Patriotism

What does it really mean to be a patriot?

Join Miss Katie for a special Tea Time as we discover that true freedom isn't simply being able to do whatever we want—it's having the freedom to choose what is good. Together, we'll explore what the Catholic Church teaches about patriotism and why Catholics are called to love, serve, and pray for their country while always placing God first.

Through inspiring stories and timeless truths, children will learn that faithful Catholics make the very best patriots because they seek the good of their neighbor, honor those who serve, and work to build a nation rooted in virtue. Most importantly, we'll remember that while we are grateful for our earthly homeland, our ultimate home is Heaven.

☕ Visit www.reginabooks.com to download the free family extension activity that accompanies this episode.

God bless America, and we'll see you next time for another Tea Time for Little Catholics! 🌹🕊️

Catholic printables from each episode?! Yes!

Check out Tea Time for Little Catholics Podcast — Regina Books to purchase a printable bundle of feast day activities to go along with today's podcast. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:43

Hello dear hearts and welcome back to Tea Time for Little Catholics. I'm Miss Katie and I'm so happy you've joined me today. This week in America, many families will celebrate the Fourth of July. You might see fireworks, wave little American flags, enjoy picnics, and hear people talking about a very important word. That word is freedom. But have you ever wondered what is freedom? And what does it really mean to be a patriot? That's a big word. We'll tackle that word in a little bit. But first let's discover together. Imagine you have a little goldfish. One morning the goldfish says I'm tired of swimming. I want to be free. I'm going to jump out of my bowl and live on the kitchen table. Would that fish be free? Oh no, the fish would be very unhappy because God made fish to live in water, not out of water on kitchen tables. Now imagine a bird saying I'm tired of flying. I want to live at the bottom of the ocean. Would that make the bird happier? Of course not. Birds were made for the sky. Now imagine a little train saying I'm tired of these tracks. I'm going wherever I want. Would that make the train more free? No, it would only get it into trouble. You see, dear hearts, freedom doesn't mean doing whatever we want. Freedom means having the ability to choose what is good. Let's listen to that again. Freedom means having the ability to choose what is good. Now you know that God made each one of us to know Him, love Him, serve Him, and one day live with Him forever in heaven. The more we choose what is good, the more we love and obey God, the freer we become. And when we are free, wow the things we can do to change the world. Now that is the kind of freedom Jesus came to give us. This week we celebrate another wonderful freedom. In America we have the freedom to worship God. Now this is very important because in not all countries of the world are people allowed to worship God the way that they would like to as Catholics. We in America can go to Mass, we can pray together, we're allowed to read the Bible and learn about Jesus. This is a wonderful blessing, and this is one of the biggest reasons we thank God for our country that we have the ability to worship our God as Catholics. We have that freedom. This is very important. Now Jesus reminds us that while we love our country, we must always love God first. That's what he meant when he said render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's. Do you remember Jesus said that in the gospels? We can be grateful citizens, but first and always we belong to who? Yes, we belong to God. Now I know that not everyone joining us for tea today is American, so I want to tell you something very special. Patriotism is not just for Americans. Celebrating your country and its freedoms are for everyone in every country. Currently I know we have tea time friends in many countries all throughout the world. We have friends in Canada, Italy, Australia, the UK, Japan, the Philippines, Brazil, and Guam, just to name a few. What a wonderful thing to have so many friends around the world. We are all connected through the kingdom of God. We are all children of God, no matter where we live. So this means that not one country or place in the world is better or more perfect to live. Jesus is calling you to be holy and practice freedom and patriotism where you are. Dear hearts, have you ever wondered why you were born where you were born? Why do you live where you live? In the time that you are in right now. Hmm, that's an interesting thought. God could have placed you anywhere in the whole wide world, or he could have chosen you to live hundreds of years ago when knights rode horses and castles filled hills. He could have chosen another country with another language and another flag. But he didn't. In his loving wisdom, God chose this family, this country, and this moment in history just for you listening. Now that wasn't an accident. God has a beautiful plan for your life. He placed you here so that you can become a saint and help the people around you become saints too. In his perfect wisdom, God knew that this time that you are in, in this family, this community, this country, all of these things are necessary for you to be holy, to be a saint. Therefore, every act of kindness you make, every prayer, every time you forgive, every time you obey your parents, every time you choose what is right, you are helping make your family, your parish, your neighborhood, and even your country a little more like heaven. Oh wow, what an amazing thought. And this is what will happen, right? The more we love each other and we practice our freedom to do good, the better our family, then our community, then our country becomes. Then the kingdom of heaven is born all over the world in each person's heart. Now here's a fun fact. Did you know the church has a beautiful tradition that God appoints angels to watch over nations and peoples? Just as each of us has our own guardian angel, many saints and theologians have believed that God also entrusts countries to the care of heavenly angels. Isn't that amazing? So we must remember to thank God for our guardian angels and ask him to bless our country, protect her people, guide her leaders, and help us all to become saints. So if you live in America, you can pray to the guardian angel of America. If you live in Japan, you can pray to the guardian angel of Japan. This is a very important and fun thing to do. Now let's tackle that hard word patriotism. Can you say that with me? Patriotism. Does anyone know what that means? Well, sometimes we can think that patriotism means waving a flag from your country. Or sometimes we think that it's singing songs of our country or watching fireworks, and these are all wonderful ways to celebrate and be patriotic. But a true patriot does even more. Patriotism is a grateful love for the country God has given us. A patriot thanks God for his country and does his best to make it a better place by loving God and others. So let's think about it. A true patriot loves who? Yes, a true patriot loves God. A true patriot prays for his country and loves his country. A true patriot obeys the just laws of their country. A true patriot serves others in their community and in their family. A true patriot tells the truth. A true patriot helps those in need. A true patriot works to make his country better by becoming holier. Oh my goodness gracious, did you know that you don't have to be a soldier in wars or in battles or a politician or the president in order to be a true patriot? Yes, all you have to do is to become a saint, to be holy yourself. Because holy people make strong families. Strong families build strong communities. Strong communities build strong nations. Patriotism is a virtue. This is actually a Christian virtue. So we as Catholics, big and small, are all called to be the best patriots, no matter where we live in the world. So if you are American, you are called to be a holy and patriotic American. Or if you are Canadian, you are called to be a holy and patriotic Canadian, and so forth. Now it's story time. I would like to tell you the story of the two flags. Once there was a little boy named Michael. Every morning on his way to school he passed two flags. Outside his school flew the American flag. Just a little farther down the road stood his parish church. Inside the church was a great crucifix. One day Michael asked his grandfather Grandpa, which one should I love more? Hmm His grandfather smiled. This is a very good question. Do you love the American flag more? Or do you love the crucifix more? I bet you know the answer, don't you? Because you're so smart. The grandfather said The American flag reminds us of the country God has given us to love and serve. And the cross reminds us of the king who gave his life to save us. We know that king is Jesus, right? So which comes first? asked Michael. The cross, grandpa said gently. When we love Jesus first, he teaches us how to love our country better. So if I become a saint, Michael said. And his grandfather finished his sentence, you'll become one of the very best patriots your country could ever have. Michael thought for a moment. So the best way to love America is to become holy. Grandpa smiled. You've understood perfectly. Now dear hearts, if you want to be a true patriot, you pray for your country. You be kind to your neighbors, you obey your parents, tell the truth, help those in need, go to Mass, become a saint, because the holiest citizens make the strongest nation. When Catholics become saints, they become true patriots. And when enough people become saints, families become stronger, communities become kinder, and countries become better. The best gift we can give our country is our holiness. Let's say that again. The best gift we can give our country is our holiness. So this week, when you see your flag waving proudly in the breeze, thank God for your country and for the freedoms you're able to enjoy. And when you see a crucifix, remember an even greater freedom, the freedom that Jesus won for us by his cross, the freedom to love God, to choose what is good and become saints. One day all the kingdoms of this world will pass away, but the kingdom of heaven will last forever. May we love our country well, always remembering that our greatest homeland is heaven. Well our tea time is almost over. Thank you for joining me today, dear hearts. I hope you'll remember that being a patriot isn't just about celebrating your country, it's about loving God first and allowing him to make us into saints. Dear parents, don't forget to visit www. reginabooks.com for free family extension activities connected to today's episode. Until next time, may the Lord's peace and goodness be with you, and may our lady's gentle beauty shine in your hearts for the whole world to see. God bless you, dear friends. Goodbye for now.