Let all the court of heaven above and all the creatures here on earth give glory to almighty God and at Elisha’s fame rejoice.

‘Twas he the great Elijah chose, endowed with wisdom’s gift by God, & called him from his daily tasks< to lead the band of Carmelites.

While living still upon this earth, he yet had power over hell; a soul he summoned from the grave & to its earthly form restored.

He cured the wounds of leprosy of Naaman the Syrian; and when he offered rich rewards, would not exchange his gift for gold.

His heart beheld with deep concern the widow woman’s poverty; he caused the oil to multiply, & freed her from the weight of debt.

After his body was consumed & to the tomb in peace consigned, its very touch at once revived others, themselves deprived of life.

Unto the one & triune Lord be praise forever & acclaim; may he accept Elisha’s prayers & lead us to our home above.

Amen.

When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, he & Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. “Stay here, please,” Elijah said to Elisha. “The Lord has sent me on to Bethel.”

“As the Lord lives, & as you yourself live,” Elisha replied, “I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel, where the guild prophets went out to Elisha & asked him, “Do you know that the Lord will take your master from over you today?”

“Yes, I know it,” he replied. “Keep still.”

Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, please, Elisha, for the Lord has sent me on to Jericho.”

“As the Lord lives, & as you yourself live,” Elisha replied, “I will not leave you.” They went on to Jericho, where the guild prophets approached Elisha & asked him, “Do you know that the Lord will take your master from over you today?”

“Yes, I know it,” he replied. Keep still.”

Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here; the Lord has sent me on to the Jordan.”

“As the Lord lives, & as you yourself live,” Elisha replied, “I will not leave you.” And so the two went on together. Fifty of the guild prophets followed, & when the two stopped at the Jordan, stood facing them at a distance. Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up & struck the water, which divided & both crossed over on dry ground.

When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask for whatever I may do for you before I am taken from you.” Elisha answered, “May I receive a double portion of your spirit.”

“You have asked something that is not easy,” he replied. “Still, if you see me taken up from you, your wish will be granted; otherwise not.” As they walked on conversing, a flaming chariot & flaming horses came between them, & Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. When Elisha saw it happen he cried out, “My father! my father! Israel’s chariots & drivers!” But when he could no longer see him, Elisha gripped his own garment & tore it in two.

Then he picked up Elijah’s mantle which had fallen from him, & went back & stood at the bank of the Jordan. Wielding the mantle which had fallen from Elijah, he struck the water in his turn & said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” When Elisha struck the water it divided & he crossed over.

The guild prophets in Jericho, who were on the other side, saw him & said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They went to meet him, bowing to the ground before him.

What shall we say about the merits of Elisha? The first thing we praise him for is that he wanted to surpass his father [Elijah] in grace, for he asked for more than Elijah was able to bestow. Although he was greedy in his request, he was nonetheless worthy to have it granted. For while he demanded more from his father than Elijah had to give, through his own merits he enabled him to bestow more than he possessed.

Following his master’s ascent, when Elisha arrived in Jericho, he was invited by the townspeople to remain with them; they said: this is an excellent site for the town, except that the water is bad & causes sterility. He then asked for a clay jar, filled it with salt, & went to the place where the water was coming up out of the ground; he threw it into the water saying: “Thus says the Lord: ‘I have purified these waters; never again shall death or sterility come from them.’ “ & those waters remain pure even to this day.

So we see how remarkable Elisha’s merits are: in response to the citizens’ hospitality his very first gift to them was great fruitfulness.

For by healing the water, he provided for their posterity. What he did was not for the benefit of any one person, or any one family: it was for all the people of the entire city. Had he delayed, they would all have been sterile & grown old without descendants, & the city would have been left deserted. Thus, by healing the waters Elisha healed the people; & by blessing the spring, he provided them as it were with a fountain of life. For just as through his blessing good water came forth from the unseen veins in the earth, so too from the seclusion of their wombs mothers gave birth to healthy children.

For Elisha did not bless only the water that was already flowing into the spring’s basin, but rather all the water without distinction which was yet to flow little by little form the earth’s hidden moisture even until now. As Scripture has it, Elisha blessed the place where the water was coming up out of the earth, to indicate that it was the flowing water rather than the basin of the spring that he had sanctified.

Thus, as the Apostle Paul says, all these things happened as signs; let us try to discover, therefor the truth contained in this sign. The church is the sterile city which, before the coming Christ, suffered from sterility due to the pollution of the waters – that is, to the idolatry of the gentiles - & was unable to bring forth children for God. But when Christ came & took on the fragile clay of the human body, he healed the pollution of the waters; that is, he banished the idolatries of the gentiles, & immediately the church, which had been sterile, began to be fertile.

Thus the Apostle also says: Rejoice, you barren one who bear no children; break into song, you stranger to the pains of childbirth! For many are the children of the wife deserted – far more than of her who has a husband! For Christ brought to birth more children from the church which had been sterile than he had from the synagogue which had been fertile.

Grant to us, your sons, Elisha songs that ring with fervor due, praise upon our lips bestowing, of your wondrous deeds & true. By almighty God anointed, master of the prophets’ school, at a garment’s touch converted, with Elijah you were one. 

Gladly this joyful day of June with fervent prayer we celebrate, & Carmel’s height resounds with song, to honor great Elisha’s name. Holy Elijah, known of old, at God’s command anointed you with holy chrism he granted you his double spirit, prayer & deed.

Soaring aloft in car of flame, your father leaves his cloak behind; parting the wavers, with dry-shod feet you treat the waves & gain the shore, Taught by the Lord, you prayed & lo! the Shunammite conceived a child; after it died, you summoned it, O greatest prophet, back to earth.

Praise be to God, the source of all, and to his Son & Spirit too; one act of homage we employ our triune God to glorify.

Ant 1

Elisha answered: The Lord lives, whom I serve.

Psalm 14(15)

Lord, who shall be admitted to your tent

and dwell on your holy mountain?

He who walks without fault,

he who acts with justice & speaks the truth from his heart;

he who does not slander with his tongue.

He who does no wrong to his brother,

who casts no slur on his neighbor,

who holds the godless in disdain,

and honors those who fear the Lord;

He who keeps his pledge, come what may;

who takes no interest on a loan

and accepts no bribes against the innocent.

Such a man will stand firm forever.

Ant 

Elisha answered: The Lord lives, whom I serve.

Ant. 2

Elisha went with the sons of the prophets to build a place to live.

Psalm 112

Happy the man who fears the Lord,

who takes delight in all his commands.

His sons will be powerful on earth;

the children of the upright are blessed.

Riches & wealth are in his house;

his justice stands firm for ever.

He is light in darkness for the upright:

he is generous, merciful & just.

The good man takes pity & lends,

he conducts his affairs with honor.

The just man will never waver:

he will be remembered for ever.

He has no fear of evil news;

with a firm heart he trusts in the Lord.

With a steadfast heart he will not fear:

he will see the downfall of his foes.

Open-handed, he gives to the poor;

his justice stands firm for ever.

His head will be raised in glory.

The wicked man sees & is angry,

grinds his teeth & fades aways;

the desire of the wicked leads to doom.

Ant

Elisha went with the sons of the prophets to build a place to live.

Ant. 3

The king said, Tell me all the great things that Elisha has done.

Canticle: Rev 15:3-4

Great & wonderful are your deeds,

O Lord God the Almighty!

Just & true are your ways,

O King of the ages!

Who shall not fear & glorify your name, O Lord?

For you alone are holy.

All nations shall come & worship you,

for your judgements have been revealed.

Ant.

The king said, Tell me all the great things that Elisha has done.