St. Louis of France - Rector's Rambling for August 23, 2020

Let’s set the record straight – St. Louis of France was a saint and worthy of our admiration!

This might not be a popular opinion in some circles, but then holiness is not a popularity contest.

St. Louis IX is the only King of France to be recognized as a saint, which is a recognition of his holiness of life that seems to be lost to those reading a 21st century set of grievances into his life.  In fact, he loved Jesus, loved Jesus’ Church, and loved his people.

Much has been made of his leadership of the Crusades, which were actions to free areas that were invaded and occupied by Saracen (Muslim) forces.  In his first crusade he was captured and ransomed, and he also ransomed 300 Christians who had been blinded by the Mohammedans, and brought them back with him to France were he established a place to care for them for life.  On his second crusade he died of disease, not an uncommon occurrence in that day.

In addition to his founding of an institute for the blind, he started a theological college, the Sorbonne.  He gave liberally in support of the Church and her ministries to the poor and marginalized.  He reorganized the courts so that law would be equally applied to all citizens, poor and rich alike.

He also had a deep personal piety, and followed a Rule of Life according to the Third Order Franciscan Way.  This Order was founded by St. Francis for those seeking to serve Jesus, but in the world because of their marital status, or other responsibilities, could not leave everything to become a friar or monk.  As the Episcopal Church’s Lesser Feasts and Fasts notes, “Because of his determined effort to live a personal life of Franciscan poverty and self-denial in the midst of worldly power and splendor – he wore a hair shirt (rough penitential garment) under his royal dress – Louis is honored as patron saint of the Third Order.”

Or as the Anglican Breviary notes about St. Louis, “In a rough and cruel age he had ruled justly with mercy, and in such wise in him were united the qualities of a great king and saint.  Although he had longed to see the Faith of Christ reign throughout the world, and especially in the Holy Land itself, he took comfort, when he understood that God willed him to fail in this his purpose, in surrendering himself to the divine will.”

St. Louis of France – pray for us.