Saint of the Day: St. Joseph of Cupertino,"The Flying Saint"
If you have watched the videotape or DVD "The Reluctant Saint", you know just how endearing this sweet Franciscan saint, St. Joseph of Cupertino (1603-1663), was and what strong humility he had. First of all, he wasn't really wanted by his parents, then he was later rejected by religious communities. When he was seventeen he decided he wanted to become a monk or friar. However, the Franciscans wouldn't take him because, they said, he was too stupid. The Capuchins threw him out after eight months because he broke everything. Eventually a Franciscan convent near Cupertino and accepted him as an Oblate. He continued to pray and fast and perform all his tasks to perfection and and was eventually accepted as an equal by the community. He became a cleric at the age of 22. He was initially rejected for the priesthood due to his limited learning skills. He had to be tutored and drilled over and over by one of his peers (who found him unteachable) in his priestly studies in a...