Saint Who?
Saints Who Had Family Challenges
Saint Louis IX of France
Married layman († 1270) Feast: August 25
King Louis IX of France was the epitome of a Catholic ruler. His political decisions were guided by his faith, not his pride. He protected the poor from the rich through legislative and financial reforms. He was a courageous military leader, taking to the battlefield himself when necessary.
But he was also a son, a husband, and a father. Louis’ father died when he was twelve years old, a great blow for any son, even more so when the father is a king. Louis’ mother, Blanche, prudently governed France, and even defeated ambitious barons who tried to take control of the kingdom, until Louis turned twenty-one and became king.
Louis was married to Margaret, the daughter of a count, when he was fourteen years old and she was thirteen, a typical practice at the time. Although Blanche was a devout woman who taught him to fear mortal sin, she was also sometimes unkind to Margaret and envious of Margaret’s influence over her son. Despite the pressure of being king and responding to family fights—some of the wars Louis had to fight were with his own relatives by blood or marriage—Louis and Margaret were happily married. Together they had five sons and six daughters, whom Louis loved and tried to form into good Christians, just like any good father.
Loving Father, show us how to defeat envy
in our families through holiness.
