An exquisite saint

Today’s saint - the Italian Franciscan Friar St Joseph of Cupertino (1603-1663), makes me think of our celebrated French Carmelite and his near contemporary Brother Laurence of the Resurrection (1614-1691).  Both were simple uneducated men, and Joseph spent his first years with the Franciscans working in the stables.  At the same time both men impressed their peers with their holiness, and Joseph was eventually ordained to the priesthood.  On the other hand Joseph resembles St Mary of Jesus Crucified OCD (Mariam Baouardy) with his ecstatic visions which caused him problems with others.  Like our St Teresa he was also known to levitate.  I have just discovered, in reading about Joseph, that levitation was reputed to be connected to witchcraft.  I should have known that, because of the stories of witches and broomsticks, but somehow it had escaped my attention.  Some of the saints were given strange gifts that were also afflictions because of the problems they caused.

Intercessions:

Chris, making slow progress while still in Intensive Care

Baby S, that she may recover from a complex heart operation