Detraction Does Not Dwell in the Sacred Heart

There is no room in the Sacred Heart for detraction.

The hermit has known about the sin of detraction for awhile, but the awareness is heightened to a degree unacceptable, now. Detraction cannot be within the hermit, for the hermit within the Sacred Heart is being purified, flake by flake, like the snow drifting and in time melting.

The sins must melt away and flow out the Wound. There is no room in Jesus' Heart for a hermit with sooty snowflakes.

Loving warmth that melts away the sin comes with prayer, after recognition. Now the reaction wells up, and counters to negativity may seem frozen until the situation is shoveled to reveal the fault, the soot, which is causing the disruption of joy and peace.

An e-mail arrived at Agnus Dei yesterday, via internet. A friend of Baptist and United Brethren background had written an assault upon the hermit's appreciation of this woman's poem on Mary. Yes, the woman had written a poem about Mary, and per usual, sends all her writings to many people. it was a nice poem, but it was a surprise that she would write of Mary, given her background and previous issues with Catholicism.

Now the woman went on the attack against the hermit's mention, two years ago, of adoring Mary and of feeling quite close to Mary. The woman said the hermit had "horrified" her with these comments, and then produced the typical Scriptural defense that Protestants use against Mary's embrace by Catholics.

The hermit e-mailed back, thanking the woman for clarifying what she thinks. The thinks was italicized, for in the woman's assault, she had written "I think" numerous times. Then the hermit pointed out that these comments are typical reactions from non-Catholics, but I am not delving into an apologetics discussion. Simply, that yes I do adore--I adore much, even the snow and also the joy and peace that God has bequeathed, and I adore many people and Mary, too.

This woman has asked in the past for me to pray for her or her family members. I said I ask Mary to pray for me, and that in our relationship, yes, we are close one to another. On another turn, the hermit mentioned an artist friend who is sculpting a series of bas reliefs on the Joseph panorama in the OT--for a local synagogue. The rabbi has come to his home once, and asked many questions of the crucifixes and paintings of Jesus in his home; the rabbi had little to no comprehension of Jesus.

So it is with the woman who wrote a poem of Mary as a sign; this woman has not the comprehension of Mary that others might have, for to comprehend is a deep knowing, and a deep knowing begs a deep loving which includes conversing and asking and thanking and adoring and also being taught by and from the other. It is a relationship: growing; alive; real.

The hermit later wondered if the response was a kind of detraction of and to this woman, as the hermit did react with an interior shaking, as one who has undergone a severe shock. So the hermit simply asked Mary to please show this woman who she is beyond the nativity writings of Scripture--if and when it pleases Mary in her wisdom to do so. The other must be open, of course. Writing a poem, at least, is a start; but was it written to honor Mary, or did the woman find pleasure in what she authored as the motive? Who knows? The first line in her e-mail referred to how her poems come to her as if already completed by God--but that she tweaks them over days and weeks.

Did St. John in his revelation tweak the writings over days and weeks? One wonders, and it doesn't seem likely. He wrote of the Woman clothed as the Sun.... He knew her and loved her; he had made provision for the Mother of God, Mary most holy, from the foot of the cross into her passing over, being assumed into Heaven and crowned as Queen of Heaven and Earth.

The hermit realized it is not for the hermit to take offense on behalf of Mary, or to take offense at all for what the woman had written in an attack, couched with words declaring it was not a criticism. Is not truth seen within a simple e-mail? It was a criticism; most would see that. So what? Charity takes no offense. If Mary understands where this woman is coming from and why (surely the Mother of God knows best); then the hermit ought to understand and smile with love and patience. There was no need to counter back, but the hermit did, a slight bit. Silly hermit.

Then the hermit's cousin called. The cousin is very tired from pouring herself out for others, over and over; her cup is empty. Is it wise to allow our cup to be emptied and not take the time in God to be filled, and then to give of what is overflowing? The cousin did the usual: complained about her elderly mother. Yes, her mother has criticized the daughter in the past; the mother differs from the daughter in priorities, for the mother is quite taken with outer appearances and is noted for this among family and friends. So? What the cousin reported this time was nothing to fault, not at all. Yet the pattern is set: leaping upon any comment, now, of the other.

The hermit's comfort level with the conversation, with the detraction, has come to a point that something must be done! The hermit cannot nest within the Sacred Heart and also as a participant, even of listening to detraction. No matter what--detraction, even if true, is detraction. It tears down another human being. Let the vanity authorities deal with the vain; let the pride authorities deal with the proud. Let the gluttony authorities deal with the gluttons. Jesus will deal with it all--all our vices. Who am I to point them out or discuss them?

Within the Sacred Heart, nesting there as a genderless soul in nothingness, the nothingness must be known. The hermit is nothing, and in nothingness must remain thus: emptied of self, emptied of inclination and collusion in sins, in the sin of detraction. Detraction disrupts peace.

The hermit is going to have to bring this up when the cousin next calls. It has come to a point of the lance opening the Heart to this problem. How horrible the hermit has been all these years! No wonder peace and joy have eluded the hermit. The hermit sees its detraction through the light from the Wound.

Then, last night, late, the hermit came across something regarding another hermit who is well-publicized. While not in my Nine S', and not at all possible as a genderless soul in nothingness, being known to the world or anyone does not fit into nothing, and being something does not fit inside the Sacred Heart. Then was mentioned in the article a religious community to which the other belonged, and the hermit discovered this was not a Church approved community.

Ah, how easy it is for us to not see clearly, to not see truth in ourselves, and then to promote ourselves. For what? We become large and somebodies, and only small and nobodies fit within the Sacred Heart, for the Sacred Heart is a nest in which the soul becomes one with God, and thus not one's self. It is all reality, as is the Virgin Mary a reality, and not just a proud poem.

The hermit wrote of this situation, thinking the hermit needed to set matters straight, to reveal the weakness in the other's seeming promotion; and then during the night the hermit realized the sin of detraction in the writing, and to let the others simply go and be and learn themselves, as this hermit [me] is being taught the hermit's [my] own sooty snowflakes--sludge and sledge that verge on the hermit's being miscarried right out of the Sacred Heart!

The hermit got up and deleted the entire blog, even what might have been of good; the hint, even the potent taint, of detraction requires expulsion, and all surrounding words with it. Detraction soils all like the encroaching black-turned-gray in snow defreshed.

Detraction does not dwell in the Sacred Heart. Not the detraction of others about others; not the detraction of others by the hermit: No detraction dwells where Love lives to purify souls.

detract - reduce or take away the worth or value of; deny or take away (a quality or achievement) so as to make its subject seem less impressive; divert or distract (someone or something) away from. 'drawn away': detrahere (Middle English, Latin).