A Student’s Psalm

Title

A Student’s Psalm

Creator

Umali, Elias de Jesus

Language

English

Year

1941

Subject

Prayers.

Children.

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

MARCH, 1941 THE YOUNG CITIZEN 109 CHARACTER AND CITIZENSHIP SECTION RESPECT OUR FLAG By JUANA_ SAEZ PABLO• Two BOYS were talking on their way to school. · Their conversation attracted my .attention. The younger of the two was asking an important question. The question was: "Why do we lift our hats to the Philippine flag? It is only a piece of cloth of different colors." The older boy looked at his companion and replied, "My friend, you are a young boy and· do not know for what our flag stands. Will you listen, and I will tell you." This is what he said: "Our flag is symbolic of our beloved Philippines. Each device and color on that piece of clo.th has a meaning.. The sun stands for liberty and freedom. The three stars represent the three great islands, Luzon, Mindanao, and the Visayas. The eight rays of the sun are symbolic of the eight provinces which revolted against the Spanish government. "Of its colors, red stands for bravery and signifies the blood shed by Filipino patriotsj white stands for purity; blue stands for peace and contentment. "When we see the Philippine flag, we lift our hats to show our respect and love for our country, for our flag is the symbol of our country. Therefore we should honor and respect our flag.'' The younger boy ·looked serious as ·he replied, "Now I understand why we lift our hats as the flag goes by, and why we should respect and honor it. It stands for our native land. We should all respect it. We should protect it from any enemy and from dishonor." (Please turn to page u7.) •Teacher, Gregorio del Pilar Elementary School, Manila. A STUDENT'S PSALM By ELIAS DE JESUS UMALI • UNTO THEE, 0 loving teacher, do we give our grateful thanks 1 for thy n~me is gladness in our hearts. We exal't thee high with pride, for thy kindness to us is great. . For e'er since childhood's early years, when first we heard thy loving call, thou hast guided our young minds into the paths of right understanding. Thou hast often counselled us to follow after thy will, thy reason, and thy example. We have tried to follow after thy· footsteps, though often. we have fallen or slipped on the way; but thy guiding and sustaining hand was ever near · to ·hold'us up, to lift us from wher·e we had fallen, and to set us again on the .right path. Often we have been stubborn against thy will; and have caused thine eyes to shed tears. We have brought to thee trouble by our lack of understanding. - · Thou hast often looked to us for the kindness that thou thyself hast shown unto us. Thou hast often longed for love, such as thou hast given us. How often wert thou disappointea ! We have mocked thee, and spoken ill of thee .• We have thought of thee as being unjust. Thy words we have· heeded . not, nor did we turn our ears to thy pleadings. As thou w·ert human, so wert thou also prone to err. In thy mistakes we took delight, and in thy weaknesses we .mocked thee. Yet thy love for · us was never greater than when we hated thee .. (Please turn to page 1·17.) •Student, The Union Theological Seminary, Manila. MAR.CH, 19+1 THE YOUNG CITIZEN I I 7 EARLY CIVILIZATION The new masters rebuilt RESPECT OUR FLAG (Continued from page 107) the old city of Ba by Ion and (Continued from page 109) · northern kingdom ·.of the made it their capital. Here That ended their conHebrews (called Israel) lived and ruled N ebuchad- versation. I am sure that and carried away as cap- nezzar, greatest of the Chai- in the hearts of those boys tives part of its people. dean e~perors. He en- is a strong love and respect Sargon's son Sennacherib larged the city and built for the .flag of their country, (705 to 681 B.C.) destroyed enormous walls around it, and a desire to have 'heir the ancient city of Babylon, like the walls of old Ma- flag clean of every stain that and even turned the waters nila, only larger and strong- could cause its dishonor. of the canal over its ruins. er. He constructed some Young reader; do you have Sargon II had built for wonderful hanging . gar- that sai;ne respect for the himself a palace far sur- dens, which the Greeks flag? passing anything else yet counted as one of the seven built · the buildings covered wonders of the world. This 25 a~res and were large is the Babylon described in enough to shelter 80,000 the Bible a~ _the city of people But this was not Hebrew captivity, after the DO THIS Study about the meaning of our flag . . Then tell it in your own words. h . f · h" S destruction of the Hebrew enoug . or is son en- . J 1 - - - - - - - - - - - . h "b d h b ·1 city erusa em. A STUDENT'S PSALM nae en , an e Ul t as s I B b r . d h. "t 1 th d "t evera a Y oman an (Continued from page 109) is cap1 a e prou c1 y A . d 11 f · h . ssynan recor s te o a of N mevah on t e upper fl d h" h How often at night, with · . . . great oo w 1c once . . part of the nver T1gns. covered all the land, and tears and supphcat10ns, Thousands of clay tablets how a man and his family hast thou taken our names, have been discovered in the were saved. The flood is one by one, before the ruins of Ninevah. This is represented as sent on earth Heavenly Fathe_ r:s thro_ne the.earliest library of which f th · f en of grace beseechmg Him or e sms o m . . we know and in it were Th t f th" ft d that somehow our hves , e accoun o is oo . · . religious scientific and · t l · I might change. And our hves , , was written on we ve c ay h · d d h d literary works, all carefully tablets found in . the ruins avTehm ee ' ck_ ange · 1 d . . ou wert md! Thou cata ogue . of the palace at Nmevah. bl 1 B 1 d ·h Th d f h. A · p· f f h 1 wert no e. e ove teac _ e en o t is ssynan 1ctures o two o t ese c ay h k h f h. · · 606 B C bl h er, we t an t ee, or t ou . empire came m . . ta ets are s own on page d"d t 1 . h · . h · ·. 0 1 s strugg ·e wit us wit . A desert tnbe called the 1 7. t" d 1 · · · k" d . . . . . . . f pa 1ence an ovmg m - Chaldeans Jomed with the The great c1v1hzat1on o . B . . d A • f. 11 ness. Medes, a tribe from the abyloma an °'~ssyna e , S 1 th r· · f d . . h ure y y un iring e - East and conquered Nine- and the Ian ever since as f t h b ht ' b 1 d b f . or s ave roug us to a vah, the mighty ~ity of the een ru e Y a oreign realization of our short! Assyrians. Two hundred people. comings. As long as our years later a Greek historian memory lasts, .thy kindness, could not even learn the REVIEW patience, and love shall be name of the ruins where 1. Read and study about our treasure, our benediconce Ninevah had stood. this interesting civilization. tion.

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