Dear Parishioners:

I’m not sure whether I love it or hate it! I’m talking about my cell phone. Yes, it makes things more convenient in that a phone call is always at my finger tips. I can call to let someone know I am running a few minutes late, or schedule a quick meeting, or find out what movie theater I’m supposed to meet my friends at. From a safety standpoint, there’s no debate. When I am on the road, it gives great peace of mind, and when I am lost, I can call for directions.

On it I keep my brain. All my appointments, my contacts, and my reminders can be found on it. With it I can check my e-mails, keep up-to-date with the latest news, get scores for the SPURS games, and text a fellow priest a question. If I am bored while waiting in the doctor’s office, I can even play an electronic game. It has practically become a permanent fixture on my belt.

But the convenience of having a cell phone presents its own set of problems. Whereas, in days of old I was able to be at peace when in a car or on vacation, now I am a slave to my phone. Being on call all the time creates stress. Then there is the problem of losing the phone or forgetting where I put it. I think I was better off with the old “brick” cell phone I had more than a decade ago. At least it was a dinosaur of a phone that wasn’t easily missed!

Don’t get me wrong. I really do like my cell phone. Perhaps too much! But when my phone decided to play submarine this past week, I was not a happy camper! When I pulled it out of the water, it was totally useless. It was then that I realized how much of a slave to my phone I really had become! Fortunately, I synchronized it with my computer just a couple of days prior, so I still have record of most of my appointments.

In the Gospel this week, we have the figure of Zacchaeus trying to come into contact with Jesus. He is a small man, so he climbs a tree in order to see. What an amusing sight it must have been. He didn’t have a cell phone, but he certainly got the attention of “The Master”. His efforts at seeking out Jesus merited his having Jesus as a guest in his home. One of the great blessings of being a disciple of the Lord is that he is always “on call” for us! Like Zacchaeus, let us seek him out constantly! He is willing to be our guest. God bless!

Fr. Paul