Latest / Vox Liturgica / St. Louis | King of France | pre-1955 Missal | Latin Mass Readings | 8/25/2026

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St. Louis | King of France | pre-1955 Missal | Latin Mass Readings | 8/25/2026 · Vox Liturgica

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  Vox Liturgica: The propers of the day according to the Roman Missal before 1955. The feast of Saint Louis, king of France, August 25 in the year of our Lord 2026.
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  Of today's feast, Dom Gaspar Lefebvre writes the following, Louis the ninth born in 12/15 became king of France at the age of 12 and was very piously brought up by his mother, Queen Blanche, who taught him to rather death than to commit a mortal sin. He liked to be called Louis Of Poissy, the place where he had been baptized to show that his title of Christian was his most glorious title of nobility. Despising the pleasures of the world, he only strove to please Jesus Christ, the true king and was, says Vox Liturgica, the holiest and most just king who has ever worn the crown.
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  Assiduous in attending the offices of the church, he ordered them to be solemnly celebrated in his palace where every day he heard two masses. At midnight, he awoke for Matins and began his royal day with the office of prime. He introduced in his chapel the custom of genuflecting at the words in the credo, homo factus est and was made man and of bowing down humbly at the passage in the passion when Jesus expires. Both these pious practices were adopted by the church. They impute to me as a crime my assiduity at prayer, he would say, but not a word would be said if I gave to play or to the hunt the hours I give to prayer.
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  But never did his piety hinder him from devoting to the affairs of the kingdom, the greater part of his time. Having recovered from a serious illness, he made a vow to undertake a crusade to reconquer Jerusalem. At first victorious he fell into the hands of the Saracens. Restored to freedom, he remained five years in the East helping the Christians. On his return to France, he made many pious foundations and built the Sans Chepel as a precious reliquary for the holy crown of thorns and the important particle of the true cross which Baldwin II, Emperor of Constantinople, had made him a present of.
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  Most austere himself, he was most charitable to others and used to say, it is more meat for a king to ruin himself in alms for God's sake than in pomp and vainglory. Often, says Jean Ville, I have seen the good king after mass go to the wood at Vincennes, Sit down at the foot of an oak tree and there listen to all who had to speak to him. A servant of Christ he continually wore the cross to show that his vow remain unaccomplished. He undertook in 1270 another crusade but an epidemic decimated his army in Africa and struck him down. With his arms crossed and lying on a bed of ashes, he gave up his soul to God in the year of our Lord 1270 at the same hour as Christ died on the cross.
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  He was heard to repeat the day before his death, we shall go to Jerusalem. It was in reality the heavenly Jerusalem conquered by his patients in the midst of his adversities where he was to reign with the king of kings. In the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy ghost. Amen. The introit.
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  Right reason is on the good man's lips. Well waited are all his counsels. The law of God rules in his heart. Allay thy impatience with the wicked. Envy not the lot of evildoers.
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  Glory be to the father and to the son and to the holy ghost as it was in the beginning is now and will be through all ages of ages. Amen. Right reason is on the good man's lips. Well weighted are all his counsels. The law of God rules in his heart.
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  The Collect, let us pray. O God, who didst remove thy blessed confessor Louis from an earthly throne to the glory of thy heavenly kingdom, Grant we pray thee through his merits and prayers that we may have fellowship with the king of kings, thy son, Jesus Christ, who is God living and reigning with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost God through all ages of ages. Amen. A lesson from the wisdom of Sirach. The Lord guided his faithful servant to his goal and on the way showed him the heavenly kingdom, gave him knowledge of holy things.
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  He enriched him by his toil and gave all his labors a happy issue. Navery went about to get the better of him, but the Lord stood by him and prospered him, Kept him safe from his enemies. Protected him from their scheming. He would have him wrestle manfully and prove that there is no strength like the strength of wisdom. When the innocent man was sold for a slave wisdom did not desert him, did not leave him in the hands of his persecutors but went down with him into his dungeon.
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  Fast was he bound but she had not finished with him till she gave him dominion over a whole kingdom and power to do what he would with his persecutors. So she brought home the lie to those who trudiced him. And the Lord our God granted him everlasting fame. The gradual. The just man shall flourish like the palm tree.
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  In the house of the Lord he shall grow to greatness like the cedars of Lebanon to proclaim thy mercy in the morning and thy truth in the night. Alleluia. Alleluia. Blessed is he who endures under trials. When he has proved his worth, he shall win the crown of life.
• 8:07
  Alleluia. A continuation of the holy gospel according to Luke. At that time, Jesus told his disciples this parable. There was a man of noble birth who went away to a distant country to have the royal title bestowed on him and so return. He summoned 10 of his servants to whom he gave £10 and said to them, trade with this while I am away.
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  But his fellow citizens hated him and sent ambassadors after him to say, we will not have this man for our king. Afterwards, when he came back as king, he sent for the servants to whom he had entrusted the money to find out how much each of them had gained by his use of it. The first came before him and said, Lord, thy pound has made 10 pounds. And he said to him, well done, my true servant. Since thou has been faithful over a very little, thou shalt have authority over 10 cities.
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  The second came and said, Lord, thy pound has made five pounds. And to him he said, thou too shalt have authority over five cities. Then another came and said, Lord, here is thy pound. I have kept it laid up in a handkerchief. I was afraid of thee, knowing thee for an exacting man.
• 10:02
  Thou dost claim what thou didst never venture. Dost reap what thou didst never sow. Then he said to him, thou false servant, I take my judgment from thy own lips. Thou knewest that I was an exacting man, claiming what I never ventured, and reaping what I never sowed. Then why didst thou not put my money into the bank so that I might have recovered it with interest when I came?
• 10:37
  Then he gave orders to those who stood by. Take the pound away from him and give it to the man who has 10 pounds. They said to him, Lord, he has 10 already. Nay, but I tell you, if ever a man is rich gifts will be made to him and his riches will abound. If he is poor even the little he has will be taken from him.
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  The offertory, my truth and my mercy shall be with him and in my name shall his horn be exalted. The secret, Grant we pray thee almighty God that the prayer of thy blessed confessor Louis who spurned the attractions of this world and sought only to please Christ the king may render us acceptable to thee through the same Jesus Christ, thy son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God through all ages of ages. Amen. The common preface. Just it is indeed and fitting, right and for our salvation, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks unto thee, O Holy Lord, Father Almighty, everlasting God, through whom the angels praise thy majesty, the dominions worship it, the power stand in awe, the heavens and the hosts of heaven together with the blessed Seraphim joyfully do magnify.
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  We entreat thee that thou command it be permitted us to join with them in confessing thee while we say with lowly praise. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts. The heavens and the earth are full of thy glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
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  Hosanna in the highest. The communion. Blessed is that servant who is found on the watch when the Lord comes. Amen, I say to you, he shall place him over all his goods. The post communion.
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  Let us pray. God who didst make thy blessed confessor Louis wonderful on earth and glorious in heaven. We pray thee, ordain that he shall be thy church's champion through our Lord Jesus Christ, thy son, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God through all ages of ages. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
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  Amen. Saint Louis, pray for us.