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Show r- third question of CATHOLIC CATECHISM 1 Why Did God Make Man? The Child's An suer Man's Aspirations and Future Life. (Written for The Intormountain Catholic) Man. endowed with reason, wants a "why' for everything he sees done or -hears spoken. If marks 1 1n- first development of reason in the ehikl when . :( begins to questions, and the reasons for do : . in;:' certain thing. The. little word. "Why;" so often used, shows the line of demarcation ho- iweeji man and ihe rest of creation. Pack of the child's "Why C will he seen ihe first development I of thought, which belongs 10 man alone. The-c T ill-. lights denote intelligence. An expression of the I 1 1 1 - 1 1 y 1 1 1 s is the iir-t lesson in logic. The mother looking at the child can in-tinetively read its i bought s. As the eln'ld prows in wisdom and year". I she' implants in the innocent sold a knowledge of , Cod, namely: made the world and man." This iir-t knowledge is no sooner . implanted than I ih- ehild will jirnttle his "How T and "Why?" j Th' two question depending on these little I , w.rds "How;"' and "Why;" are coeval with the j history of tlio human race, and ltegin with the br- development of intelligence. The question, "Why did Clod make man:'' is 1 Ik next in order in the catechism. Though asked ; in monosyllable, it is a (jnnstion of deep interest I i and vital importance. On the stormy ocean, often I 1 a sailor has to eliinh the mast to loosen ropes and 1 adjust the sails. The child, seeing the apparent ' pirih will ask: "Why is that man up so high V ' ! .' The mother will answer: "To save the ship from j the angry waves, and therehy keep us from heing drowned." The child usuallv understands the an-I an-I ' Mu r. If he does not, he will ak another, till he I' is -atisried. r This spirit of inquiry is innate in the soul and vhows itself at the first dawn of reason. When I told thai (iod mode tlic world, we have, his "How?" j .ind when assured that God made man, we have his I interrogative "Why.'" The agnostic's" answer : "I i I do not know." will not satisfy the inquisitive mind y '-v ..f the child, nor will the answer of incredulity, I f namdy, "to he horn and to die,' satisfy an in- j 1 teiligeut Veing. f i Xattire and human instinct revolt at the thought f that man. after he lives ihe sau of life allotted S 1 1.. him, drop inio the grave 10 rot, and is" no more, j Should this he ihe end of life, consolation would ! -ias. . and greai nes would consist in aceuniwlat- I imr wealth, attaining worldly honors and enjoy- j 3 jig the plea.-urcs of 1 he sense5. This is the high- e-i destiny that incredulity can offer, in answer- . jnjj the vuestion: "Why did God make man:" l)ut ; il.i- answer is condemned bv the universal belief t the human race in every age. Its chilling effect, ef-fect, destroys true greatness, and blights the aspi-vjMioiis aspi-vjMioiis of the soul. Man. endowed with intelli-j intelli-j tcuce.' and who rules the ro.-t, of creation, must l ave some higher and nobler destiny than any -j ..;?, red during his natural life. Incredulity in its :iiui and end is selh'sh. and would have its happi-in happi-in multiplying means 1o enable it to enjoy i!io sensual appetite. It robs ihe soul of all true and permanent happiness, ancl seals the heart i ag;.iu-i sympathy. I Cut tiii- is not man in his plenitude and true greatness. Man's nature aspires to something ; l igli.-r. lie knows that this life is hot his only j life, and ihat his destiny is not accomplished at tin-, side of the grave. His nature demands more than ihis life can supply, and he cannot find the I cmpieie fulfillment of all his desires in this life. (.ive to man all he desires today and he has still a natural capacity for more. To satisfy this ca- pa.'ity. which is inexhaustible and incapable of i being fulfilled during mans natural existence, God l as promi-ed and j.ledged that it shall be fully real-' i;:ed after death. Xor is 1hi- future life a simple continuation of f man's natural destiny. It is a fallacy even for those who admit a future existence or immortal- I ity m suppo-o ihat that future life will Ik? a eon- J linualion of the pre-ent life. Those who propose ! only such a future 1o themselves, or hope for no other, tind in this life all there is worth living for. Hence the oft -repeated cry: 'JIe who lives wisely ; in this life will live wisely for eternity." Others acrain cry out: "Make your heaven on earth, and you will have, done your best to insure your heaven after death." Between this and the infidel's motto: I "Live and l1 merry, for tomorrow we die," there is - but one step. The. standard of morality for both Kands on the same level. God, in 'creating with a specific nature and in His own image and likeness, had a higher destiny for man than any mere natural destiny. Being superior su-perior to the rest of creation, ihe Creator had a special ctid in view in creating man. His destiny was not merely natural, for the desires and wants of the soul can never le fully satisfied in this life. Man's destiny, then, not Ivimr natural, must be supernatural,' and, being created for a special purpose pur-pose or end, the question: "Why did God make man?"' is apropos, and the only answer, though simple, that will satisfy the demands of reason, is the one given by the. ehild: "God made man to know Him. to love Him, and io serve llim in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in the r.ext." This is man's end. and in proportion as he strives to attain his end will he become truly great. To "know God" is man's first duty. To "love God.' whom we sec only in His works, or. as St. Piul r-cpresses it. "through a glass,"' may transcend the natural affections of ihe- heart, but. when studied in His only begotten Son. ihe heart will emit a warm glow of the purest, love for our Father in Heaven. "To know and love God"' is to serve Him; nnd they who serve Him "will be happy with llim forever in the next world.'" A |