St Elisha – June 14 – Carmelite Saints

Summary: The prophet Elijah appears in Scripture as a man of God who lived always in His presence and fought zealously for the worship of the one God. He defended God’s law in a solemn contest on Mt. Carmel, and afterwards was given on Mt. Horeb an intimate experience of the living God. The hermits, who instituted a form of monastic life in honor of Our Lady on Mt. Carmel in the twelfth century, followed monastic tradition in turning to Elijah as their Father and model. History: “We who live in Carmel and who daily call on our Holy Father Elijah in prayer know that for us he is not a shadowy figure out of the dim past. His spirit is active among us in a vital tradition and determines how we live.” – St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross The prophet Elijah stands as the enduring foundation of Carmelite spirituality as the Father of the Carmelite Order. St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross’s beautiful work, On the History and Spirit of Carmel, shows how the spirit of Elijah has lived on in Carmelite spirituality. Throughout this account, excerpts from her work will highlight how Elijah’s spirit remains at the heart of Carmelite spirituality. Elijah lived around 900 BC and was a Thesbite. His name means “My God is the Lord” in Hebrew. He became a prophet when Israel struggled with its faith, and his life protested the era’s immorality. During Elijah’s time, Israel was divided between the northern and southern kingdoms. Omri, King of Israel, promoted practices contrary to religious law, including establishing local altars and priests, and encouraging the worship of Baal. His son Ahab's marriage to Jezebel, a worshipper of Baal, heightened these tensions as Jezebel actively promoted the worship of Baal in Israel. Against this backdrop, 1 Kings 17 begins as Elijah suddenly appears before King Ahab. Elijah warns Ahab that unless he and the people repent of their evils, God will scourge the land with a drought for their apostasy (1 Kings 17:1). “Our Holy Father Elijah succinctly says what is most important in the first words of his that the Scriptures give us. He says to King Ahab, “As the Lord the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” To stand before the face of the living God, that is our vocation. The holy prophet set us an example.” – St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross The prophet’s sudden appearance suggests divine intervention. God reached out to correct and chastise, but also to heal and strengthen his people. He sent Elijah to remind the king and the Israelites that the Lord is their God. The prophet’s mission is to bring about a conversion of mind and heart. By marrying a foreign queen from a pagan nation, Ahab led the people astray by his example. In Israel's history, the king's spirituality shapes the lives of his people. If the king is faithful, the nation tends to remain faithful; if unfaithful, then the whole nation is likely to break the covenant with the Lord. After this confrontation, God told Elijah to flee to the brook Cherith, where ravens would feed him (1 Kings 17:2-6). When the brook dried up, God sent Elijah to a widow in Zarephath. The widow, with only her last meal left because of the famine, nonetheless received him. He told her, “The Lord, the God of Israel, says: The jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, until the day when the Lord sends rain.” Later, when the widow's son died, Elijah prayed to God to restore her child to life. The Lord heard Elijah's prayer, and life returned to her son’s body (1 Kings 17:7-24). This is the first recorded instance of raising the dead in Scripture. Despite the suffering caused by the drought, Ahab ignored Elijah’s warning and continued to worship Baal with Jezebel. For three years, no rain fell, during which Ahab scoured the land for Elijah but could not find him. Then, after three years, at the Lord’s command, Elijah returned to confront the king. “The prophet, who serves the Lord in complete purity of heart and completely stripped of everything earthly, is also a model of obedience. He stands before God’s face like the angels before the eternal throne, awaiting his sign, always ready to serve. He has no other will than the will of his Lord. When God bids, he goes before the king and fearlessly risks giving him bad news that must arouse his hatred. When God wills it, he leaves the country at the threat of violence; but he also returns at God’s command, though the danger has not disappeared.” – St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross On his return journey, Elijah encountered Obadiah, head of Ahab's household, who had hidden a hundred Jewish prophets from Jezebel's violent purge. Obadiah feared that if he reported Elijah’s presence to Ahab and Elijah disappeared, Ahab would execute him. However, Elijah reassured Obadiah and sent him to summon Ahab. When Ahab arrived, he fiercely accused Elijah of bringing the curse upon the land. Elijah, however, replied that Ahab himself was to blame, having allowed the worship of false gods (1 Kings 18:1-18). During this confrontation, Elijah directed Ahab to summon the people of Israel, the 450 prophets of Baal, and the 400 prophets of Asherah to Mount Carmel for a decisive contest between the God of Israel and Baal. There, Elijah rebuked the people: "How long will you straddle the issue? If the Lord is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him." He then instructed the prophets of Baal to call upon their deity, while he would "call upon the name of the Lord," with the agreement that “The God who answers with fire is God,” to which all the people agreed. First, the priests of Baal attempted to invoke their god. For hours, they chanted, danced, and cut themselves, but to no avail. Elijah then took his turn. He repaired the altar of God with twelve stones to represent the twelve tribes of Israel, dug a trench around it, and then prepared his sacrifice. To further demonstrate God’s power, he ordered that both the sacrifice and the altar be drenched with water from "four large jars" three times, until even the trench was filled. Elijah then prayed to God. As he was praying, “The Lord’s fire came down and devoured the burnt offering, wood, stones, and dust, and lapped up the water in the trench.” This miracle prompted the people to declare, "The Lord is God! The Lord is God!" Elijah ordered them to seize the prophets of Baal. They did so, and Elijah brought them to the River Kishon and slaughtered them. Afterward, Elijah went to the top of Mount Carmel and instructed his servant to look toward the sea for a sign of coming rain. The servant found nothing at first but looked seven times at Elijah’s insistence. On the seventh time, he observed “a cloud as small as a man’s hand rising from the sea.” Soon after, torrential rains fell upon the land, ending the three-year drought (1 Kings 18:19-46). “It was she [the Blessed Virgin] who manifested herself to the Prophet Elijah in the form of a little rain cloud and for whom the sons of the prophets built the first shrine on Mount Carmel. The legend of the Order tells us that the Mother of God would have liked to remain with the hermit brothers on Mount Carmel. We can certainly understand that she felt drawn to the place where she had been venerated through the ages and where the holy prophet had lived in the same spirit that also filled her from the time her earthly sojourn began. Released from everything earthly, to stand in worship in the presence of God, to love him with her whole heart, to beseech his grace for sinful people, and in atonement to substitute herself for these people, as the maidservant of the Lord to await his beckoning, this was her life.” – St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross Following the victory on Mount Carmel, Jezebel, infuriated, threatened to kill Elijah, forcing him to flee for his life. Elijah escaped to Beer-sheba in Judah and then went alone into the desert wilderness. There, he sat under a shrub, prayed for death, and fell asleep. An angel of the Lord gently roused him, instructing him to eat and drink. Elijah found bread and water, ate, and fell back asleep. The angel came a second time, urging him to eat and drink further, telling him he had a long journey ahead. Elijah “stood before God’s face because this was the eternal treasure for whose sake he gave up all earthly goods. He had no house; he lived wherever the Lord directed him from moment to moment: in loneliness beside the brook of Cherith, in the little house of the poor widow of Zarephath of Sidon, or in the caves of Mount Carmel… Elijah is not concerned about his daily bread. He lives trusting in the solicitude of the heavenly Father and is marvelously sustained. A raven brings him his daily food while he is in solitude. The miraculously increased provisions of the pious widow nourish him in Zarephath. Prior to the long trek… an angel with heavenly bread strengthens him. So he is for us an example of the gospel poverty that we have vowed, an authentic prototype of the Savior.” – St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross After recovering in the wilderness and journeying to Mount Horeb, Elijah hid in a cave where God spoke to him through a “light, silent sound.” God commanded him to anoint Hazael as King of Syria, Jehu as King of Israel, and Elisha as his own successor. Setting out to fulfill these tasks, Elijah met Elisha, who was plowing a field. Casting his mantle on Elisha, Elijah made him his faithful disciple and eventual successor (1 Kings 19:1-21). Following these developments, Ahab desired Naboth’s vineyard in Jezreel. He offered a better vineyard or a fair price for the land, but Naboth refused, citing God’s command not to part with the land. While Ahab reluctantly accepted, Jezebel took action by murdering Naboth to obtain the vineyard. In response, God instructed Elijah to confront Ahab with a question and a prophecy: "After murdering, do you also take possession?” and "In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, the dogs shall lick up your blood, too.” Ahab blamed Elijah as his enemy, but Elijah told him that his own actions made him God’s enemy. Elijah prophesied disaster for Ahab, his family, and Jezebel. Ahab's sincere repentance delayed the full punishment, which God postponed for Jezebel and their son, Ahaziah (1 Kings 21:1-29). The next significant episode involving Elijah concerned Ahab’s successor, Ahaziah. After a serious fall, Ahaziah sent messengers to consult the shrine of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron, about his recovery. Elijah intercepted the messengers, sending them back with a message: “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron?” When Ahaziah questioned the messengers about the identity of the man who intercepted them, they stated he wore a hairy garment and a leather belt around his waist, and Ahaziah recognized him as Elijah. In reaction, Ahaziah sent three groups of soldiers to capture Elijah. The first two were destroyed by fire, which Elijah called down from heaven. The captain of the third group begged for mercy for himself and his men. Elijah agreed to go with them to Ahaziah. He delivered his message in person and told Ahaziah he would not recover. As Elijah foretold, Ahaziah died from his injuries (2 Kings 1:2-17). “Anyone who is so unconditionally faithful to God can also be certain of God’s faithfulness. He is permitted to speak “as someone who has power,” may open and close heaven, may command the waters to let him walk through and remain dry, may call down fire from heaven to consume his sacrifice, to execute punishment on God’s enemies, and may breathe new life into a dead person. We see the Savior’s predecessor provided with all the graces that he has promised to his own.” – St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross Later, as Elijah spoke with his successor, Elisha, he miraculously split the Jordan River with his mantle. Once they crossed, Elijah invited Elisha to request a parting gift. Elisha asked to receive a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. Elijah agreed on the condition that Elisha witness his departure. As they walked together, "a fiery chariot and fiery horses came between the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind." As Elijah ascended, his mantle fell to the ground, and Elisha picked it up, thus assuming Elijah’s prophetic role (2 Kings 2:1-14). After Elijah was taken up to heaven, he later appeared alongside Moses at the Transfiguration of Jesus on Mount Tabor. St. John Chrysostom, in a homily on the Transfiguration, explained the significance of the appearances of Elijah and Moses. He stated that since “the Jews repeatedly accused Christ of being a transgressor of the Law, and they held him as a blasphemer, and as one who claimed the glory of the Father,” Jesus brought forth Moses and Elijah to prove he was guilty of neither of those crimes. Since God gave the Law to Moses, “Moses would not have suffered the Law to be trampled underfoot, as the Jews supposed, nor would he, the lawgiver, ever have honored the transgressor of the Law… Elijah, on the other hand, was zealous for the glory of God; wherefore he would not have been in attendance upon one who decided himself equal to the Father, had he not been so, nor would the Prophet have obeyed him who claimed that which he possessed not.” During the Transfiguration, Elijah and Moses conversed with Jesus. Even after his earthly departure, Elijah’s story continues in sacred tradition. According to tradition, Elijah will be one of the two witnesses described in the book of Revelation. It is believed that he would come as the forerunner of Christ, at the end of the world, to announce His last coming. Accordingly, the Antichrist would wage war with him and would slay him. His body will lie in the streets, unburied, for three and a half days. At the end of that time, he would be raised by the Lord and would smite the kingdom of Antichrist with a dire blow. After this, the Lord shall come, and He shall slay the Antichrist and those who adored him, and the Lord will reign with all His Saints forever (Revelation 11:1-14). Elijah is the spiritual father and leader of the Carmelites, as the Carmelite way of life embodies the spirit of Elijah. During his ministry, Elijah went up to Mount Carmel to live and to pray. It was there that he taught and trained his followers, who are considered by some to be the first monks. From that time onward, Mount Carmel has been inhabited by men seeking union with God. For centuries, his story has inspired all who number themselves among the sons of the prophets, that is, every Carmelite. In praying with Elijah, we hope to receive some portion of his spirit in our own service of the Lord God. Elijah's spirit of prayer, penance, contemplation, and zeal for the Lord is to this day the very spirit of the Carmelites. From Elijah, Carmelites learn to listen for the voice of God in the unexpected and in silence. We seek to allow the Word of God to shape our minds and our hearts so that the way we live and the things we do may be prophetic and therefore faithful to the memory of our father Elijah. [The Carmelite rule] “condensed the entire meaning of our life in a short statement: “All are to remain in their own cells…, meditating on the Law of the Lord day and night and watching in prayer...” “To watch in prayer,” this is to say the same thing that Elijah said with the words, “to stand before the face of God.” Prayer is looking up into the face of the Eternal. We can do this only when the spirit is awake in its innermost depths, freed from all earthly occupations and pleasures that benumb it.” – St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross Prayer: Almighty, ever living God, your prophet Elijah, our Father, lived always in your presence and was zealous for the honor due to your name. May we, your servants, always seek your face and bear witness to your love. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Summary: Giuseppina Catanea was born in Naples on February 18, 1894. She entered the Carmelite community of Santa Maria Ponti Rossi and made her solemn profession on August 6, 1933. In 1945, she was elected prioress, an office she held until her death. She endured the painful trials of illness and persecution by abandoning herself to the will of God. All who sought her help were inspired by her deep spirituality, humility, and simplicity, as she inspired hope and faith in God and in the Blessed Virgin Mary. She died in Naples on March 14, 1948. History: Giuseppina Catanea, born in Naples on February 18, 1896, was a member of the noble Marquises Grimaldi family. She was the third child of Francesco Catanea, a railway employee in Benevento, and Concetta dei Marchesi Grimaldi. Baptized four days after her birth, she grew up with a frail build. Despite her physical weakness, "Pinella," as her family called her, enjoyed a typical childhood. Her sister, Maria, became her first playmate; soon, she had many friends in elementary school. The testimony of faith Giuseppina received from her family, especially from her maternal grandmother, Antonietta, and her mother, profoundly shaped her. As a young child, she demonstrated great affection for the poor and most needy, offering them money and care. She also assisted two elderly women who lived alone. Devoted to Mary and the Eucharist, Giuseppina eagerly sought chances to pray the rosary. Even at an early age, she was convinced that Jesus was calling her to Carmel. On May 30, 1904, she received the Sacrament of Confirmation, having celebrated her First Communion a few years earlier. In 1906, Giuseppina attended the Regina Margherita commercial school. Although recurring health issues often kept her from classes, she excelled academically. She also took time to assist classmates struggling with their studies. On September 5, 1908, Antonietta, her other sister, entered the Carmelite monastery of Saints John and Teresa. As Giuseppina accompanied her, she felt drawn to the cloistered life in Carmel. Yet, her great affection for her mother led her to set that idea aside. Soon after, she began to contemplate marriage and starting a family, only to realize she was called to something else. Meanwhile, Antonietta returned home for health reasons. Her spiritual director, the Discalced Carmelite Fr. Romualdo, then chose Antonietta to found a new Carmel in Naples. Beginning August 15, 1910, she started her new life in two small rooms rented from the Bethlehem Sisters in Santa Maria dei Monti, on the Ponti Rossi hill. On October 22, she received the Carmelite habit and the new name of Sr. Maria Teresa. Giuseppina, who went to the service, felt her desire for consecration return, but she still worried about leaving her mother. Her health was also a concern. In 1912, she was diagnosed with angina, a heart condition, which was later followed by spinal tuberculosis. As her illnesses continued, Giuseppina stayed firm in her faith and prayed for strength. Gradually, her condition worsened, confining her to a wheelchair. After finishing her studies, Giuseppina sought employment but found no opportunities. Instead, she tutored girls preparing for remedial exams. In helping them academically, she also guided them back to God. Meanwhile, the Carmelite community continued to grow as it awaited the completion of a new monastery, which was finished on April 2, 1913. After much prayer and discussion with the nuns, Giuseppina realized she must join them. "I can no longer keep Him who calls me waiting," she told her mother, sister, and aunts, who were opposed to it. For the time being, she joined the Third Order of Carmelites and received the scapular. On March 10, 1918, Giuseppina entered the Carmelite Community at St. Maria ai Ponti Rossi. As a young religious, she learned to love Christ through suffering, offering herself as a victim for the good of all priests. She accepted great physical pain as God's will for her. On Christmas Day 1918, Giuseppina, after spending a long time in the chapel, emerged staggering and shivering. On December 28, the community doctor diagnosed her with double pneumonia. The Sacraments of the dying were then brought to her. Her condition worsened, but she tried to endure it, thinking of the imminent foundation of the new Carmel. In June, she was struck by tuberculosis of the spine, which completely paralyzed her. Even in that condition, Giuseppina tried to do God's will, but her fellow nuns constantly hoped for her recovery. During this time, she experienced two visions of Saint Francis Xavier. When she saw before her a saintly figure, a voice revealed: "St. Francis has cured you of your illness." At first, she did not know who the saint was. A week later, Fr. Romualdo brought her a holy card of St. Francis Xavier, along with the "Novena of Grace," a special prayer for his intercession. Giuseppina immediately recognized him from her dream and began the novena. She later learned that the relic of Saint Francis Xavier's arm would pass through Naples. When the relic was brought to the monastery on June 26, 1922, and placed next to Giuseppina, a strange wind, felt by those present, pushed her, who was completely paralyzed, to her feet. Gradually, she sat up in bed, opened her mouth again, and finally stood up, while her fellow nuns cried out that it was a miracle. Although she would have been glad to live in solitude, news of her miraculous recovery spread quickly. Priests, seminarians, and people of every social class began coming to Ponti Rossi to seek counsel and consolation from her. This made her realize she wanted to be a victim of humanity's suffering. Filled with a new sensitivity, she was filled with a new sensitivity, a gift of the Holy Spirit. In 1932, Pope Pius XI officially recognized the house at Ponti Rossi as a convent of the Discalced Carmelites, named "the Carmel of Sts Teresa and Joseph at Ponti Rossi,” placing it under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Naples. Giuseppina received the Carmelite habit and took the name Sr. Maria Giuseppina of Jesus Crucified. On August 6, 1932, she made her Solemn Profession. On the day she took the habit, she said that she wished to offer herself to the Crucified Jesus so that she could be crucified with Him. She suffered silently but joyfully and abandoned herself to the will of God, who favored her with mystical experiences. In 1934, Cardinal Alessio Ascalesi, the Archbishop of Naples, appointed Sr. Maria Giuseppina the Sub-prioress of the Carmel. In obedience and at the advice of her spiritual director, Fr. Romualdo, she wrote her "Autobiography" (1894-1932) and her "Diary" (1925-45). She also left exhortations for the nuns and letters to priests and other faithful. Her spirituality, loving docility, humility, and simplicity shone especially during World War II. Amidst the turmoil, she prayed constantly, driven by a deep trust in God. Those who came to Ponti Rossi found encouragement and hope in her words, enabling them to overcome life's trials. From 1943, Sister Maria Giuseppina endured ear trouble, numbness, pain from multiple sclerosis, and loss of vision, among other health issues. She considered her illnesses to be "a magnificent gift" that allowed her to better conform to the Crucified Christ. Maintaining a cheerful spirit, she offered her body as a sacrifice for souls. By 1944, at the age of 50, she was forced to use a wheelchair. In 1945, she became the Vicar. That same year, on September 29, the Ponti Rossi Carmel held its first General Chapter, electing Sr. Maria Giuseppina as Prioress, a position she held until her death. She accepted the role only out of obedience to the archbishop. Toward her fellow nuns, she expressed a truly maternal attitude, offering encouragement both in her words and by example. Between the end of January and the beginning of February 1948, Mother Maria Giuseppina suffered a physical collapse. The doctors gave her little hope, so much so that she wondered, "What is this disease called?" She immediately found the answer: "It is the infirmity of God's will." Fr. Romualdo then administered the Sacraments of the Dying. Despite these health challenges, Giuseppina remained steadfast in her commitment to her religious life and to serving others. Her spiritual journey and unwavering perseverance inspired those around her. Bl. Maria Giuseppina of Jesus Crucified passed away on March 14, 1948, in Naples, Italy. In recognition of her saintly virtues, Giuseppina was venerated on January 3, 1987, by Pope St. John Paul II, who declared that she had lived a life of heroic virtue. An investigation into a miracle was conducted in Naples from November 5, 2004, to May 9, 2005, in the case of Francesco Natale, born on April 21, 1999, to Rosario Natale and Anna Di Francesco. On June 19 of that year, he was rushed to Santobono Hospital in Naples, where he was diagnosed with a severe form of encephalitis, caused by a virus, which had caused convulsions and shock. As Francesco got worse, his parents, friends, and the Carmelite nuns prayed for Mother Maria Giuseppina's intercession. On June 30, Francesco was moved to the Neonatal Unit and left the hospital on July 5, with no trace of the illness. Pope Benedict XVI approved the healing as a legitimate miracle on December 17, 2007, a move that would allow her beatification. The beatification ceremony took place on June 1, 2008, in the Cathedral of Naples, Italy, at which the Archbishop of Naples, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, presided. Her feast day is celebrated on March 14. Her memorial for the Diocese of Naples and the Discalced Carmelites is celebrated on June 26, the anniversary of the day Bl. Maria Giuseppina was healed of paralysis and began her new life. Prayer: Almighty and eternal God, who willed to conform to Christ crucified the virgin Blessed Maria Giuseppina, as a victim for sinners, grant that we, through her intercession and example, may always embrace our own cross and humbly fulfil your will. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.