Saint of the Day: St. Louis of France

Louis IX, King of France, son of Louis VIII and Blanche of Castile, was born at Poissy, April 25, 1215.

Louis was eleven years old when his father's death made him king. At that time, his mother Queen Blanche of Castile, was declared regent and remained an important influence in his life.

At nineteen, he married Marguerite of Provence and the couple had eleven children. Louis was a model father and his children received careful instruction from him in the Christian life.

Louis brought justice to France. When, for example, a baron hanged three students for poaching rabbits, the King's response was firm. He forced the Baron to surrender his forest, imprisoned him for a time, fined him heavily, made him build a chapel in memory of each student, and ordered him to crusade for three years in Palestine.

Louis was a loving and generous king. The poorest of the poor were recipients of his charity and alms everyday. Beggars were fed from his table, he ate their leavings, washed their feet, and ministered to the needs of the lepers. Daily, he fed 120 poor people. He founded many hospitals and houses: the House of the Felles-Dieu for reformed prostitutes; the Quinze-Vingt for 300 blind men (1254), and hospitals at Pontoise, Vernon, Compiégne.

Louis was a faithful Christian sovereign. One of his first acts as King was to build the famous monastery of Royaumont, with funds left for the purpose by his father. Louis gave encouragement to the religious orders, placing the Carthusians in the palace of Vauvert in Paris, and assisting his mother in founding the convent of Maubuisson.

Louis secretly spent long hours in prayer, fasting, and penance.Louis was a patron of architecture. The Sainte Chappelle was constructed in his reign, and it was under his patronage that Robert of Sorbonne founded the "College de la Sorbonne," which became the seat of the theological faculty of Paris.He died near Tunis, August 25, 1270 and was cannonized in Orvieto in 1297, by Boniface VIII.

St. Louis is one of the patron saints of the Secular Franciscan Order.

Favorite Quotes:

"If God send thee adversity, receive it in patience and give thanks to our Saviour and bethink thee that thou hast deserved it, and that He will make it turn to thine advantage. If He send thee prosperity, then thank Him humbly, so that thou becomest not worse from pride or any other cause, when thou oughtest to be better. For we should not fight against God with his own gifts."

"In prosperity, give thanks to God with humility and fear lest by pride you abuse God's benefits and so offend him."

"In order to avoid discord, never contradict anyone except in case of sin or some danger to a neighbor; and when necessary to contradict others, do it with tact and not with temper. "