I had acknowledged the Lord here and there since I was little, but I was confused about who God was. I did not understand what he desired for me or that I could have a personal relationship with him. I saw him more as someone distant who I’d pray to if I was scared or to remedy something bad that was happening.
It wasn’t until my college years at Carroll University in Waukesha (Wisconsin) that I met some Catholic friends who taught me about the Church, Jesus, and his desire to know me deeply and have a relationship with me. I began to encounter the Lord more deeply in my college years through the sacraments, and particularly through praying before the Blessed Sacrament. I began to understand that to walk with the Lord in my everyday life, I needed to have a daily prayer life.
When I moved back to Minnesota, I encountered the Lord through a strong community at St. Lawrence Catholic Church and Newman Center in Minneapolis. I began to understand what it meant to walk with others in the faith, to incorporate the way of Christ into every aspect of my life and try to live entirely for him. I learned that I needed a community to encourage me and my family in our walk with Christ, to inspire us to continue to stay on fire for him and not become lukewarm or passive in our faith. Being around other Catholics has shown me many examples of how to live out the faith and how that can look unique in different situations, seasons and with different personalities.
My Catholic faith has taught me who God is. It has opened for me a whole new understanding of the world and how I see others. My Catholic faith has given me an identity and purpose for living.
Johnson, 24, belongs to St. Lawrence Catholic Church and Newman Center in Minneapolis with her husband, Dan, and their 11-month-old daughter, Magdalene. She enjoys being outside, visiting local coffee shops, playing games, cooking and spending time with family and friends. A “Why I Am Catholic” essay by Dan appeared in the Nov. 21 print edition of The Catholic Spirit.
