Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Do you ever read the articles in the newsletter or the announcements in the bulletin and wonder where all these loving ministries, these works of Christ, are coming from? Then we have to add to these all the loving words and actions that take place in your homes, schools, and places of work. Putting all this self-sacrificing love together one can be overwhelmed by the goodness, the goodness of the People of God, the Body of Christ.

Well, of course, all of this love has its source in God, more specifically in God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. His life became ours when we died with Him through the waters of baptism, and rose with Him to newness of life. Filled with God's own Spirit, the Holy Spirit, we the baptized, the Church, the Body of Christ, go out to bring and to share this life of Love with the world.

That is how it begins. Then, like any life, the life of Christ in us has to be nourished and sustained. As all of you know, that nourishment, that sustenance, comes through the most powerful, most holy, of all meals, the Mass, the Eucharistic banquet of our Lord Jesus Christ.

At this meal God speaks to us and instructs us through His word, the Holy Scriptures. This is the reason we sing "Alleluia" and stand for the proclamation of the Gospel. It is Jesus himself, our Lord and Savior, teaching us through His word and example.

After proclaiming our faith, and praying for the Church, the world, and one another, we enter into the Liturgy of the Eucharist where we are fed with the bread of life and the cup of salvation, the body and blood of Jesus the Christ. It is Jesus himself, our Lord and God, entering into our very being, strengthening His life within us, His life of loving, caring and serving. This is our nourishment. This is our sustenance. This is what makes it possible for us to continue doing the work of Christ. It is Christ working in and through us.

The Eucharistic celebration is the high point or pinnacle of all prayer. The Church teaches that the Eucharist is the "Source and Summit" of our lives as Catholic Christians. There is no prayer more holy on the face of the earth. God comes to us, and we come to God, and the two, human and divine, meet in Jesus Christ who we receive under the forms of bread and wine. It is heaven and earth touching, and for an instant, becoming one. That is why the Eucharist is called a "Foretaste of the Heavenly Banquet", a taste of Heaven itself. This is what gives us the strength to continue all those loving works of Christ. This is why there is no prayer on earth more holy, more deserving of reverence, more deserving of our full and active participation, than the prayer of the Mass.

The vast majority of you are very aware of everything that I have just written. Most of you come to Mass every Sunday, praying and participating in a way that makes our celebrations absolutely beautiful. No wonder our parish is so alive and active. No wonder we minister so well, reaching out to so many people.

There are a few however, a very few, who do not seem to understand what is happening at Mass. Therefore, they show little or no respect for God, or their brother and sisters in Christ, during the Mass.

Some of these people do not turn off their cell phones, or set them on vibrate, before Mass (or leave them in their cars). Then, when their cell phones ring during Mass, they refuse to turn them off even when asked to do so by the priest.

Others (adults!) talk out loud to one another during the reading from scripture, even the Gospel reading and during the prayers, even the Eucharistic Prayer. Still others (adults!) stand and walk out of Mass to go to the restroom, or to stand in the gathering area. And they do this in the middle of a prayer or a reading from scripture, disturbing everyone. The least they could do is wait until the prayer or reading is ended.

This kind of behavior during Mass is inexcusable. As I said, these people evidently do not understand what is happening during the Mass. They must not realize the holiness, the sacredness of this event.

As I pointed out, I am talking about adults! Unlike innocent little children, who are still learning how to behave at Mass, and should be learning from their parents' example, these adults have no excuse. Hopefully they will read this letter and change their disrespectfdul behavior.

As I said before, the vast majority of you does understand and pray with one another, beautifully and reverently during Mass. You love and respect both God and your brothers and sisters in Christ. You are at Mass to praise and worship God, to be nourished by Him through both Word and Sacrament. Then you leave revived, refreshed, renewed, eager to share what you have received, the Life and Love of Christ, with the world.