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The Way, the Tooth and the Life
John Oliver Tanbonliong
Got a nagging toothache but scared to see a dentist? Afraid that the dentist will have to work on your teeth and make them hurt even more? Meet a saint who, in spite of the excruciating pain in her mouth, chose to accept even more pain. And in doing so, she gained eternal life.
Saint Apollonia was a holy woman who lived in Alexandria, Egypt during the 3rd century. While legends have been told about her life, we know the details of her martyrdom with certainty through a letter by Saint Dionysius, bishop of Alexandria, to Fabius, bishop of Antioch. At that time, Philip the Arabian was emperor of Rome (244-249 AD). Emperor Philip, unlike his predecessors, was quite friendly to the Christians. During his reign, the persecution against the Christians was almost completely stopped. However, a number of attacks on the Christians broke out towards the end of his rule. The persecution would soon reemerge in full force during the time of Emperor Decius (249-251 AD).
In 249 AD, during the festivities at Alexandria commemorating the first millennium of the Roman Empire, a poet prophesied that a calamity would befall them. This agitated the pagan crowd so much that they turned their rage against the Christians, whom they believed were responsible for their misfortune because the Christians did not worship their gods. The local authorities at Alexandria made no effort to maintain order and the Christians suffered terribly at the hands of the pagan mob. The houses and properties of the Christians were looted. Many Christians left the city; some were tortured and killed. Metras, a venerable old man, was clubbed, blinded, and stoned to death. Quinta, a woman, was tied to a horse, dragged along a stony pavement, scourged, and also stoned to death. Another man, Serapion, had his limbs broken and was thrown off the top of his own house.
When the mob got hold of Apollonia, she was beaten up so badly that all of her teeth were knocked off. Her teeth may have actually been forcibly extracted using a pair of forceps or a similar device. She was then brought out of the city where the mob had started a fire. They threatened to burn her alive if she did not renounce her faith. She asked for a moment to consider their demands. Her tormenters let their guard down and to their astonishment, she quickly leaped into the fire and burned to death.
Saint Augustine, in the first book of his work "City of God," discusses how suicide is unjustifiable, even in the face of violent persecution. However, he mentions that the Church has in the past honored some holy women who in times of persecution drowned themselves when their chastity was threatened. Citing the Old Testament hero Samson as an example, Augustine acknowledges the possibility that those women could have been divinely inspired, which would not make their deaths a grave sin but rather an act of obedience to God. In such matters, Augustine defers to the Church, who has the authority to determine if their deaths were truly honorable. By all indications, it would seem that Apollonia's case falls in this category. In his letter to Fabius, Dionysius spoke of no condemnation for her actions. The Church in Alexandria revered her as a martyr and in time her feast became popular in the Western Church. Saint Apollonia is now regarded as the patron saint of dentists. Her aid is also invoked by those who suffer from toothaches. She is usually depicted in art as a woman holding a tooth with a pair of pincers. Her feast is celebrated on February 9.
Everyone in my family, except for myself, happens to be a dentist. One thing I've learned about their profession is that some of their patients are so terrified of getting their teeth fixed. And it's not just the kids who are scared. My dad had this male patient who was about the same age as he was. One day at the clinic, this patient got so nervous that my dad had to take him aside and have a heart-to-heart talk with him. My dad carefully explained the situation to his patient. The patient's teeth needed to be treated. The procedure would cause some pain and discomfort but it was necessary if they were going to save his teeth. After calming down and listening to my dad's explanation, the patient finally agreed to go through with the treatment.
Like my dad's patient, we who claim to be Christians are sometimes afraid of making matured, Christian responses to situations we find ourselves in. We fear pain and we seek reassurance for what we must do. We would do well to remember what Jesus told us. Make no mistake about it; Jesus said that we should love our enemies, pray for our persecutors, turn the other cheek, and carry our cross each day. He tells His disciples that they would have to suffer much. However, He also promised that those who endure to the end would inherit the kingdom of God. The words spoken by the Son of God should be enough of an assurance but Jesus does something even better. Jesus Himself shows us the way through His own passion, death, and resurrection. His work of salvation has given meaning to all our suffering, even if it's something as trivial as getting a tooth fixed. By embracing our trials and uniting our sacrifices with Christ's perfect sacrifice, we come closer to Christ and to the life that He has promised us.
Let us pray to Saint Apollonia, not just for the relief of any toothaches we may have, but also for the courage to be faithful Christians amidst all the difficulties we face in life. Though many of us will never be martyred for our faith, much less be asked to walk into a fiery death, may we always be on fire for the Lord, eager to seek His will and follow His commands.
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