". . . When I was a junior in high school I worked as an assistant in a dental clinic in downtown Toledo. I loved the job and worked there for three years. . . ..
"I fell in love with dentistry after one particular patient. This patient came to the clinic and never smiled. He would hide his teeth behind his lips in embarrassment. Over a few appointments, the dentist worked on his teeth. There are few things more intimate than dental work. After a few visits, the dentist gave this young man his smile back. I remember seeing the patient walk out of the clinic, he could not stop smiling.
". . . During my novitiate with the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, I discovered the God of our hearts who is present and constantly at work. Although I like this image of the cardiologist God, I have to admit, I am partial to the image of the dentist God who scrapes, drills, fills, and straightens. God'’s work is intimate and uncomfortable AND needed. This is a God who gives me my smile back."
In
a recent commentary based on the writings of St. Francis de Sales, Father Joe Newman,
OSFS, reflected on the similarities between of the work of God and the work of a dentist.
To access Fr. Newman's complete post, please visit:
De Sales Weekly: Provincial Reflection: Teeth (26 SEP 24)
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