Commemoration of the Sufferings of Jesus Christ, Our Lord

4 MAY 2010.Today the Dominican Order is called in a special way to commemorate the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The traditional texts are from the Dominican Rite. Formerly called the "Crown of Thorns," today's commemoration recalls the gift of a thorn from Christ's crown, made to the Order by Saint Louis IX, King of France in 1239.

A rendering of today's Collect from the Dominican Rite:

Præsta, quæsumus, omnipotens Deus: ut, qui in memoriam passionis Domini nostri Jesu Christi Coronam ejus spineam veneramur in terris, ab ipso gloria et honore coronari mereamur in cælis: Qui tecum vivit et regnat...

Grant, we beg, almighty God: that we, who in memory of the passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ do revere His thorny Crown on earth, by Him may deserve "to be crowned with glory and honour" (cf. Ps 8:6) in heaven: Who with Thee liveth and reigneth...

Saint Louis IX

25 AUGUST 2009. Today the Church celebrates the memorial of Saint Louis IX, King of France from 12126-1270. Louis was canonized by Pope Boniface VIII in 1297, and is the only French monarch to be canonized a saint. Louis was also a tertiary of the Trinitarians. In his day, Saint Louis was perceived as the exemplary Christian prince and, because of his renown, many places are named after him, including St. Louis, Missouri.

Louis was born in 1214 in Poissy, France, the son of King Louis VIII. When he was 12, Louis' father died and he was named king. His mother, though, served as ruler of France, as regent, until Louis reached the age of 21. During his reign, Louis conducted two crusades and is reported to have been known for his piety and kindness to the poor. Apparently, it would have been unthinkable among the contemporaries of Louis, for him to not have conducted crusades to the Holy Land.

Under Louis, France enjoyed its pinnacle of political strength and economic wealth in Europe. Louis' patronage in architecture radiated throughout Europe, and can be seen clearly in his personal chapel the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris.