Providence, R.I., Sep 16, 2012 / 12:03 pm
The ring of a cell phone, cry of an infant parishioner, or medical emergency are unintended distractions that can often drive away the focus from the holy sacrifice of the Mass.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that "to set about hunting down distractions would be to fall into their trap, when all that is necessary is to turn back to our heart, for a distraction reveals to us what we are attached to. Therein lies the battle, the choice of which master to serve" (2729).
During his very first Easter celebration as a priest, Father Jeremy Rodrigues, director of the Dioces of Providence Office of Worship, witnessed a parishioner suddenly collapse to the floor. Out of concern, the congregation's focus quickly turned from the Mass to the ailing parishioner.
"I was just at the end of my homily and someone just passed out," he recalled. "I thought, 'maybe it was it something I said.'"