18 September - Ember Day; Saint Joseph of Cupertino

Weather:  Ember Day. The weather today foretells the weather for December.
Bright sunshine, clear skies, comfortably warm.
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Memorial of Saint Joseph of Cupertino, patron of aviators, astronauts, air travelers, and those who have slipped the surly bonds of Earth and touched the Face of God.  Visions and ecstasies in which he would levitate and float, caused, as you might suppose, both admiration and consternation among his fellow Franciscan monks.  When the crowds thronging around this Italian mystic grew too large, he was moved to another house; when it was too much for the other monks, he was confined to quarters.

He was also naturally clumsy, a real Mr. Fumblefingers, and to top it off, he couldn't pass a test to save his life.  For this reason, he is also the patron of students and of those taking tests.  At this time of year, he should be very popular.

Prof. Plinio Correa de Oliveira has an insightful commentary on this amazing saint:

"Even though he was poorly gifted, humanly speaking, Saint Joseph of Cupertino did the will of God, sanctified his soul, and allowed God to shine through his incapacity in a way that attracted the admiration of multitudes." (read more here)