Church Attire: Shorts

[Gertabelle]

I was saying, on how we should conduct our-self during mass, that said ,we should not be a cause of sin to others or a stumbling block to others,going for mass and causing other to sin doesn’t help in anyway does it? Jesus warns of of that .

am sorry you took it that way,one should not judge other Mathew 5:1-5,but here we cannot dress as we like, since its a holy mass and we have to be mindful of others too,with a good disposition of charity and modest, so that we should not be a cause of sin to others.i partly agree with you, one should be prudence since mass in important sacrifice and at the time of emergency or any other situations where its not possible to ware them, i guess Jesus is merciful.

Causing someone to sin or stumble is indeed a serious sin.

But we’re taking about a young man (the OP, my son) wearing shorts, not parading around in their underwear.

I’m sorry to disagree with you, but if someone chooses to sin or stumble because of someone else’s attire at mass, that’s on them.

Our job is to get our rear end in that pew and participate in the mass. It is not our job to scan the room for each and every transgression of our neighbor. Mt 7:5 – let’s take of those planks in our own eyes first, ok?

 

[DeniseNY]

I see a lot of people wearing shorts in Church. Nothing too short, mostly to the knee or just above. I personally wouldn’t wear them, but on a list of priorities of things to worry about, this doesn’t even register for me at all.

 

[MikeInVA]

It amazes me in my parish that I see so many men in shorts on Sunday, when I know that they wear coats and ties at work.
Even though the weather is hot and humid, we have air conditioning in the church. When I lived in Panama I never saw a man in shorts in church, and none of the churches I went to had air conditioning.

Having vented on that, exceptions can be made on vacation!

 

[YourNameHere]

This is not a camping trip. Mass is a very, very special meeting. We should wear something a big more appropriate than shorts.

 

[exnihilo]

Daily Mass, I wear shorts. I’ve also worn shorts to a Sunday Mass when it was hot. And for the Assumption, I plan on wearing shorts because it’d feel silly to put on a pair of pants and then put it in the laundry after wearing it for only 2 hours. (I’m including travel time and getting their early in that. Father’s homilies aren’t overly long.)

You don’t need to launder a garment if you’ve worn it for two hours. That is a waste of time and resources.

Also, tropical weight wool pants are much cooler than cotton shorts. I say that as one who really likes to wear shorts. I just don’t like long pants. And none of this is a judgment. I’ve worn shorts to Sunday Mass a few times and many times to daily Mass.

 

[exnihilo]

Work or weddings. Suddenly no one says ‘come as you are’. Suddenly showing respect to the focus of the event matters. Suddenly we can’t make up our own rules. Suddenly we can survive without bearing nearly all of our skin.

The problem I have is the presumption that seems prevalent in many people’s attitudes. Fear of the Lord doesn’t mean cowering. But it does mean respect.

 

[GoGoDiego]

I never wear shorts for Sunday Masses and Solemnities. I wear shorts most of the time for Sunday Masses, provided it reaches the knee. Otherwise, that would be downright immodest.

I think it is a matter of how your pastor sees it. The former Cathedral rector would advise people wearing shorts or spaghetti straps to dress modestly before they receive communion. My former Parish would give out shawls to women wearing clothes that reveal the shoulders.

 

[MikeInVA]

As one of the posters above said, I dress they way I would dress when I am meeting someone important - because I am. I don’t see a problem with shorts if that’s an acceptable form of business attire where you live, it just seems that a lot of people (where I live anyway) dress down for Mass.

 

[Francis]

I’m sorry to disagree with you, but if someone chooses to sin or stumble because of someone else’s attire at mass, that’s on them.

am just giving an hypothetical example below

but if someone chooses to sin the (OP) or stumble because of someone (my son) else’s attire at mass, that’s on them.(my son)

Is it ok ? with you

Ezekiel 3:16 And at the end of seven days, the word of the Lord came to me: 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 18 If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you will have saved your life. 20 Again, if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. 21 Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning; and you will have saved your life.”

Our job is to get our rear end in that pew and participate in the mass. It is not our job to scan the room for each and every transgression of our neighbor. Mt 7:5 – let’s take of those planks in our own eyes first, ok?

your partly right ,Do you think if your dressed improperly for mass, the ones sitting behind your will not be disturbed ,and inadvertently gain attention?

Philippians 1:9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,

 

[Maximilian75]

You guys do long pants under cassocks? 0_0

In the summer, I always do long black socks with shorts

 

[SeriousQuestion]

Mary?

 

[thistle]

In our parish Church they have a notice outside showing what is not allowed.

Shorts are allowed for both males and females provided they are not sports shorts, e.g. basket ball type shorts.
Flip flops are not allowed.
No bare shoulders (males and females)
Specifically for females, no plunging necklines or bare midriffs showing.

 

[pensmama87]

Shorts used to be acceptable attire for boys in all situations. Obviously the OP is older, but I still see little boys dressed up in shorts sometimes (and sometimes they’re my little boys, too. )

Getting to wear long trousers was a big grown up deal, kind of like long skirts or pinning your hair up if you were a girl.

And that’s my history lesson of the day.

 

[1Lord1Faith]

I always wear shorts to Mass in the summer. I could wear pants if I needed to, but I don’t because it’s not necessary to wear pants to Mass. It can be very hot and humid in the summer here, so I always wear shorts.

Sometimes I think about the probability that there are people at Mass who don’t like the fact that I’m wearing shorts. That makes my wearing shorts even better.

 

[adamvandyck]

I think it mainly comes down to the individual parish. At both my home parish as well as my newman center, everybody dresses casual (like everyday casual if that makes sense) for the masses with the exception of holiday masses. Other parishes may have a norm of dressing more properly than others.

 

[Gertabelle]

Gertabelle:

but if someone chooses to sin the (OP) or stumble because of someone (my son) else’s attire at mass, that’s on them.(my son)

What??? Are you judging my son as guilty of sin for wearing cargo shorts? Seriously? Point out the paragraph in the Catechsim and we’ll never wear shorts to mass again. Promise. Otherwise, beware casting your judgments on my child, internet stranger!

Ezekiel 3:16 And at the end of seven days, the word of the Lord came to me: 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me…

Um, I’d just like to draw your attention to the beginning of verse 17 up there. Ezekiel was appointed by God Himself to be a watchman. God did not appoint you or me to go around passing judgment on and correcting total strangers.

But thanks for referring to my son and me as “the wicked.”

Gertabelle:

Our job is to get our rear end in that pew and participate in the mass. It is not our job to scan the room for each and every transgression of our neighbor. Mt 7:5 – let’s take of those planks in our own eyes first, ok?

your partly right ,Do you think if your dressed improperly for mass, the ones sitting behind your will not be disturbed ,and inadvertently gain attention?

Nope. I’m completely right on this one.

The problem here is that you seem to assume that you have the definitive answer on what it means to be “dressed properly” for mass. An opinion does not constitute Church teaching.

Seriously, what if someone is distracted by my frizzy hair – have I sinned by not having silky smooth locks? What if someone else is distracted by the sight of my mangled left hand – have I sinned by not keeping my hand hidden in my pocket? What if someone is distracted by my practical yet boring shoes – have I sinned by my lack of interest in fashion?

My son was modestly dressed in his cargo shorts and t-shirt.

People are responsible for their own sins.

 

[BoomerangToo]

This is how we used to dress for Mass:



This is how we dress today:



It’s a shame. A real shame.

 

[Maxwell03]

Yup… Even in outdoor processions with the sun so bright he were pants and black shoes with pur cassockand surplice

 

[Francis]

warning from me…

am just giving an hypothetical example below

sorry you took it that way,i just gave an example and nothing else which i already explained its an hypothetical eg ,please don’t read me wrong, i just quoted Ezekiel ,i didn’t mention it was about myself,am not judging anyone here, your taking it in a wrong way.anyway

God Bless you, ending ones conversation here,am sorry if i hurting you feelings

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a9.htm

2521 Purity requires modesty , an integral part of temperance. Modesty protects the intimate center of the person. It means refusing to unveil what should remain hidden. It is ordered to chastity to whose sensitivity it bears witness. It guides how one looks at others and behaves toward them in conformity with the dignity of persons and their solidarity.

[2522] Modesty protects the mystery of persons and their love. It encourages patience and moderation in loving relationships; it requires that the conditions for the definitive giving and commitment of man and woman to one another be fulfilled. Modesty is decency. It inspires one’s choice of clothing. It keeps silence or reserve where there is evident risk of unhealthy curiosity. It is discreet.

[2523] There is a modesty of the feelings as well as of the body. It protests, for example, against the voyeuristic explorations of the human body in certain advertisements, or against the solicitations of certain media that go too far in the exhibition of intimate things. Modesty inspires a way of life which makes it possible to resist the allurements of fashion and the pressures of prevailing ideologies.

2524 The forms taken by modesty vary from one culture to another. Everywhere, however, modesty exists as an intuition of the spiritual dignity proper to man. It is born with the awakening consciousness of being a subject. Teaching modesty to children and adolescents means awakening in them respect for the human person.

[2525] Christian purity requires a purification of the social climate . It requires of the communications media that their presentations show concern for respect and restraint. Purity of heart brings freedom from widespread eroticism and avoids entertainment inclined to voyeurism and illusion.

[2526] So called moral permissiveness rests on an erroneous conception of human freedom; the necessary precondition for the development of true freedom is to let oneself be educated in the moral law. Those in charge of education can reasonably be expected to give young people instruction respectful of the truth, the qualities of the heart, and the moral and spiritual dignity of man.

 

[giuseppe96]

I usually avoid shorts at Mass unless I have nothing else to wear, and that’s just for daily Mass. I’d never wear shorts to Sunday or Holy Day Mass, even in Dallas where we had a high of 110 degrees last month.