre Fathers, the first of whom was the Charterer of the Church of Saints Constantine and Helen, Archimandrite Alexis, Archimandrites Silouan and Kiriak and Presbyter Issa Musleh, Archdeacon Mark and Hierodeacon Dosifey. Hierodeacon Simeon sang in Greek with the assistance of Mr. George Varaklas, while the parish choir and the Orthodox assembly sang in Arabic.
Before Holy Communion, His Beatitude preached the divine word as follows:
"And it came to pass, and Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I will do unto you before I am taken from you. And Elisha said, "Let the spirit that is in you be in me. And Elijah said, "You are hardened to ask: if you see me taken from you, it will be so" (4 Sam. 2:9-10).
.
Dear brothers in Christ,
Reverend Christians,
The spirit of the prophet Elijah, that is, the Holy Spirit that was imparted to his disciple Elisha, has gathered us all at this biblical site of Jericho near the Jordan River, where the holy monastery of the prophet Elisha is located, so that we may commemorate his annual memorial.
The holy prophet Elisha stands out among the prophets who prophesied the incarnate presence of our Lord Jesus Christ on earth, because, as a disciple of the great prophet Elijah, he received the double grace of the prophetic spirit and God worked many miracles through him, as his synaxarium writes about, And Elisha went out to the spring of water, and poured salt into it, and said, "This is what the Lord says: 'I have healed these waters; there will be no death or barrenness from them. And the waters were healed until this day, according to the word of Elisha, which he spoke." (4 Sam. 2:20-22).
Moreover, the great Elisha raised dead people; he cleansed Neeman the Syrian from leprosy and made his servant a leper as punishment for his greed and disobedience; he even struck the waters of the Jordan River and divided them, using Elijah's mercy (cf. 4 Samuel 2:14).
The Holy Church of Christ honors the prophets as "righteous" men of God, the Saints of God. The prophets, and certainly the prophet Elisha, are God's chosen vessels, inspired by the luminous power of the Holy Spirit. "The Spirit (is) God: and whosoever boweth down to Him, in spirit and in truth shall he bow down" (Jn. 4:24) says the Lord.
The Holy Prophets are those who prepared and foretold the great mystery of Divine Providence in the person of Christ, as divine Paul preaches, "And great is the mystery of godliness confessed: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, revealed by an angel, preached in the Gentiles, believed in the world, ascended in glory."(1 Tim. 3:16).
In this regard, the words of the Lord to His disciples after His resurrection are noteworthy: "O unthinking and stagnant in heart, that ye believe all things whatsoever ye have said. The prophets, "Is it not this that Christ must suffer and enter into His glory? And when Moses and all the prophets had spoken, they said to him from all the Scriptures that were written about him." (Luke 24:25-27).
Interpreting these words of the Lord, St. Cyril of Alexandria says: "Nothing proceeding from God is without significance, but everything and each of them has its definite place and application. The servants of the Lord were sent to the right place beforehand to prepare the coming of the Lord, introducing prophecy as a necessary preparation for faith in Christ."
In other words, my dear ones, the gift of prophecy that God gives is the gift of revealing God's hidden designs, as the prophet Amos says: "For the Lord God will not do a work unless He reveals His chastisement to His servants by a prophet."(Am. 3:7).
Like the other Paul who ascended to the third heaven (cf. 2 Cor. 12:2), the prophet Elisha reached spiritual heights and received God's hidden knowledge of God. As his songster writes: "Clearly informed by the divinely inspired oracle, the marvelous Elijah anointed you into a prophet, glorious Elisha. In you the generous grace of the Holy Spirit has found rest and indwelt you."
Clearly, the gift of prophecy is a prototype of the apostolic ministry, from which both prophets and apostles derive strength and authentic divine authority. According to the truthful testimony of the author of the Book of Kings, the prophet Elisha took advantage of Elijah's favor, parted the waters of the Jordan River and walked through them, reaching the other side of the river. By this "sign" the other prophets recognized Elisha as a disciple of Elijah and worshipped him to the ground (cf. 4 Kings 2:13-15).
Let us beseech this great and marvelous vessel of the Holy Spirit, the great prophet of God, that he, through the intercessions of our Most Blessed Lady, the Theotokos and the Prisnodeva Maria, pray for us all. And let us say together with the chanter: "With songs, faithful ones, let us honor Elijah and Elisha, the pinnacles of the Prophets, the brightly shining lights of the whole world; and let us cry melodiously to Christ: Merciful Lord, through the prayers of Thy Prophets grant Thy people forgiveness of sins, (peace) and great mercy." Amen, long and peaceful years."
After the Divine Liturgy, Archimandrite Parthenios, who takes good care of the monastery, received the Patriarchal escort and assembly.
At noon, Archimandrite Chrysostom, Abbot of the monastery of Abba Gerasimos, offered a rich meal in honor of His Beatitude in one of the restaurants of the city.
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