Whew! hate mail from last week’s drama at St Mary’s is still trickling in. I am finding it very hard to remain polite, much less charitable. Pray for me please!

There are some emails that are right from the pit. They spit with rage and fury. They are riddled with the worst profanity and blaspheme against the Church, the Holy Father and the Blessed Virgin. Horrible stuff. I delete them with a prayer for protection and deliverance for the person who wrote.
The ones I have least patience with are the self righteous former Catholics who write telling me loftily that “It is people like Fr Newman who have caused me to leave the church.” What is that all?  You mean you gave up the chance of everlasting salvation because you disagreed with a priest? What I find annoying is the immaturity of their statement. It’s like, (stamped foot) “There now, if I can’t go first I’m going to go home and not play at your house anymore!”
I’m afraid I have answered one or two a bit sharply, telling one soul that controversies like this are often for the best because they sort out who wants to be Catholic and not. Informing her that for every letter like hers we’ve had plenty from people who support Fr Newman and say they admire a Catholic who sticks to his guns and others who say they’ve only stayed Catholic or they’ve even converted to the faith because of priests who have the guts to preach the gospel.
The image of the winnowing fan comes to mind, and the chaff which the wind blows away.