ANSWER TO QUIZ
Joseph of Cupertino (1603–1663)
A Franciscan friar and mystic known to levitate when in deep prayer,
this impressive accomplishment led to him being named to be patron of air travelers, aviators, and astronauts.
The Holy Spirit worked many amazing miracles through him,
including being witnessed levitating over seventy times!
He rose from the ground while offering mass or praying.
Often St. Joseph went into ecstasy and would be caught up in talking with God. He fell so deeply in love with God that everything he saw only drew him into a deeper union. He said that all the troubles of this world were nothing but the "play" battles children have with popguns.
St. Joseph became so famous for miracles
that he was finally kept hidden from the public,
but he was happy for the chance to be alone with his beloved Lord.
Jesus never left him alone
and one day came to bring him to Heaven.
Pope Clement XIII canonized him in 1767.
He is the patron saint of air travelers, pilots and learning disabled.
The life of this saint was marked by ecstasies and levitations.
The mere mention of God or a spiritual matter
was enough to take him out of his senses;
at Mass he is said to have frequently
floated in the air in rapture.
Once as Christmas carols were sung,
he soared to the high altar and knelt in the air, in ecstatic prayer.
People flocked to him seeking help and advice in the confessional,
and he assisted many in living a truly devout Christian life.
However, this humble man did endure
many severe trials and terrible temptations throughout his life.
He died on September 18, 1663.
