Sunday

+This week selected  words of advice from St Louis IX of France  (13th century) to his son but which we can apply to our lives as well.

…the first thing I advise is that you fix your whole heart upon God,
and love Him with all your strength, for without this no one can be saved or be of any
worth.
You should, with all your strength, shun everything which you believe to be
displeasing to Him. And you ought especially to be resolved not to commit mortal sin, no
matter what may happen and should permit all your limbs to be hewn off, and suffer
every manner of torment , rather than fall knowingly into mortal sin.
5. If our Lord send you any adversity, whether illness or other in good patience, and
thank Him for it, thing, you should receive it in good patience and be thankful for it, for
you ought to believe that He will cause everything to turn out for your good; and likewise
you should think that you have well merited it, and more also, should He will it, because
you have loved Him but little, and served Him but little, and have done many things
contrary to His will.

Prayer:  Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven,… (Matthew 7:21)

 

Monday

If our Lord send you any prosperity, either health of body or other thing you ought to
thank Him humbly for it, and you ought to be careful that you are not the worse for it,
either through pride or anything else, for it is a very great sin to fight against our Lord
with His gifts.
Dear son, I advise you that you accustom yourself to frequent confession, and that you
choose always, as your confessors, men who are upright and sufficiently learned, and
who can teach you what you should do and what you should avoid. You should so carry
yourself that your confessors and other friends may dare confidently to reprove you and
show you your faults.

 

Prayer:  I can do all these things in him who strengtheneth me. (Phil 4:13)

 

Tuesday

I advise you that you listen willingly and devoutly the services of Holy
Church, and, when you are in church, avoid to frivolity and trifling, and do not look here
and there; but pray to God with lips and heart alike, while entertaining sweet thoughts
about Him, and especially at the mass, when the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ
are consecrated, and for a little time before.
…have a tender pitiful heart for the poor, and for all those whom you believe to
be in misery of heart or body, and, according to your ability, comfort and aid them with
some alms.

 

Prayer:  Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of thy glory, Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:  Hosanna in the highest. (Sanctus from the Mass)

 

Wednesday

Love all good, and hate all evil, in whomsoever it may be.
…Let no one be so bold as to say, in your presence, words which attract and lead to sin,
and do not permit words of detraction to be spoken of another behind his back.
…Suffer it not that any ill be spoken of God or His saints in your presence, without
taking prompt vengeance. But if the offender be a clerk or so great a person that you
ought not to try him, report the matter to him who is entitled to judge it.
…Dear son, give thanks to God often for all the good things He has done for you, so
that you may be worthy to receive more, in such a manner that if it please the Lord that
you come to the burden and honor of governing the kingdom…

 

Prayer: Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven…  (Matthew 7:21)

 

Thursday

Honor and love all the people of Holy Church, and be careful that no violence be
done to them, and that their gifts and alms, which your predecessors have bestowed upon
them, be not taken away or diminished.
…Dear son, I advise you that you try with all your strength to avoid warring against any
Christian man, unless he have done you too much ill. And if wrong be done you, try
several ways to see if you can find how you can secure your rights, before you make war [or get into personal conflict];
and act thus in order to avoid the sins which are committed in warfare.

Prayer:    And we know that to them that love God, all things work together unto good, to such as, according to his purpose, are called to be saints. (Romans 8:28)

 

Friday

freely give power to persons of good character, who know how to use it
well, and strive to have wickednesses expelled from your land, that is to say, nasty oaths,
and everything said or done against God or our Lady or the saints. In a wise and proper
manner put a stop, in your land, to bodily sins, dicing, taverns, and other sins. Put down
heresy so far as you can, and hold in especial abhorrence Jews, and all sorts of people
who are hostile to the Faith [*this was Christian state so safeguarding the people from error was the role of the civil government as well as the Church]
so that your land may be well purged of them, in such
manner as, by the sage counsel of good people, may appear to you advisable.
…Further the right with all your strength. Moreover I admonish you that you strive most
earnestly to show your gratitude for the benefits which our Lord has bestowed upon you,
and that you may know how to give Him thanks therefor.e

 

Prayer:   The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary and she conceived of the Holy Ghost  (start of the Angelus Prayer)

 

Saturday

In conclusion, dear son, I give you all the blessings which a good and tender father
can give to a son, and I pray our Lord Jesus Christ, by His mercy, by the prayers and
merits of His blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary, and of angels and archangels and of all
the saints, to guard and protect you from doing anything contrary to His will, and to give
you grace to do it always, so that He may be honored and served by you. And this may
He do to me as to you, by His great bounty, so that after this mortal life we may be able
to be together with Him in the eternal life, and see Him, love Him, and praise Him
without end. Amen. And glory, honor, and praise be to Him who is one God with the
Father and the Holy Spirit; without beginning and without end. Amen.

 

Prayer:   We adore Thee O Christ and we bless Thee for by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.