From Striving to Surrender: My Journey Back to the Catholic Church

I spent years in the new age community, meditating and practicing yoga to quiet my mind and connect with my spirit. But despite all the talk of "love and light," I was constantly asking myself, "Where's the peace?"

The community promises a path to peace, but for me, it became an endless cycle of striving. I'd finish one class, and immediately there was a new book suggesting a different method. I'd talk to a new age friend, and they would recommend a new healer. It felt like I was a hamster on a wheel, searching and yearning for a peace that never came.

The peace I was looking for wasn't found in a new practice or a different book. It was only when I left that community and returned to my Catholic roots that I finally found it. Reconnecting with the Bible and embracing Jesus was a beautiful gift. It was a love I had been missing, and now I had him walking the path with me, guiding me in ways I never expected. This is the true peace found in the Sacraments and the steady guidance of the Church.

As it says in 2 Thessalonians 3:16, "May the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation."

While the new age community was an empty pursuit for me, embracing Jesus has brought a peaceful, easy, and fulfilling feeling I wouldn't trade for anything.