To be a holy man or holy woman; isn’t that what we all should try to be? Holiness is the attribute that Isaiah hears the angels proclaim of God: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts! All the earth is filled with his glory!” (Is. 6:3) The Psalmist declares: “Holy is the Lord our God”. (Ps. 99:9) And so when we hear of a king, a secular ruler, declared to be a holy man and a saint, it may take us aback. How can a king, who wages war and passes judgment on others, be considered holy?
St. Louis IX, King of France, was such a man. He dedicated his life to justice, which is especially desired in a king. As supreme judge of France he would hear appeals by anyone of his subjects. He abolished trial by ordeal and introduced the presumption of innocence in criminal proceedings. He created provosts and bailiffs to enforce application of his new legal system. Even in war he maintained the need for justice. When in war against his brother-in-law, Henry III of England, he negotiated a settlement for peace rather that fight for a total victory. He led the seventh and eighth crusades, both of which failed. His purpose in both was to bring aid to Christians suffering under the Muslim Saracens.
Justice was a hallmark of his reign, as was service to the poor. Every day he would invite thirteen guests from among the poor to eat with him. He would often serve the poor who came for a meal during Advent and Lent. He established three monasteries and sponsored the construction of great Gothic cathedrals. St. Louis died of typhoid fever at Tunis during the eighth crusade in 1270 and was canonized in 1297. We ask for his intercession on our behalf for justice and service in our day.
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