J
JMJ_coder
Guest
Would you agree that when dealing with God, He deserves the absolutely very best of what we have to offer? Would that not include the clothing we wear to meet Him at Mass?
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S
sharmin
Guest
No, I would not agree. I really don’t think God cares about what we are wearing.
J
JMJ_coder
Guest
No, you don’t agree that we should give God our best?
S
sharmin
Guest
My best is not my clothing.
B
Brooklyn
Guest
I’m curious, Sharmin. If you were going to meet the President of the US, or another head of state, or the Queen of England, or even your favorite musician or movie star - how would you dress? Do you think it would be okay to meet them dressed like you were going to the beach or cleaning your garage? Do you think it would be “superficial” to want to look your best as a way of showing respect?
I can tell by your post that you’re young and reflecting the society we live in. I actually would have agreed with you when I was young. But I have a few years on me now, and I realize that respect is very important, and there can be no one more important than the Creator of the Universe and our Lord and Saviour.
I’m sure nothing anyone can say will make you change your mind right now, but maybe it will make an impression that will bear fruit later.
Mary
J
JMJ_coder
Guest
I’m not now directly addressing that point (though we will get back to it in a moment) – for now I wish to explore our offering to the Lord.
Does God deserve the very best of what we have to offer? Yes or No
S
simple_soul
Guest
No kidding
I wonder what they would do if Adam and Eve had never sinned and we never had to start wearing clothes in the first place.
I guess, lucky for them, Adam and Eve did sin and now they have something to gossip about. Seriously how are we ever going to open our hearts to God if all we do is complain about how irreverent everyone else is.
I just do not get it. Is there not a story of Jesus where He addresses the crowed that wanted to stone the prostitute by saying “let he who is without sin cast the first stone” and then Jesus started to write down every sin they had. This was a prostitute. Not some one going to church and trying in thier own way to be close to God.
O
OhMalley
Guest
While lamentable you need to block-out such distractions during the Mass. Yes, you might well choose to take constructive action outside of the Mass but during the Mass you should be focused on Jesus Christ and His Ultimate Sacrifice for us.
That’s not easy for most of us. It’s easy to show outrage. It’s far more difficult to focus at a level that allows us to keep our mind on what’s important. For me it took a great deal of prayer and a gift from God. On a more practical sense you need to realize the pastor is not blind. Maybe you can just be still and let him deal with it? It’s his responsibility after all…
As far as not receiving communion from someone in shorts. That sorta blows my mind. While I would hope that ALL EMsHC are dressed appropriately, I am WELL AWARE that the wearing of shorts by an EMHC in no way damages or limits what is His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. I also don’t believe I would be tacitly approving of how the EMHC was dressed by receiving from Him because again, my focus would be on Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.
S
sharmin
Guest
I am flattered that you think I’m young. I haven’t been called that in a while!
But, needless to say, I am quite middle aged. You asked how I would dress to meet a head of state…probably in what society deems as appropriate…suit, dress, etc. However, God does not have the same standards and expectations as society (thank God!!) He judges our hearts.
S
sharmin
Guest
Yes, he does. What does God consider our best, though? DO you really think he has clothes in mind? Again, my best of what I have to offer is not my clothing.
B
Brooklyn
Guest
The problem with people showing irreverance is not just that it is distracting and somehow making it harder to focus. There is another thread in the forum about babies crying in Mass and how distracting that can be. But I don’t allow myself to get upset about that. Babies cry because that is what babies do, it doesn’t reflect on their respect for our Lord.
My problem is that people are showing that being in the presence of our Lord and at Calvary where our Lord poured out his blood on the Cross are showing so little respect and yes, love, for him, for the one who gave his all to us. Would they go to a funeral or to a wedding dressed the way so many dress when coming to Mass? Would they go to a dinner for the President dressed the way they are? If not, why is is okay to dress that way for Our Lord?
Our outward appearances do reflect what is in our heart. Back before the 60’s, before the “do your own thing” culture became fashionable, people would have never dressed for church or anything else the way they dress now. It wouldn’t have entered their minds. If they could do it back then, why is it so hard for us now? What has changed?
Mary
B
Brooklyn
Guest
So that means you don’t think God is as worthy of respect as a human being? Yes, God judges your heart, but if you really love someone, you want to give them your best. You have already been asked, but not answered - do you think God deserves our best?I am flattered that you think I’m young. I haven’t been called that in a while!
EDIT: I’m sorry, I didn’t see your last post where you did answer this question, but insist that outward appearance has nothing to do with our best. I wonder, have you ever head the parable Christ told about those at the wedding who wouldn’t dress correctly and were thrown out? Mt. 22:2-14
Mary
S
sharmin
Guest
I give God my respect and my best. I never read anything in scripture that indicates that God wants us to dress a certain way for him.
Let me ask you this: what do you consider your best? Is it a business suit? A dress? Are dress slacks okay? Jeans? Shorts? What about for men? Are khaki pants okay? Shouldn’t he wear a suit instead, though? Because a suit is BETTER than khakis. For that matter, why not a tux? A tux is certainly “better” ( by society’s standards) than a suit. In other words, where do you draw the line? Doesn’t it come down to personal opinion? It’s not in scripture, the Vatican has never issued infallible statements, isn’t it opinion? What is best?
I think that my best is NOT my clothing, so I focus my attention on other things: the praises I sing to Him in church, getting there on time so that I am not disrupting others, the prayers in my heart, the quiet comtemplation I give him before I go to church, the family unity and love we have for each other as we worship as a family, the reverance in my heart, etc. To me, this is the BEST I can offer God…not what I put on my body.
HOpe that clarifies my point of view a little for you.
O
OhMalley
Guest
If I met ANY of those people ~250 times/year sometimes under trying circumstances I wouldn’t be worried about wearing a navy blue or grey business suit. In the case of the actor or musician I certainly would not dress up unless it was an event.
The comparison you are trying to make simply makes no sense.
B
Brooklyn
Guest
The best for some might be overalls, they might not have anything nicer than that to wear. But if you can afford better, and you choose to wear a tank top and shorts and flip flops, I believe you will have to answer to our Lord for that one day.
As I said, I know you are not going to admit to changing your mind now, so I won’t even attempt it. I’ve been on these forums long enough to know that when someone digs in on a position as you have, nothing is going to change. You say it’s okay to appear before our Lord in the same clothes you would wear to clean your garage. Your best certainly includes what is in your heart, but your outward appearance reflects your heart, like it or not.
Mary
S
sharmin
Guest
So tell me, Mary…would you say that your husband (or father or brother) should wear a tux? You can get them for $70…same as a suit.
I am editing to add that I would admit to changing my mind, so please don’t be so quick to judge. I have changed my mind a few times in debates…especially in other (non religious) forums.
S
SpaceNeedle
Guest
My fiance and I were heading out of town, but planned/hoped to make it to vigil mass…sure enough, along for the day trip came a pair of pressed khakis in the back seat 
He changed in the parish bathroom.
After all, it is supper with your Father, is it not? The least we can do is have well scrubbed faces and put on something decent.
He changed in the parish bathroom.After all, it is supper with your Father, is it not? The least we can do is have well scrubbed faces and put on something decent.
S
sharmin
Guest
And now I am serial posting. Also, don’t assume I DO go to church in what I wear to clean the garage. I usually wear a nice pair of jeans, or dress pants. What I would wear to go out to dinner. But A) is it my BEST? no. My best would be an expensive business suit I bought for job interviews; and B) Does it really matter? Should I judge someone sitting next to me in shorts and a tee? I’m just grateful he loves the lord enough to attend worship!
Also, don’t assume I DO go to church in what I wear to clean the garage. I usually wear a nice pair of jeans, or dress pants. What I would wear to go out to dinner. But A) is it my BEST? no. My best would be an expensive business suit I bought for job interviews; and B) Does it really matter? Should I judge someone sitting next to me in shorts and a tee? I’m just grateful he loves the lord enough to attend worship!
O
OhMalley
Guest
Three problems. First if Jesus Christ appeared incarnate at your church this coming weekend and some of His assistants (modern day Apostles) were wearing shorts do you honestly believe you would notice let alone get angry over their appearence? Place that level of focus on God present in the Blessed Sacrament that you would if He was once again Incarnate.
Second, mind your own business already. You want to make an issue out of it outside of Mass, knock yourself out. But to become distracted and even angry during the Mass due to the actions of others that are not your responsibility? Pray on it and ask God for the strength to remain suitably focused.
The funeral/wedding/president analogy is bogus. I don’t go to 250 funerals/weddings/meetings with the president each year, often under trying times. While SOCIETY might dictate the protocol to dress for such events it does not for the Mass.
STYLES changed. SECULAR styles at that. Go look at a picture of a baseball game from 1890-1950 or so. Dress hats, ties and top coats were common for men. Not today. It’s not that people are necessarily cruder than in the past. Secular styles have simply changed.
B
Brooklyn
Guest
This argument is really blowing my mind. We are actually arguing over whether we should dress decently to appear before our Lord and Saviour. You know, it is only in the Catholic church that people dress like they are going to work in their back yards. You see other people going to church, and they are dressed in the “Sunday best” (remember that phrase? I guess it doesn’t have any meaning to some of you). Yet we in the Catholic church are the only ones who actually have Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. The others are just meeting in buildings, but they dress better than we do.
I guess this question will be fully answered when we appear before the Lord after our death.
Mary
I guess this question will be fully answered when we appear before the Lord after our death.
Mary
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