St Joseph Cupertino (September 18th)
Patron Saint: Students, Test Takers, Aviation
Era: 17th Century
St. Joseph Cupertino was a simple man who lived an extraordinary life. The hallmark of his life was his perseverance in all things. He was determined to enter a religious order, and after being turned down by several, his persistence lead him to the doors of the Franciscan Conventuals (OFM Conv.) . He would eventually be ordained a priest, but not after struggling many days with his studies. And because he wasn't the brightest in the bunch, his fellow friars assigned him to the most menial of tasks, all of which he graciously accepted.
Among the things that made him extraordinary was his prayer life. In the Church, we would certainly classify him as a mystic. Stories state that he would be in prayer for hours and he would think that it was only mere minutes. He was known to enter into these mystical trances that actually led him to levitate, which was a gift given to some of the greatest of mystics like St. Teresa of Avila.
Listen to my homily on St. Joseph of Cupertino below:
