Zachary Walloga, Senior

It is easy for us all to get caught up in everyday life and forget about the ultimate reality and purpose of existence, God. In the holy season of Lent mother Church calls us to meditation and reflection on when God became flesh and dwelt amongst us. In particular, we are focusing on Christ’s preparation for His sacrifice, His death, which was the ultimate expression of His love for us. Like many Catholic students at UIC I was preparing for Ash Wednesday and the start of this Lenten season. I was greatly impressed at the student involvement in Ash Wednesday. Even my Anthropology T.A. was involved! He served as one of the Eucharistic ministers. I watched and listened as fellow students served as altar servers and lectors. The Chapel was quickly filled to capacity and many more students filled the Newman lounge. It was truly inspiring to see so many of my classmates present for the service. It was truly a UIC student celebration of Ash Wednesday.

I remember watching my fellow students receive their ashes and noticing all the new faces. We have so many programs here at Newman for students to get involved in, and it would be great if all of those new faces became active in Newman Catholic life. Reflecting back on that day I am reminded of Fr. Pat’s moving sermon about making a choice. Fr. Pat reminded us that following Jesus Christ is a choice that we all must make. Christ’s love calls for us intimately and personally to make that choice. Who will we say He is?