St. Louis, King of France, Confessor (25 August) ~ Dom Prosper Guéranger

About this sermon

On August 25, Dom Prosper Guéranger’s The Liturgical Year honors St. Louis IX, King of France and Confessor, one of the greatest examples of Catholic kingship. Guéranger begins with a profound principle: it was St. Louis’ Christian faith that made him a great prince. A ruler is not exempt from the law of God; rather, he bears responsibility not only for himself but also for the people entrusted to his care. For St. Louis, there was no division between the Christian and the king: “God was his end; faith was his guide.” As a Christian he served Christ. As a prince, he governed as Christ’s lieutenant. The reading explores Catholic teaching on civil authority, Church and State, the formation of Louis by Blanche of Castile, his humility, prayer, service of the poor, courage in captivity, and his final Crusade. Perhaps most moving are his last instructions to his son Philip: Love God first. Avoid mortal sin. Accept adversity with patience. Help the poor. Defend justice. Honor the Church. As death approached, St. Louis received the sacraments, invoked the saints, was laid upon ashes, and surrendered his soul to God at the hour traditionally associated with Christ’s death on Calvary. ⚜️ St. Louis IX, King of France, pray for us! 00:00 St. Louis IX, King of France & Confessor 00:19 His Christian Faith Made Him a Great King 00:50 Kings Are Answerable to God 01:05 The Ultimate Purpose of Government 01:29 Civil Authority Under a Higher End 02:24 Christ as the Source of True Justice 02:47 “O Ye Kings, Understand” 03:20 The Church & Civil Rulers 03:45 Pope Leo XIII on Church and State 04:16 Two Powers With Distinct Missions 04:40 Temporal and Eternal Authority 05:13 Princes & Nations Subject to God 05:36 Can a State Behave as if God Does Not Exist? 06:02 The Duty of Government to Protect Religion 06:19 St. Augustine: How Kings Serve God 06:34 Laws Must Command Good & Forbid Evil 07:22 The Example of St. Louis IX 07:30 “God Was His End; Faith Was His Guide” 07:47 Christian & King in One Undivided Soul 08:18 Crowned King at Age 12 08:35 Blanche of Castile 09:01 Rebellion Against the Young King 09:49 Blanche Saves France 10:14 Following His Mother’s Formation 10:38 The Childlike Humility of a Saint-King 11:03 Baptism Above the Royal Crown 11:11 Prayer, Fasting & Service of the Poor 11:36 St. Louis in Captivity 12:01 How Disaster Made Him a Saint 12:17 Humility Does Not Mean Weakness 12:40 A Christian King Before His Enemies 12:56 Nights in Prayer, Days Serving the Poor 13:37 The Final Crusade 14:00 The Crown of Thorns & His Final Trial 14:09 An Apostle as Much as a Soldier 14:50 Plague Strikes the Christian Army 15:07 St. Louis’ Final Instructions to His Son 15:14 “Set Thy Heart to Love God” 15:24 Avoid Mortal Sin at Any Cost 15:38 Receive Adversity With Patience 15:54 Do Not Abuse God’s Gifts 16:03 Be Generous to the Poor 16:19 Love Good and Hate Evil 16:35 Administer Justice Without Partiality 16:51 Honor the Church 17:00 Devotion to Rome and the Pope 17:15 Fight Sin Within the Kingdom 17:32 A Father’s Final Blessing 17:54 St. Louis’ Final Illness 18:03 Receiving the Sacraments 18:18 Invoking the Saints 19:02 Laid Upon Ashes at Death 19:10 St. Louis Gives His Soul to God 19:27 The Church’s Account of His Life 19:45 The First Crusade 20:11 Five Years in the East 20:28 Monasteries, Hospitals & the Poor 20:46 Fasting and Mortification 20:52 His Final Expedition to Africa 21:00 His Last Prayer 21:14 Relics of St. Louis 21:29 Guéranger’s Prayer to the Saint-King 22:17 France, Faith & Catholic Tradition 23:05 Lessons From the Kings After St. Louis 24:11 France’s Trials & St. Joan of Arc 25:11 Recovering the Spiritual Inheritance 25:43 St. Louis’ Final Warning to Catholic Rulers https://sensusfidelium.com/the-liturgical-year-dom-prosper-gueranger/august/august-25-st-louis-king-of-france-confessor/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 ✝️ SUPPORT THE MISSION 🙏 Donate https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 📬 Free Catholic Newsletter https://sensusfidelium.com/newsletter/ 📰 Read on Substack https://sensusfidelium.substack.com/ ──────────────────── 📺 WATCH & READ 📺 Sensus Fidelium App https://sensusfidelium.tv/ 📚 Sensus Fidelium Press https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ 👕 Official Merchandise https://sensusfidelium.com/merchandise/ ──────────────────── 🤝 PARTNER WITH US 📣 Advertise on Sensus Fidelium https://sensusfidelium.com/advertise-with-sensus-fidelium/ 🎤 Invite Steve Cunningham to Speak https://sensusfidelium.com/speaking/ ⛪ Parish Formation & Consultation https://sensusfidelium.com/for-parishes/ ──────────────────── 🌎 CATHOLIC COMMUNITY ✝️ Trusted Catholic Businesses https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 #StLouisIX #DomProsperGueranger #TheLiturgicalYear #CatholicKing #CatholicKingship #CatholicFrance #ChristianKingship #CatholicSaints #ChurchAndState #BlancheOfCastile #Crusades #CrownOfThorns #CatholicHistory #August25 #SensusFideliu