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St. Louis, King, Patron of Franciscan Tertiaries

Sr. JosephMary f.t.i. — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:19:08 +0000

Ave Maria Meditations

August 25th:? St. Louis King of France,

Patron of the Franciscan Third Order

St. Louis, King of France, patron of Tertiaries, was the ninth of his name. He was born at Poissy, France, in 1214. His father was Louis VIII, and his mother was Blanche, daughter of Alfonso VIII of Castille, surnamed the Conqueror. At the age of twelve he lost his father, and his mother became regent of the kingdom. From his tenderest infancy she had inspired him with a love for holy things.

In 1234, he married Margaret, the virtuous daughter of Raymond Berenger, Count of Provence, and two years later he took the reigns of government into his own hands. Louis loved sermons, heard two Masses daily, and was surrounded, even while traveling, with priests chanting the hours. Though he was happy in the company of priests and other men of wisdom and experience, he did not hesitate to oppose churchmen when they proved unworthy. The usual tourneys and festivities at the creation of new knights were magnificently celebrated, but Louis forbade at his court any diversion dangerous to morals.

In 1238, he headed a crusade, in which he fell a prisoner among the Mohammedans, but a truce was concluded and he was set free and he returned to France. In 1267, he again set out for the East at the head of a crusade but he never again beheld his native land. In 1270, he was stricken by the pestilence at the siege of Tunis, and after receiving the Last Sacraments, he died.

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Excerpts from a translation of a letter that the holy king wrote to his son, Phillip:

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 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 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 in good patience, and thank Him for it, thing, you should receive it in good patience and be thankful for it, for you ought to believe that He will cause everthing 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 the services of Holy Church, and, when you are in church, avoid to 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 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 tailles, except under very great necessity.

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.

Dear son, I advise you always to be devoted to the Church of Rome, and to the sovereign pontiff, our father, and to bear him the the reverence and honor which you owe to your spiritual father.

Finally, most sweet son, I conjure and require you that, if it please our Lord that I should die before you, you have my soul succored with masses and orisons, and that you send through the congregations of the kingdom of France, and demand their prayers for my soul, and that you grant me a special and full part in all the good deeds which you perform.

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.

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.

Let Us Pray

O Lord, King of kings, Jesus Christ,
Who didst love Saint Louis
and didst lead him into the heavenly kingdom,
grant that by his intercession and good works
we may participate in his glory for all eternity,
Who livest and reignest,
world without end.

Amen

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St. Louis IX : King and Saint

Sr. JosephMary f.t.i. — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:00:46 +0000

One Minute Meditation

St. Louis, King of France (1214-1270)

Patron of the Franciscan Third Order

The Saint wrote to his son:

My dearest son, my first instruction is that you should love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your strength. Without this there is no salvation. Keep yourself, my son, from everything that you know displeases God, that is to say, from every mortal sin. You should permit yourself to be tormented by every kind of martyrdom before you would allow yourself to commit a mortal sin. If the Lord has permitted you to have some trial, bear it willingly and with gratitude, considering that it has happened for your good and that perhaps you well deserved it. If the Lord bestows upon you any kind of prosperity, thank him humbly and see that you become no worse for it, either though vain pride or anything else, because you ought not to oppose God or offend him in the matter of his gifts. Be kindhearted to the poor, the unfortunate and the afflicted. Give them as much help and consolation oas you can.

Thank God for all the benefits he has bestowed upon you, that you may be worthy to receive greater. Always side with the poor rather than with the rich, until you are certain of the truth. Be devout and obedient to our mother the Church of Rome and the Supreme Pontiff as your spiritual father. In conclusion, dearest son, I give you every blessing that a loving father can give a sons. May the three Persons of the Holy Trinity and all the saints protect you from every evil. And may the Lord give you the grace to do his will so that he may be served and honored through you, that in the next life we may together come to see him, love him and praise him unceasingly. Amen.

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The Holy Name of Mary

Sr. JosephMary f.t.i. — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:00:46 +0000

Think of Mary; Call on Mary!

Ave Maria Meditations

The Holy Name of Mary

Just as the salvation of the world began with the Hail Mary, so the salvation of each individual is bound up with it this prayer … brought to a dry and barren world the Fruit of Life, and. if well said, will cause the Word of God to take root in the soul and bring forth Jesus, the Fruit of Life.

The Hail Mary is a heavenly dew which waters the earth of our soul and makes it bear its fruit in due season. The soul which is not watered by this heavenly dew bears no fruit but only thorns and briars, and merits only God’s condemnation.

We know from experience that those who.show positive signs of being among the elect, appreciate and love the Hail Mary and are always glad to say it. The closer they are to God, the more they love this prayer … I do not know how this should be, but it is perfectly true; and I know no surer way of discovering whether a person belongs to God than by finding out if he loves saying the Hail Mary and the rosary.

It is the perfect compliment the most High God paid to Mary through his archangel in order to win her heart. So powerful was the effect of this greeting upon her, on account of its hidden delights, that despite her great humility, she gave her consent to the incarnation of the Word. If you say the Hail Mary properly, the compliment will infallibly earn you Mary’s good will.

St. Louis de Montfort

Richard of St. Laurence states “there is not such powerful help in any name, nor is there any other name given to men, after that of Jesus, from which so much salvation is poured forth upon men as from the name of Mary.” He continues, “that the devout invocation of this sweet and holy name leads to the acquisition of superabundant graces in this life, and a very high degree of glory in the next.”

After the most sacred name of Jesus, the name of Mary is so rich in every good thing, that on earth and in heaven there is no other from which devout souls receive so much grace, hope, and sweetness.

Hence Richard of St. Laurence encourages sinners to have recourse to this great name,” because it alone will suffice to cure them of all their evils; and “there is no disorder, however malignant, that does not immediately yield to the power of the name of Mary.” The Blessed Raymond Jordano says, “that however hardened and diffident a heart may be, the name of this most Blessed Virgin has such efficacy, that if it is only pronounced that heart will be wonderfully softened.” Moreover, it is well known, and is daily experienced by the clients of Mary, that her powerful name gives the particular strength necessary to overcome temptations against purity.

In fine, “thy name, 0 Mother of God, is filled with divine graces and blessings,” as St. Methodius says. So much so, that St. Bonaventure declares, “that thy name, 0 Mary, cannot be pronounced without bringing some grace to him who does so devoutly.”. . grant, 0 Lady, that we may often remember to name thee with love and confidence; for this practice either shows the possession of divine grace, or else is a pledge that we shall soon recover it.

On the other hand, Thomas a Kempis affirms “that the devils fear the Queen of heaven to such a degree, that only on hearing her great name pronounced, they fly from him who does so as from a burning fire.” The Blessed Virgin herself revealed to St. Bridget “that there is not on earth a sinner, however devoid he may be of the love of God, from whom the devil is not obliged immediately to fly, if he invokes her holy name with a determination to repent.” On another occasion she repeated the same thing to the saint, saying, “that all the devils venerate and fear her name to such a degree, that on hearing it they immediately loosen the claws with which they hold the soul captive.” Our Blessed Lady also told St. Bridget, “that in the same way as the rebel angels fly from sinners who invoke the name of Mary, so also do the good angels approach nearer to just souls who pronounce her name with devotion.”

Promises

Consoling indeed are the promises of help made by Jesus Christ to those who have devotion to the name of Mary; for one day in the hearing of St. Bridget, He promised His most holy Mother that He would grant three special graces to those who invoke that holy name with confidence: first, that He would grant them perfect sorrow for their sins; secondly, that their crimes should be atoned for; and, thirdly, that He would give them strength to attain perfection, and at length the glory of paradise. And then our Divine Savior added: “For thy words, 0 My Mother, are so sweet and agreeable to Me, that I cannot deny what thou askest.”

St. Ephrem goes so far as to say, “that the name of Mary is the key of the gates of heaven,” in the hands of those who devoutly invoke it. And thus it is not without reason that St. Bonaventure says “that Mary is the salvation of all who call upon her.” “0 most sweet name! 0 Mary, what must thou thyself be, since thy name alone is thus amiable and gracious,” exclaims Blessed Henry Suso. Let us, therefore, always take advantage of the beautiful advice given us by St. Bernard, in these words: “In dangers, in perplexities, in doubtful cases, think of Mary, call on Mary; let her not leave thy lips; let her not depart from thy heart.”

Names of Jesus and Mary

In every danger of forfeiting divine grace, we should think of Mary, and invoke her name, together with that of Jesus; FOR THESE TWO NAMES ALWAYS GO TOGETHER. 0, then, never let us permit these two most sweet names to leave our hearts, or be off our lips; for they will give us strength not only not to yield, but to conquer all our temptations.

“The invocation of the sacred names of Jesus and Mary,” says Thomas a Kempis, “is a short prayer which is as sweet to the mind, and as powerful to protect those who use it against the enemies of their salvation, as it is easy to remember.”
Hour of Death

Thus we see that the most holy name of Mary is sweet indeed to her clients during life, on account of the very great graces that she obtains for them. But sweeter still will it be to them in death, on account of the tranquil and holy end that it will insure them.

Let us then, 0 devout reader, beg God to grant us, that at death the name of Mary may be the last word on our lips. This was the prayer of St. Germanus: “May the last movement of my tongue be to pronounce the name of the Mother of God;” 0 sweet, 0 safe is that death which is accompanied and protected by so saying a name; for God only grants the grace of invoking it to those whom He is about to save.

Father Sertorius Caputo, of the Society of Jesus, exhorted all who assist the dying frequently to pronounce the name of Mary; for this name of life and hope, when repeated at the hour of death, suffices to put the devils to flight, and to comfort such persons in their sufferings.

“Blessed is the man who loves thy name, 0 Mary” exclaims St. Bonaventure. “Yes, truly blessed is he who loves thy sweet name, 0 Mother of God! for,” he continues, “thy name is so glorious and admirable, that no one who remembers it has any fears at the hour of death.” Such is its power, that none of those who invoke it at the hour of death fear the assaults of their enemies.

St. Camillus de Lellis urged the members of his community to remind the dying often to utter the holy names of Jesus and Mary. Such was his custom when assisting people in their last hour. Oh, that we may end our lives as did the Capuchin Father, Fulgentius of Ascoli, who expired singing, “0 Mary, 0 Mary, the most beautiful of creatures! let us depart together.”

Let us conclude with the tender prayer of St. Bonaventure: “I ask thee, 0 Mary, for the glory of thy name, to come and meet my soul when it is departing from this world, and to take it in thine arms.”

St. Alphonsus Liguori

Feast of the Holy Name of Mary: We venerate the name of Mary because it belongs to her who is the Mother of God, the holiest of creatures, the Queen of heaven and earth, the Mother of Mercy. The object of the feast is the Holy Virgin bearing the name of Miriam (Mary); the feast commemorates all the privileges given to Mary by God and all the graces we have received through her intercession and mediation.

General Intercessions

That the pilgrim Church,
faithful to the invocation of the Most Holy Name of Mary,
may find in her a shining star,
a refuge in time of distress,
and a mother quick to help in every need,
to the Lord we pray: Christ, hear us. R. CHRIST, GRACIOUSLY HEAR US.

That, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
the world may be spared further war, violence, and bloodshed
and the leaders of nations moved to persevere in seeking a lasting peace,
to the Lord we pray: Christ, hear us. R. CHRIST, GRACIOUSLY HEAR US.

That those who struggle on the stormy seas of life
may look to Mary as to their star, and so avert shipwreck;
that those who are tossed on the winds of temptation,
may call on Mary and be comforted in their weakness;
and that the dying may find in the Holy Name of Mary
light and peace,
to the Lord we pray: Christ, hear us. R. CHRIST, GRACIOUSLY HEAR US.

That all who bear the sweet name of Mary
may be inwardly conformed to her virtues
and, at every moment, honour the name
that fills heaven and earth with gladness,
to the Lord we pray: Christ, hear us. R. CHRIST, GRACIOUSLY HEAR US.

That all who invoke the Holy Name of Mary
may experience her nearness now and at the hour of death;
and that the praise of God may never depart
from the lips of those who celebrate her Name today,
to the Lord we pray: Christ, hear us. R. CHRIST, GRACIOUSLY HEAR US.

Collect at the General Intercessions

Almighty and ever-living God,
who, in the Blessed Virgin Mary,
were pleased to give us a star
shining over life’s vast and stormy sea;
mercifully grant that when the winds of temptation arise
and we run upon the rocks of tribulation,
we may with confidence look at that star,
think of Mary, and call on her by name,
and so learn, with all the saints,
how rightly it is said that “the Virgin’s name was Mary.”
Through Christ our Lord.

(Cf. Saint Bernard, Sermon Two on the Glories of the Virgin Mother)

Images courtesy of Bellator Dei

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Living your Faith in the Public Square

Sr. JosephMary f.t.i. — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:00:59 +0000

Ave Maria Meditations

Today is the Feast of the Patron of the Third Order of St. Francis, St. Louis the King. He lived his faith with conviction and publicly. Here is a meditation on this topic from a modern Franciscan who is presently the Archbishop of Denver and soon to be the Archbishop of Philadelphia:

“Speak in the light”

Cardinal Henri de Lubac: once wrote that “It is not true … that man cannot organize the world without God. What is true is that, without God, [man] can ultimately only organize it against man. Exclusive humanism is inhuman humanism … ”

Living within the truth means living according to Jesus Christ and God’s Word in Sacred Scripture. It means proclaiming the truth of the Christian Gospel, not only by our words but by our example. It means living everyday and every moment from the unshakeable conviction that God lives, and that his love is the motive force of human history and the engine of every authentic human life. It means believing that the truths of the Creed are worth suffering and dying for. Living within the truth also means telling the truth and calling things by their right names. And that means exposing the lies by which some men try to force others to live.

The world urgently needs a re-awakening of the Church in our actions and in our public and private witness … We need really to believe what we say we believe. Then we need to prove it by the witness of our lives. We need to be so convinced of the truths of the Creed that we are on fire to live by these truths, to love by these truths, and to defend these truths, even to the point of our own discomfort and suffering.

We are ambassadors of the living God to a world that is on the verge of forgetting Him. Our work is to make God real; to be the face of his love; to propose once more to the men and women of our day, the dialogue of salvation…The form of the Church, and the form of every Christian life, is the form of the cross. Our lives must become a liturgy, a self-offering that embodies the love of God and the renewal of the world … Let us preach Jesus Christ with all the energy of our lives. And let us support each other – whatever the cost – so that when we make our accounting to the Lord, we will be numbered among the faithful and courageous, and not the cowardly or the evasive, or those who compromised until there was nothing left of their convictions or those who were silent when they should have spoken the right word at the right time.

Archbishop Charles Chaput OFM Cap, Archbishop of Denver.

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Aug 19 – Homily – Fr Angelo: Christ Became Poor to Make Us Rich

apostolate — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 13:34:21 +0000

Homily #140819n ( 12min) Play – Father goes over the readings, psalm, and antiphons of today’s liturgy, and shows how Jesus became poor for us, and by being united to Him, we become shares in the Divine Life of God, which is worth more than all the ephemeral riches of this passing world. And looking at today’s saint, St. Louis of Toulouse, we can see a man who did give up all, became poor, and shared in the self-giving of Christ, being rewarded for his labors by entering into paradise at the young age of twenty-four. Let us choose the last and lowest place, setting all aside for the sake of the Gospel, and become rich in the eyes of God.
Ave Maria!
Mass: St. Louis of Toulouse – Opt Mem – Form: OF
Readings: Tuesday in the 20th Week in Ordinary Time
1st: eze 28:1-10
Resp: deu 32:26-27, 27-28, 30, 35-36
Gsp: mat 19:23-30

Audio (MP3)

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Aug 19 – Homily – Fr Angelo: St. Louis

Griswold Friars — Fri, 19 Aug 2016 11:34:28 +0000

St. Louis gave up his kingdom to lay down his life for his sheep and became a Franciscan priest. At only 23, he became bishop but died after only six months.

Ave Maria!

Mass: St. Louis of Toulouse – Opt Mem
Readings:
1st: eze 34:1116 0
Gsp: joh 10:1116

Audio (MP3)

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Aug 25 – Homily – Fr Ignatius: Heaven not Harvard

apostolate — Thu, 25 Aug 2016 10:41:43 +0000

Fr. Ignatius on the advice of King St. Louis IX of France to his son to put God first, to get to heaven and to not be focused on worldly glories. He translates this to a modern family as “Heaven not Harvard.”

Ave Maria!

Mass: St. Louis – Opt Mem
Readings: Thursday in the 21st Week in Ordinary Time
1st: 1co 1:1-9
Resp: psa 145:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 0
Gsp: mat 24:42-51

Audio (MP3)

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Aug 25 – Homily – Fr Ignatius: St. Louis, Death Rather than Sin

apostolate — Fri, 25 Aug 2017 11:04:29 +0000

Fr. Ignatius on the life of St. Louis, King of France and how the seeds of holiness were sown by his parents and he tried his best pass this along to his children. This took the form of desiring to die rather than commit one mortal sin.

Ave Maria!

Mass: St. Louis – Mem

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Maria Goretti & Jamie Schmidt, Martyrs – Jul 06 – Homily – Fr Ignatius

apostolate — Sat, 06 Jul 2019 16:07:03 +0000

Fr Ignatius gives the homily at Bloomington, IN on Jul 06, 2019 on the witness of purity by St. Maria Goretti and Jamie Schmidt of St. Louis, MO who suffered martyrdom rather than submit to impure advances of their assailants.

Ave Maria!

Mass: St. Maria Goretti – Opt Mem
Readings: Saturday 13th Week of Ordinary Time
1st: gen 27:1-5, 15-29
Resp: psa 135:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 0
Gsp: mat 9:14-17

More on the Readings: http://dev.airmaria.com/r?m=1103&r=1437

Also on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=480995355999524
and YouTube: https://youtu.be/JxIGd_D-xts

Jamie Schmidt: https://thewandererpress.com/catholic/news/our-catholic-faith/jamie-schmidt-saying-farewell-to-a-catholic-heroine-and-possible-martyr

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Aug 23 – “Bl.” Queen Blanche France – Franciscan Saint of the Day

apostolate — Sun, 29 Aug 2021 23:00:49 +0000

The Life of “Bl.” Queen Blanche of France, Widow, Third Order (1188-1252) for the Franciscan Saint of the Day for Aug 23. Queen Blanche was born in Castille and married King Louis VIII of France and is the mother of King St. Louis IX. She acted as regent during his reign as a mere youth of twelve years old and during his absence while on a crusade.

Reflection is on venial sin, that although it does not condemn a soul to hell it does diminish our sanctity, causes God’s displeasure, and merits time in purgatory, and can lead to mortal sin by weakening our moral strength.

For more on “Bl.” Queen Blanche France
– https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blanche_of_Castile

Also on Youtube: https://youtu.be/KB2OavetW0w

Read by Fr. Ignatius Manfredonia, FI from Marion Habig’s ‘The Franciscan Book of Saints’ Revised Edition, Franciscan Herald Press, ISBN: 978-0819907516

Playlist of Franciscan Saints: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TxcAETrU_k&list=PLejh_e0-LN4wErRczZGry4TXytCZFiLCm

Ave Maria!

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