August 25 : Memorial of Saint Louis IX of France, + 1270; model ruler and father of eleven children; Franciscan tertiary who cared especially for lepers; built Sainte Chapelle in Paris as a reliquary for the crown of thorns; while on his second crusade, died of the plague near Tunis; patron of masons and sculptors.
Fatherly advice from St. Louis of France to his son.
St. Louis, King of France, was not only an exemplary monarch, he was also a remarkable father, desiring the best for his children.
Many monarchs in the history of the world were terrible parents, as they essentially let their children be raised by nurses and maids, having nothing to do with them.
St. Louis of France, on the other hand, was much more concerned about the upbringing of his children and desired that they lead a good and holy life.
This can be clearly seen in a spiritual testament St. Louis wrote to his son, which is featured in the Church’s Office of Readings. In it he provides the following five fatherly pieces of wisdom that any father can learn from and can pass on to their children.
1. LOVE GOD WITH YOUR ENTIRE BEING
My dearest son, my first instruction is that you should love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your strength. Without this there is no salvation.
2 ACCEPT ANY TRIAL THAT COMES YOUR WAY
If the Lord has permitted you to have some trial, bear it willingly and with gratitude, considering that it has happened for your good and that perhaps you well deserved it.
3. LEAD A LIFE OF PRAYER
Listen to the divine office with pleasure and devotion. As long as you are in church, be careful not to let your eyes wander and not to speak empty words, but pray to the Lord devoutly, either aloud or with the interior prayer of the heart.
4. LOVE THE POOR
Be kindhearted to the poor, the unfortunate and the afflicted. Give them as much help and consolation as you can... Always side with the poor rather that with the rich, until you are certain of the truth.
5.REMAIN FAITHFUL TO THE CHURCH
Be devout and obedient to our mother the Church of Rome and the Supreme Pontiff as your spiritual father.
St. Louis desired above all else to "practice what he preached," and his children could see that he was not simply Catholic in name, but truly believed every part of his Catholic faith.
He is a great intercessor for all fathers who want to provide what is best for their children, especially in the spiritual realm.
August 26 : Memorial of Saint Monica. Monica, +387 at Ostia; born in Tagaste in Roman Africa ( now Souk Abras, Algeria); after thirty years of prayer, she obtained the conversion of her dissolute pagan husband; under the guidance of St. Ambrose, she won the conversion of her eldest son, Augustine; patroness of mother.
August 28 : Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop, Doctor of the Church. Augustine, + 430 in Hippo Regius ( now modern day Annaba, Algeria); born in Tagaste, north Africa ( now Souk Abras, Algeria); after a dissolute life, he received baptism at age thirty-three from St. Ambrose; elected bishop of Hippo Regius; combatted Manichees, the Donatists, and Pelagius; most noted for his ‘Confessions ‘ and ‘ City of God’; over 500 homilies are extant; considered a founder of monastic life in the West, his Rule ( whose mantra for community life is ‘ anima una et cor unum in Deum ) is observed by some 100 religious communities today; considered the founder of the Order of Saint Augustine [ O.S.A.], today numbering some 2,500 religious; one of the four great doctors of the Latin Church; called the “ Doctor of Grace.”
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A common prayer to St. Augustine, reflecting his well-known quote, is:
" O holy Saint Augustine, who has famously declared that
Our hearts were made for you, O Lord,
and they are restless until they rest in you,
'aid me in my own search for our Lord."
This prayer seeks St. Augustine's intercession for wisdom in discerning God's will and courage to follow it, ultimately leading to a life worthy of God's love.
August 29: Memorial of The Passion of Saint John the Baptist. Today’s Memorial originates in the celebration of the dedication, perhaps on this day, of the church of St.John at Sebaste ( Samaria ) where, according to tradition, John the Baptist was buried by his disciples.
We are called to holiness and uprightness of life. John won for himself the crown of martyrdom by being beheaded.
