What Is The Elijah Cup?

St. William the Abbot parish will shortly commence participation in a prayer ministry termed the “Elijah Cup”.  The Elijah Cup is a consecrated chalice that will be used by the celebrant at Mass.  After purifying the cup, the priest will present it to the scheduled family, individual or couple who will take the cup home and put it in a place of honor.  The purpose of the Elijah Cup is to provide a focal point for prayer in the home.  Each day for a week, as the family gathers (morning, evening or at meals), they pray for an increase and perseverance of vocations.  The following Sunday, they return the Elijah Cup with the gifts of bread and wine at the offertory.

A prayer journal also travels with the Elijah Cup.  In it, those who host the cup can enter a thought, prayer, Scripture verse or experience.  In time, this diary will become a spiritual journal for the Parish.

Sometimes we forget just how powerful praying for an increase in vocations can be.  Praying for vocations is the most powerful way to support vocations.  A vocation is a call from the Holy Spirit, a gift from God that is nurtured in prayer.  When we pray for vocations, we lift up to our Father those men and women who he is calling in a very special way.  We hope that those who bring the cup home will continue to pray for vocations daily.

The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few, so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.  Matthew 9:37-38.

The concept of the Elijah Cup is taken from the biblical story of the Prophet Elijah as he interacts with the widow of Zarephath.  In 1 Kings 17, during a drought, Elijah tells the poor widow of Zarephath that if she makes him a small loaf of bread with the last of her flour and oil, her “jar of flour will not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, until the Lord sends rain upon the earth.”  In faith, the widow baked the bread and fed Elijah.  For the next year, the widow, her son, and Elijah ate bread made from the bowl of flour and jug of oil.

Elijah encourages the widow to trust in God and rely on His promises, and their physical needs were met abundantly.  The Church reminds us that it is the responsibility and privilege of the laity to pray for increased vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life; we do so in confidence and trust.

If we pray with the faith of the widow of Zarephath, our cup will never run dry!  We will always have priests to bring us Jesus in the Eucharist.

Please watch the bulletin for information on signing up to participate in this important prayer ministry.