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In Elijah we see the solitary prophet who nurtured his thirst for the one and only God, and lived in his presence . He
is the contemplative, burning with passionate love for the Absolute who is God, "his word flaring like a torch.” He is the mystic who, after a long and wearisome journey, learned to read the new signs of God's
presence. He is the prophet who became involved in the lives of the people, and who, by battling against false idols, brought them back to faithfulness to their Covenant with the One God. He is the prophet who was in solidarity
with the poor and the forgotten, and who defended those who endured violence and injustice.
From Elijah, Carmelites learn to be people of the desert, with heart undivided, standing before God and entirely
dedicated to his service, uncompromising in the choice to serve God's cause, aflame with a passionate love for God. Like Elijah, they believe in God and allow themselves to be led by the Spirit and by the Word that has
taken root in their hearts, in order to bear witness to the divine presence in the world, allowing God to be truly God in their lives. Finally, in Elijah they see, one who belonged to a school of prophets and knew what it was
to live in community; and with Elijah they learn to be channels of God's tender love for the poor and the humble.
From the Carmelite Consitutions, 1995.
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