Lynette Graham
I had fallen away from the Catholic Church for most of my adult life.
It was due to a lack of understanding of Church teaching on spirituality, love, justice and peace. Twelve years ago, I found myself in desperate need. My marriage had been falling apart for years. It was a difficult marriage on many levels, one that I stayed in for 35 years. A family member insisted I call our parish priest. With reluctance, I did. That was a major turning point. He held up a mirror reflecting my life. I stepped through that mirror into a Catholic world I had no idea existed.
I was and still am hungry for knowledge. From my writings, my priest told me it was time for me to read about some of our saints. He introduced me to St. Teresa of Avila, St. Ignatius of Loyola and the early Church Fathers. I’ve also been in spiritual direction for 10 years, which has provided me with the kind of feedback I need to keep growing in faith. I made my first eight-day silent Ignatian retreat in 2019 at a beautiful retreat house in Los Altos, California. I have visited many hermitages over the years, sometimes twice a year. Being alone with the Lord in silence on retreat or in adoration, I have gotten in touch with my interior, spiritual life, which has led to a joy-filled life.
Having a personal relationship with Jesus has led to many graces, including having an agape friendship with my ex-husband. He is the father of my children. I will never seek an annulment, for we didn’t enter into this marriage under false pretenses. I am truly living out my faith with a full abundant life in Christ. Whatever comes my way, God willing, I shall embrace it.
Why am I Catholic? First and foremost, it is the Eucharist. There is something that happens to me when the eucharistic prayer begins. A power overwhelms my senses, and that has me coming back daily. I am fully present. It is a blissful joy, and I fall more deeply in love with Jesus. This is all so real to me. I am aware of the presence of the Lord in all that surrounds me. I pray that my light shines and attracts others. Even those I don’t agree with or don’t like — God made us all. He loves us all. Then why shouldn’t I try with all my heart to do the same?
Graham, 65, a member of St. Peter Claver in St. Paul, was baptized at age 4. She attended Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and moved to the Twin Cities in her 20s for a job with an airline. Divorced, she has two sons, a 6-year-old granddaughter and a 3-year-old grandson, all of whom, she says, “I thank God live here in the area.
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