God plans our fate according to complex algorithms. A couple from Argentina found out about it. When they started dating each other, in their wildest dreams they did not imagine how their relationship would end ... Learn the story of Trinidad and Javier.
Trinidad Maria Guiomar and Javier Olivera were a couple of students in love. The history of their acquaintance did not end with a classic happy end: they got married, lived happily ever after in a loving family. But neither did they get to the point where the old romantic raptures turned into grievances and conflicts leading to a break-up.
What was the "third way" of Latin American brides? It can be said that they are still together, albeit in an unusual relationship.
Ordinary beginnings
The Argentinians knew each other from childhood. Their parents, practicing Catholics, were close friends and lived in the same neighborhood of Buenos Aires. After high school, Javier decided, following the example of many of his peers, to go on a several-month backpacking journey across the continent.
During this time, he experienced a period of rebellion against his faith and completely abandoned his religious practice. When he returned home, he enrolled in the law faculty. Trinidad Maria, his friend from primary school, chose the same faculty, but at a different university in Buenos Aires. Young people's paths crossed again. They soon became a couple.
Early in the relationship, Javier asked Trinidad if he intended to keep his virginity until marriage. He admitted that the girl's very determined answer, in addition, given by logical and consistent arguments, surprised him a lot.
At the time, I thought it was some strange church superstition. I was rebellious then, but somehow this attitude began to impress me. I met a woman who could defend what she believed in and at the same time very intelligent, admitted Javier.
The beginning of a breakthrough
Trinidad Maria lived in a Christian environment, read and discussed many books on religion, culture, art and philosophy. This world began to draw Javier, basically there was not a day when they did not talk about the meaning of life or the existence of God.
At that time, the couple decided that they would get married right after graduation. Gradually, the boy began to return to faith, attend the Sunday liturgy, and pray. The bride and groom also prayed the rosary together.
The Trinidad family was taken by surprise one day by the decision of their older brother to enter the seminary. For the engaged couple it was a shock - despite the fact that they already lived close to God, the idea seemed to them incomprehensible radicalism and resignation from a career.
We even stated that he had a crazy idea that he had renounced his happiness. But on the other hand, after a few days, reflection came - what would happen if God wanted this from us? And the first answer would be "no, we were a couple and we were going to get married," said Javier.
Towards a new road
The decision of the future brother-in-law, however, did not leave the boy alone. For several weeks, a question rattled in his head: maybe God is calling me too? Finally, he told his fiancée about it. Trinidad stated that ... she, too, has been thinking intensely about the consecrated life for several weeks.
The young people decided to talk to a befriended monk-confessor. He answered in a simple way: it is a matter between God and each of you. No one can interfere with your souls, you must make your own decisions in your hearts.
Trinidad admitted that two more years had passed since then, before God fully showed her what it was to choose consecrated life. In 2008, she made her perpetual vows in the Congregation of the Sisters of Merciful Jesus, taking the name of Sister Mary of Wisdom. Today he lives in a religious house in the diocese of Fréjus-Toulon in southern France. Based on her own experiences, she wrote the book “¿Alguna vez pensaste? El llamado de Cristo ”(" Have you ever thought about it? The call of Christ ").
In the same year in the Argentine diocese of San Rafael, Fr. Javier. He currently teaches theology at seminary and runs the widely read blog "Que no te la cuentel" ("You don't have to talk about it").
It was a great grace that we got to know each other, and then we chose this path - you can see that God's Providence takes every detail into account. We are still friends and our families are friends, as they were years ago - says sister Maria.