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Свети пророк Елисей
По Божие повеление св. пророк Елисей бил призван за пророческо служение от св. пророк Илия. При възнесението на пророк Илия той получил неговия плащ и пророчески дар. Той се трудил повече от шестдесет години при шест израилски царе - от Ахав до Иоас (Йоахаз). То е засвидетелствано в Трета (19 глава) и Четвърта книга Царства (глави 2-9 и 13). Подобно на пророк Самуил, към него се обръщали за помощ и обикновените хора. Притежавал изключителна сила на духа, твърда вяра и прозорливост. На царете говорел безстрашно, изобличавайки нечестието им.
Пророкът извършил множество чудеса: разделил водите на р.Йордан и преминал по сухото й дъно, избавил бедна вдовица от гладна смърт като по чудесен начин напълнил съдовете с олио, възкресил с молитвите си внезапно починало момченце, излекувал от проказа сирийския пълководец Нееман, превърнал солената вода в питейна, по чудесен начил в пустинята набавил вода за войската на израилския и йудейския цар, които воювали с моавитяните. Във видение, описано в IV Цар. 5 гл., пророкът разказал за върховната Божия власт над всички народи. Той участвал в държавните дела (при въздигането на Азаил на сирийския престол, IV Цар. 8 гл., помазването на Ииуй IV Цар. 8 гл. и др.), предсказал победата над врага на израилския цар Иоахаз и със своята прозорливост и мъдри съвети донесъл победи на израилските царе. Въпреки усилията на пророците, идолопоклонството и гнусните езически обичаи подронили духовната база на израилския народ. Заради греха на отстъплението Бог допуснал Израилското царство да бъде унищожено от асирийските войски в 722 г. преди Христа (IV Цар. 17 глава).
Св. пророк Елисей починал в дълбока старост в Самария при Иоас (IV Цар. 2-10 гл.). "И приживе вършеше той чудеса, и след смъртта делата му бяха чудни" (Сир. 48:15). Година след смъртта му мъртвец, захвърлен в пещерата, в която лежали мощите на пророка, възкръснал от досега си с него (IV Цар. 13:21). В Своите поучения Господ Иисус Христос няколко пъти споменавал Илия и Елисей, затова всеки вярващ трябва да се запознае с техния живот и подвизи. Както св. пророк Илия, така и пророк Елисей проповядвали устно и не оставили след себе си писмено слово.
Prophet Elisha
Elisha Hebrew: אֱלִישָׁע, Modern Elisha Tiberian ʼĔlîšāʻ ; "My God is salvation", Greek: Ἐλισσαῖος, Elissaîos or Ἐλισαιέ, Elisaié, Arabic: اليسع Al-yasaʻ) is a prophet and a wonder-worker mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, the Quran, the Ginza Rba and Bahá'í writings. His name is commonly transliterated into English as Elisha via Hebrew, Eliseus via Greek and Latin, or Alyasa via Arabic, Elyesa via Turkish. He was a disciple and after Elijah was taken up into the whirlwind, Elisha was accepted as the leader of the sons of the prophets.
Elisha was a prophet and a wonder-worker of the Northern Kingdom of Israel who was active during the reign of Joram, Jehu, Jehoahaz, and Jehoash (Joash).[3] Elisha was the son of Shaphat, a wealthy land-owner of Abel-meholah; he became the attendant and disciple of Elijah.
His name first occurs in the command given to Elijah to anoint him as his successor. After learning in the cave on Mount Horeb, that Elisha, the son of Shaphat, had been selected by Yahweh as his successor in the prophetic office, Elijah set out to find him. On his way from Sinai to Damascus, Elijah found Elisha "one of them that were ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen". Elisha delayed only long enough to kill the yoke of oxen, whose flesh he boiled with the wood of his plough. He went over to him, threw his mantle over Elisha's shoulders, and at once adopted him as a son, investing him with the prophetic office. Elisha accepted this call about four years before the death of Israel's King Ahab. For the next seven or eight years Elisha became Elijah's close attendant until Elijah was taken up into heaven. During all these years we hear nothing of Elisha except in connection with the closing scenes of Elijah's life.
After he had shared this farewell repast with his father, mother, and friends, the newly chosen prophet "went after Elijah, and ministered unto him."[5] He went with his master from Gilgal to Bethel, to Jericho, and thence to the eastern side of the Jordan, the waters of which, touched by the mantle, divided, so as to permit both to pass over on dry ground. Elisha then was separated from Elijah by a fiery chariot, and Elijah was taken up by a whirlwind into Heaven.
Before Elijah was taken up into the whirlwind, Elisha asked to "inherit a double-portion" of Elijah's spirit. Some scholars see this as indicative of the property inheritance customs of the time, where the oldest son received twice as much of the father's inheritance as each of the younger sons. In this interpretation Elisha is asking that he may be seen as the "rightful heir" and successor to Elijah. Critics of this view point out that Elisha was already appointed as Elijah's successor earlier in the narrative and that Elisha is described as performing twice as many miracles as Elijah. In this interpretation the "double-portion" isn't merely an allusion to primacy in succession, but is instead a request for greater prophetic power even than Elijah.
By means of the mantle let fall from Elijah, Elisha miraculously recrossed the Jordan, and Elisha returned to Jericho, where he won the gratitude of the people by purifying the unwholesome waters of their spring and making them drinkable.
Before he settled in Samaria, Elisha passed some time on Mount Carmel.[9] When the armies of Judah, Israel and Edom, then allied against Mesha, the Moabite king, were being tortured by drought in the Idumean desert, Elisha consented to intervene. His double prediction regarding relief from drought and victory over the Moabites was fulfilled on the following morning.[4] When a group of boys (or youths[10]) from Bethel taunted the prophet for his baldness, Elisha cursed them in the name of Yahweh and two female bears came out of the forest and tore forty-two of the boys.
He became noted in Israel, and for six decades (892–832 B.C.) held the office of "prophet in Israel". He is termed a patriot, as he was involved in helping soldiers and kings.
Свети Методий, патриарх Цариградски
Свети Методий бил родом от гр. Сиракуза (Сицилия). След като завършил светско училище, той приел монашество и започнал да се подвизава в манастир. Цариградският патриарх Никифор го взел на служба при себе си. Във време на иконоборческите царе той се прочул навсякъде като отличен бранител на иконопочитанието. Император Теофил (829 - 842) го пратил на заточение на един остров, където бил хвърлен в тъмница, заедно с двама обикновени разбойници. Там той прекарал седем години във влага, без светлина и без достатъчно храна. Във време на благочестивата царица Теодора и нейния син Михаил, св. Методий бил освободени и избран за патриарх. В първата неделя от Великия пост - Неделя на Православието (19 февруари 842 година) - патриарх Методий тържествено внесъл иконите в църква и написал канон в тяхна чест. Тоя велик изповедник на вярата се поминал в 846 година.
Saint Methodius the Confessor, Patriarch of Constantinople
Patriarch of Constantinople, modem Istanbul. He was born in Syracuse, Sicily, and builta monastery on the island of Chios. After some time in Constantinople, he was sent to Rome in 815 as the representative of Patriarch Nicephorus, who was exiled by Emperor Leo V the Armenian for refusing to yield to the imperial decrees on the destruction of icons. Methodius returned in 821 and was himself scourged and imprisoned for seven years. Finally, in 842, Empress Theodora arranged for his elevation as patriarch of Constantinople. In this office, he convened a council and promoted orthodoxy and the veneration of icons after the long years of iconoclasticism. Methodius was a prolific writer, being the author of a life of St. Theopanes.