Apollonia
By ice rivers
- 572 reads
I don't have a toothache today.
I rejoice.
During my last tooth emergency, I promised myself and God that if this pain went away, I would remeber and thank God every day in the future that I didn't have a toothache.
Like many folks, my dental health complexity is based upon a fear of dentists that began when I was a pre-schooler and got hit with ether by Dr. Levin. I had no idea what was going on in my brain nor my stomach but I didn't like it and didn't want to have it again.
From that time forward, I practiced grin and bear it. The only time I complained about my teeth was when the pain had become excruciating and the numzident was having no effect.
This has occurred maybe six or seven times in my life
After the fifth one, I made my pledge to enjoy every day that I wasn't in a tooth nightmare.I've tried to live up to that pledge but sometimes I forget until the next emergency is upon me.
Today as you can see, I remembered.
I used to have quite an impressive set of choppers. Today my teeth are equally impressive but not in a good way. I haven't tooth smiled in years. The best I can do is a fake Mona Lisa. I'm caught in that dilemma of a certain age, the one where you don't want to spend a lot of money on dental work only to take it to the grave. Nobody comments on anybody's teeth when they're in ashes or in the coffin. Although I must admit that I look upon the unearthed skulls of cavepeople and am envious of their chiclets.
Even Yorick's got me beat.
I'm goin' for ahses rather than bones.
I know you understand, Apollinia.
Apollonia is the patron saint of not only toothaches but also dentists. Her feast day was Feb. 9th.
How does one go about becoming the patron Saint of toothaches, dentists and dental problems.
It isn't easy.
Back in Alexandria, under the rule of King Phillip, the persecution of Christians had become quite the participatory exercise for rampaging mobs. As a result, most of the Christians had abandoned the city.
One day, a mob came upon three remaining Christians, an elderly man and two women. The elderly man got stoned first after some torture, the first woman was stoned next so that the corpse of the old man would not feel so all alone.
Appolonia was the second woman, she was a deaconess renowned for her chaste behaviour, devotion and charitable acts.
The mob, apparently bored by the stonings decided to try something different. They tied Apolnia to a stake and with punches and pliers knocked or pulled out all of her teeth. While they were pounding and pulling on Apollinia, they started to build a huge bonfire. By the time that the beating was over and the last tooth extracted, the fire was raging, perfect size for a human sizzler.
Apollonia was given a choice. she could blaspheme against her religion or be thrown into the fire.
Apolonia asked for a minute to decide.
They unfastened her from the stake.
She jumped into the fire and incinerated rathet than blaspheme.
That's how she became patron saint of dental pain.
That's how she became the tooth fairy.
When she is portrayed in art, she holds pincers in her hand and grasped by the pincers is a golden tooth.
Yeah.
So, I'm gonna get proactive here.
I don't have a toothache at the moment so I'm gonna pray the official preventitive prayer
GLORIOUS APOLLONIA, PATRON SAINT OF DENTISTRY AND REFUGE TO ALL THOSE SUFFERING FROM DISEASES OF THE TEETH, I CONSECRATE MYSELF TO THEE, BESEECHING THEE TO NUMBER ME AMONG THY CLIENTS. ASSIST ME BY YOUR INTERCESSION WITH GOD IN MY DAILY WORK AND INTERCEDE WITH HIM TO OBTAIN FOR ME A HAPPY DEATH. PRAY THAT MY HEART LIKE THINE MAY BE INFLAMED WITH THE LOVE OF JESUS AND MARY, THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN.
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emm give the choice of
emm give the choice of Appolliana I'd have jumped over the fire and blasphemed all the way. I guess that's why I'm low in the saint's stakes. My teeth in disorder.
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Wow there's a preventitive
Wow there's a preventitive prayer. I'm noting that down
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