We have read many lives of saints in books, internet or in their life story in a movie or television series. There are saints that are smart, academic and known for their writings, and there are some saints that are calm and easily loved by the people. But some saints don’t have these qualities, just like the priest from Cupertino, Italy. His name Saint Joseph of Cupertino, mostly known as the Flying Saint.
Saint Joseph was born in June 17, 1603 in Cupertino that previously under the Kingdom of Naples. Saint Joseph is a son of a carpenter who is a good man and will do everything for his friends, until his kindness abused that ended in serious debt. His father left to escape his debts on the day where his mother will give birth to him. His mother went to the stable where Saint Joseph was born.
Unlike the other saints who are intelligent and easy to understand things, Saint Joseph is different, he is a slow learner and often not in himself. He was always seen walking with his mouth open and absentminded. He easily got angry and other people thought that he will never do good. Even his own mother doesn’t treat him good. That’s why some people called him the “The misfit Saint”. Who will imagine that this kind of personality will become a saint? Because God moves in mysterious ways. What we don’t know that his absentminded is part of the ecstatic vision that God gave him.
Saint Joseph’s education was stopped in five years because of Ulcer. He is a religious person and often go to church, but because of his sickness he can’t got to church and attend the Holy the Mass. He often begged his Mother to carry him to church. But his sickness was miraculous cured by the oil from the lamp near the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary which strengthen his Faith to God.
When he became an adult, Saint Joseph applied many jobs, like selling vegetables and become a shoe maker. But because he is a slow learner and always absent minded, he can’t his job well. Because of his faith to God, he decided to become a priest, he first went to Conventual Franciscan Friars where his uncle is a priest, but because of his lack of education, he was not accepted. He went to Capuchin friars in Martino which he was accepted as lay brother. He was assigned in the kitchen but often broke things. And when he was given a task, he didn’t perform well because of his clumsiness and being forgetful. Because of this, he was forced to go home which his mother is not happy about it. So, Saint Joseph together with his mother went to his uncle in Conventual Franciscan Friars and begged to accept Saint Joseph to be a helper in the monastery. They accepted Saint Joseph who worked in the stable where he also slept with no complaints. He was often called Brother Mule. During his stay in the monastery, he was given a chance to study to become a priest. Though it is not easy for him because of being a slow learner and forgetful. But there’s one Bible Verse that he always remembers, the Luke 11:27. When Saint Joseph attend the examination of becoming a deacon, he prayed before his test. When the Bishop asked him about one bible verse and what is the meaning of the verse, Saint Joseph answered and passed the exam. The Bible verse that was asked by the bishop is the Luke 11:27. When he took the examination of becoming a priest, Saint Joseph is the only person who is not ready. Here, many deacons correctly answered the bishop‘s question, then the bishop thought that the others will also get the definitely get the correct answer, so he passed the other deacons without asking them a question, including Saint Joseph. In 1628, Saint Joseph was ordained. This is the reason why he became the patron Saint of Examinations.
When he became a priest, his ecstacy and vision are growing stronger. Saint Joseph, like the other priest performed miracles like healing the sick. But there’s one miracle that he was widely known, his levitation or flying. This miracle was always happened during the mass or when he is praying. It was also witnessed by the Spanish ambassador which called him “another Saint Francis”. Even the Pope witness his levitation. But because of this miracle, many people have envy and doubts about him and called him that he is copying the Messiah. But Saint Joseph accept this struggle as his cross to bear and begged his superior to have his private mass so the people cannot see his Levitation.
In August 2, 1637, he prayed for guidance. Here, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him that he will no longer levitate during the mass. When he was called to Naples to investigate his miracles, he received an ill welcome from the priest. In the end of the investigation, he was declared innocent. There, he was commanded to celebrate a mass. The mass went well without him levitating which our Lady promised. But after the mass, Saint Joseph offered a prayer to thank God. And here he levitated in a few minutes which many people witness. Why did he levitate again if the Holy Mother promised he will not to? Because the Blessed Virgin Mary only promised that “he will not levitate during the mass”, not before or after the mass.
On July 9, 1657, Saint Joseph went to a Monastery in Osimo, here he had a vision that he will be died here. Then in September 18, 1663, Saint Joseph died.
Let us remember, we are made to become saints because we are for God. Even if we are a slow learner or smart, a sinner or we are not that great like the other people. We must pursue the way to God. And also, let us not judge other if he or she is different than us, because we might not know, that those other are might greater than us like Saint Joseph of Cupertino.
