It just felt like coming home.
Temporary Professed Sisters of the Society of the Infant Jesus (SIJ) gathered in Cape Coast for a day’s workshop on community living, facilitated by Sr. Faustina Hanford.
The room was full of laughter, honest sharing, and prayer. The goal was to look at our life together through Acts 2:42-47 “They had everything in common……” We talked about the joy and the realness of it all. About frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament that keep us centered when life gets noisy. About the beauty of knowing that everything one has is for all our time, our gifts, even our struggles.
We also spoke about the need not to follow unacceptable behavior, and how love sometimes means gentle correction.
Appreciating one another became a key theme. For us as SIJ Sisters, community isn’t just living under one roof. It’s living the Incarnation God-with-us in the kitchen, in the corridor, in the small sacrifices. Unity is our first apostolate. Before we go out to serve, people must first see Christ in how we love each other.
We were honest about the challenges too: different temperaments. Eating together and learning to bend without learning. But we were reminded that this is exactly where God shapes us like clay in His Hand.
The day concluded with 30 minutes of adoration to the Blessed Sacrament—ten young sisters, silent together before Jesus. No words, just presence.
We walked out lighter. Challenged, yes. But grateful. Because living together in Christ is hard, beautiful, and worth it.
By: Sr. Cecilia Affum, SIJ
(Catholic Sister Communicators Network, Ghana -CASCON-GH)
