St. Louis IX, King of France, offers synod guidance

When Archbishop Aymond suggested using an image of Louis IX, King of France, on the prayer card for the Ninth General Synod, I was intrigued. I don’t think that idea ever would have occurred to me, and I realized how little I knew about the patron of our archdiocese.

I knew that we celebrate his feast every Aug. 25, and I had a vague memory of a very fine homily that was given years ago at Notre Dame Seminary during which the homilist referred to the guidance that Louis had given in a letter to his young son. I knew he had been a crusader, but I have never been one to be inspired by war, religious or otherwise.

How little I knew of Louis IX! What might he have to say to us as we enter into our archdiocesan synod?

Louis loved God passionately. This love for God was nurtured by his mother Blanche, and Louis, in turn, nurtured it in his children. In a letter to
his son Philip, Louis wrote: “The first thing I advise is that you fix your whole heart upon God, and love him with all your strength.” As we enter into this synod, let us seek to love God with our whole strength, that, in loving God, we might better see God’s vision for our local church.

Louis loved children, as is evident in the above-mentioned letter to his son and in the care he gave to all of his 11 children. He provided guidance and responsibility. May we use this opportunity to learn from the young in our midst, to share responsibility with them, and so to guide their participation in the mission of the church.

Louis shared his power. Because he was only 12 when his father, King Philip II, died, Blanche governed France as regent while Louis matured. She was astute, adept in leadership, a woman of great determination. Even when Louis came of age and began to exercise his rule, he continued to consult his mother, who provided wise counsel. May the women and men of this archdiocese collaborate with one another, listening carefully to the counsel each can give.

Louis had great compassion for the poor, suffering and the marginalized. It is said that he fed more than 100 poor people at his home on a daily basis, often serving them himself. This compassion for the suffering poor is evident in the image chosen for the prayer card. Louis is tending to a man who has leprosy, with boils all over his body. The soldier in the background appears horrified; an older man in the foreground looks perplexed; and a child appears grief-stricken. May we seek to hear God’s voice through those who lie on the fringes of our lives, those whose voices are muted through suffering, disfigurement or social status.

Louis valued education. Blanche had supervised his education, attentive to providing the best both in religious and secular learning. As king, a priest-friend described to Louis his plans to build a college for poor students in Paris. Louis endowed the institute, which we know today as the Sorbonne, the university where the holy and learned theologians Bonaventure, Albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas taught. During this synod, may we seek to listen to the insights of the holy and learned among us.

Louis worked hard but appreciated leisure. He kept a small “zoo,” which included lions, falcons, sparrow, a porcupine (!) and dogs and horses. He enjoyed the company of others, commenting: “Nothing beats a free and friendly conversation.” This synod will be a time of labor for many of us. May we also balance that with prayer and with leisure. Together may we have many “free and friendly conversations” that we may accomplish our task with joy and the “glorious freedom of the children of God.”

The image of St. Louis used on the synod prayer card – reprinted on page 3 – is taken from one of the 10 stained glass windows in St. Louis Cathedral portraying events in the life of St. Louis. The next time you are at the cathedral, you might want to take some time to gaze on the beauty of his life.

Sister of Mount Carmel Beth Fitzpatrick is vicar for religious of the archdiocese and a member of the Synod Steering Team.