25 August 2022 – St Louis IX King of France – Thursday of 21st week in Ordinary Time – 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, Psalm 145

       In the beginning of his letter to the Church in Corinth, Paul thanks God for the grace he has bestowed on the Christian community in Corinth, with the testimony they are able to give to the Gospel of Christ that God confirmed upon them.  Then, we hear the psalmist proclaim: “I will praise your name for ever, Lord.”  We celebrate a saint today who praised the Lord and tried to follow the Gospel of Christ in his life, echoing the message we hear in our readings today: St Louis IX, the King of France.  You may recall that in the summer of 2020 in the first year of the pandemic, police officers, Church groups, and even Catholic priests prevented protestors from tearing down a statue of King Louis IX just outside the city of St Louis in the name of racial justice. We can be very rigid and harsh in the way we judge historical figures, thinking we know about that time in history and trying to judge it from our 21st century point of view. However, like many things in life, things are often more complicated. Trying to historically judge the life of someone who was born more than 800 years ago can be a daunting and almost impossible task. 

       Louis was crowned the king of France at the age of 12 upon the death of his father.  This was the era of the Crusades, of Christian forces going to battle in the Middle East in a religious war.  Louis himself led the French forces in a Crusade in Egypt and Syria at the age of 30 and lost his life in the midst of another Crusade in Tunisia in northern Africa at the age of 56, having ruled as king of France for 44 years.  Yet, Louis took seriously his role as a Christian king, proclaiming God’s justice in his realm.  Louis deserves credit for extending justice in civil administration and political reforms in his day.  He respected the authority of the pope, but he defended the rights of his kingdom as well. His love for the poor is manifested in the way he founded hospitals, visited the sick, built libraries and orphanages, and provided care for lepers. At almost every meal, he invited the poor to eat with him.  He promoted peace in his land and for many years his realm was at a state of peace.  Louis IX was canonized 27 years after his death.  As we remember and honor St Louis IX King of France today, may we also remember that we need to be careful when we judge history and try to tear down our leaders.