Homily – August 25, 2010 – St. Louis, King of France

+ St. Louis was son of King Louis VIII and Blanche of Castile. He was king of France and Count of Artois at age eleven; his mother ruled as regent until he reached 22, and then he reigned for 44 years. Louis IX made numerous judicial and legislative reforms, promoted Christianity in France, established religious foundations, aided mendicant orders, propagated synodal decrees of the Church, built leper hospitals and collected relics. He ruled France at a time of great cultural achievement, symbolized in the building of great Gothic cathedrals, and the development of universities. He was personally a deeply religious man – becoming himself a Trinitarian tertiary. Before his reign as king, he married Marguerite of Provence at age 19, and was the father of eleven children. He supported Pope Innocent IV in war against Emperor Frederick II of Germany. He led two Crusades and died on the second one, contracting typhoid fever, on August 25, 1270 at Tunis. His relics were placed in the Cathedral of St. Denis in Paris, but destroyed during the French Revolution.

Our readings today tell of the life-dynamic of St. Louis, King of France. It was a Christian life-dynamic through and through. He lived the gospel command to love God first with all one's might, and then our neighbor as one's self.
It is in loving others, and only in loving others, providing for their needs, protecting them, caring for their wounds that we prove our love for ourselves and God. Isaiah prophesied about Jesus who would release prisoners and break every yoke, clothing the naked and being loyal to your own. Light would rise when one does these things in the name of God! The same goes for those followers of Jesus who renew their strength and produced guiding light daily by loving selflessly after his example and with the grace to do it that he gives.

St. Louis, King of France, may we imitate your life-giving Christian ways; may we tend the poor, minister to the rich and bring about the glory of the one true Kingdom that will last forever – the reign of Jesus Christ, the one eternal King!