Once our mind is made up, we can and should look for opportunities in the ordinary circumstances of our life to do something good and positive. Any initiative — no matter how big or small — that can lift up the hopes of those around us and strengthen their trust in the future of the country would be worthwhile. If there are enough of such initiatives, and these get to spread and multiply, then in time a decisive difference can be made for our country’s progress and our people’s welfare.

Making up our mind and deciding to do something for our country and our people would mean saying "no" to softness. We can not afford to be lazy or indifferent. We can not tolerate low standards and poor-quality work. We can not go on living with our defects, without fighting against them, since those defects put a stain on our nation’s landscape. Instead, we have to demand, starting with ourselves and ending with others who live and work with us, high standards of ethics, professionalism, and spirit of service at home, in school and at work, and also even in the social and national environment of our country.

To rise up to such a tall demand, the call to responsible citizenship needs answers from a generous disposition of the will. A generous will forgets self and narrow self-interest. It submits to God’s will and the needs of the people. It is guided by divine lights in its pro-active search for positive ways to contribute and add real value to the common good of the country. It never rests, and it does not allow itself to be discouraged.

Precisely because the common good of the country and the welfare of the people are at stake, a generous will and strong patriotic commitment are good not only at beginning, but also at sustaining the momentum no matter how big the odds and difficult the obstacles as well as at ending with successful outcomes. Responsible citizens never waver. They persevere. They keep up the good fight and they never give up. That is why they are never merely defensive; they also go on the offensive. They also never fight alone; they reach out to others so that these others can share the burden and also carry the torch forward. They never stop until that torch reaches home, where progress has been achieved and the greatest welfare for the biggest number of our fellow citizens won.

The guarantee for such strength of will and commitment to perseverance up to the very end comes from love, the love we should all have for our country and our people. That love has to be operative. Its flame has to be kept alive; and this can flicker on provided it is fed every day with many small, yet no less heroic deeds, decided and done with generosity of will, human fervor and diligence, and ultimately also trust in God.