Dress up for Mass.

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ElizMary said:
(but have been known to come in uniform before work-personal trainer…needless to say at those times I sit in back and don’t handle the gifts in that attire).
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You don’t have to sit in the back because you are in your work clothes.
 
Abundant said:
I like that this topic came up now because my husband and I are having a little debate about it…so I would love to hear your takes. I work on Saturdays and Sundays. Sometimes we go to mass in the morning on Sunday, but if I worked late on Saturday then we will sleep in and go to the Sunday evening mass instead. When this happens, I leave work early and so he has to get the kids ready and meets me there.

Last week, my 10 year old (son) showed up in cargo shorts, tennis shoes (the high-top kind) and a t-shirt. When we left, I asked him to please wear pants next time out of reverence. My husband said that he looked fine and it is too hot to make him wear pants. We live in Houston, and he and I were both in pants, but I digress…🤷

He relayed a story that happened to him as a kid: He said that he had just gone school shopping and his mother had bought him an expensive pair of basketball shorts and a jersey. They were poor, so he was really proud of his outfit. When he walked in, the usher told him that he was not dressed appropriately and should not wear that to mass. His mother got mad and told the usher to mind his own business.

To this day, he is still bothered by the fact that he was told his clothes were not good enough to wear to mass, so he thinks I need not worry about how the kids are dressed. Now we are not poor, and we can afford decent clothes for the kids. I don’t think asking my son to wear pants (I’m okay with dark blue jeans) is too much to ask, especially because he can do it as a “mini-sacrifice” so to speak to honor God.

What do you all think??
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Basically, this is a private way of helping yourself set the Mass (or Sunday) apart as something special. It is a private devotion. Which means there is no requirement for anyone to do this. However, as a private devotion many people find it helpful. It is certainly a good thing to do, but it is hardly something to judge anybody else about and it is not something that absolutely needs to be forced on others. So… again, it depends. You and your husband need to talk it over more. But I would say that so long as your son is learning to be reverant and view the Mass as a special and sacred thing then it really doesn’t matter whether or not he takes up this particular private devotion.
 
well no I dont think it should be mandatory here in mexico where 85 percent of the people fall well below the united states poverty level many are lucky to have shoes let alone dressy clothes you do see a sense of modesty no see through shirts or shorts nothing midriff baring and nothing low cut or overly tight but other than that normal clothes are worn
 
Kopratic said:
if we should dress up for Sunday Mass, why shouldn’t we dress up for daily Mass?
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Good question!

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is still the same, and our Lord is still truly present in the Eucharist, therefore we should always be at His presence in the best *possible *way and with the greatest reverence and recollection.
 
Thanks for all the great responses, guys! :}

@Jon S; Your first statement made me think of God as a host of What Not To Wear. 😛

@everyone; Also, I am in no way meaning to imply that if you have to wear fancy clothes to Mass!
 
R_C said:
Good question!

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is still the same, and our Lord is still truly present in the Eucharist, therefore we should always be at His presence in the best *possible *way and with the greatest reverence and recollection.
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Yep, that was his reasoning as well.
 
thewanderer said:
Basically, this is a private way of helping yourself set the Mass (or Sunday) apart as something special. It is a private devotion. Which means there is no requirement for anyone to do this. However, as a private devotion many people find it helpful. It is certainly a good thing to do, but it is hardly something to judge anybody else about and it is not something that absolutely needs to be forced on others. So… again, it depends. You and your husband need to talk it over more. But I would say that so long as your son is learning to be reverant and view the Mass as a special and sacred thing then it really doesn’t matter whether or not he takes up this particular private devotion.
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I like this answer. I am actually going to ask both my husband and son (and myself) to pray about it. I will ask my son what he thinks, and if he thinks he is called to this. Good lesson for a 10 year old.
 
My 17 year old son and I attend Mass together each Sunday.

During the summer months we wear golf shorts and a golf or button down shirt. Always cleaned and ironed.

In the spring/fall slacks and the same shirt, adding sweaters for winter.

We make every effort to be reverent and humble in our prayer and offering, to fully participate in the mass. 🙂
 
When I was on Guam, we still dressed up for Mass. Granted no one wore a suit (you might be seem a little out of place) but we dressed in our best. Most of our churches are now air-conditioned because the temperatures could be 85-90 degrees with a 100% humidity.

But again let me clarify that our best is defined differently. While most of us on Guam are little more influenced by the American culture when it comes to dress, our brothers and sisters from the other islands would dress more casually. The Yapese and Marshallese women would wear a brightly colored floral skirt with a shirt that matched. The men would often come in zories (flip-flops) jeans or slacks and a t-shirt or short sleeve shirt. At some of their Masses they did not sit at pews, but rather on the ground not around the altar but rather in the place where the pews would be.

I guess my point being with all of this is that “Sunday Best” can be and often is defined by culture or location.

Si Yu’us un benedisi todos hamyu! (May God Bless you all!)
 
When you’re coming to Mass from school or work, it makes sense to wear your work clothes or your school clothes, which hopefully are presentable enough for the person who is giving you your paycheque and deciding whether you will continue to remain employed, or the person who is deciding the grades that will influence your future career.

On Sundays, do your own best - not someone else’s best. (Not the homeless guy’s best.) 😉
 
I go to Daily Mass on my lunch break…so God gets what I’m wearing to work. I figure He is just happy to see me go (I often have to woof down my lunch afterwards). On casual Friday that means I’m there in jeans. And on vacation days where I’m doing chores at home…I change into jeans from my grubby’s. It’s difficult enough to break up the day and the chores that I’m doing (Painting, waxing, what have you) to change and go to Mass without adding in showering and changing into my Sunday best…

Sorry if some people think that is irreverent but God knows our heart. I figure it’s better to do that then to not go at all. Let us not put obsticles in people’s way.🤷
 
jmcrae said:
When you’re coming to Mass from school or work, it makes sense to wear your work clothes or your school clothes, which hopefully are presentable enough for the person who is giving you your paycheque and deciding whether you will continue to remain employed, or the person who is deciding the grades that will influence your future career.
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God deserves more. Which doesn’t mean it doesn’t make sense to wear one’s work or school clothes that hopefully are modest, proper, and respectful enough to be at the presence of God, but it does mean that we should always, if possible, give our very best when we go to Mass.

To just wear anything and not give special care is no good. If I were to visit the household of the woman I want to marry to talk to her father, I would most certainly not show up wearing whatever, without shaving, without a proper haircut…and neither would she. Same applies to the day of marriage. And is not Holy Mass the union of the Soul - the mystical Bride - with the Divine Bridegroom?

This is not a matter of class. A poor man may be dressed poorly but that may be his best attire and Christ will know and clothe him of his own cloak. But most of us (many of us) can choose, and - I speak for myself - quite often, if not always, are under-dressed for Mass. Then again, it’s also the age we live in.
 
R_C said:
God deserves more. Which doesn’t mean it doesn’t make sense to wear one’s work or school clothes that hopefully are modest, proper, and respectful enough to be at the presence of God, but it does mean that we should always, if possible, give our very best when we go to Mass.

To just wear anything and not give special care is no good. If I were to visit the household of the woman I want to marry to talk to her father, I would most certainly not show up wearing whatever, without shaving, without a proper haircut…and neither would she. Same applies to the day of marriage. And is not Holy Mass the union of the Soul - the mystical Bride - with the Divine Bridegroom?

This is not a matter of class. A poor man may be dressed poorly but that may be his best attire and Christ will know and clothe him of his own cloak. But most of us (many of us) can choose, and - I speak for myself - quite often, if not always, are under-dressed for Mass. Then again, it’s also the age we live in.
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So I should dress in Sunday best…to work everyday? Actually I what I wear to work is the best I own. It’s not sloppy but it’s not dressed to the nines either. I believe it’s much more important what is in your heart. I go during my lunch and do not have time to change…
 
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