Each week a member of the Vincentian Family will share a part of his/her experience during recent months. From the depths of their heart these writers will present a message of hope because we are convinced that there are positive lessons to be learned from this pandemic.

Alberto and Paula are a young couple, recently married, strongly committed to their faith. Both collaborate in their parish and are not ashamed to give witness to their faith in the circles in which they move. Alberto is a cardiologist at the General University Hospital of Albacete (Spain).

After the spread of the pandemic, our lives changed completely. All plans, large and small, were disrupted. All routines were changed. I, Paula, had to stay home, without going out at all. My concern for my husband (a doctor in the hospital) and everything that happened in the hospital affected my day. In addition, we had to live from afar the admission of my father-in-law into a hospital (infirm with COVID-19), the death of my husband’s grandfather, as well as several friends … we were unable to accompany any of these persons at the time of their death and all of this has been very painful. I had feelings of helplessness. Seeing that health care professionals had very little protection caused me to become more concerned about my husband. I was anxious about the health of loved ones, especially my husband. I was sad for all those who had died, known and unknown. Yes, there have been some very long and difficult nights.

During these difficult days, we have tried to rest in each other, find reasons to rejoice, and have strengthened our contact with the rest of the family, speaking very often with these family members.

This pandemic has brought us to the brink of our limits. We have experienced our fragility and smallness like never before. Yet that same experience has led us to a deeper trust in the Lord. Despite not being able to receive the sacraments, we have felt that God and his Mother have been very close to us and we have been sustained by them. We can affirm that “everything is grace.” Despite the fact that we have not left our house, we feel that we are in communion with the whole Church.

Above all, we pray, especially the rosary. We have prayed it daily, mindful of all the needs and intentions of so many people. We have also been very attentive to our phones mindful of the people who requested our help or attention, or who simply wanted to talk with us.

God walks with us, we are not alone, and God always has the last word. We have often repeated the words of Saint John Paul II and we have also repeated those words to many people:  “God can always do more.”  Without God, we can do nothing. We want to trust and abandon ourselves more and more to God. We feel freer because this time has also meant a pruning of superfluous things and an even deeper look at that which is essential.

Paula Martínez y Alberto Gómez