My Friend, St. Joseph of Cupertino

I can hear the voice of my beloved priest when I was in college, Dave Looney, tell me as I stressed over a test or exam, “Pray to St. Joseph of Cupertino” I can also hear my reaction in my head…”Yeah, yeah, blah!  Not doing your hocus pocus.  But thanks anyway.” (Don’t you just wanna hug that darling 19yr old?)I wasn’t one to pray to saints.  Yet, the kindly saints as I have grown older have forgiven me my arrogant ways and have been showing their presence.  Since I believe in the life ever after, it isn’t hard for me to believe that there are people who are pulling for me…mostly I envision my beloved grandmothers, all three of them. But lately, I have been relying a little more on the saints.  (Though in truth, I have always prayed to Mary and St. Teresa).I have been doing this more as a tool for my kids toolbox rather than mine.  I have told them that they should pray to St. Anthony when they lose something or St. Joseph for help on their tests and now, St. Marianne Cope (who must have a special place for our intentions since she was once a member of our church)….holy cow, I am starting to sound like the old church ladies that we made fun of as kids. You know who I mean, the kindly ones with the rosary wrapped around their hands that you felt pressed into you when they held your hands as they talked to you?   But wait!  That is a good thing!  Those “old church ladies” were people we noticed because of their faith.  They are ones who, unbeknownst to me, were set in our path as an example of some kind.  I think the example is that God gives us helpers.  Use them.  This past week my oldest, who is a sophomore,  had her state regents exams and her mid-terms which included English, Chemistry, Alg2/Trig and AP Euro.  Her most grueling test was her AP Euro mid-term where she was expected to take a ridiculous amount of history and proceed with an equally ridiculous amount of detail and in 2 hours regurgitate it all.  She wasn’t able to finish one of the 2 essays because of time but ended up scoring her best grade all semester on one of the FRQ’s which was very good so her overall was good….thank you St. Joseph of Cupertino…thank you, thank you!  The other test we were worried about was her Alg2/Trig regents.  She has been struggling, mainly from missing a week in Dec because of the flu.  My lovely nephew came over Christmas break for a couple of hours and worked with her to help get over the hump where she was stuck.  (She is very proud and asking for and accepting help is not her gift)  She came home the day she took the regents and said, “Well, I know I passed” and passed she did…with a shocking 95!  She stood at the computer looking at her score in disbelief, “I have no idea how that happened.  How did that happen” she started to laugh.  I said, “Well, you put a lot of effort in, you spent time on it, you accepted assistance….” She said, “I know but…” “And…St. Joseph of Cupertino…don’t forget his part…because we were praying for you all afternoon!” She goes…”Oh, yeah and him.”  Haha! Like mother, like daughter!  (Except mother never got a 95 on any math regents….!)