Levitating Saints

I was always fascinated by the Italian Conventual Friar St Joseph of Cupertino (1603-1663, feast day today).  He had something in common with our St Teresa – the experience of levitation.  ‘He was  accused by his fellow Franciscans of deception and fraud and they forbade him to say Mass in public or take any part in public ceremonies. But people came to consult him and, although wonders seemed to surround him, he felt God had deserted him. …  Even on his deathbed, when he heard the bell announcing that they were bringing him communion for the last time – for the last time he levitated; he rose off the bed and floated out into the hall to meet the Blessed Sacrament.  After his death on 18th September 1663, there was an immediate popular upsurge of veneration for him. When the cause for his canonisation was presented almost a century later, the “devil’s advocate”, Prospero Lambertini, who was known to be most sceptical of supernatural events, declared that eye-witnesses reporting incidents about Joseph were trustworthy and that he was worthy of sainthood because of his extraordinary humility, gentleness and patience.’ [adapted from catholicireland.net]  That last sentence is powerful – his canonisation had nothing to do with miraculous phenomena and everything to do with humility, gentleness, and patience.  Teresa would have applauded these admirable qualities.

Intercessions

RIP Chinaka, Jacqui

Cancer: Brian Davis, Bernard (and wife Angela caring for him), Catherine, Alex (43 with five children), Theresa K, Elena

Sophie – newborn having heart surgery; Sianna, young child in the post-operative phase; James, recovering from surgery

Ivy – sick child

Brian (recovering from Pneumonia)

Kevin (heart attack)

William Gove (in recovery)

Illness:  Katy Keeling, Noreen

Siena, Elara – sick children

David OCDS – housebound

Grace – troubling ailments, job difficulties, family (deceased mother and health of father)

Mark – brain infection

Michael, Kira – vulnerable youngsters

Defence of the unborn and the elderly