Our Saint of the Day is the patron of dentists. Also, enjoy this prayer of solidarity for the poor.
February 12, 2024
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The persecution of Christians began in Alexandria during the reign of the Emperor Philip. The first victim of the pagan mob was an old man named Metrius, who was tortured and then stoned to death. The second person who refused to worship their false idols was a Christian woman named Quinta. Her words infuriated the mob and she was scourged and stoned.
While most of the Christians were fleeing the city, abandoning all their worldly possessions, an old deaconess, Apollonia, was seized. The crowds beat her, knocking out all of her teeth. Then they lit a large fire and threatened to throw her in it if she did not curse her God. She begged them to wait a moment, acting as if she was considering their requests. Instead, she jumped willingly into the flames and so suffered martyrdom.
There were many churches and altars dedicated to her. Apollonia is the patroness of dentists, and people suffering from toothache and other dental diseases often ask her intercession. She is pictured with a pair of pincers holding a tooth or with a golden tooth suspended from her necklace. Saint Augustine explained her voluntary martyrdom as a special inspiration of the Holy Spirit, since no one is allowed to cause his or her own death.
Reflection
The Church has quite a sense of humor! Apollonia is honored as the patron saint of dentists, but this woman who had her teeth extracted without anesthetic surely ought to be the patron of those who dread the chair. She might also be the patron of the aging, for she attained glory in her old age, standing firm before her persecutors even as her fellow Christians fled the city. However we choose to honor her, she remains a model of courage for us.
Saint Apollonia is the patron saint of:
Dentists Relief from Toothache
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St. Francis seems to have fully embraced the cruciform shape of reality, and maybe that was his great act of courage. As one Dutch Franciscan put it, Francis of Assisi became a living and dying “Covenant with God’s poor” and with the universal suffering of humanity, just as Jesus had done. The shocked response to Pope Francis’s choice of this name shows how much the world intuitively understands this symbolism. And it was understood even more when, soon after his election, he said, “I want us to be a church that is poor and for the poor.”
I have come to believe that Jesus’s solidarity with suffering on the cross is actually an acceptance of a certain meaninglessness in the universe, its nonsensical tragic nature, a black hole that seems constantly to show itself to sensitive souls. To accept some degree of meaninglessness is our final and full act of faith that God is still good and still in control. How hard that is to do sometimes.
It’s easy to get caught up with the daily grind and lose perspective on the suffering around us. When you think of the poor, is it someone unknown to you in a faraway land? That may be true, but that kind of thinking also puts a buffer between ourselves and those in need. The poor—both materially and spiritually—are right around the corner, next door, and maybe right next to you. Let’s pray for them.
Pray
Dear Lord, I know there is profound poverty in our world but sometimes I don’t see it— or worse, I don’t want to see it. I beg your forgiveness for my apathy, for I truly do love others and care for their well-being. Help me to get out of my own rigid routine and not only see, but soothe the sting of poverty in my family, my neighbors, and strangers alike. Amen.
Act
Do you have a snack that you usually take with you to work or school? Be spontaneous and give it to a homeless person who you see on your daily commute. Is there a friend, coworker, or family member who is experiencing spiritual poverty? Let that person know why they matter to you and ask if there’s anything you can do to help. Sometimes even a quick chat helps.
Today's Pause+Pray was written by Daniel Imwalle. Learn more here!
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