Louis
One might accuse Mother’s of being too “harsh” sometimes. With all the discipline that falls under our domain as educators of our children in their formative years it is easy to criticize her as the one who “always dampens the fun” or “chills the spirit”.
Mother’s are no censors of fun mind you, we only admonish in love and to teach but when we say “eat your peas or you can not have desert” it seems we are always the bad guys! Now, I am really hopeful that I will not always appear the “bad guy” and dare I imagine that one day they will thank me for loving them so much! But as I see it, Mothers (and Father’s) will be held accountable for the “deposit of faith” they try to instill in their charges as they rear them in life to deploy them into the world as good little independent souls ready to make their own way to eternity.
This, I think, was also the philosophy of Blanche. Mother of Louis, she was devoted to his upbringing and wished him to become a man of upright moral character. Apparently she used to say to him quite often during his formative years, ”I love you my dear son, as much as a mother can love her child; but I would rather see you dead at my feet than that you should commit a mortal sin.” Now, could we say Blanche was trying to “spoil the fun” of her son or “dampen his spirit”?! And before you answer, you may also want to know that Blanche was the Queen of France and Louis became Louis IX a King and even more importantly a SAINT!
I wish Blanche had written a book for us. And maybe St. Monica too. Surely they would be helpful to us all. But I suppose we will just have to mutter through and prayerfully try to do the best we can as mothers. We must just remember to call upon these good ladies in heaven as often as we need them. Surely they will help us!
So for St. Louis, Missouri it is not just a feast day but a Solemnity to our City’s Patron. I’m not sure the local media will mention it but surely we have reason to celebrate him today. I was truly thankful today at mass (at a new church for me since I am getting into a new routine with my son going to a new school this year… more on this later) this morning. When I bowed down before receiving the Eucharist, I noticed an inscription on the floor at the altar. I had only a glance at it but it said something quite like “this church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and St. Louis, King of France.” I was happily surprised and thankful for that brief encounter with the Saint’s memory and felt thankful to him for his inspiration.
For more on St. Louis, I would direct you to a great article at EWTN’s website. It starts out this way: 
“In Louis IX of France were united the qualities of a just and upright sovereign, a fearless warrior, and a saint. This crusading king was a living embodiment of the Christianity of the time: he lived for the welfare of his subjects and the glory of God….”
Also, if you have not ever read the letter that St. Louis wrote to one of his own 11 children, please read it here below. Maybe you would like to print it out for a special “Father” in your life as I am sure it would be an inspirational and perhaps motivational bit of writing for them in their role as spiritual educator. Its a long letter (a little bit edited) with some “kingly” stuff in it but I am sure you will agree how beautiful and wonderful it is and how he taught much in the same manner his Mother taught him!
“Dear son, since I desire with all my heart that you be well instructed in all things, it is in my thought to give you some advice by this writing. For I have heard you say, several times, that you remember my words better than those of any one else.
Therefore, dear son, the first thing I advise is that you fix your whole heart upon God, and love Him with all your strength, for without this no one can be saved or be of any worth.
You should, with all your strength, shun everything which you believe to be displeasing to Him. And you ought especially to be resolved not to commit mortal sin, no matter what may happen, and you should permit all your limbs to be hewn off, and suffer every manner of torment, rather than fall knowingly into mortal sin.
If our Lord send you any adversity, whether illness or other thing, you should receive it in good patience, and thank Him for it, and be grateful for it, for you ought to believe that He will cause everything to turn out for your good ; and likewise you should think that you have well
merited it, and more also, should He will it, because you
have loved Him but little, and served Him but little, and
have done many things contrary to His will.
If our Lord send you any prosperity, either health
of body or other thing, you ought to thank Him humbly
for it, and you ought to be careful that you are not the
worse for it, either through pride or anything else, for
it is a very great sin to fight against our Lord with His
gifts.
Dear son, I advise you that you accustom yourself
to frequent confession, and that you choose always, as
your confessors, men who are upright and sufficiently
learned, and who can teach you what you should do and
what you should avoid. You should so carry yourself
that your confessors and other friends may dare confidently
to reprove you and show you your faults.
Dear son, I advise you that you listen willingly and
devoutly to the services of Holy Church, and, when you
are in church, avoid frivolity and trifling, and do not
look here and there ; but pray to God with lips and heart
alike, while entertaining sweet thoughts about Him, and
especially at the mass, when the body and blood of our
Lord Jesus Christ are consecrated, and for a little time
before.
Dear son, have a tender and pitiful heart for the
poor, and for all those whom you believe to be in misery
of heart or body, and, according to your ability, comfort
and aid them with some alms.
Maintain the good customs of your realm, and put
down the bad ones. Do not oppress your people and do not burden them with tolls or failles, except under very
great necessity.
If you have any unrest of heart, of such a nature
that it may be told, tell it to your confessor, or to some
upright man who can keep your secret ; you will be able
to carry more easily the thought of your heart.
See to it that those of your household are upright
and loyal, and remember the Scripture, which says: ”
Elige viros timentes Deum in quibus sit justicia et qui
oderint avariciam ; ” that is to say. “Love those who
serve God and who render strict justice and hate covet-
ousness ; ” and you will profit, and will govern your kingdom
well.
Dear son, see to it that all your associates are upright,
whether clerics or laymen, and have frequent good
converse with them ; and flee the society of the bad. And
listen willingly to the word of God, both in open and in
secret ; and purchase freely prayers and pardons.
Love all good, and hate all evil, in whomsoever it
may be.
Let no one be so bold as to say, in your presence,
words which attract and lead to sin, and do not permit
words of detraction to be spoken of another behind his
back.
Suffer it not that any ill be spoken of God or His
saints in your presence, without taking prompt vengeance.
But if the offender be a clerk or so great a person that
you ought not to try him, report the matter to him who is
entitled to judge it.
Dear son, give thanks to God often for all the good
things He has done for you, so that you may be worthy to receive more, in such a manner that if it please the
Lord that you come to the burden and honor of governing
the kingdom, you may be worthy to receive the sacred
unction wherewith the kings of France are consecrated.
Dear son, if you come to the throne, strive to have
that which befits a king, that is to say, that in justice and
rectitude you hold yourself steadfast and loyal toward
your subjects and your vassals, without turning either to
the right or to the left, but always straight, whatever may
happen. And if a poor man have a quarrel with a rich
man, sustain the poor rather than the rich, until the truth
is made clear, and when you know the truth, do justice to
them.
Love your brothers, and always wish their well-
being and their good advancement, and also be to them
in the place of a father, to instruct them in all good. But
be watchful lest, for the love which you bear to one, you
turn aside from right doing, and do to the others that
which is not meet.
Dear son, I advise you to bestow the benefices of
Holy Church which you have to give, upon good persons,
of good and clean life, and that you bestow, them with the
high counsel of upright men. And I am of the opinion
that it is preferable to give them to those who hold nothing
of Holy Church, rather than to others. For, if you
inquire diligently, you will find enough of those who have
nothing who will use wisely that entrusted to them.
In conclusion, dear son, I give you all the blessings
which a good and tender father can give to a son, and I
pray our Lord Jesus Christ, by His mercy, by the
prayers and merits of His blessed Mother, the Virgin
Mary, and of angels and archangels and of all the saints,
to guard and protect you from doing anything contrary
to His will, and to give you grace to do it always,so that He may be honored and served by you. And
this may He do to me as to you, by His great bounty, so
that after this mortal life we may be able to be together
with Him in the eternal life, and see Him, love Him, and
praise Him without end. Amen. And glory, honor, and
praise be to Him who is one God with the Father and the
Holy Spirit ; without beginning and without end.
Amen.”
You can read more of the letter here: From Saint Louis’ Advice to His Son, in Medieval Civilization, trans. and eds. Dana Munro and George Clarke Sellery (New York: The Century Company, 1910), pp. 366 -75.
Photographs are from the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis after yesterday’s mass.
