A missing document

J.L.G.M., Spain

January 26, 2012

Tags: favours of the founder of Opus Dei I was making arrangements for a family we knew to come and spend their holidays in our house. Our government is currently very reluctant to grant permission for foreigners to stay in the country, especially if their country of origin has been the source of considerable recent illegal immigration.
With a lot of difficulty and hard work I got all sorts of documents together, and the family that was going to come and stay had to do the same in their country, get it processed by their Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Embassy, and then send it to me. When I finally presented myself at the office that was handling the application, the official went carefully through all the documentation and told me that one document was missing. I had gone over the list very many times and could not understand how I could have left out a document. It was no trivial matter, because to get the new document required, we would have to begin the whole process again practically from the beginning in the family’s country of origin, with an outlay of time and money that simply were not feasible.
Back at home, I went over the list of required documents again, and realized that I had not included the said document because it did not in fact apply in this case. However, to try and persuade the official to admit that he was mistaken was going to be an almost impossible task. Yet it was the only thing I could do. I decided to go back the next day, with the intention of getting them not to ask me for the document they had stated was required.
I didn’t have nine days to do a novena to St Josemaria, but I needed his help. The whole way there in the metro, I said the prayer of the prayer-card again and again, including the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be. I had said it nine times over without stopping by the time I got to the office in question.
The official who saw me was a different one, and a very friendly person. When he asked me for that particular document I explained that it did not apply in this case, and he agreed straight away that I was right. He passed the whole dossier of papers for processing, and he cannot have discussed the case with his colleague, because I received the approval within the time limit.
I realize that this story seems very trivial compared with cures, conversions and rescues from danger, but the solution of this question seemed highly problematic to me and I am as grateful to St Josemaria, to whom I attribute its successful outcome, as though it were a really major affair.