If MY kids ever acted like that....

I'm back from Youth 2000. We had an awesome weekend, of course. I was so privileged to attend a Mass Friday night celebrated by His Eminence Francis Cardinal George. I've been to several masses he has celebrated, and each time I've been riveted by his simplicity and wisdom. This time, I was not as riveted, not due to anything he said or did, but due to the bad mannered youth behind me. I was embarrassed for them. They were talking, texting and generally goofing around WHILE THE CARDINAL WAS SPEAKING!!! I gave looks, I signaled my friend Br. Maximilian to plant himself among them, which he did, but these young people did not stop. It was really bad. Even the teens I brought were annoyed and mad, and these kids are just normal teens, but have been taught how to behave in church. Sure, Mass was being held in a gym with 300 teens, and sure, the teens had to sit on the floor, but the Cardinal is a Prince of the Church, and deserves respect.

Bad behavior in Mass is a plague. I've seen it everywhere I go, and I'm not referring to the under 7 crowd, who are still learning how to behave. Texting, i-pods, phones are great things, but not during Mass. I wish I could say that these kids showed more respect to the Priests giving talks outside of Mass, but they did not. The bad behavior continued, to the point that every priest who got up to speak gave a reprimand. It finally took Fr. Bob, CFR, separating any offending teen and sitting them next to the Polish Dominicans to get the nonsense to stop. Don't mess with a 5 foot tall sister in white who can scold you in 3 languages. The offending group's chaperones were as bad as the kids. They did nothing to get the kids to stop, and more than one had to be woken up. All this in the presence of the exposed Blessed Sacrament.

It is sad, the kids had the opportunity to sit in front of the Blessed sacrament, to go to confession and to hear some of the coolest priests around. God was calling them, but their ear buds were too loud. Sean at Blue Boar was commenting on bad behavior during a Fr. Loya talk by him. I love Fr. Loya, he gave an art tour to my kids at his Byzantine Parish. He has a great message, one teens need to hear, but they wasted that chance. I wish I had some brilliant solution, but sadly, I do not. All I can do is try to make my 3 appreciate all the gifts they are given as Catholics, so they love the Mass, the Priesthood and the wisdom of those who truly can educate them. Pray for our teens, there are so many great ones, but so many who will be lost if they do not see the great gifts the church has to give. It is hard to see those gifts when your eyes are focusing on what you are texting.