Today the Church celebrates the memorial of Saint Louis IX, King of France, who lived in the 13th century and is universally recognized as one of the greatest examples of a Christian sovereign. His life was a perfect union between the exercise of temporal power and a deep dedication to evangelical values. Louis governed his people guided by immense justice, sincere piety, and a radical love for the poor, even sharing the royal table daily with those most in need. Beyond his extraordinary charity, he was an enlightened patron of the arts, culture, and universities, including the famous Sorbonne, and he commissioned the construction of the wonderful Sainte-Chapelle in Paris. His faith led him to lead two crusades to the Holy Land, and he concluded his earthly existence, struck down by the plague in Tunis. Patron of the Secular Franciscan Order, Saint Louis IX continues to inspire believers as a model of authority lived as service.
