Saint Louis, King Of France

First Point

Saint Louis, King of France, whom the Church honors today, was as eminent in virtue as in dignity. First of all, he had an extreme horror for sin, which his mother, a very virtuous princess, had instilled in him from the time he reached the use of reason. He always had held this sentiment so deeply in his heart that he often said he would prefer to lose his kingdom rather than to commit a single mortal sin. He even had such a great spirit of religion that in memory of the honor he had received by being baptized at Poissy, he often called himself Louis of Poissy and signed his name this way out of esteem and respect for that sacrament. He also heard two Masses on his knees every day, deeply penetrated by the spirit of faith. So great was this virtue in him that one day, when someone came to tell him that a child was appearing in the host at the Sainte Chapelle, he did not take a single step, saying that he did not need to see the miracle in order to believe in the presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, for faith alone made him believe this.He recognized and adored Jesus Christ in the poor. He invited three poor people to dine with him every day, besides feeding 120 others with the same food that was given to his servants.Do you have as much horror for sin and as much of the spirit of religion as this holy king? Make a frequent examination on these two points. Be convinced that you will preserve your piety and procure it for your students only insofar as you fully possess these two qualities.  Without them your soul will be like a city without walls and fortifications, always open to the attacks of your enemies.

Second Point

Because mortification supports piety, this saint’s practice of it was unusual. His austerities were very extraordinary for a person of his rank. He fasted every Friday of the year and ate no meat on Wednesday and, often, on Monday. When fasting, he ordinarily ate but one meal, which usually consisted only of bread and water. Every Friday, after going to Confession, he took the discipline of little iron chains at the hands of his confessor. In a spirit of humility and mortification, every Saturday he washed the feet of the three poor people who had eaten with him, and he did this on his knees. Also, one of the practices of mortification of this prince, who was so filled with the Christian spirit, was to wear clothes made of ordinary, rough material, such as coarse wool or similar cloth, in order to be able to give to poor people the money he would have spent on costly attire. What was even more mortifying for such a great king was the patience he always had in suffering everything that was said against him without ever complaining or letting it disturb him, for he was mindful of what Jesus Christ had suffered for him. The more you accept mortification, whether external or internal, especially the latter, the more you will possess the Christian spirit and the spirit of your state. Hence, make the practice of mortification something usual and ordinary in your life. Spend no day without training in one mortification that you prefer and that you put into practice.

Third Point

This saint’s zeal for the good both of the Church and of his country was so admirable that it is difficult to be able to describe it. This holy zeal led him to wage war against infidels to destroy the empire of the devil in their country and to establish the reign of Jesus Christ there.In the first journey he made to recover the Holy Land, he was made prisoner; during the second journey, he died of the plague.  When the Saracen deputies came to Paris, he declared to them that his only desire was for them to profess the Christian religion. He built a great number of churches and monasteries, and he loved members of religious communities very much because of their piety and because they are the ones who do much to strengthen the Church.  He brought back to France a great number of relics, among others, the crown of thorns of our Lord and a large portion of the Holy Cross. He loved his subjects tenderly. After he had worked with wonderful care to procure peace and tranquility for them, he gave them good laws and regulations to guide them to God. Before he died, he gave his son instructions that are so wise and so Christian that they are able to teach kings how to govern their kingdoms in a very saintly manner.In your work you ought to unite zeal for the good of the Church with zeal for the good of the nation of which your disciples are beginning to be and one day ought to be perfect members. You will procure the good of the Church by making them true Christians, docile to the truths of faith and to the maxims of the holy Gospel.You will procure the good of the nation by teaching them how to read and write and everything else that pertains to your ministry with regard to exterior things. But piety must be joined to exterior things; otherwise, your work would be of little use.

Historical Context

Louis (1214–1270) was born at Poissy and became heir to the throne of France at the age of 12, under the regency of his devout mother, Queen Blanche of Castille. At the age of 19, he married Marguerite of Provence and had numerous children by her. He was a wise ruler of his kingdom, an example of justice, mercy, simplicity, and peace. He was, however, luckless in the crusades, defeated in the first (1250) and dying of illness in the second, on August 25, 1270. His devotion to the Passion has been enshrined in the beautiful Sainte Chapelle, in Paris, which he caused to be built to house the relics of the Crown of Thorns and the True Cross.