Would you ever text during Mass?

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I leave my phone in the glove compartment of my car. When I am at Mass, I want to escape the world and be at the heavenly liturgy.

I kind of think of it as Luke 10:38…when Jesus visits Lazarus, Mary and Martha. When I am at Mass, I want to be Mary and not Martha. If you want to be Martha, worried about your everyday stuff so much that you can’t take an hour or hour-and-a-half of bliss being in the presence of Our Lord, that’s your problem. I want to be away from the worries of the world and be with Our Lord.
 
I’m ashamed to admit it, but I’ve done this once. I had forgotten to tell The Husband something and remembered just before Mass began. I should have held off because the topic wasn’t that important, but I didn’t. I thought I’d be able to fire off a quick text message. Not quick enough: my pastor saw me texting during the processional. At the time nothing in his behavior indicated he had noticed my transgression, but after Mass he gave me an absolutely withering glare from across the nave, so I knew he knew. (All priests should have such an expression in their arsenal. It’s very effective.) We never actually spoke of the incident, but I have never repeated the action.
Irishgal49 said:
No matter what happens in my family or their lives, one hour is not going to matter.
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I’m glad that your family is apparently close enough to you that one hour wouldn’t make a difference. 🙂 Mine isn’t—they live on another continent. One hour can make the difference between my making it to the last flight of the day and getting to my family by that evening or having to wait until the following afternoon to leave. In a true family emergency, I have to get going as soon as someone informs me of the situation. So where I go, my phone goes. On silent if I’m at Mass, but it’s still with me nonetheless. My friends and family know my Mass attendance schedule and have the good sense not to bother me there unless something really urgent comes up.
 
Irishgal49 said:
I agree, I think that cell phones have over-inflated our own feelings of self-importance. I remember when they didn’t exist. If you were in Church and your family had a crisis they got a hold of you on your home phone and left an answering machine message that you got when you came home. Everyone cites doctors, etc, but how many of us REALLY need the cell phone? Lock it in your car and one hour later you can check it and return calls. If there is an emergency I need the grace that Mass can give me. I hate phones, and 99% of the time my ringer is off. I just check it a few times a day and good enough.

Lorrie
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OTOH, perhaps the technology enables some to attend Mass where before they wouldn’t have had the opportunity.

Our church is just a few minutes from a hospital. I can see a doctor now telling the staff to call him if he is needed and going to Mass, where before “technology” he would have had to stay and miss Mass altogether.
 
I certainly hope I wouldn’t! I keep my phone out in the car because I have very poor self-control. My attention needs to be focused on Our Lord, not my phone.
 
JaredR said:
Fortunately I’ve never witnessed anyone texting during Mass, though I’m sure it happens.

I don’t have a problem with accessing spiritual resources on a phone, and after a few Sundays I would probably make the connection that this is what you’re doing, but the first time I saw it, it would be a major distraction. It would probably occupy my attention for most of the Mass. Now I have an obligation to focus on the Mass and not be watching my neighbor, but per St. Paul my neighbor also has an obligation to not put stumbling blocks in my path. I would humbly propose you contemplate switching to resources in book form out of respect for the weakness of others.
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OTOH, we have to be careful not to misuse St. Paul’s directive. E.g., I am distracted by families with large numbers of children–I find the children adorable, and the dynamics between all the family members captivating. Several times I have been entranced by these large families during Mass, and only realized that I had missed everything in the Liturgy of the Word because all the people around started standing for the Creed!

But obviously I would not suggest to couples that they cut down on their family size, or that they leave their most adorable children at home!

I think that as you become more familiar with technology, you will not find it distracting at all. I’m sure that the first time churches were wired for electric lights, lots of people found it distracting and called for the abolition of such innovations. Such a thing seems silly now.

My husband is a systems engineer, and he has always been on the cutting edge of technology. I am used to seeing him use all kinds of modern tools, and so I am not distracted by these. I would actually be more distracted by seeing someone leafing through a book during the Mass (other than the missalette.)
 
Cat said:
OTOH, we have to be careful not to misuse St. Paul’s directive. E.g., I am distracted by families with large numbers of children–I find the children adorable, and the dynamics between all the family members captivating. Several times I have been entranced by these large families during Mass, and only realized that I had missed everything in the Liturgy of the Word because all the people around started standing for the Creed!

But obviously I would not suggest to couples that they cut down on their family size, or that they leave their most adorable children at home!

I think that as you become more familiar with technology, you will not find it distracting at all. I’m sure that the first time churches were wired for electric lights, lots of people found it distracting and called for the abolition of such innovations. Such a thing seems silly now.

My husband is a systems engineer, and he has always been on the cutting edge of technology. I am used to seeing him use all kinds of modern tools, and so I am not distracted by these. I would actually be more distracted by seeing someone leafing through a book during the Mass (other than the missalette.)
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It’s not a matter of getting comfortable with technology but of respect ( I am not an old foggey - I use tech on a daily basis in my pesonal life and as a filmmaker). Outside of doctors and the like why anyone would have thier phone on (even on vibrate) is beyond me. My phone is turned off before I even enter the church it’s no different than removing ones hat when entering the church as far as I am concerned.
 
I always arrive early and do sacristan duties and everything, so I leave my phone on vibrate then in case my family needs to get in touch with me, or I need to text Fr. to bring something over from the rectory, or something. I also use it before and/or after Mass for my breviary, and sometimes during Mass for the readings, if I’m having trouble focusing (usually because of my frame of mind, not because of externals). Some days, I really just need to read along. So yes, my phone is always in my pocket. But once I enter church, I only use it for prayer or the nessicaries (outside of Mass and inside the sacristies only, btw. NEVER in the sanctuary).

But my phone automatically goes on vibrate 30 minutes before Mass, and silent 2 minutes before Mass, then back on after, so I never forget. All you android users out there, this is the greatest app ever:

Ringer Volume

I never have to turn off or on my phone for church, class, sleep, or anything anymore. It’s on a schedule, and unless I’m doing something out of the ordinary, I just leave it and it handles everything.
 
Frankly, I get tired of the thing. Our kids turned us on to texting as an alternative to calls, so it is largely silent. - except for the tone to let us know a txt came in. I find that I turn it off for Mass and turn it on a few days later. Not at all a bad tactic (if it was a tactic and not forgetfulness - oh that again) I find I can look are recent calls, txt and email and get to things at my convenience. Not the local political committee that wants a donation. The cell phone is a convenient tool, I do find it helpful with daily readings - have you looked at the price of a daily missal recently? It is also convenient for LOTH, and if clergy can use it, why should I quibble. It is also nice to have access to communication when you want or need it with more immediacy. We just need to use it wisely.
 
Ohana said:
Frankly, I get tired of the thing. Our kids turned us on to texting as an alternative to calls, so it is largely silent. - except for the tone to let us know a txt came in. I find that I turn it off for Mass and turn it on a few days later. Not at all a bad tactic (if it was a tactic and not forgetfulness - oh that again) I find I can look are recent calls, txt and email and get to things at my convenience. Not the local political committee that wants a donation. The cell phone is a convenient tool, I do find it helpful with daily readings - have you looked at the price of a daily missal recently? It is also convenient for LOTH, and if clergy can use it, why should I quibble. It is also nice to have access to communication when you want or need it with more immediacy. We just need to use it wisely.
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Just as an aside, why are Sunday and daily Missals so expensive down south? Up here a Sunday Missal is only $6.00 and a daily Missal (including Sundays) around $25.00 for an annual subscription (mailed out in a monthly format from Novalis). I would suggest you purchase from Novalis but it is set up for the NRSV not the NAB Catholic bible (although only some language differences may be apparent).
 
I wonder why even if someone is texting why it should distract someone for the whole Mass. I have seen people read the bulletin. (and at times another book that didn’t look like a bible or missal)Yes it bothers me but I would say a prayer then redirect my thoughts back to the Lord. (and I am easily distracted and I don’t even need someone to help me)It is different if someone is being loud but if they are just looking at a phone why should that distract for an hour?
 
superamazingman said:
my phone automatically goes on vibrate 30 minutes before Mass, and silent 2 minutes before Mass, then back on after, so I never forget. All you android users out there, this is the greatest app ever:

Ringer Volume

I never have to turn off or on my phone for church, class, sleep, or anything anymore. It’s on a schedule, and unless I’m doing something out of the ordinary, I just leave it and it handles everything.
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I could kiss you for this.

I attend Mass six times during the week, and the times vary (8:00am, 8:30am, 5:30pm or 6:30pm, depending upon the day). I perform sacristan duties for at least three of them, so before Mass begins I’m often running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Now I don’t have to worry about remembering to put the phone on silent, or back on audible ringing afterwards. :yyeess: Doesn’t help for special Masses and celebrations such as weddings and funerals, where I could be called to sacristan or other related duty at any time, nor for the weekend, since we have three churches for five Masses over two days. My priest doesn’t always tell me where I’m supposed to be for these events until the day before. But at least I have the week taken care of, and that represents the bulk of my Mass attendance anyway.

Thank you, thank, you, thank you. :thankyou: Now if I could only find an app that automatically turns the Wi-Fi on and off when I enter or leave my home…
 
yukonbrad said:
Just as an aside, why are Sunday and daily Missals so expensive down south? Up here a Sunday Missal is only $6.00 and a daily Missal (including Sundays) around $25.00 for an annual subscription (mailed out in a monthly format from Novalis). I would suggest you purchase from Novalis but it is set up for the NRSV not the NAB Catholic bible (although only some language differences may be apparent).
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IPieta is $2.99 and contains the Missal, the Bible, butler’s saints, Baltimore Catechism 1,2 and 3, and ton of other resources. And it’s already in my pocket so I never am without them.
 
I would NEVER text during Mass… my phone is either on silent or better yet, turned off completely. I can give God ONE hour a week without technology.
 
Never. In fact, it shouldn’t be done in the pews at all either before, during, or after Mass. If it’s an emergency, get up and leave at the first appropriate moment (perhaps not during the Lord’s Prayer, for example.) Since phones should be turned off during Mass anyway unless one is expecting a possible emergency situation, this shouldn’t generally be a problem.

That being said, I have Bibles, Kindle Books by St. Josemaria, Scott Hahn, etc. on my Android. I But I only read those if I’m early to Mass and have finished the Act of Contrition and other prayers I say before Mass. I’ve caught looks from people who probably think I’m texting. But I seldom even do this, and take a pocket sized book with me instead. I never have my phone on during Mass. If there is a dire emergency, oh well. Nothing is more important than God.
 
Seeker1961 said:
IPieta is $2.99 and contains the Missal, the Bible, butler’s saints, Baltimore Catechism 1,2 and 3, and ton of other resources. And it’s already in my pocket so I never am without them.
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That indeed is quite afordable. When I look at a variety of sources I am at times dismayed by the vast diferences in cost.
 
I think even checking your phone for messages during mass is wrong. I don’t even bring my cellphone to mass. There is nothing that can’t wait an hour. It wasn’t that many years ago that there weren’t any cellphones, and everybody seemed to survive. People are becoming enslaved to these things!
 
yukonbrad said:
It’s not a matter of getting comfortable with technology but of respect ( I am not an old foggey - I use tech on a daily basis in my pesonal life and as a filmmaker). Outside of doctors and the like why anyone would have thier phone on (even on vibrate) is beyond me. My phone is turned off before I even enter the church it’s no different than removing ones hat when entering the church as far as I am concerned.
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Usually I have no idea where my phone is because I so rarely use it. There have been occasions when it’s been in my purse for so long without being used that when it did ring I started looking for the source of Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons”. At least once or twice at work I’ve said, “Does anyone else hear that??” followed several moments later by “OH, that was my phone!”

Only once did it ring at an inopportune moment, right in the middle of the Consecration. People may have thought I was answering it, but I was frantically trying to turn it off, quite forgetting that I couldn’t do that while the keys were locked. After Mass I found out that it was a wrong number.

Truth be told, I have no idea why I have a cell phone – I hate speaking on one and I can’t fathom why anyone would only have a cell and no land-line. Give me a conversation that doesn’t sound tinny any day. I might like it more if I get THIS.
 
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