The Church commemorates the Holy and glorious Prophet Elijah the Thesbite. The Church also commemorates Prophet Elijah’s ascended up to heaven with a fiery chariot, since, as it is known, the Prophet Elias did not pass away, but he ascended up to heaven.
The Orthodox Christians solemnly celebrate the memory of Prophet Elijah.
This is evidenced by many chapels, which we usually encounter in mountain peaks, to remind us of the roughness of life and the constant pursuits that the Prophet endured, and of course the scene of his ascension to heaven with a fiery chariot.
Prophet Elias has not written a specific book, which is part of the 49 Old Testament Books.
However, information about his life and activity can be found in the Book of Kings of the Old Testament, while St. John Chrysostom and other Holy Fathers and Teachers of the Church have written encomia to honour the Prophet.
He came from Tishbe and lived during the reign of the godless king Ahab (869-850 BC), whom, like his idolatrous spouse Jezebel, he publicly and roughly reprimanded.
Thanks to his great faith and zeal, the Lord deemed Prophet Elijah to perform great miracles, even to raise the dead child of a widow. With his warm prayers, God threw fire, while in another case, He sparked a cataclysm, after three and a half years of drought.
For all this, he is rightly named by the hymnographer as an incarnate angel and a prophet of the prophets, and also foreseer of the great works of God, since, according to the holy Gospel, he and Moses are the two persons of the Old Testament who appeared during the Transfiguration of Jesus on Mount Tabor.
Today, we also commemorate the tumultuous day of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, and all those who sacrificed themselves 47 years ago for the sake of the freedom of the Cypriot people in July 1974.
Source: Church of Cyprus
