I would like to relate what for me has been a real favour from Pedro and for which I feel very grateful and happy.
In October 2016, I visited Rome with my family. I wanted to visit the centre of the Work and pray at the tomb of Blessed Alvaro, to whom I have a great devotion.
It was then that I decided to do everything I could to get the job I had hoped for during my university years, to prepare for the competitive examination for the Corps of State Museum Assistants. This actually took longer than I thought it would. A whole year to prepare the syllabus with my tutor and three frustrated exams, as I was unable to pass the language test (in my case English) in the first two that I had taken; and in the third, it was incomprehensible but I failed the practical exercise at the last minute.
After going through very long processes, the pandemic and therefore the delay it meant for the General Administration's own questions, almost made me throw in the towel. However, the memory of my prayer before Don Alvaro and the help of my spiritual director encouraged me to continue fighting for a fourth time! And now it would be the definitive one.
It was really providential, given that my personal circumstances had become very complicated. My father had passed away in 2020, my mother had a complicated degenerative cognitive illness and I myself was at an age where I needed to find stable work. I needed the job and enough time to take care of my mother.
The competition therefore continued its course... I passed all the tests, until I reached the last exercise, which was to be decisive. It was the English exam. Again I was vulnerable to the final pass or fail of the competition; that is, either I passed it or I had to start all over again. I just could not fail.
And that is where Pedro's intercession came into play. One evening, like any other, I took my mum to 7.30pm Mass at the neighbourhood parish church  near my home. Suddenly and out of the blue..., at the entrance, I came across Pedro’s prayer-card. Why a prayercard of an unknown young man? and a member of Opus Dei?... it caught my attention and I took it. As we sat in the pew, before Mass began, I read it and looked at the date on my phone: 12 February. I was to take my English exam on 20 February. I thought to myself... "You're kidding, there are only nine days left to the exam!!!". So confident and excited, I thought it was a real sign, the opportunity I was waiting for.
At that point, although I was not desperate, I was very afraid of failing again. I thought of that a young man, a believer, dedicated to the Lord and to the service of souls, who spoke English!!!! He would understand how much I was looking forward to passing the exam to give myself entirely to the Lord and to His entire will. And that's how I told my spiritual director... and between the two of us, we insisted with Pedro very much during those nine days.
I have to say that in spite of all the study and a lot of effort, it has been a real miracle. Finally on 25 March (the day of the Incarnation of the Lord) they published the English results. I had passed the test!!!!
I only have words of gratitude. I still can't believe it. I came second out of 76 Thank you Lord Jesus, thank you Pedro!
Finally, I would like to highlight an idea that struck me very deeply when I first read the prayer on the prayer card. These words filled me enormously, because I knew that by obtaining this stable job, I was achieving the greatest investment of my life, which is to give myself to Jesus and to devote myself to the vocation that is in the depths of my soul. Thank you, thank you!
Semper fidelis
MY (Madrid, Spain)
18 April 2024