We must be very careful how we read the Fathers, Doctors and other holy writers. They have to be read in context and they have to be read with the mind of the Church. First of all, not everything that they wrote became part of the deposit of faith. Most of it is not. Most of it is simply put, good advice and pious thinking. I’m using the term pious in the good sense, not as in fanatical.
Secondly, on this particular subject, the concern has always been to preserve chastity. I believe that word is easier for the 21st century young person to understand. The idea of embellishing ourselves for the purpose of seduction is not new. It goes as far back as cavemen. Obviously, such behavior is in conflict with the call to be chaste. To make it easier to understand what I mean, I would point everyone to what we see in movies or on TV. Characters (acting obviously) talk about how they are going to get their man tonight or get their woman, whichever. The point is that the use of makeup, jewelry and clothing has an ulterior motive that is contrary to virtue. It is to this that Christian writers and OT writers are referring.
Third, there is no sin in wearing makeup, jewelry, nice clothing and accessories simply because they are nice, because they please you or they please someone else. God is not against pleasure. He created pleasure and he created beauty. It was God who put color, sounds and texture in the the world. The Church has always been the protector of beauty. Just look at our architecture, artwork, vestments, items that we use at mass and even some of the habits of certain religious congregations. The Madammes of the Sacred Heart wore, what was at that time, a very elegant outfit usually worn by upper class widows. It had all kinds of details that you would not have found in the habit of the Poor Clares, who wore whatever was available. We don’t look back at St. Sophie and point the finger at her because she was one of the best dressed women religious in history.
There were many saints who were members of the upper classes and the royalty. We have three famous Franciscan saints who wore the Franciscan habit under their street clothes: Thomas More, Elizabeth of Hungary, and Luis IX. They did not wear their Franciscan habit where it could be seen, because it was inappropriate for their social standing to be dressed as beggers. Other Secular Franciscans did wear the habit externally, but Francis made special provisions for those who were members of the upper classes to wear it under their street clothing. They had an image to uphold and a role in society. Another famous Franciscan who wore her habit under her clothes and dressed up on the outside was Joan of Arc. In her case, she did not wear pretty dresses and makeup. She dressed as a man, because she was a soldier. Those who saw her at a distance thought that she was a boy. It is said that her armour was splendid. Don’t ask me what makes armor splendid. My guess is that it must have been polished to the nines and her boots were well cared for.
There is nothing wrong with liking color, accessories and anything that is beautiful or that makes one feel better about one’s appearance or that one enjoys because it is simply nice. Just as a man may wear a certain hair style, mustache, beared or no beared, certain types of suits and shoes, so too women may wear color, accessories and clothing that makes them feel pretty and look pretty. The concern of all three traditions: Jewish, Christian and Muslim has always been with chastity. I deliberately bring the Muslims and the Jews into the discussion, because this is a question that they too have grappled with. It’s rather interesting that all three monotheistic faiths have discovered the same thing. They discovered that we must protect ourselves from vanity (thinking we’re more than others) and from seductive thinking and planning (trying to lure others into impure thoughts or situations). No one condemns makeup and elegance. However, manipulating others for our own satisfaction is always wrong. Enjoying the beauty in color, texture and creativity is good and noble.
I just remembered something that one of the early friars wrote about regarding Clare and Francis. He wrote that on the day that Clare made her vows, the one thing that made Francis sad was to see her beautiful hair cut off. Even these holy men knew how to admire beauty and recognize it for what it was. They saw it as a gift to be cherished, not a tool to manipulate others. Therefore, they admired the beauty of Clare’s hair. Celano, one of the earliest and probably holiest Franciscans, speaks about her beauty at great length. Clare wore jewelry and makeup. She liked colors and textures in her clothing. None of that is judged as sinful by the early biographers. On the contrary, they admired her elegant and good taste. You see, one has to learn to be elegant with good taste. I think that’s the key.
There is a difference between a man or woman who is elegantly dressed and adorned and one who is dressed and adorned as a . . . let’s just call it a working person, if you get my meaning.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
People do have to look at us. It shouldn’t have to be a mortification to do so.