Remembering My "Father in Christ Jesus"

As we lay William Franklin Graham Jr. to rest, my heart is overcome with fragrance of memories. This may seem strange to many of my readers, this being a Catholic site, but the fact is that conversion is a process, sometimes a life long process. That’s where my memories begin, at the beginning, as Saint Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:15, (NABRE)

“Even if you should have countless guides to Christ, yet you do not have many fathers, for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”

You see Billy Graham was, is, my “father in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.” My journey of conversion began at a long ago Billy Graham Crusade. In the succeeding decades, I have, as Paul expresses it, had “countless guides to Christ” but only one father!

As a lad of ten, my parents took me to a Billy Graham Crusade, I don’t remember the sermon, but, at the end, to the strains of “just As I Am,” Billy gave the “altar call.” Somehow, I don’t remember getting up or walking forward, but somehow, found myself, front and center. I was standing directly below the podium, looking up at Billy, in that familiar pose, arms crossed over his chest, head bowed, deep in prayer, prayer for souls! He roused Himself from prayer and spoke to us, there were hundreds of other converts around me by then, I don’t recollect what he said, but in short order, we were ushered off to councilors, who prayed with us and gave us literature explaining the faith, mine, of course, age appropriate, I then walked out the door, to find my parents waiting for me.

That night I opened the envelope the councilor had given me and read the first line; “you are called to be saints, write your name in the blank; Saint ______ .” Taking my pencil, I wrote my name. It looked strange and sounded stranger, but it fired my young imagination. As I said, over the years I have had many guides, many teachers, many conversions, but one spiritual father! Our Blessed Lord took His time with me, but nearly thirty years later, I entered the Catholic Church, and I am “confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus,” and that one day that “Saint” followed by my scribbled first name will become a reality!

Billy Graham may have been “America’s Pastor” but he was, is, and always will be my “Father in Christ Jesus!” So I’ll just finish by asking all my readers to pray this prayer with me;

Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him, and may the faithful departed, especially Billy Graham, by the mercy of God, Rest In Peace! Amen!

So long, Billy, flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”

I don’t doubt, their song will be;

“...just as I am, without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me”