Lead me on the path to the caves where contemplation thrives on the breath of the Spirit and illumination is fed by the fire of the Transfiguration! St. Elijah, my dear and venerable spiritual forefather, intercede for me and teach me the ways of a life spent in prayer, repentance, and teaching. As unworthy as I am, I also beg you to guide me along the path of constant sacrifice for all those who seek spiritual guidance!
Saint Elijah Speleota (863-960) or Elia of Calabria, was a Basilian monastic, hermit, and well-known spiritual adviser. This "speleota" (or cave-dweller) is remembered in the Roman Martyrology as having lived in the Monastery of Aulinas in Calabria and was known as a distinguished scholar of the eremitic and cenobitic life.
Elijah was born to wealthy and politically connected parents (Peitro Bozzetta and Leonzia de Leontini) but left at 18 to avoid an arranged marriage and go on a pilgrimage. Once in Rome, he became of monastic at the Basilian Monastery of Grottaferrata. After traveling back to Calabria, he and a fellow monk named Arsenio, moved to Patras, Greece to study.
Eventually Elijah returned to Italy where he lived in a cave near Melicuccà with the Monks Cosma and Vitale. Elijah became widely known for his wisdom and holiness, which is why pilgrims regularly visited his cave for spiritual direction.
The feast day of St. Elijah Speleota is September 11.
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