The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-07-01

the soul of man is akin to God himself
That spark of divine life is the key to
mans power and greatness-the' image
of God in man, mis- immortal soul.
But what the principal powers of
the soul? W nat are its chief faculties
You, who have studied so long and
faithfully within this sanctuary of
learning will answer that they are the
intellect and the will. You will tell
me, furthermore, that the object of the
! intellect is to know truth and that the
| object of the will is to love goodness.
/! You will say here are the keys to mans
/, greatness and power, to his success,
! both in life and in death. You will
/ tell me that on the proper use of these
| two powers depends mans happiness
| in this world and in the world to come:
| That God alone is eternal Truth-that
I God alone is infinite Goodness, and for
! this Truth and this Goodness was man
! created and without them he can never
be happy Again, you will say that the
/ abuse of these powers has been the
! cause of all the misery and aff1iction.
/ war and pestilence, murder and sui
cides and all other crimes, committed
| by the children of men since the days
! when our first parents sinned amid the
| bowers of Paradise.
! Yes, you will say to me. this propo-
sition is true. and that any deviation
from its principles will bring ruin
upon society. If society has anything
grand and beautiful in it today, any
! thing noble in the family or in the
state, it is because it has adhered to
these principles-that man was created
to fill his mind with truth. and to love
| goodness
Hence the object of your lives is
plain, and your actions are prescribed
within certain limits. You cannot be
mistaken. There is no roundabout
way. Faithful adherence to these
truths is as necessary for success in
| life as your very existence in your
present condition. But, you must re-
member that over all these qualities
i OF mind and heart Almighty God has
cast the garment of Free Will. You
can follow His commands or you may
resist them; you may do His will or
violate His law; but in acting you seal
your own doom. If you fill your in
tellect with the things of the world
merely. and for the worlds sake; if
you become great in science and art,
only, like the pagans, you lead a ma
| terial life, a life that does not rise
above earth, and flower and tree and
sun and Star-a life that does not seek
its ultimate end, the very beatific Wis
ion of God; for there, and there alone.
must be centered the nobeSt affec-
lions of your hearts and your souls;
| there you will receive the plentitude of
knowledge and goodness.
That you might be able to assume
the duties and obligations of this life
in relation to the eternal life, you came
here for instruction for an education
which means. when completed a draw
ing out, a full development of intel
lect, Strengthening of the will in the
habits of virtue, cultivation of the
a of hn OFT ,f
whole being relative to what you ought
to know and what you ought to do;
knowledge of the law-your duty in
! the home and in society.
These truths you have received
through the Sisters and your own in
dividual eXertions. For you it remains
/ to practice those virtues in the world
and apply those principles which alone
can enhance the glory of your lives
and the dignity of your womanhood.
l might say many things about what
/ think you ought to do at home, in
the counting room, in society, and
generally through life, but time will
not permit. However, be not proud
] mean intellectual pride. Remember
! that you will find young women in all
the walks of life who NAV surpass
your best exertion. Young women who
have never graduated-never perhaps
the opportunity to attend a seminary
or an academy, whose lives were given
to hard, unrelenting toll but who by
their untiring energy have pushed
their way to the front rank in every
position. Be not like the young man.
Who came home from college during
i vacation and thought he might fool
his father and mother by showing his
smartness. 1t appears that the hens
did not lay very well on the day pre-
| vlous to the young mans coming, SO
at breakfast his mother said: John.
nv son i am very sorry that there are
only two eggs for breakfast" But,