St.
Louis
Bertrand, O.P. (1526-1581)
His
early years – On January 1, 1526, one hundred and seven years after the
death of St. Vincent Ferrer, another Dominican saint was born in
Valencia
– St. Louis Bertrand.
He was actually baptized
in the same Church and font in which
St. Vincent
had been baptized. Louis’s father, John, was related to and had an ardent
devotion to
Saint Vincent. He passed that
devotion to his son – one which Louis treasured throughout his life.
Louis
has been described as “a fretful child and nothing seemed to comfort him except
the sight of the holy images in the churches”. (Wilberforce 15) However, at an early age, he dedicated
himself to the service of God and his studies. He learned to read and recite
the Office of Our Lady before he was eight years old. As he grew older, he seldom
spoke “unless the conversation turned upon spiritual matters”. (Wilberforce 17)
His
entry into the Dominican Order – Louis was certain he would save his soul
as a Dominican, but his father objected to his joining the Order, believing he
was better suited for the Carthusians. His father acquiesced only after Louis
told him he would rather die than leave the Order. He made his Dominican profession on August
27, 1545.
Prayer
and fasting for Louis, as it must be for all Dominicans, was an essential part
of his life. He devoted two hours every
morning and two hours every evening to mental prayer. After dinner he spent a half hour with the
Blessed Mother. He especially loved the
Eucharist and often remained prostrate before the Blessed Sacrament for extended
periods of time. He “languished with
weakness whenever he was prevented from celebrating the holy sacrifice.” (Wilberforce
91)
When
not actually praying in these ways, Louis was always conscious of the Divine
Presence.
He frequently meditated on our
Lord’s Passion.
The crucifix was his constant companion. In
it our Saint insisted “you will find whatever you need”. (Wilberforce 73)
He
also loved the Rosary, constantly reciting its mysteries.
He taught it to his converts and depended on
the intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary for the success of his preaching. “Many
miraculous favors,” we are told, “were granted to those who devoutly used
rosaries that had been blessed” by Louis. (Wilberforce 173)
Novice Master – At the age of twenty-six and after having only been a priest
for four years, Louis was appointed Master of Novices, serving with distinction
in that capacity at six different times in his life and for a total of thirty
years. He frequently referred to St. Vincent’s
Treatise on the Spiritual Life, challenging
his novices to see “which one of us shall be the imitator of this great man,
whose equal is not to be found in this world”. (Pradel 184)
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