Another View of the Sin of Detraction

The other day, the hermit wrote of love of neighbors and the reminder to pray for our neighbors. Then another incident occured upon return from Mass. In addition to the little red bag on the front porch, there was a package with a newspaper section, a print-out of information on St. Francis of Assisi, and a little hate note from an anonymous person in the neighborhood.

Rather confused, the hermit looked through the materials, and then saw in the newspaper section, an area starred, and in it a write-up of the neighbor with a falsified account--horrendously heart-rending--of how her poor kitty had been hanged from a door handle by her neighbor, with details, saying the police had been summoned, and the little grandson even asking his daddy if he'd seen the neighbor smiling when his daddy had cut down the kitty. There was more, but the hermit got the idea.

Truly, there was some humor in the situation, for now others in the neighborhood could read the newspaper and well figure out who this woman's neighbor is, for description was given enough just shy of my name. The details were false, and the facts turned around, for it was the hermit who in desperation had summoned the sheriff to bring order to the woman's outbursts.

The hermit decided to simply return the packet to the front porch of Agnus Dei, as found, and use this along with the red bag, to pray not only for the neighbors but also for this new person who by her note was justifiably horrified at what I had supposedly done!

It is so massively awesome how through praying for souls, one can become intimately involved with them without their knowing and without contact. And, this is what the hermit figured God desired: prayer and more prayer. The issue was not the write-up in the newspaper, amazing as it was that the neighbor could not let the issue drop after these months, and that the paper would print such a thing without checking accuracy of the claims.

A friend suggested contacting the paper, or some kind of defense; but the hermit explained that this is yet another angle of the sin of detraction, and it is that of receiving detraction, and of discerning how to deal with it as Jesus did. So no defense would be necessary, and prayer would be undertaken, and small sacrifices, and maintaining a sense of humor, and also of being prepared for others who would read the article, who might feel inclined to take action against the accused! Perhaps the porch, by spring, would be laden with items: prayer reminders.

When one is the target of detraction, and of even libel (which this is due to false accusations), the one detracted does best to consult Jesus's reactions, for He received detraction in all types.

He spoke not; He opened not His mouth. He repeated back, such as to Pilot: It you who say it. He prayed for those who insulted and lied, and forgave all--including those who allowed themselves to be convinced of His supposed guilt. He offered all to His Father, willingly and with love and humility. He recognized that they didn't comprehend what they were doing and begged them be forgiven; and then He commended His own soul to God.

He did not engage in debate, or mock, or try to get others to stand up for him, or go to those who needed to be corrected in their error, or the second- and third-hand parties who perpetuated the detractions. He did not file a lawsuit. He did not try to move away, hide, or avoid continuing on with whatever would be next. He remained loyal to His mission for souls, to save souls.

The hermit pondered these things, but also did slip in some areas such as joking a bit about the incident to the cousin; and in the mind briefly thought about making an appointment with the newspaper editor to simply suggest that what is printed in these end-of-year citizen columns might not be truth and they should check things prior to printing what in this case is libel. For another thought flash, the hermit wondered how things would be come spring and summer.

But, the consideration of how Jesus dealt with His MAJOR detraction took root quickly, and all other thoughts vanished, leaving but one: how to glorify God in this situation?

That challenge became intriguing, and the more the hermit prayed, the more the hermit realized that the neighbor's write-up demonstrated perhaps some underlying issues, perhaps serious and nonetheless sad souled, it was obvious that the devil was irked, and perhaps from the increase in prayers after the little red bag with coal had been thrown on the porch. Now there was yet another soul involved, and in this the hermit could glorify God by not only bringing the neighbor and her husband's souls to God in prayer, but also this anonymous person's soul, as well as the hermit's soul. All to God, all with loving prayer, desiring to glorify Him by adorning Him with four souls now, presented before His Throne. How lovely!

And to do so with not upset or anger or sadness, but with a kind of joy in the hope that progress was being made. Progress was being made with the souls, or else the continuation of such a ridiculous situation would not be flaring up, stirred by the devil. Who else would be behind such lies but the author of them? Progress was being made in the hermit's soul, for the joy was also the joy of recognizing the peace remained unperturbed by this detraction, so that joy could be offered to glorify God all the more due to His peace bequeathed! Progress was being made in that the hermit was learning how to glorify God by taking what seemed a negative situation, and by the grace of God, turning it into a positive. All to God, all glory to God! It all became absolutely hopeful, delightful, and in excelsis Deo!

The joy increased with the freedom from self, with the freedom of realizing that part of the sin of detraction lies within how the person detracted reacts, and of the tendency to self-pity or fear or desiring defense, or of wanting sympathy from others, or more attention by others taking up the banner, making it all more public.

But Jesus shows us how to handle the sin of detraction if we are the recipients. Also, there is great humility in being detracted, for it is only good and blessed to experience what it feels like to be detracted, to be on the receiving end, for what mortal has never detracted another? It starts in toddler years when we expose what a sibling or playmate has done--and sometimes even delight in their being punished. Maybe it is a true wrong they have done, and maybe it is made up, or maybe it is just a case of wrong identity.

The hermit loved this detraction for the lessons it taught. The hermit did not love it for causing another to believe lies and to write a hate note, or others to have ill will over something not even true. The hermit did not love it for the fact that the neighbor is not at peace. But the hermit loved the detraction because it helped the hermit to bring souls otherwise not considered enough or at all, to God in prayer. And it made a huge dent in the hermit's soul on how detraction really, truly does not have any place at all within the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Ironically, after the Vigil Mass for the Holy Mother of God, the hermit learned that the hermit had detracted (in mentioning to a friend the upset of an alter server who was grossly irreverant at Mass, behind the priest's back when the priest was at the altar)--but in error! It was not the alter server that the hermit had thought! See? See how horrible is the sin of detraction? Thankfully, the hermit was able to tell the friend that it was not that boy, and that the hermit had learned a great lesson about any detraction whatsoever--not even in saying something to one single person about another person.

Of course, if that person (as the confessor pointed out) is in danger or is leading others astray, then something should be said to the proper person/s. The hermit knows the difference.

Ironically, also, whoever had left the one package on the porch, evidently had second thoughts and retrieved it while the hermit was at the Vigil Mass. The little red bag tossed there, remains, as it did prior to the newspaper publication.

Once more, the hermit clarifies that when the hermit writes out these boring studies of something the hermit has done wrong, or uses examples of others for the means of sorting through what is the way of Christ in dealing with them, the hermit ONLY writes in order to instill within the hermit, the lessons learned.

There is no room for distraction within the Sacred Heart, and the hermit is now pondering that distraction erupts when people are discussed, in particular. Thankfully, Catholics have confessors with whom to discuss particular issues which involve people, and even in that, we are cautioned to not detract particular people but to confess in generalities. If the confessor needs to know particulars, he will ask the penitent.