Mass dress code

[m8p]

I have heard this argument time and again. Ladies - if while walking through the parking lot on the way into Mass you have to pull your skirt down more than once - it is too short. If the length of your skirt prevents you from sitting on the front row once inside the Church - it is too short. Think of where you are going and dress accordingly. Now for the gentlemen - wear a belt, pull your pants up, press your clothes, tuck in your shirt, shine your shoes, tie your shoes, wear a tie (if not a coat and tie), comb your hair (after getting a haircut), sit up straight, speak up, act like the young gentleman that you are. Any parent who disagrees with me is a part of the problem in our society - I am sorry but you just cannot do whatever you want whenever you want - real life does not work that way. I dont want to hear “well at least he is here” - are you that weak as a father? Fathers - set the example - genuflect upon entering the pews, pick up your hymnal and sing (are you special? do you not have to participate?), your children are looking to you. Follow along and require the same of your sons and daughters. Why come to Mass if it is below you to be a part of it? If you were sending your child to a job interview you would make sure that they were dressed accordingly - Mass is much more important. If you were granted an audience with the pope you would insist that your family was dressed in their finest attire. However when on your way to see the pope’s boss you feel it is alright to look like you are on your way to work in the yard. If going out of town - pack a suit - most hotels have an iron and board. There are no acceptable excuses if you are going to Mass from your home or a hotel. It is embarassing to see some peoples dress when you have brought a guest to Mass in the hope of showing them the Church. Oh yeah - turn off that dang cell phone - unless you are an on call brain surgeon or something like that - and then put it on vibrate. Thank you for your time.

 

[Dotelesco]

m8p:

Any parent who disagrees with me is a part of the problem in our society .

::shakes my head at the overt self-righteousness in this post, and many others on this topic::

 

[Shiann]

m8p:

I have heard this argument time and again. Ladies - if while walking through the parking lot on the way into Mass you have to pull your skirt down more than once - it is too short. If the length of your skirt prevents you from sitting on the front row once inside the Church - it is too short. Think of where you are going and dress accordingly. Now for the gentlemen - wear a belt, pull your pants up, press your clothes, tuck in your shirt, shine your shoes, tie your shoes, wear a tie (if not a coat and tie), comb your hair (after getting a haircut), sit up straight, speak up, act like the young gentleman that you are. Any parent who disagrees with me is a part of the problem in our society - I am sorry but you just cannot do whatever you want whenever you want - real life does not work that way. I dont want to hear “well at least he is here” - are you that weak as a father? Fathers - set the example - genuflect upon entering the pews, pick up your hymnal and sing (are you special? do you not have to participate?), your children are looking to you. Follow along and require the same of your sons and daughters. Why come to Mass if it is below you to be a part of it? If you were sending your child to a job interview you would make sure that they were dressed accordingly - Mass is much more important. If you were granted an audience with the pope you would insist that your family was dressed in their finest attire. However when on your way to see the pope’s boss you feel it is alright to look like you are on your way to work in the yard. If going out of town - pack a suit - most hotels have an iron and board. There are no acceptable excuses if you are going to Mass from your home or a hotel. It is embarassing to see some peoples dress when you have brought a guest to Mass in the hope of showing them the Church. Oh yeah - turn off that dang cell phone - unless you are an on call brain surgeon or something like that - and then put it on vibrate. Thank you for your time.

BRAVO!:clapping:

 

[m8p]

Dotelesco,

Remember this old southern saying…a kicked dog will holler.

 

[mercygate]

mgy100:

My church has no air conditioner, and it is 100% humidity. I’ll be wearing shorts.

Are you a guy? A skirt is just as cool as shorts, if you’re a woman.

While I personally do not find sleeveless dresses/blouses “immodest” they are traditionally considered to be so. Therefore, I wear sleeves lest others find my dress objectionable; why would I knowingly give offense once I have been told the “standard?” Yowling that “I don’t think a sleeveless blouse is immodest!” really doesn’t do a thing. Short sleeves are no cooler than no sleeves. This isn’t life and death stuff. My civil and “female” rights are not being violated.
Here is the notice that appeared in our parish bulletin yesterday:

With the warmer weather, the way that people opt to dress becomes a source of concern. We know that these coming months will, in all likeliood, be days of increased heat and humidity. We try to keep the Church as comfortable as possible since that is much more conducive to prayer.

Having said that, please keep in mind that certain articles of clothing are clearly not appropriate in church, e.g., tank tops, short tops that show bare skin, short shorts, etc. Certain articles appropriate to a beach or barbecue are not necessarily appropriate to worship the Lord. If one would not wear a tank top to a business meeting or a dinner, why would one wear it to church? Does the Lord not deserve at least as much respect in whta we wear as do those at a meeting or dinner?

One of the psalms says – Adore the Lord in holy attire. While that may not mean a jacket/tie or formal dress, ti does indicate that there is a proper way that we dress when we can come before the Lord and pray with his holy people.

 

[m8p]

Through our family business we take care of the sign and graphic needs of the parish. We are now working on a printed banner which will be placed near the entry of the sanctuary. It will be on a nice moveable banner stand.

Welcome,
As you enter this sacred space, please observe proper attire.
Please turn off all electronic devices.

The art will contain a full color monstrance set just left of center. It can be set in place before Mass and moved to the side after Mass. I will be glad to help anyone interested in one for their parish.

 

[sea_oat]

m8p:

Dotelesco,

Remember this old southern saying…a kicked dog will holler.

I’ve lived in the south all my life. As a matter of fact, I’m from the same city that’s in your profile location. With all that said, I’ve never heard the phrase, “a kicked dog will holler” before.

 

[m8p]

O.k. ?

 

[mercygate]

Dotelesco:

For the most part, if I’m not participating in Mass,I dress comfortable for Mass. Shorts, t shirt, jeans, whatever I feel like wearing. God is my best friend, and my earthly best friend doesn’t care how I dress when we’re together, so why could God be any more judgmental about my clothing than him?

You’re about 14, right?

 

[sea_oat]

Shinobu:

There is only one thing that is bugging me as of late. At first I was okay but then I hear more and more and it starts to aggravate me. I always hear about womens modesty and this is fine. It is good for a woman to be modest, but they don’t even say about male modesty!

EWTN had a sermon about modesty and he went on to say about what is appropriate for a woman to wear, but he never even said about what is appropriate for a man to wear. I don’t know, maybe the guidelines apply to both men and woman, but he did not indicate this.

I don’t mean to sound sexist here and I’m not saying women should be allowed to wear whatever, I’m just saying I’m getting kinda tired of it being on the woman only. It makes me so self-aware to the point I am nervous to go. It’s like all the attention is on the women and the men could come in wearing a coat of poop and no one would notice.

I don’t think proposed guidelines have the intention of being unfair. I just think the reason modesty is mentioned more with females than with males is because we are more susceptible to wearing clothing that’s more revealing. Unfortunately, it’s actually almost expected of females these days to go out in skimpy clothing, so distinctions between attire out of church, and in church need to be clarified to some folks.

There are other issues that apply more to males, but modesty just so happens to be an issue that’s a little more confined to females.

 

[Dotelesco]

mercygate:

You’re about 14, right?

Wrong.

 

[Dotelesco]

m8p:

Dotelesco,

Remember this old southern saying…a kicked dog will holler.

I’ve never heard that saying, but it sounds like a threat? Please elaborate.

 

[m8p]

ask someone else please.

Thank You

 

[Shiann]

Dotelesco:

I’ve never heard that saying, but it sounds like a threat? Please elaborate.

Well we always undertsood it this way:

When someone is reprimanded for something they do not want to do, it is like a dog being punished with a swift kick.

And both will holler.

 

[geojack]

Dotelesco:

For the most part, if I’m not participating in Mass,I dress comfortable for Mass. Shorts, t shirt, jeans, whatever I feel like wearing. God is my best friend, and my earthly best friend doesn’t care how I dress when we’re together, so why could God be any more judgmental about my clothing than him?

Would you wear that to take your Mom to dinner on Mother’s Day?
Would you wear that to go to your best friend’s wedding or funeral?

 

[Dotelesco]

geojack:

Would you wear that to take your Mom to dinner on Mother’s Day?
Would you wear that to go to your best friend’s wedding or funeral?

Probably something much nicer, because I wouldn’t want to make my mother or best friend socially uneasy because I don’t live up to everyone else’s expectations about how i should dress. I am confident that God is far less judgmental about my clothing when I’m at Mass.

Not that I have to answer to any of you, but I’m not the sloppy delinquent I may be perceived as. I usually attend Mass daily, and am extremely reverent at all times. But I hate when people get hyped up about other people dressing comfortably or casually. There are bigger problems to worry about.

 

[nianka]

Dotelesco:

For the most part, if I’m not participating in Mass,I dress comfortable for Mass. Shorts, t shirt, jeans, whatever I feel like wearing. God is my best friend, and my earthly best friend doesn’t care how I dress when we’re together, so why could God be any more judgmental about my clothing than him?

And that’s how you’d dress for your best friend’s wedding, anniversary dinner, or other special occasion?
As another poster stated, “God knows what’s in your (and my) closet”.
Bottom line: it all goes back to people wanting to do what they want to do and that’s all they care about. Personal choice and Personal freedom is everything. No one wants to put themselves beneath God, or to state it another way, no one wants God above them. No matter what your argument against dressing appropriately for Mass, it all boils down to selfishness. Period.
As I used to tell my son, back in the day: “The ‘I’ in CHRIST isn’t YOU, pal”
nianka

 

[nianka]

EJ79:

So if I can live out of a small backpack for 2.5 months and comfortably find a way to not enter a church in shorts, bare-sleeved and in sneakers or flip-flops … I’m confident that anyone can vastly improve their effort and respect for the Lord in they way they dress for Mass this summer, weather it’s hot and muggy at home, on vacation… or in my case, backpacking.

Amen and THANK YOU!
nianka

 

[Nan_S]

Yesterday, at the 11:00 am Mass in our Louisiana town, our Catholic church was packed. All the pews were filled, the temporary chairs were filled, some adults were left standing, and some kids had to sit on the floor. Even finding a place to park was difficult. The Mass was over an hour and a half long (as usual), yet nearly everyone stayed through the recessional.

We’re in the middle of a crushing heat wave. About a third of the membership was wearing jeans or shorts (clean and in good condition), and sandals or tennis shoes. So what?

 

[Petertherock]

I live in Maine where we are accustomed to snow 9 months out of the year (not really but it seems like it) On Saturday it was in the upper 90s with high humidity and the church was not air conditioned. I wore a dressy pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Many people also wore the same thing. The church had only a third of the amount of people that are normaly there for the Saturday afternoon mass. It was a real sacrafice for me to leave my air conditioned apartment to go to mass. I am sure Jesus was happy that I came to honor Him on such an uncomfortable day. I am sure Jesus doesn’t care that I wore shorts to Mass.