"OUR OWN STEP OF SELF-AWARENESS”

They got married, privately, on February 29. Months of planning and preparations went up in smoke. A great sense of injustice. But also the question: "What does the Lord ask of us?"

3.25.2020

We got married on February 29. Because of Coronavirus, the week before the set date, a decree was issued by the Municipality and Region, which prohibited gatherings. And subsequently, the Bishop’s declaration that marriages should be celebrated exclusively in private, with only close relatives, was also issued.

It was a great blow for us. Months and months of organizing that day so that every little detail was taken care of, and, suddenly, a decree seems to prohibit everything, even the presence of our closest friends on such an important day for us. After feeling an enormous sense of injustice, the question that emerged was great: "But why? What is the Lord asking us through this circumstance?"

It was incredible to come to realize three specific things. First of all, we never questioned our wanting to get married on that day. Everything became more radical and essential: "What is marriage?" In such a circumstance, what emerged was that we were responding to a call. What interested us most was being able to say "yes" in front of Christ.

This circumstance, then, moved many friends, as well as people who do not know us. All of this was evidently not fruit of our own abilities, also because, even if questioned constantly, we too have had our struggles that we have not hidden. Rather, it seems to us to be fruit of the fact that everyone has taken seriously the personal provocation provoked by this circumstance. This has been great companionship to us. We realized that real companionship was not so much trying to solve all the organizational issues (which we also had to face), but to be able to help us to look at what this circumstance had to say to each of our lives. For us, it meant going to the essential of our vocation.

Last thing: friends, for us, were fundamental because they helped us keep our eyes fixed on what really matters. To be available in the face of this circumstance and not to focus on our projects and thoughts that have gone up in smoke, even if they are right and beautiful.

We are grateful for what has happened, because it has allowed us to take a great step of self-awareness with respect to our personal relationship with Christ, in such an important beginning for us.

Pietro and Ilaria, Milan, Italy#Coronavirus

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