Cell Phones During Mass

Every Sunday, it seems, a cell phone goes off right in the middle of the Consecration or other part of theMass.This nuisance isn’t reserved only for Sundays as it seems to occur during weekly Masses, Confessions, Eucharistic Adorations, etc.  What, some might wonder, could be so important that it couldn’t wait until after Mass?

If we have urgent or pressing business in our lives that simply cannot wait – perhaps it would be best for all if we chose another mass time that was more suitable to our needs and our schedule.

Before bringing a cell phone or other electronic device into the Church, we must ask ourselves the following questions:  Is it absolutely necessary to carry my phone into the Church?  Do I need my pager or iPod in the Church with me - or can I leave it in the car or at home?  Would I take any of these devices into my boss’s home or answer the phone at the table if he invited me over for dinner?

Would I allow my cell phone to disturb the audience during a movie?  If the answer to any of these questions is, “No”, it might be a good idea not to bring these devices into the Church in the first place.  We might want to consider the fact that God deserves our undivided attention for the hour or so that it usually takes for a Mass to conclude. If we wouldn’t subject our boss or an audience at the local movie theater to this noise – why on earth would we subject our fellow parishioners who are trying to worship to this nuisance?  More importantly – why are we demanding that God to wait for us until we are good and ready to join in the celebration of the Mass?

We read in Matt. 26:36:45 that during his Agony in the Garden, Jesus was upset with the Apostles because they couldn’t even stay awake and devote a few moments to him in his final hours.  He chastised them for abandoning him in his hour of need.  Aren’t we doing the exact same thing when we conduct other business during Mass instead of focusing on Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary?  Cell phones, iPods, video games, idle chat and conversations are all things that can wait until after the conclusion of Mass.

Anybody can forget to leave their electronic device in the car, so it is incumbent upon us to listen to the request before every Mass to turn the power off.  We owe that not only to our fellow parishioners – but to our Lord first and foremost.