Ten blocked arteries. Ten stents. Ten reminders that life is both fragile and precious.
When I look back at what happened, I do not simply see medical numbers or procedures. I see God’s mercy at work. Each blockage could have been a stopping point, but each stent became a passageway—a small opening that allowed blood, hope, and life to flow again.
Ten stents do not mean that I am invincible. Quite the opposite. They remind me that I am dependent on God’s grace, on the wisdom of doctors, and on the love and prayers of people who stood beside me.
Now comes another important part of the journey: rehabilitation. The stents may have opened the pathways inside my heart, but rehabilitation is helping me rebuild the strength to walk forward with confidence. Every small step is a victory; every difficult day is another lesson in patience, humility, and gratitude.
Perhaps God did not give me ten stents merely to extend my life. Perhaps He gave me ten more reasons to live it more meaningfully.
So I move forward—not counting the ten blockages I survived, but counting the countless blessings that followed.
Father Jude TM Besinga
Military Ordinariate of the Philippines (retired)
