The following copyrighted excerpt is reprinted with permission from All Things Guy: A Guide to Becoming a Man that Matters written for Catholic boys aged 9-14:
"Along
with patriotism, there is citizenship. You are a citizen of a country. This is
what makes you American, Mexican, or French for example. There are a lot of
rights and responsibilities that come with citizenship in a country. In many
instances, people have died to help obtain the rights and freedoms everyone
enjoys.
"This
is why gratitude to those who are in your history—and obviously knowing about
them—is important. Just like there are Catholics who have gone before you in your
faith history, so there are county-men who have gone before you in your
nation’s history.
"However,
first and foremost your citizenship is in Heaven. You have a place there
because you were baptized. This is your calling—your destiny. Granted, you're
not there yet. You have some work to do in order to get there. It began with
your baptism and continues each day that you do your best to live for Jesus. Always
remember that you have to know, love and serve God before you can become a
citizen of Heaven for good! But you can do it if you persevere in this life on
earth.
"Think about it: in order to be a good citizen here on earth you have responsibilities. As you grow up and become a man, it's important that you learn about your country and what goes on in it. That’ll be part history and part current events. You need to know what happened before—so mistakes don’t have to be made over and over again—and what’s happening now."
"Think about it: in order to be a good citizen here on earth you have responsibilities. As you grow up and become a man, it's important that you learn about your country and what goes on in it. That’ll be part history and part current events. You need to know what happened before—so mistakes don’t have to be made over and over again—and what’s happening now."
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