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Fellow Pilgrims in Christ,

When we honor Saint Louis, King of France (1214–1270), we remember a monarch who proved that holiness and political power need not be opposed. Crowned as a boy of twelve, Louis IX ruled his kingdom with wisdom, justice, and charity, leaving behind not only a strong France but also a shining example of Christian kingship.

Louis’ mother, Blanche of Castile, raised him with deep Catholic devotion. She is said to have told him, “I would rather see you dead at my feet than stained with mortal sin.” These words shaped him into a king who saw his duty first as a servant of God. He reformed the legal system, outlawed corruption, protected widows and orphans, and made sure that the poor were defended in court. Often, he would sit under an oak tree at Vincennes, hearing the complaints of ordinary people so that justice would not be denied to the lowly.

His piety was not reserved for the throne. Louis lived his faith personally: he wore a simple hairshirt beneath his royal robes, attended daily Mass, and washed the feet of the poor. He fed the hungry, built hospitals, and welcomed the needy to his royal table. He also built the glorious Sainte-Chapelle in Paris to enshrine the Crown of Thorns of Christ, a tangible symbol of his love for the Passion of the Lord.

Louis twice took up the cross as a Crusader, striving to defend the Holy Land. Though these campaigns ended in hardship and his own death from illness in Tunis, his willingness to sacrifice for Christ marked him as a true knight of the Cross.

Canonized in 1297, Saint Louis remains the only French king raised to the altars. His legacy reminds us that political authority finds its perfection not in power or conquest, but in service, humility, and fidelity to Christ.

May we, like him, strive to rule over our own lives, families, and responsibilities with the same justice and holiness, always remembering that the true King we serve is Christ Himself.