Dear Friends,
I have a confession to make. I rely heavily on my cell phone. I check the weather, my email, the parish calendar, the news, social media, directions, and, of course, whether the Red Sox are winning or finding a new and innovative way to lose. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without it. It’s probably safe to say that I depend on my phone more than I should.
But there is one place where I make a point of turning it off and putting it away: church. I invite you to do the same.
I know we’re all busy. We worry that we might miss an important call or a text. But let’s be honest. If the plumber calls, he’ll leave a message. If Amazon has delivered your package, it’ll still be there after Mass. If someone tags you in a Facebook post, you’ll survive not knowing for another hour.
The truth is, there is nothing more important happening in your life that hour than the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Think about it. The God who created the universe is present. His Word is proclaimed. Our prayers are joined to those of the whole Church (in Heaven and on Earth). Bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. Heaven touches earth. There is simply no phone call, text message, email, sports score, stock market update, or social media notification that can compete with that.
And, as a bonus, when your phone is turned off, everyone around you gets to pray without hearing your favorite ringtone in the middle of the Consecration!
So, as we come to church this weekend, here’s a simple invitation: before you dip your fingers into the holy water, dip into your pocket or purse and silence your phone. Better yet, turn it off completely. Give God one uninterrupted hour of your week.
After all, if we believe what we say we believe about the Eucharist, then there really is nothing more important than the Mass.
See you in church—with our hearts open and our phones off.
Fr. John
P.S. Just in case you forget to turn your phone off, at least set your notification and ringtone to Ave Maria!
