The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-22
FATHER BOARMAN'S SERMON.
Discourse Delivered by Him at West
Indianapolis.

| Rev. Marshall Boarman delivered a SER
mon on THE Purposes of Creation at the
Catholic Church in West Indianapolis last
night. His text was Fear God and keep
| His commandments: for this is all man
Fec. xii, Is. Father Boarman spoke in part
as follows:
our eyes fixed on heaven, our hearts
buoyant with hope, humbly let US kneeI at
the throne of grace and ask tonight one IA
Vor-and that Is, that we may solve we'll
the problem of life's aim and purpose Why
and move and have our being? Whence
came we, and whittier are we drifting {?
what must we ac4 ompiish in life to be hailed
at It's close with that magic word success
In the solution OF this Sou-Stirring problem
the sophists of old erred, and the sophists
OF to-day have not grasped the truth.
Some have taught, with Buddha that the
ann or life Is nirvana, attained by complete
quletlsm of the senses, absolute rest non
perception. Is this life's aim? Were it so,
then that which is lifeless in nature and
lowest were far happier and nobler than we
ana the rocks and the water and the with
reach by their works, If not by their words
that the aim of life is the amassing of
rlcheS. But what are riches money and
what 1t represents of wares and chattels and
lands. Now, these are the servants Of man
ana are used as he wills. Man is the mas
Ter, they the slaves. Riches are for man.
to serve him in accord with reason. and
man himself is destined for greater things
raise teachers have told us again that the
ure, both carnal and intellectual Carnal
pleasure is common to man and the brute.
IL Is transient, momentary, accidental, and,
When used in the light of reason, is for the
good or the whole man. Intellectual pleas
ure, though nobler far and higher, is still
subject to many of the defects of carnal
pleasure, and is reaped only by hard study
and by affiiction of the flesh. Pleasures are
Tor the benefit of the whole man, and the
question mooted is What is the aim of
man, together with his pleasures and sor-
rows" Those who have sought pleasure
alone as the purpose Of life have, in the end,
Joined in the moan of Solomon, signing
vanity or Vanities, and all is Vanityu
Others have taught that fame and the
honor of a great name on earth form the
An emanatlon from the common breath of
men. The breath that cries to-day Ho-
sannah to the son of David and to-mor-
row, Cruelty him, cruelty him. The lau-
rel wreath and the jeweled crown have
adorned the brow of many d scoundrel and
those who would astride the world a CO.
or olympus, may expect to be hurled into
the fathomless pit of oblivion, and I'm their
dying moan gasp, Had | served my God
With half the zeal l served my king l would
not nave been left naked to mine enemies
Since, then, neither rest. nor pleasure, nor
Ticnes, nor fame, forms the purpose of life,
the question recurs again, What is lifes
aim?
Human thought and reason, as persona
Iled IN Aristotle, the. greatest thinker OF Ell
ther ancient or modern times, has solved
the problem, and well. Great minds of every
age nave solved It, Witness the process of
pure reasoning. From the existence within
themselves OF truly spiritual acts, as of the
intellect and Will and from knowledge of
the transcendant nature of these acts over
matter and its capabilities. they logically
argued to the existence of a spiritual prin-
ciple which they called a soul. Now the
soul, being spiritual, can neither be gem
Grated or dissolved. Its existence can be
accounted for only by the creation act OF
some infinitely powerful spiritual being
whom they named God As no one can give
what he has not, and as God has given to
the human soul intelligence and will power
he certainly has three attributes Being in
telligent. reasonable and infinitely perfect
He must assign 10 man a destiny common
surate with his nature and worthy of the
divine wisdom
THE enjoyment of the fullness of the rea-
aoning faculty is not the common lot OF
man. On the contrary, the number OF fools
Is Infinite. and hence Scripture comes to
the aid of man and reveals to him his lifes
work Holy writ tells us plainly God has
created all things for himself and again
.WhOSoeVer calls upon the name of the
Lord, the Lord hath created him for His
glory; and again, Let all the works of the
Lord praise His holy name again What
ever you eat or drink, or whatever else We
90, do all for the glory of Cod and lastly
rear God and keep His commandments
Inc works or the Lord serve Hinl-but how
serve him? BY exact obedience to His
laws Gaze upon the ocean. deep, blue roll
ing ON Forever, and chanting its etc. mai an
thems or praise. telling to land and sky the
story or It's subsection to laws. Survey the
heaven-kissang mountains. their SUBMITS