St. Elisha the Prophet

St. Elisha the Prophet was a ninth-century B.C. prophet of Israel and the successor of St. Elijah. The Church honors him among the saints of the Old Covenant, a man through whom God worked signs of mercy, judgment, healing, and life. He is patron of prophets and is associated with healing and miracles.

Elisha was called while plowing with twelve yoke of oxen. Elijah cast his mantle over him, and Elisha left his former life to follow the prophet. At Elijah’s departure in the fiery chariot, Elisha asked for a double portion of his spirit. Taking up Elijah’s mantle, he crossed the Jordan and began a prophetic ministry that revealed God’s power in the ordinary needs of His people.

The Books of Kings record many miracles. Elisha purified poisoned water at Jericho, multiplied oil for a widow so her sons would not be enslaved, promised a son to the Shunammite woman, and later raised that child from death. He purified a poisoned stew, multiplied loaves for hungry men, made an iron axe head float, and revealed hidden dangers to the king of Israel.

One of the most famous healings was that of Naaman the Syrian, a military commander afflicted with leprosy. Elisha told him to wash seven times in the Jordan. Naaman first resisted the humble command but obeyed and was cleansed. The miracle showed that God’s mercy could reach beyond Israel and that healing required obedient faith rather than pride.

Even after Elisha’s death, Scripture records a sign connected with his bones. A dead man placed in contact with the prophet’s remains revived. This passage became important in Catholic reflection on relics, because it shows God working through the bodies of His holy ones.

Elisha’s life is a pattern of prophetic holiness: obedience to God’s call, courage before kings, compassion for widows and the sick, and miracles that turned people back to the Lord who gives life.

His connection with relics is especially important for Catholic devotion. The revival of the dead man who touched Elisha’s bones shows that God’s grace can work through the bodies of the holy, not because relics are magic, but because the Lord is glorified in His servants.