Magnificent cathedrals, monasteries, and universities drew some of God's people to the light of God's Word. But surrounding streets and countryside teemed with folk lost in the shadows of superstition and fear. Cords of a common faith united people from far flung lands. But ambition and greed ran riot in the many political divisions of those lands and in the Church as well. Still, it was that simple faith that dominated most people's lives.
Life is brief, and at the end await judgment and eternity.
It is how you live that matters, and, thank God, His grace is available to peasant and prince alike. Obviously, that same throne loomed in little Louis' future and his mother, Blanche of Castile, did all she could to prepare him for it. Instead of sending her baby out to a nurse, as many other royal mothers did, Blanche kept Louis with her and assumed almost total control over his life. Even more important to Blanche was Louis' religious education. She taught him to love God and honor Poissy, the place of his baptism.