God Call Us for Service

by Saima Munir - Sisters of Loretto at the Foot of the Cross

I gained a lot of knowledge throughout my eight months at ICCN in Chicago. I went to a lot of  events during this period. I truly want to share these lovely memories. Every time we embark on a new life path, we have no preconceived notions about it. However, as time goes on, we gradually come to appreciate how much we have in this life.

I never imagined doing so many things when I first started ICCN. I learned about and celebrated life events that I had only heard about at this really

valuable time. I celebrated the lovely Indian holiday of Holi,  although I had never done it before. Here in Chicago, we celebrated Holi at a location known as Navy Pier. I went there with five other

beginners. I realized there was no distinction between Indians, Pakistanis, Americans, Irish, and many others as I was celebrating that occasion with them. Regardless of their identities, they were all having a great time at the event.

I had firsthand experience of celebrating St. Patrick's Day. I did celebrate that day here in Chicago. Individuals from all over the world celebrated that day. Nobody believed this to be an only Irish event. Everyone was pleased to be at the event and was shouting, clapping, dancing, and singing.

Lent and Easter were wonderful experiences for me. I sensed God's presence among the people throughout this period. For prayer, we went to several locations. We had a prayer walk around the jail, with Kolbe House. It was a wonderful experience. They instructed those who were pounding the drums to get near to the jail and beat the drums loudly while we were strolling around it. The voices of those who were jailed and unable to participate could then be heard. At the moment, I felt incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to share with them the joy.

We also walked and prayed at the fourteen stations of the cross in downtown Chicago. I have a very pleasant memory of the prayer pilgrimage. People walking by were observing us, and I thought, "How precious is this moment that I'm a part of this group that is proclaiming the words of God?" I visited several churches throughout Holy Week, which provided me with a unique perspective that I will always remember.

In addition to these encounters, I volunteer at the St. James food bank every Wednesday. Every Wednesday, I get to meet a lot of people, which greatly strengthens my faith. Serving them gives me a sense of purpose in life. They can be challenging at times, but the challenge of serving them demonstrates to me that I am a follower of Jesus Christ.

I'm really happy that I've gone through all of these things because they have strengthened me as a person.