HADDON HEIGHTS — All we are, all we do, all we can become — our entire identity is found in God, our creator. By strengthening our relationship with him, we learn how to be his disciples here on Earth, loving and serving him and his creation.
Father Robert Hughes, Vicar General of the Diocese of Camden, emphasized this point last month in front of a crowd gathered here at the Collegium Center for Faith and Culture, in his talk on “Finding Ourselves in the Most Holy Trinity.”
“Finding ourselves is part of our lifelong journey. … We are constantly finding out new things about ourselves, and seeking to learn new things about ourselves,” he began, later explaining that our relationship with God and the Holy Trinity is key to who we are — and just like other relationships we have throughout our lives, it changes and develops further as we grow and mature.
“For the most part, as children, we identify with God the Father. As a young adult and into adulthood, we have more of a sense of understanding the Son, and walking with Jesus,” Father Hughes said. He added, “As we get older, we have a great sense of the spirit — its joy and satisfaction and fullness, fills us with wisdom. And the things we thought were so very important as young people, often we’re able to let go, because we see they are only part of something greater.”
In understanding that we are created in the image and likeness of God, and knowing that “God is choosing us for his team, and giving us the grace we need to be his representatives, his witnesses in this world,” we discover our calling, he said.
“Our participation in the Mass, and our celebration and reception of the Eucharist,” builds up our relationship with God and others. In our interactions with friends, family, co-workers, and anyone else we come across, we can follow the Golden Rule and emulate Christ’s self-sacrificial love.
Located on 301 White Horse Pike, Haddon Heights, the Collegium Center for Faith and Culture’s next event will be Friday, Oct. 19, with Father David Rivera, parochial vicar of Saint Mary of Mount Carmel in Hammonton, speaking on C.S. Lewis’ book “Abolition of Man.” For more information call 856-534-0400.