Phones, Sin, and Vigilance

Father Bob’s Homily – 10:30 AM Mass Sunday, February 15

Have you ever considered your cell phone to be a near occasion of sin? At a previous Mass, someone immediately shouted out, “Yes!” — and I jokingly told her she could turn off the rest of the homily because she already understood the point. A cell phone is not sinful in itself. But how we use it can easily become a near occasion of sin. Our phones and the internet make sin incredibly accessible. They sit in our pockets and handbags, always within reach.In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks about serious sins — anger, lust, and falsehood. Let us consider how our cell phones can become near occasions of these sins.

Anger

Anger can be a serious and destructive sin when it is not managed properly. The internet makes it very easy to act on anger. When we are upset, we can go online and “vent.” That venting can quickly turn into bullying, gossip, attempts to damage someone’s reputation, or saying cruel and hateful things. From a Catholic moral perspective, these actions are sinful.

Online, it is easy to hide behind a screen. It can feel as though there are no consequences. But there are consequences. People have lost jobs and damaged relationships because of something posted in anger.

Jesus calls us to manage our anger before it grows into something worse. We must be especially vigilant because the internet lowers our inhibitions and increases our impulsivity.

Lust and Pornography

Jesus also speaks about lust. Today, pornography is one of the great moral crises of our time. It is widespread, highly addictive, and extremely destructive. The accessibility of smartphones has made pornography available almost instantly and privately.

Lust is a disordered sexual desire. It objectifies people and undermines the dignity and holiness of human sexuality. It often begins in the imagination — what St. Teresa of Ávila called “la loca de la casa” — “the crazy one in the house.” If we do not guard our imagination, it can lead us into serious sin.

The pornography industry generates enormous revenue — larger than many professional sports leagues combined. It is powerful, pervasive, and designed to hook users.

If someone is struggling with pornography addiction, there is help. Recovery involves real work: therapy, the sacraments — especially Eucharist and Confession — spiritual direction, and accountability. Addiction rewires the brain, but with grace and effort, it can be rewired toward healing. If you need resources, please contact the parish office. 

Truth and Falsehood

Jesus also speaks about truthfulness. When He says, “Do not swear,” He is not referring to profanity. He is speaking about swearing oaths by God to prove honesty. Jesus teaches that we should be so truthful that we do not need to swear by God for people to believe us. Our word should be enough.

On the internet, much of what we see is not true. There is deception, manipulation, exaggeration, and outright falsehood.

We even see examples of “deepfakes,” where someone’s image or likeness is digitally altered to make it appear they said or did something they never did. This has happened even to bishops.

Therefore, when we are online, we must be vigilant about what we consume, believe, and share.

Privacy and Our Young People

Our young people are often encouraged to share everything about themselves online. But Catholic morality does not require us to share everything with everyone.

We are not obligated to reveal every detail of our lives to all people at all times. That does not make us deceptive. It means we understand the value of privacy and personal dignity.

Each of us should have a sacred interior space — something reserved for God and not exposed to the entire world.

A Call to Vigilance

Cell phones are not evil. They can be wonderful tools. I am not telling you to throw them away.

But I am asking all of us — myself included — to raise our awareness.

Our phones make certain sins very accessible: anger, lust, and lies.

As we prepare to enter the Lenten season, let us ask ourselves:

How vigilant am I when I am online?

Am I being led into sin — or guided by God?

May we use these tools wisely, with discipline and with grace, so that even in the virtual world, we remain faithful to Christ.

Homily : Living in the Light of Christ. (February 8, 2026 Last Week) 

The Gospel writer John tells us in the Christmas Gospel that Jesus came into the world as the Light of the world.

But in today’s Gospel, Jesus says something striking:

“You are the light of the world.”

So which is it?

Is Jesus the Light of the world, or are we the light of the world?

The answer, of course, is both.

Jesus is the divine Light — the heavenly Light who has come into the world. And through Baptism, He shares that Light with us: the light of grace, the light of truth, and the light of love. That is a powerful and precious gift, and Jesus tells us that it is not meant to be kept to ourselves. We are called to share it with the world.

Those of you who are Confirmation candidates will soon receive seven special gifts of the Holy Spirit when you are confirmed by Bishop Senior: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord. These gifts are given to help you share the Light of Christ with the world for the rest of your lives.

This calling is more than a metaphor. It’s more than a phrase that simply sounds nice. While our hymns express it beautifully, sharing the Light of Christ is a real and essential part of our lives. It means living our vocation of holiness — our call to become saints.

When we read the lives of the saints — especially the saints you have chosen, or will choose, as your Confirmation names — we see how differently each one shared the Light of Christ. Some were great theological minds. Others had enormous compassion and devoted themselves to caring for the sick. Some, like St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, founded religious communities right down the road in Emmitsburg.

Each saint shared Christ’s Light in a unique and beautiful way — and so are we called to do the same.

With Lent just days away, this is a good moment to practice what St. Ignatius of Loyola encouraged: an examination of conscience. We should reflect honestly on how well we are sharing the Light of Christ in our own lives.

Jesus tells us not to place the light under a basket. It is too powerful and too precious. What we share is the Light of Christ’s truth and His law — and our world desperately needs that light, especially in times marked by darkness, sin, fear, and hatred.

So we are called to be safe beacons of light in the world.

This examination begins with the very start of our day. When we wake up, what is our first thought?

Do we pray, “Lord, help me. Guard me and guide me by Your light” before even getting out of bed?

When we turn on the news or scroll through our screens, do we filter what we see through the Light of our faith?

When we go to work, are our business ethics guided by His Light?

When we go to school, do we test what we are learning by the Light of faith?

What about our relationships?

Our social lives?

Our political views?

Do we discern who and what belongs in our lives through the Light of Christ?

And when we face illness, suffering, or hardship, do we view those moments through His Light — trusting Him even then?

At its core, the question is simple and profound:

Am I living my life immersed in His Light?

That is what faith truly is. It is more than an idea or an analogy — it is a way of life. Living in Christ’s Light does not always make life easier, but it does make life better. It brings clarity — moral clarity and spiritual truth.

The Church has a name for this stage of spiritual growth: the illuminative stage of the spiritual life — when our lives are immersed in, guided by, and illuminated by the Light of Christ.

That is a great gift.

Very soon, our Confirmation candidates will receive the grace to live more fully as bearers of that Light in the world. And for all of us today, as we hear these powerful words and receive the grace of the sacraments, let us pray that we may truly live what Jesus teaches us.

As He says in the Gospel:

May His light shine before all,

so that they may see our good works

and give glory to the Father.

Amen.