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Former Prior General Killian Healy, O. Carm., offers some profound reflections on one of the most important figures in Carmelite spirituality, the prophet Elijah. Using the Scriptural texts as a foundation, Fr. Healy incorporates sources of the Carmelite tradition, including the writings of the saints and works of art, to confront contemporary spiritual challenges with a Carmelite perspective.
All three of the world’s great monotheistic religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – venerate the Profet of Fire.
For Jews, Elijah is the forerunner of the Messiah, a messenger between heaven and earth, the rebuilder of God’s chosen people. In the Gospels Elijah appears along with Moses during the transfiguration and bears witness to the Lordship of Jesus. For Muslims, we live because Elijah is alive. For all the paragon of fidelity to God.
In Profet of Fire Father Kilian Healy, former Prior General of the Carmelite Order, presents the perennial challange of Elijah: If the Lord is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him.
Modern man – and woman – prefers to straddle the issues. Like Israel of old we do not want to commit ourselves too deeply: we proclaim the principle of peace and justice but promote indiscriminate consumption; we proclame fundamental equality for all but insist on personal and national privilege; we proclaim the primacy of the spirit but reject discipline.
Elijah still calls on the servants of the Most high to throw down their idols and to return to the worship of the One God: If the Lord is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him. The Baals of consumerism and reckless self-interest may be less recognizable than the old idols, but they are even more insidious in misleading the Paople of God.
Profet of Fire challanges us to stand up and be counted.

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(Fourth printing: 2010)
color ill.