Today we celebrate the feast of St. Louis IX, King of France in the 13th century. He was known to be a wise ruler of his people, but also a very holy and devout man who put his faith into action by initiating many projects and benefits for the poor and the sick and the uneducated of his country.
The first reading today from the Prophet Isaiah was certainly one that Louis took to heart: sharing bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and homeless, clothing the naked, welcoming all as brothers and sisters.
Jesus, in the gospel passage, tells the spiritual leaders of his time, and rulers both temporal and spiritual of all times: the greatest commandment above all is to LOVE GOD, and to LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS AS WE LOVE OURSELVES. Louis, King of France proved his love for God by truly loving his neighbor and doing all he could to provide for his temporal and spiritual needs!
May we this day do likewise and demonstrate the love we profess for God, by simply loving our neighbor as we love ourselves – by respecting and in some way helping everyone we will come across this day – and considering them truly related to us in the family of mankind!
Then we shall call on the Lord, and he shall answer our cry for help! He will say: Here I am! and he will help you!
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