New Year, New Faith?

CATHOLIC CHRONICLES: PART ONE

(Photo by Geoffrey Grider)

I know everyone gets tired of hearing the cliche'd "New Year, New Me!" after the beginning of the new year. But honestly, I am now one of those people. 

This past year has been a rough one for me. I went through break ups, depression, quitting a job, and transferring to a new university. 2016 was more of a down year for myself. During 2016, I began to ask myself why I was always sad and envious of others. So I did something I haven't done in a long time, I prayed. I prayed to the lord to give me a sign or push me towards a glimpse of hope to help me out of my rut I've been going through. Sure enough, I received those signs. 

I know, I know. Asking and actually receiving a sign from God himself is pretty out there, but it really did happen to me. Little things pointed me and directed me to a new faith that I so desperately needed. Those signs pointed me to the catholic faith. 

My first sign I was given was at Easter. I was over at my grandparents house and my grandma, mother, and I were looking at old jewelry. My grandmother then brought over to me my great-grandmothers's medals of different saints and cross that she had gathered in her life as a catholic woman. Never seeing something like that before, I quickly became intrigued of what each one meant. As we were leaving, my grandmother pulled me aside and told me I could keep them. 

Another sign to me was when I was looking for some earrings in my mother's jewelry box and I came across her pearl rosary. More and more signs were pointing me towards the catholic religion. 

I began to research on the religion and I discovered that this was a great path for me. The more I researched and got in touch with the local Catholic Church in my town, the more things felt right. Everything was starting to make sense. 

This past Sunday, January 1st to be exact, I woke up and got ready to attend mass. My mother and I attended the 8 o'clock mass at the church. Mass only lasted about an hour. During this, I got to observe what goes on and everything. At the end, the Father announced as a New Year/Christmas gift, every family would receive a copy of book called Resisting Happiness. This was perfect because that book was excatly what I needed. It helps you understand why we sabotage our happiness and how to find our own true happiness. We were also given a calendar with different saints for different months. 

When I got in the car after mass, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I could begin to feel my stress and troubles drifting away because I knew the lord had guided me back to him and that everything was going to be okay. 

I still have a lot to learn, but I am excited to learn about my new found faith and share it with y'all. 

Join in on the discussion! Let me know your thoughts and opinions on Catholicism!

Love, 

A

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