They get all the cool stuff!

I pretty much love most things Catholic. Wherever we end up on vacation usually includes a visit to area historic churches and it seems the Catholics usually have everyone beat on architecture, vestments, art, cool old music with huge pipe organs, and art. They also have rosaries and can drink wine during church. I mean honestly, what could be better than that?

Years ago, on our first visit to the Cathedral Basilica of St Augustine, I stocked up on stuff from the gift shop. I really don't mean for this to sound as though I don't appreciate and honor the doctrine of Catholicism, but while I'm on vacation, a visit to gift shops of any place I visit is a must. I found rosaries to add to my then growing collection and a very cool book on saints. Which brings me to the crux of this post.

St Joseph of Cupertino: The Dunce 1603-1663

The guy clearly had humble beginnings. I'm not just talking of materially, but of familial love, brains, and abilities. In spite of all this he made his way from being "the keeper of the mule" at the monastery to being ordained at the age of 25. The ordination to priesthood wasn't saying Joseph had miraculously become a man of intellect and in fact he found the only thing he was good at was what he'd done before - taking care of the mule.

In spite of his priestly office, Joseph could only live the life he had lived before. He would slip down to the kitchen and wash up the dishes; he would sweep the corridors and dormitories; he would look out for the dirtiest work that others shirked, and would do it; when building was going on in the convent he would carry up the stones and mortar; if anyone protested, declaring that such work did not become a priest, he would only reply:

"What else can Brother Ass do?"

So here's where the cool stuff starts. He had visions where he would become statue-like and "The brethren would use pins and burning embers to recall him to his senses, but nothing could he feel." That's when the levitation started. I swear, I'm not making this up.

Joseph would rise from the ground, and move about in the air. In the church especially this would come upon him; he would fly towards the altar or over it, or to a shrine on a special festival. In the refectory, during a meal, he would suddenly rise from the ground with a dish of food in his hands, much to the alarm of the brethren at table. When he was out in the country begging, suddenly he would fly into a tree. Once when some workmen were laboring to plant a huge stone cross in its socket, Joseph rose above them, took up the cross and placed it in the socket for them. A little thing would suffice to bring about these levitation's; a word of praise of the Creator and His creature, of the beauty of the sky or of the trees on the roadside, and away Joseph would go.

There is also a story of Joseph sending a sparrow to sing in a convent, but a kindly nun (aren't they all?) took care of that business with a push of her hand at the bird.

There's his sermon to the sheep - not the Christian people sheep, but animal sheep. The liturgy is said to have gone as such:

"Kyrie eleison."
"Baa," answered the sheep.
"Christe eleison."
"Baa."
"Sancta Maria."
"Baa."

I'm certain there's much more to be learned about St Joseph, but the article is long and this post is already way past the normal length for me. Read the rest here.

This post is what peaked my curiosity about Joseph.