(1603-1663) Joseph was born in a stable in Cupertino, Italy, to an impoverished widow. He began having visions and mystic experiences around seven or eight and would stand with his mouth gaping open, incurring the mockery of his peers. He had a quick temper in his youth that he learned to overcome. His lack of education and being lost in ecstasies made it difficult to keep work and led to his rejection from some religious orders. Eventually, the Franciscans accepted him as an oblate and, at 25, he became a priest, only passing his exam by spiritually infused knowledge since he was not a good student. Joseph was kept hidden from the public for the last 35 years of his life due to uncontrolled and frequent levitations.
Despite his temper early in life and his poor treatment throughout his life, Saint Joseph remained joyful. The secret of his joy is what the third Step is all about in recovery (“Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him”).
“Clearly, what God wants above all is our will which we received as a free gift from God in creation and possess as though our own…The will is what man has as his unique possession” (Saint Joseph of Cupertino).
Reflection by Brad Farmer