Allowing God to guide us and discovering that His love, even in silence, acknowledges our efforts. Ángel Canó, a married focolarino from the Dominican Republic, shares his experience. In 2001, routine medical examinations revealed a slight problem with my heart’s mitral valve but the situation unexpectedly got worse at the end of 2020 and the cardiologist confirmed the presence of a ‘time bomb’ in my chest. My wife, Margarita, also a married focolarina, and I accepted the diagnosis with great peace, placing ourselves in God’s hands. We decided to discuss it immediately with our son, Angel Leonel, and our daughter, Zoila, who is a doctor in the USA. She spoke directly with the cardiologist and consulted a colleague at the centre where she works who confirmed that surgery was needed. I spent the evening before the operation very peacefully with Margarita, preparing myself physically, mentally and spiritually for what lay ahead. We felt confident and the next day, when we arrived at the operating theatre, we declared our love for each other and said goodbye, certain that we would see each other again soon. When I woke up, I felt as if I had come back to life, even though I had a strong arrhythmia, my heart was racing like a horse and I was struggling to articulate words. The doctors were quick to analyse everything while I was dealing with the post-operational pain. They then allowed Margarita to come in and her words of encouragement and faith gave me a lot of peace. I then spent ten very difficult days in intensive care dealing with pain, the helplessness of feeling immobile, the sense of loneliness, insomnia and the fear of dying. Long nights in which God seemed to remain silent in front of my cry. I didn’t think I would get through it all. One morning, heavily sedated, I heard a voice saying ‘brother’ to me repeatedly. When I opened my eyes, I saw the face of a priest whom we love very much. It was a moment that really restored my faith.  Heaven had always been with me and this feeling stayed with me during those days. One day, when I had come out of intensive care, Margarita, laying her head gently on my battered chest, said: “What a joy to be able to hug you again”. Words that not only expressed happiness, but the meaning of life. It was like rediscovering the love she had for me. I was alive, not only thanks to medical skill but also to the Will of a God who was manifesting his love by giving me a new chance at life. Today, I see everything as a great gift and feel strongly committed to understanding what God wants from me now, how I can reciprocate. Every evening, in my prayers, I thank Heaven and when a new day dawns, there are no words to express my gratitude for the opportunity to see the light of the sun again and to look at my wife and children with new eyes.

Ángel Canó