Commentaria in III Regum
There exists in the Bibliotheca Patrum, tome 4 of the third Cologne edition, page 725, a book of John, 44th Bishop of Jerusalem, to Caprasius, on the institution of the monk, in which the institute of the Carmelites is shown in everything to be derived from Elias; this book some recent writers maintain to be ancient, and make its author John, Bishop of Jerusalem, who lived in the time of St. Jerome and was noted by him as an Origenist; but the Cologne Doctors refute this in many ways in the preface of the book; and Baronius, tome 5, year of Christ 444, and Bellarmine, On Ecclesiastical Writers, page 95, who judge that the style is that of a Latin man, and of later times.
Finally Solomon mentions this mountain in Canticles 7:5, saying: “Thy head is like Carmel.” See what was said there. Moreover the name Carmel aptly represents the state of Religion, both because it abounds in pious institutes and merits, as Carmel in crops and fruits; and because Carmel in Hebrew is the same as knowledge of circumcision, namely of mortification of the passions, desires and earthly affections, which is taught in Religion as in its own school for this.
Wherefore St. Jerome rightly calls all those we have mentioned “monks” of the Old Testament, and in another place, counting himself among the monks, says: “Our prince Elias, our Eliseus, our leaders the sons of the prophets;” which Isidore says in almost the same words, book 2, chapter 15, who in the book On Ecclesiastical Offices calls both this one and the other prophets “princes of monks.” Cassian also plainly agrees, book 1, chapter 2, who says that the beginnings of the monastic profession were founded by them. For Elias, without wife, without children, without family, always led a chaste and celibate life: and moreover in such poverty that he is described as clothed with a leather girdle instead of garments; and he received his food now from a widow, now from a raven, as if begged.
Hence also St. Chrysostom says, homily 2 to the People: “What, tell me, is poorer than Elias? but therefore he surpassed all the rich, because he was poor; and he chose poverty itself out of richness of mind, etc., the king needed the poor man, and gaped at the words of one who had nothing more than a meditation.”
Adrichomius adds in Carmel: On this mountain there is a cave and a fountain, where Elias and Eliseus and the sons of the prophets dwelt: afterwards the Carmelite Brothers dwelt (and still dwell) there; whence they have their origin and name.
43. LOOK TOWARDS THE SEA—the Mediterranean: for from it in the holy land clouds and rains are wont to rise from the vapours of the sea. Elias knew by God’s revelation that rain would soon come; but, to console the king and the people who were awaiting it most eagerly, and to cherish them in hope of rain, and that it might appear that this rain was given by God through the prayers of Elias as a singular gift, he therefore sends his servant seven times, to look out over the sea for the sign of rain, namely a cloud, and when it appeared to report it to him and the people.
44. BEHOLD A LITTLE CLOUD AROSE OUT OF THE SEA LIKE A MAN’S FOOT (of the foot).
The Hebrew has, a little cloud like the palm of a man; Vatablus, to the size of the palm of a man; the Chaldee, a little cloud like the palm of a man’s hand arose from the West, that is from the Mediterranean sea; for this is to the West of Judea. Note: the palm (vola) is said both of the feet and of the hands: for the Hebrew caph, that is vola, is properly the curve or hollow both of feet and hands, nay even of spoons and other curved things; the Chaldee here takes the palm of the hand: but our Vulgate “the palm of the feet.” Whence it translates, “the footstep of a man;” and this is more fitting: for God seemed here in the cloud as it were to descend on foot to give rain to Israel and make the earth fruitful.
Elias a type of Christ. Allegorically St. Augustine, sermon 201 On the Time: “Elias,” he says, “had the figure of the Lord Saviour.
Elias prayed and offered sacrifice, and Christ gave Himself for the whole world as an immaculate sacrifice. Elias prayed on Mount Carmel and Christ on the Mount of Olives. Elias prayed that the rain of divine grace might descend upon the earth. And that Elias said to his servant: Go, and look seven times, signified the sevenfold grace of the Holy Spirit which was to be given to the Church. And because he said he had seen a very little cloud rising from the sea, he prefigured the flesh of Christ, which was to be born in the sea of this world.” He proves this from the Gospel, when he adds: “Wherefore, lest perchance anyone should doubt, he said that cloud had the footstep of a man, of that man certainly who said: Whom do men say that the Son of man is? As therefore, Elias praying, after three years and six months rain came down from heaven, so also at the coming of the Saviour, in the three years and six months in which He deigned to preach, the rain of the word of God happily watered the whole world. And as then at the coming of Elias all the priests of the idols were slain and destroyed, so at the coming of the true Elias, that is our Lord Jesus Christ, the sacrilegious observance of the Pagans was destroyed.” Bede, Angelomus and Eucherius have transcribed the same from St. Augustine.
Like and as it were parallel to Elias was the deed of Bishop Anianus. For when Attila king of the Huns besieged Orleans on the Loire, Anianus exhorted the citizens to hope in God and implore His help, and when they had done so, prostrate on the ground, he turned to them and said: “Look from the walls whether help is coming.” For he thought that Aetius was approaching. But looking, they saw no one. But he said: “Pray again with faith: for the Lord will deliver you today.” And when they had done so: “Look again,” he said. But no one appearing, he said to them: “If you pray with faith, the Lord will without doubt be with us.” They indeed with great weeping began to call upon the mercy of God. Then at the command of the holy Bishop looking out again, they saw a mist as it were rising from the ground; and when they reported it, he said: “This is the help of the Lord.” As the Huns therefore were assaulting that town, so great a quantity of water fell from heaven that they were forced to return to their camp. The next day, the walls trembling and giving way under the constant blows of the rams, behold Aetius, general of Valentinian III, and Theodoric king of the Goths, and Thorismund his son, each with his army, came forth, and having joined battle drove Attila from the city. Gregory of Tours relates these things thus, book 2, chapter 7.
46. AND THE HAND OF THE LORD WAS UPON ELIAS, AND HE GIRDED UP HIS LOINS AND RAN BEFORE ACHAB.—“Hand,” that is strength, power, alacrity, agility for running, as if to say: God gave strength, powers and alacrity to Elias, that although he was fasting, weary and weak from the long contest with the Baalites, and from the long prayer, sacrifice and obtaining of rain, yet he ran, nay ran ahead of the chariot of Achab, who drove on with whipped-up horses to escape the rain. Elias therefore “ran,” that Achab and the Israelites might recognise that the rain was given by God through the prayers of Elias: also to render an honorary service to his king Achab, by attending him, going before him and running before him.