Clothing at mass

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James_2_24

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**How does one answer the statement:
“I don’t believe God really concerns himself with what you wear at Church, so long as it’s modest. One can wear a t-shirt and jeans, or shorts even. It doesnt’ really matter”***

I get many Protestants who say this to me. Now, granted, they don’t have the Eucharist in their presence… How would one answer this statement? I mean I can’t tell my Protestant friend, “Its because we are in the presence of the Tabernacle and Christ therein”. At this point it would go right over her head because I’m sure she has no idea what Catholics believe about the Eucharist. She has no idea that we believe it to be the Real Presence of Christ. So on a general level, how do you say that type of clothes do matter?

God Bless.**
 
I really don’t think it matters what u where. If we think it matters what we wear then we would me no better than the pharisees in Jesus’ time, who did not let the poor in the temples because they were dirty and sick.
 
James_2:24:
So on a general level, how do you say that type of clothes do matter?
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There’s already an absurdly long thread on this, I think it’s in Liturgy. With all sides represented.

For what it’s worth, I agree with your friend. Clean and non-immodest seem to be the basic requirements, and that includes a lot.
 
God probably doesn’t care what we wear, BUT I think it’s important to care enough about God to honor and respect Him by dressing respectably and modestly. I don’t think I need special “church” clothes, but if I can make an effort to get ready for any other event – such as work, going out to dinner, etc. – then I personally (not speaking for how I feel about others) would feel I was approaching Jesus disrespectfully if I just threw on jeans and a T-shirt.

Let me say, though, if I was running late for the last mass, and I had on sweats, I would go anyway. Barring that, though, being neat, clean, modest, and appropriately respectful is important to me.

If for some reason a person can’t bear the burden of grooming (and I’m not being sarcastic) – perhaps someone who is chronically ill or depressed or even young parents who have trouble getting out of the house at all – then of course they should come to mass regardless.
 
I feel that dressing immodestly at Mass ( i.e. hip huggers, tight shirts, shorts, sleeveless and short-sleeve tops) is a sin. Here’s what some of the Popes have said:
Modesty Standards: How do we know what the Church approves? Has she given specific standards of modesty in dress?
Yes. On January 12, 1930, the Sacred Congregation of the Council, by mandate of Pope Pius XI, issued emphatic instructions on modesty of dress to all Bishops, directing them to insist on these prescriptions of September 24, 1928:

“We recall that a dress cannot be called decent which is cut deeper than two fingers’ breadth under the pit of the throat, which does not cover the arms at least to the elbows, and scarcely reaches a bit beyond the knees. Furthermore, dresses of transparent material are improper.”

“Let parents keep their daughters away from public gymnastic games and contests; but if their daughters are compelled to attend such exhibitions, let them see that they are fully and modestly dressed. Let them never permit their daughters to don immodest garb.”

The feminine loss of the sense of modesty is indicated by Pope Pius XII who says, “How many girls there are who do not see any wrong doing in following certain shameless styles like so many sheep. They certainly would blush if they could guess the impression they make and the feelings they evoke in those who see them” (July 17, 1954).

“O Christian mothers, if only you knew the future of distress and peril, of shame ill-restrained, that you prepare for your sons and daughters in imprudently accustoming them to live hardly clothed and in making them lose the sense of modesty, you would be ashamed of yourselves and the harm done the little ones whom heaven entrusted to your care, to be reared in Christian dignity and culture.”

The opinion which allows custom to decide the question of modesty is refuted by Pope Pius XII in one short sentence, “There always exists an absolute norm to be preserved” in modesty of dress. (Nov. 8, 1957.) Custom pays little attention to absolute norms, but is a product of another false principle, ”The majority cannot go wrong.” “Modesty is a matter of custom” is just as wrong as “Honesty is a matter of custom.”
 
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TheGrowingGrape:
The feminine loss of the sense of modesty is indicated by Pope Pius XII who says, “How many girls there are who do not see any wrong doing in following certain shameless styles like so many sheep. They certainly would blush if they could guess the impression they make and the feelings they evoke in those who see them” (July 17, 1954).
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I wonder what he would think about all the topless bathers in Europe?
 
I believe we can all agree that God probably doesn’t really care what clothes we wear to any Liturgical celebration…but we SHOULD…it’s about respect for the Blessed Sacrament. Having said that, some people cannot afford to dress in “Sunday best” so as long as what they wear is the best they have, we should not judge them. If a homeless person came into your church, would you put them out because they weren’t dressed appropriately? Just something to think about…

Peace.
 
Funny you should write that your protestant friend says that it does not matter what a person wears to church. The parking lots of the protestant churches in our area look like a fashion show on Sunday mornings! People are dressed to the nines!

Our parish has a mixture of clothing. Father has recently put a request for a little fashion decorum during Mass. What one person thinks is immodest, others do not and visa versa.

Dolores Grier (Black and Catholic in America, EWTN) says that none of her Baptist friends would DARE go to church looking like they were on a picnic and she encourages us Catholics to give Our Lord the same respect in our dress.

God Bless
 
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TheGrowingGrape:
I feel that dressing immodestly at Mass ( i.e. hip huggers, tight shirts, shorts, sleeveless and short-sleeve tops) is a sin. Here’s what some of the Popes have said:
Modesty Standards: **How do we know what the Church approves? Has she given specific standards of modesty in dress?
Yes. On January 12, 1930, the Sacred Congregation of the Council, by mandate of Pope Pius XI, issued emphatic instructions on modesty of dress to all Bishops, directing them to insist on these prescriptions of September 24, 1928:

“We recall that a dress cannot be called decent which is cut deeper than two fingers’ breadth under the pit of the throat, which does not cover the arms at least to the elbows, and scarcely reaches a bit beyond the knees. Furthermore, dresses of transparent material are improper.”…and so on
**

it’s funny to think that if this had been written in say…1850, these standards would have seemed scandalous. (the women would be showing far too much leg and there is no demand of them covering their heads :eek: ). my point is, and you disagree with this at the end of your post, it is apparent that culture does play a role in what is acceptable dress and what is not. therefore, styles change and what once was not considered modest (shorts, short-sleeves, etc.) can be in some circumstances. there are many modest shorts out there that look dressy. i think we as a culture agree that spaghetti straps and tight pants, short-shorts and midrift showing shirts are not modest and are normally worn in circumstances that don’t call for modesty. but i venture to guess that in the next 50 years those things will be considered modest (perish the thought). customs and culture play a role and the church has changed their idea of appropriate clothing in the past (i don’t recall anyone wearing a toga to church lately) and will continue to do so.
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triciafrancess:
God probably doesn’t care what we wear, BUT I think it’s important to care enough about God to honor and respect Him by dressing respectably and modestly. I don’t think I need special “church” clothes, but if I can make an effort to get ready for any other event – such as work, going out to dinner, etc. – then I personally (not speaking for how I feel about others) would feel I was approaching Jesus disrespectfully if I just threw on jeans and a T-shirt.
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Well said and I couldn’t agree more!
Let me say, though, if I was running late for the last mass, and I had on sweats, I would go anyway. Barring that, though, being neat, clean, modest, and appropriately respectful is important to me.
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I know this is a hypothetical situation, and that circumstances are a little different between men & women, but as a man, I wonder how long does it really take us to throw on a pair of slacks and a button down shirt? But, I agree with you… if there were absoultely no time, then I would go.
 
In thinking about this thread (and the other ridiculously long thread on the topic 😃 ), the following occurred to me:

We members of the body of Christ who are still on Earth are called the Church Militant. When soldiers stand before their Commander in Chief, they do so in their best uniforms. Why? Respect, honor, and discipline. When we attend Mass, we stand at attention before our Lord and receive our marching orders. Do we not owe Him so much more?

Our priests wear ornate vestments in royal colors. Why? Because they reflect the glory and royalty of our Lord Jesus Christ. Should not our clothing be a reflection of that as well?

Finally, the argument is made that culture largely influences what is acceptable and what is not. To a large degree, this is true. However, we as Christians are called to be “in the world, not of the world”. It is our duty to spread the Gospel, to “go forth to all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. The Church influences the world, not the other way around. We know what should be considered modest and immodest–those things that objectify the body must be rejected. Those that complement the beauty that God has created are appropriate. We don’t need the culture to tell us this. We need to tell the culture!
 
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