Why I hate cell-phones

Some people call them the biggest invention ever. Many others cannot survive without them. Most people spend hours handling them, looking at them, texting on them, searching for them, or simply hugging them and even sleeping with them. But the reason why I hate cell-phones is because of the lack of courtesy that some people have in handling them, or rather misusing them. It happened twice this week that some of the residents at the Retirement Home bring their cell-phone with them when they attend Mass. I have been constantly telling them to leave it in their room while attending Mass at the chapel. But they refuse to do that, and all through the Mass you here the annoying whistling, beeping and ringing, even those little bleeps which tells me that people are checking their phones during Mass.

Well last Sunday, exactly as I’m starting the consecration of the Eucharist, the most solemn and important part of the Mass, a phone rings. As I have become accustomed to do, I stop and pause, until the ringing stops. Well the ringing did stop, but the person starts talking, loud enough for everyone to hear the family conversation. When I started the words of consecration, that phone rings again, and I had to stop again. Now one has to understand that most of the elderly residents do not know how to silence this gadget, or stop it, or make it inaudible. This time there was no conversation, but the phone stopped. Waiting a few more seconds I started the words of consecration and after I had raised the host, guess what? For a third time, the same phone rings again, at which time I had no choice but to grab the phone and take it to the sacristy, and even though we could still hear it ring periodically in the background, I could at least continue with the Mass. To add insult to injury, just yesterday, the Mass of the Assumption of Mary, the same exact thing happened at exactly the same time. It was a different phone this time, and no conversation took place, but after it stopped once, it rang again, to the exasperation of everyone present. All the congregants were also upset, and while trying to compose myself, and continue with the Mass, as soon as I picked up the chalice, the phone rang a third time. At this time a person did stand up and left. And I could continue with the Mass until the very end. 

And just before my final blessing, I made a simple announcement to please remember to turn their phones off or leave them at home. And at that moment another phone rang, and everybody smiled. As people were leaving, most of them came over to congratulate me for being so patient. One of them waited till the end of the line and told me...’Father it’s the devil at work here, knowing what a great job you’re doing.....don’t let him triumph.’ Now you know why I hate cell-phones and prefer to communicate with e-mail.