Gentle Woman

On this sweet solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary's Assumption into Heaven, it seems best to post this comment. Up until this time, nothing had been advised to not post the negative comments. Nothing had written out responses and clarifications to this one, but rather the energy must be utilized in suffering for someone dying of cancer, not to be diffused. This comment speaks for itself and stands alone. Gentle Woman, quiet light, peaceful dove...pray for us!

"Dear [here nothing's given name is used, but has not nothing chosen identity anonymity?],

"Regarding your latest blog entries: you might consider that so long as you are not paying for appropriate health care or medications (for pain, for instance), but instead are spending money on extravagant, hard-and-expensive-to-maintain specimen plants, and expensive books, your conscience should continue to nag at you.

"I have not written you about this but over the past year or so others have written to me in your regard scandalized at your contention you are a victim soul complaining constantly about the degree of pain you suffer all while clearly not paying for adequate or appropriate medical care and pain medication. (You claim you are uninsurable, yet you clearly have the funds to pay for limited health insurance, or at least enough to take care of fee-for-service and medication costs). It is not enough (and certainly not convincing) to add a line at the end of a post about what a joy suffering is for you when you have spent several paragraphs bitching and moaning about the degree of suffering you are in and demonstrating how truly unhappy you are --- especially when you do so post after post after post.

"Meanwhile, people have also written me about your supposed vows (not least that of poverty), and your emotional state, wondering why your Bishop does not make sure you get adequate treatment. I have reiterated you are not diocesan or canonical, and that he is not responsible in this way, but the basic situation remains: you give scandal so long as you portray your suffering as the will of God while you do not take appropriately PRUDENT steps to relieve it. This is especially true since you do not bear it well or joyfully, nor is it life giving to you, but rather is a clear burden which colors almost every post you put up.

"A similarly scandalous situation (at least one others have inquired of me about) is your tendency to fail at relationships, then blame others, and finally, to chalk the loss of those relationships (or the failure to pursue the challenges of true friendships) up to God's will. There is no way I can tell these people that the life of a hermit implies the kinds of problems you have blogged about with relationships, and even less can I tell them that this is part of some perverse "stripping" God is doing in your regard.

"I am certain you will not post this comment, and that is fine. But you used my name in your Complete Hermit blog, and others know I AM a diocesan hermit, so they DO write me in your regard. While they don't know you and I have corresponded, they have a sense you know me in some fashion from what you said in your older blog. The bottom line is this, they write me concerned that you are giving scandal, and I honestly cannot say otherwise. (Their complaints once included the degree of private stuff you put up on your blog which was appalling, some of which allowed others to identify and question the wisdom of both your Bishop and Vicar General --- yes, they know you are from [here nothing's diocese and names of bishop and vicar general are stated, but has not nothing chosen anonymity, and wouldn't these clerics deserve a written request from the commenter and these others, prior to their names being used on internet?] something you never told me if you recall. You have moderated this at present, but the other complaints remain.)

"So please understand that I am pleased you are dealing with the financial stuff, but there are deeper issues you also need to address if you are going to continue blogging as you have. If you are going to call yourself a victim soul (the reality of which, by the way, is not an accepted church teaching) then you need to be clear you treat the pain and emotional difficulties REGULARLY and with ordinary prudence and medical resources. You have the money; that you have made clear time and time again. Until you do that, there is no way you can call all this stuff "the will of God" honestly and without giving scandal.

"Sincerely,
Sister Laurel M O'Neal
Stillsong Hermitage"

Dear Sister Laurel and these "others" (who in charitable humor qualify as "blugs" i.e. "blog thugs"), St. Dorotheos of Gaza advises that if someone has accused another of valid wrong-doing, to bow one's head and say, "It is true. I am sorry. Pray for me." If someone has accused another falsely of wrong-doing, to bow one's head and say, "I am sorry. Pray for me."

If these accusations of scandal and all else expounded in this comment are true, and if nothing has truly committed scandal as determined by those in authority over nothing's eternal soul, nothing will confess its sins sacramentally, and bow its head to God and those in Church authority and say it is true, that I am sorry, and pray for me. But until those in authority over nothing's soul agree with your and these "others" accusations, at minimum nothing most sincerely bows it head to you and these offended others, and says, "I am sorry. Pray for me."

Thank you for graciously pointing out my many flaws. I always have appreciated receiving your and the "others" learned and wise insights, and thoughtful concerns. What you express is deeply treasured especially as a means of humility and for more thorough annihilation. Also, it does bring to the fore, and to my superiors' aid in discernment in light of your multi-faceted comment, to ascertain exactly what writing God desires of nothing, if any, and in what genre, when and how. Nothing will be grateful for God's answer in this, as it desires God's will in all matters.

Sister Laurel--God bless you, gentle woman...peaceful dove!

with Jesus Who Is I AM, and through the loving example of Mary, and indebted to you, a sister in Christ,
I remain nothing