You're listening to a podcast on Catholic Saints.

This podcast is produced by the Augustine Institute, an Apostolate helping Catholics understand, live, and share their faith.

Welcome to Catholic Saints. My name is Mary, and I'm joined with Dr. James Perthro here at the

Augustine Institute, and we're excited to talk about St. Elijah on this episode of Catholic Saints.

So St. Elijah, Dr. Perthro, is found where in scripture?

Yeah, so Elijah is mentioned a few times in the New Testament.

He's an important figure later, but his story especially is in the Old Testament in the book of first kings, starting in chapter 17.

And then that's really where it starts, and then it ends the end of his ministry and life are at the beginning of the book of Second Kings.

Okay. Is it okay to call an Old Testament character a saint?

Sort of, yes. And sort of note. So with Elijah, it's a little bit different. Like, if we think of the word saint, just meaning like confirmed holy person,

then there's a lot of people in both Testaments we could refer to as saints.

And at different points in history, people have called them that or have not called them that.

With Elijah, we think about like a normal kind of saint in the church, like a Christian who lives their life and then dies, and then we know with confirmation that they're in heaven and are safe to venerate and ask their intercession.

Elijah kind of fits the bill because the way that his life ends is that he's actually assumed into heaven on a fiery chariot.

Perfect.

Yeah, exactly.

So we know that's where he headed.

And then in the New Testament, right, when Jesus is on the Mount of Transfiguration, it's Moses

and Elijah who come down to chat with him. And so he's not in the ground, right? He's, he's

somehow up, right, to be able to come and talk with Jesus and be kind of part of the big plan of

salvation still in some way. So Elijah is, you know, if there's, if there's, if there's any

Old Testament person that you're like,

...