St Joseph of Cupertino

Saint Joseph of Cupertino: The Saint Who Could Fly!
(adapted for children grades K-2)

Imagine you fly!Maybe you have dreamed about soaring like a bird, floating like a cloud, or flying like a superhero. Today we will learn about a real saint who sometimes did fly!

His name was Saint Joseph of Cupertino, and his amazing gift was not given to him because he was strong, clever, or important. God gave Joseph special gifts because Joseph learned to love Jesus with his whole heart.

Joseph was born in Italy in 1603. He had five brothers and sisters.His father died before he was born. His mother had a difficult time caring for the family after her husband died.

Joseph was a little different from other children. He had trouble learning, and people sometimes thought he was not very smart. He could also have a bad temper. But God saw something very special inside Joseph.Joseph loved Jesus.Even when other people did not understand him, Joseph wanted to pray. He loved spending time with God and learning to be a better person.Joseph reminds us of something very important:God sees what is inside our hearts.

As Joseph grew older, he tried to learn how to make shoes. But he wasn't very good at it, and he lost his job.Then Joseph tried to join a religious community. He was not accepted because he did not have enough education.He joined another religious community as a helper. But Joseph sometimes became so absorbed in prayer that he could not finish his work. Eventually, he had to leave that community. Joseph went home.

Franciscan friars near the town of Grotella gave Joseph a job caring for their mule. Joseph worked hard. Overtime, something wonderful began to happen. Joseph became calmer and more gentle.He became more patient.He became more humble.And he prayed more.The friars noticed that Joseph was changing. They saw that even though Joseph had trouble learning from books, he had a beautiful understanding of God.

Joseph eventually became a priest.Joseph loved Jesus very much. He also had a special love for the Blessed Mother, Mary.He encouraged people to pray to Mary because she always leads us closer to her Son, Jesus.

Sometimes when Joseph was thinking deeply about God, something extraordinary happened.Joseph would rise right off the ground!This is called levitation.Sometimes it happened while Joseph was celebrating Mass. He might suddenly rise above the ground near the altar!

But one day, Joseph's amazing gift was witnessed by many people.

A Spanish ambassador visited Joseph and was amazed by his holiness. He told his wife that Joseph reminded him of Saint Francis of Assisi.His wife wanted to meet Joseph, too.When Joseph entered the church, he saw a beautiful statue of the Immaculate Conception, Mary.Suddenly, Joseph rose into the air and flew about ten feet above the people!He prayed before the statue of Mary and then returned to the doors of the church and went back to his room.

Joseph also loved animals.Every Saturday, Joseph would visit a little chapel to pray a special prayer to Mary. Shepherds and their sheep often came, too.One Saturday, Joseph noticed that the shepherds and sheep were far away.Joseph called out, “Come, let us honor the Mother of God!”And guess what happened?The sheep came running!When Joseph prayed, “Holy Mary,” the sheep answered, “Baaaa!”Joseph blessed the sheep, and they happily returned to their pastures.

Even though Joseph had amazing gifts from God, his life was not always easy.Sometimes he was tempted to do things that were wrong. Sometimes he felt as though God was far away.But Joseph did not give up.He kept praying.He kept trusting.He kept his heart close to Jesus.Joseph understood that becoming holy does not mean we never have difficult days. It means that when difficult days come, we turn back to Jesus.

Saint Joseph teaches us that we should never think we are not good enough for God.Maybe something is difficult for you.Maybe you learn differently from your friends.Maybe you sometimes lose your patience.Maybe you make mistakes.God still loves you.So when something is hard, remember Saint Joseph of Cupertino.

Saint Joseph of Cupertino is the patron saint of students, especially students who are nervous about tests. So, the next time you have a big test, ask Saint Joseph to pray for you!

And always keep trying.Keep praying.Keep your heart close to Jesus.And remember:God can do amazing things with a heart that loves Him!

Prayer

Saint Joseph of Cupertino,
help me to love Jesus with all my heart.
Help me when things are difficult.
Help me to be patient, humble, and kind.
And when I am worried or afraid,
remind me to trust God.
Saint Joseph of Cupertino, pray for me!
Amen.