Archbishop: 'Gift of self' leads people to find their place in world

Published: 2007-08-09

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (CNS) -- Archbishop John J. Myers of Newark brought something very large into a Jersey City cafe on a recent Tuesday night in July: a spiritual concept of self-discovery that challenges people to "give themselves away" to discover the road map for a life journey. Speaking to an attentive Theology on Tap crowd of more than 70 people, Archbishop Myers said the Christian process of self-discovery goes beyond the internal contemplation of one's emotions and desires. Instead, he suggested that, to find their place in the world, those in attendance should consider the "sincere gift of self," a declaration made during the Second Vatican Council. "You know yourself by giving yourself away in loving ways," he said at the July 24 gathering. "It's not enough to look in the mirror. You must look into the mirror of other faces." True inner awareness develops when a person steps outside the comfort zone, he said, to recognize "the needs of others and the world around us."

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