Watches and Cell Phones in Church

At his Mass of February 10 at Casa Santa Marta, our Holy Father Pope Francis spoke of entering into the mystery of the Mass. He said that "we must put ourselves there in God's time, in God's space without looking at our watches...to celebrate the liturgy means to enter into the mystery of God. He invited those present to ask the Lord to give all this sense of what is sacred, to understand that it is one thing to pray at home, to pray in church, to pray the rosary, to pray many beautiful prayers, to do the Way of the Cross, and to read the Bible, but it is quite another to celebrate the Eucharist. In this celebration we enter into the mystery of God, on that path that we cannot control, He is the only One, His is the Glory, He is the Power. We ask for this grace, that the Lord may teach us to enter into the mystery of God."

It is this understanding that should prompt us not only to not glance at our watches, but also not to text, play games, or utilize our cell phones during mass in order to be in the presence of God. An exception of course would be any kind of emergency—a sick parent or child at home, etc.