Louis IX, King of France, lost his father at the age of twelve years. He was brought up under the godly care of his mother, Blanche of Castile. In the twentieth year of his reign, he fell grievously sick, and the thought then occurred to him of delivering Jerusalem out of the hands of the Moslems. On his health being restored, he received a banner from the Bishop of Paris, and crossed the sea with a very great army.  In his first battle he put the Saracens to flight, but, a great number of the soldiers perishing by disease, he was himself defeated and taken prisoner.

The King afterwards entered into treaty with the Saracens, and he and his army departed in peace. He remained five years in the East, during which he redeemed great numbers of Christians from slavery among the unbelievers, and also brought many of the infidels themselves to believe in Christ.  Moreover he rebuilt several cities of the Christians at his own cost. Meanwhile, his mother departed this life, whereby he was constrained to return home, where he gave himself up entirely to works of godliness.

He built many monasteries, and charitable institutions for the poor. By his alms he relieved the needy, and often visited the sick, for whom he not only provided at his own cost, but waited on them with his own hands with such things as they wanted. He wore a plain dress and constantly chastised his body with hair-cloth and fasting.  He crossed the sea to make war again upon the Saracens. His camp was pitched in sight of the enemy, but he was seized with pestilence, and died uttering the words: I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy Name. His body was afterwards carried to Paris, and it is kept and honoured in the famous Abbey Church of St. Denis, but his head in the oratory called La Sainte Chapelle. He was renowned for miracles, and Pope Boniface VIII enrolled his name among those of the Saints.

O God, who didst exalt blessed Louis thy Confessor, from an earthly realm to the glory of thy heavenly kingdom: grant, we pray thee, that by his merits and intercession; we may be made heirs of the King of kings, even Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.