Should there be actions taken to improve or even control immodest dress at mass?

[FickleFreckled]

JRKH
It depends on what’s customary. Plenty of adults as well as young people involved with World Youth Day have met Pope John Paul or Pope Benedict, and attended Mass, in jeans. At the Vatican, probably not, although I don’t know that for sure since tourists and young people have audiences. If I go to Mass at a church where it’s customary to dress up, I do. While I do see modesty as an issue because it gives sexual scandal, I don’t see jeans in that category unless they’re provocative. With regard to what I’d wear to meet Jesus? There isn’t any clothing anywhere, no matter how beautiful, well-made and expensive, that would be good enough for that if clothing were a criteria. And I rather think Jesus would prefer we not put too much thought into what we’re wearing. Lilies of the field, etc.

 

[JRKH]

JRKH
It depends on what’s customary. Plenty of adults as well as young people involved with World Youth Day have met Pope John Paul or Pope Benedict, and attended Mass, in jeans.

Which is why I specified at the vatican.

At the Vatican, probably not, although I don’t know that for sure since tourists and young people have audiences.

Yes they do, and generally if they know they will be meeting the pope the make a point of dressing up.

If I go to Mass at a church where it’s customary to dress up, I do. While I do see modesty as an issue because it gives sexual scandal, I don’t see jeans in that category unless they’re provocative.

Provactive is not the only issue for me. When I dress for Church I dress in a manner befitting the one I am going to see in His house.

With regard to what I’d wear to meet Jesus? There isn’t any clothing anywhere, no matter how beautiful, well-made and expensive, that would be good enough for that if clothing were a criteria. And I rather think Jesus would prefer we not put too much thought into what we’re wearing. Lilies of the field, etc.

Certainly, when we do ultimately meet Our Lord, it will be in our birthday suit.
I would disagree that Jesus would not want us to think about what we are wearing. You obviously do since you say that you do not dress in any way provocatively and this is good. We do not wish to be an occasion for sin of our neighbor. But even more, what we wear says something about how we feel and think, and we might even act differently, be more aware, by the fact of wearing really nice clothes. It can even be viewed as a way of catechizing and evangelizing our neighbors.
I attend a church where almost no one “dresses up”. We sit near teh front and I try to keep my head down during communion to avoid the distraction of some of the things I’ve seen coming up the aisle.
My Wife and I dress up. Me in Suit and tie, and She in a stylish pants and jacket suit. We do this, First as praise and Glory to God. Jesus Hung on the Cross for three hours, I can wear a tie for an hour and a half. Second we do it to be an example to others. To hopefully influence others to better dress. We have had several people compliment us.
Of course, during the week if we attend mass it issually on our way to hike and we wear jeans then. But Sunday Service is different.

I don’t mean the above to be getting down on you and I hope you won’t take it that way. Your posts clearly indicate that you are aware of prper dress and take steps to dress in a manner you deem appropriate. The above is simply my views on the subject.

Honestly, if jeans, loose fitting, were the worst of it, I would not have a problem. Casual dress is one thing, but some of the things I’ve seen worn at mass…

Peace
James

 

[Tantum_ergo]

A lot of contemporary culture has succeeded in banishing the idea of any sort of ‘dress distinction’ such as would have been (and was for centuries) a matter of course.

Men dressed one way for ‘work’, another for leisure, still another for ‘occasions’. Women did as well. Children also had outfits geared to specific occasions or activities.

This cut across all economic classes, too. Whether you were working, middle, or upper ‘class’, you dressed appropriately when it came to ‘occasions’. . .weddings, ‘dinners out’, ‘society functions’ and especially ‘church’. “Sunday best” is an adjectival phrase for a reason. . .if people had only 2 sets of clothes to their name, one set was saved primarily for “Sunday” and “special functions” and was scrupulously cared for.

Since the 60s, though, the ‘egalitarian movement’ has been working to blur these distinctions. More and more, people are encouraged not only to wear one ‘style’ (casual, jeans and T. . .what was and still remains the laborer’s or working man’s outfit–quite comparable if we would stop and think about it to Chairman Mao’s ‘uniform’ of pants and shirt which all Chinese were required to wear lest there be a ‘class distinction’ which is anathema to the communist worldview), not just for leisure, but for work and for social functions. And women are encouraged to wear exactly the same type of outfit as men. I grew up in the 60s and 70s and every man–and woman–whether we were in class, shopping, or at functions, including church, wore jeans and Ts. By the 80s, ‘casual Friday’ made jeans workwear even in the ‘upper class’ work venues, and it’s been slipping more and more into the rest of the work days.

A lot of people don’t even realize that there is ‘more to’ the idea of having, "cheap, casual, comfortable clothes that ‘suit everybody and make us all ‘equal’ to another’.

Many women have been subtly urged to ‘cast off the shackles’ of men telling them what to wear (most men don’t, and if the ‘man’ in question is a fashion designer they actually ASK his guidance, but oh well). . .or told that it makes them look younger or more hip to wear jeans, or that ‘dowdy dresses’ are an attempt to put women back into the barefoot and pregnant mode, etc.

Many men have been subtly urged to cast off the shackles of a class conscious society, have been told they look younger and more hip, and that uncomfortable and ‘expensive’ suits age them, or are an attempt to stifle creativity and are ‘racist’ to boot as the poor (usually men of color) will ‘not be able’ to dress so well and thus the ones who do put on suits are lording it over the poor and are unChristian as well as uncomfortable.

Ever wonder why centuries and centuries worth of people, living in much harder conditions than we do now, found it worthwhile to ‘dress up’ for things that were important to them, when it was harder for them. . .

Yet we, living in affluence, with all kinds of labor saving devices so that the vast majority of us have the money for a ‘nice’ outfit and the ability to easily launder them so they always look nice, plus the outfits themselves, even though dressy, do not take anywhere near the effort to put on (thanks to velcro, pantyhose, etc.) that they did even 40 years ago. . . somehow can’t muster a dressy shirt instead of a T, dressy pants instead of jeans (men) or a modest dress/skirt/pant outfit instead of jeans and T, or halter and mini/short shorts (women)??

It takes in most cases no more ‘time’ or effort. . .but somehow people ‘don’t want to take the trouble.’

Why? Isn’t God worth it. . .or are we still so caught up in the worship of ourselves that we keep ignoring God as our LORD while insisting that he’s ‘only’ our FRIEND? 'Friends" apparently don’t care what we do or how we look when we see them. A LORD, of course, might expect not only love from us but respect and obedience to HIM rather than concern only for our own ‘comfort’.

Is Jesus our Lord? Yes. . .He is. Many forget it. I think that many of the things Pope Benedict is doing are aimed ultimately in reminding us that Jesus isn’t ‘just’ our brother and a darn nice chappie and God isn’t just ‘Abba’. . .Jesus is our Savior and the King of Kings (and we are His servants), God is our Creator and we His creations. . .not His equals.

 

[FickleFreckled]

JRKH
(Very soon I’ll figure out how to quote posts…I promise…)

Re ‘meeting Jesus in our birthday suits’, I seriously hope somebody’s handing out robes pretty quickly…

Truly, I understand your point, which comes from your own experience and spirituality. I just disagree, which comes from mine. Thank God we’re all unique or there’d be nothing to talk about on these forums!

That having been said, isn’t it wonderful that Catholicism can easily accommodate such a variety of opinions as there are among Catholics?

 

[ellammcg]

JRKH
(Very soon I’ll figure out how to quote posts…I promise…)

Just left click on the quote button on the bottom left of the post you wish to quote and delete anything that you don’t want from between the symbols.

 

[surfinpure]

That was a wonderful post, Tantum Ergo.

 

[Walking_Home]

A lot of contemporary culture has succeeded in banishing the idea of any sort of ‘dress distinction’ such as would have been (and was for centuries) a matter of course.

Men dressed one way for ‘work’, another for leisure, still another for ‘occasions’. Women did as well. Children also had outfits geared to specific occasions or activities.

This cut across all economic classes, too. Whether you were working, middle, or upper ‘class’, you dressed appropriately when it came to ‘occasions’. . .weddings, ‘dinners out’, ‘society functions’ and especially ‘church’. “Sunday best” is an adjectival phrase for a reason. . .if people had only 2 sets of clothes to their name, one set was saved primarily for “Sunday” and “special functions” and was scrupulously cared for.

Since the 60s, though, the ‘egalitarian movement’ has been working to blur these distinctions. More and more, people are encouraged not only to wear one ‘style’ (casual, jeans and T. . .what was and still remains the laborer’s or working man’s outfit–quite comparable if we would stop and think about it to Chairman Mao’s ‘uniform’ of pants and shirt which all Chinese were required to wear lest there be a ‘class distinction’ which is anathema to the communist worldview), not just for leisure, but for work and for social functions. And women are encouraged to wear exactly the same type of outfit as men. I grew up in the 60s and 70s and every man–and woman–whether we were in class, shopping, or at functions, including church, wore jeans and Ts. By the 80s, ‘casual Friday’ made jeans workwear even in the ‘upper class’ work venues, and it’s been slipping more and more into the rest of the work days.

A lot of people don’t even realize that there is ‘more to’ the idea of having, "cheap, casual, comfortable clothes that ‘suit everybody and make us all ‘equal’ to another’.

Many women have been subtly urged to ‘cast off the shackles’ of men telling them what to wear (most men don’t, and if the ‘man’ in question is a fashion designer they actually ASK his guidance, but oh well). . .or told that it makes them look younger or more hip to wear jeans, or that ‘dowdy dresses’ are an attempt to put women back into the barefoot and pregnant mode, etc.

Many men have been subtly urged to cast off the shackles of a class conscious society, have been told they look younger and more hip, and that uncomfortable and ‘expensive’ suits age them, or are an attempt to stifle creativity and are ‘racist’ to boot as the poor (usually men of color) will ‘not be able’ to dress so well and thus the ones who do put on suits are lording it over the poor and are unChristian as well as uncomfortable.

Ever wonder why centuries and centuries worth of people, living in much harder conditions than we do now, found it worthwhile to ‘dress up’ for things that were important to them, when it was harder for them. . .

Yet we, living in affluence, with all kinds of labor saving devices so that the vast majority of us have the money for a ‘nice’ outfit and the ability to easily launder them so they always look nice, plus the outfits themselves, even though dressy, do not take anywhere near the effort to put on (thanks to velcro, pantyhose, etc.) that they did even 40 years ago. . . somehow can’t muster a dressy shirt instead of a T, dressy pants instead of jeans (men) or a modest dress/skirt/pant outfit instead of jeans and T, or halter and mini/short shorts (women)??

It takes in most cases no more ‘time’ or effort. . .but somehow people ‘don’t want to take the trouble.’

Why? Isn’t God worth it. . .or are we still so caught up in the worship of ourselves that we keep ignoring God as our LORD while insisting that he’s ‘only’ our FRIEND? 'Friends" apparently don’t care what we do or how we look when we see them. A LORD, of course, might expect not only love from us but respect and obedience to HIM rather than concern only for our own ‘comfort’.

Is Jesus our Lord? Yes. . .He is. Many forget it. I think that many of the things Pope Benedict is doing are aimed ultimately in reminding us that Jesus isn’t ‘just’ our brother and a darn nice chappie and God isn’t just ‘Abba’. . .Jesus is our Savior and the King of Kings (and we are His servants), God is our Creator and we His creations. . .not His equals.

---

 

[mark_a]

I don’t know if it is just a local problem at my own church but I must say that attending church on Sundays in particular is like a day at the beach! I cannot believe how immodestly so many people dress…especially teenagers. It not only takes away the ‘main’ purpose of being there, which is to worship God, but causes sinful thoughts and desires at the one place that should be a ‘safe haven’ from the problem that is prevalent everywhere else. My question is “Should our pastors assert themselves aggressively to stop this practice?” I have heard priests say “well at least they are going to mass!” I heard others say that when they were teenagers, the ‘view’ was what they liked about going to mass on Sundays. It is all so frustrating. These priests who are supposed to be ‘shepherding’ their people seem to be ‘looking’ the other way. Recently, while visiting the Holy Land, I was told that I could not wear ‘shorts above the knee’ to enter ANY of the shrines. I thought it was wonderful! This was told to me by a Franciscan priest who, like all Franciscans, where a long brown tunic every day whether it is ‘too hot’ or not! They truly lead by example! No one is allowed entry into the Vatican who is dressed immodestly. This is ‘enforced’ by security guards. My pastor told me that was because it is a shrine. What is the difference? Isn’t Jesus just as present in the Tabernacle of our local church as He is in shrines? It seems to me the ‘least’ they should do is to post signs at the entrance of the church and/or print guidelines in the bulletin. What do YOU Think???

I never thought I would disapprove of how much cleavage women show. But I agree with you. What in the world are these women thinking? Especially the ones with teenage boys?

 

[ellammcg]

Why? Isn’t God worth it. . .or are we still so caught up in the worship of ourselves that we keep ignoring God as our LORD while insisting that he’s ‘only’ our FRIEND? 'Friends" apparently don’t care what we do or how we look when we see them. A LORD, of course, might expect not only love from us but respect and obedience to HIM rather than concern only for our own ‘comfort’.

Is Jesus our Lord? Yes. . .He is. Many forget it. I think that many of the things Pope Benedict is doing are aimed ultimately in reminding us that Jesus isn’t ‘just’ our brother and a darn nice chappie and God isn’t just ‘Abba’. . .Jesus is our Savior and the King of Kings (and we are His servants), God is our Creator and we His creations. . .not His equals.

Amen to that! The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…

 

[ellammcg]

What in the world are these women thinking? Especially the ones with teenage boys?

“The good of our soul is more important than that of our body; and we have to prefer the spiritual welfare of our neighbor to our bodily comforts. If a certain kind of dress constitutes a grave and proximate occasion of sin, and endangers the salvation of your soul and others, it is your duty to give it up. O Christian mothers, if you knew what a future of anxieties and perils, of ill-guarded shame you prepare for your sons and daughters, imprudently getting them accustomed to live scantily dressed and making them lose the sense of modesty, you would be ashamed of yourselves and you would dread the harm you are making of yourselves, the harm which you are causing these children, whom Heaven has entrusted to you to be brought up as Christians.”

Pius XII to Catholic Young Women’s Groups of Italy

To say that “…modesty is a matter of custom” is just as wrong as to say that, “…honesty is a matter of custom.”

exhortingchristians.blogspot.com/2006/11/truth-adultery-modesty-in-dress-quotes.html

 

[Julianna]

Doesn’t the person to Jesus’s left look like Mary Magdalene?

Oh Behave!

I’ve worn jeans to church since I can remember. I would not wear a halter top or midi shirt. (too many fat rolls, it would make everyone gag)…

I would not allow my daughter (size 3) to wear short shorts or a mini skirt. She wouldn’t do that anyway.

I don’t see a problem with flip flops. I wore clogs in the 70’s.

As for the cleavage…some of us girls can’t help it.

Suits for men and dresses, high heels for women…I’m not Mrs. Cleaver. Not happening.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Suits for men and dresses, high heels for women…I’m not Mrs. Cleaver. Not happening

I’m not Mrs. Cleaver either, but first, nobody is saying ‘high heels’. In fact, nobody is even saying dresses (though actually they are indeed traditionally more appropriate for women).

So. . .why not a dress? Or a ‘dressy’ pants outfit?

I am really curious. Not judgmental by any means. Just curious.

As I said, there are a lot of people who have come around to thinking that ‘dressing up’ is elitist, uncomfortable, "too old fashioned’, or ‘not me’. . .but that is very modern thinking. . .and quite possibly it is very flawed thinking as well.

Why is ‘dressing up’ considered elitist? Is it really, or is it just somebody’s idea that makes them think so?

Is it ‘uncomfortable?’ Why? And is ‘comfort’ our ultimate goal in how we present ourself? Is there truly no way in which one could wear a ‘dressy’ shirt and dressy, comfortably fitting skirt, and be ‘comfortable?’

And is there no one else who has experienced the ‘joy’ of ‘breaking in’ a new pair of jeans? Comfortable is the last thing they are at first and for quite some time. Many people are never comfortable in jeans, either. . .denim is too scratchy or stiff, seams bunchy or bulky, waist too tight or loose, legs too long or short–even with alterations.

Being (once) in the ‘theatrical’ world, I have worn all sorts of clothing. . .because, you know, what you wear really does have an impact. . .not just on the people you see, but on you yourself. You ‘carry yourself’ differently wearing certain types of outfits.

As I said earlier, not that long ago, people made an effort to distinguish their ‘appearance’ (via clothing and behavior and deportment’ to show respect (among other things) at Mass. Why don’t people do this now? What has changed in so many people’s psyches that the idea of a particular style which is considered, worldwide, and has been for centuries, to show ‘respect’. . .suddenly has become anathema? The idea of ‘dressing for Church’ is now dismissed? What happened?

 

[surfinpure]

Being (once) in the ‘theatrical’ world, I have worn all sorts of clothing. . .because, you know, what you wear really does have an impact. . .not just on the people you see, but on you yourself. You ‘carry yourself’ differently wearing certain types of outfits.

There is so much truth to this. Colleen Hammond says the same thing in Dressing with Dignity, that there is something about the way we women move and act in a “swooshy skirt” that we wouldn’t otherwise do in a pants suit. When I am dressed casually, I feel casual and act casually. When I am dressed formally, I feel formal (in this case “reverent”) and act more formally. The mind and spirit reflect the presentation of the body. For the same reason we kneel to pray, bow our heads, and fold our hands – to put our spirit in the right disposition for communicating with the Most High God.

Have we lost sight of the fact that during the hour we are at Mass, we are not remembering, but actually participating in Christ’s sacrifice? What is the word (one of you apologists help me out here ) for the suspension of time that occurs? It is a most solemn occasion. Not the same as a funeral, because of the Resurrection, but with every bit as much dignity. We ought to make our criteria that clothing be as reverent and dignified as possible, without drawing attention to ourselves that belongs to Christ our Lord, without being an occasion of sin to any man, and without offending (let us not forget) the Heavenly Hosts who participate in the worship of the Mass (1 Cor. 11).

 

[Julianna]

No problem…

I am 50. I don’t look good in a dress. It makes me look like “Aunt Bea” and overly matronly. I’m still a flower-child at heart.

I don’t wear t-shirts as they make me look too “Butch”. I like 3/4 length sleeved cotton/jersey shirts for summer and and long sleeve sweaters for winter, which I pair with boot-cut jeans.

I can’t get past the shorts at Mass…I don’t care for it. It’s not because men will be sitting in the “pews” ogling…it kind of like shorts-Church like oil and water. I have never seen halter tops at Mass, or midriff shirts…then again, maybe I wasn’t looking for it.

Also, the time of day people go to Mass, you’ll notice a difference in dress. Sunday 9 o’clock is family…most of the women will be dressed to the nines, dads in polo’s and khaki’s and the kids in buttons and bows. Eleven o’clock Mass, mostly “seniors”…old school, shirts, ties, jackets, dresses, hose and high heels…no singing.

Six pm Mass, my fav. Quiet, relaxed (yes, maybe you are right)…I am in my jeans as are most of my CCD students with me and my daughter, who was 4 at the time. For me, it’s the least attended and affords the “focus” and less distractions that the 9 o’clock Mass brings.

I’m just not a “dress” type person. Pant suits…again too “Butch” looking on me.

Saturday Mass at 5 is what I call the “picnic” Mass. There will be shorts, men and women.

 

[anon52328184]

well, i am a jeans person. i am not a dress type person either and i don’t like pantsuits. i always try to wear a nice top and i am clean.

sometimes we have homeless person come to our masses. they are wearing the same clothes they probably have been wearing for several days or weeks.
one man dresses in the same clothes everyday and comes with his hefty bags full of i don’t know what. he has paper stuck up in his shirt because i hear it rustling. he makes these annoying noises with his throat, but i guess he has as much right to be there as anyone. he never goes up to receive communion. the priests do not tell him not to come back. he has some kind of a speech impediment and sometimes i will hear him trying to pray along with the rosary. obviously, he has some kind of mental deficiency.

i don’t think Jesus would turn them away unless someone was argumentative
or very drunk.

i try to focus on the mass and not how people are dressed. i live in the west and it is more casual here anyway, especially in the summer when it is so hot.

 

[FickleFreckled]

(I’m sorry, but I still can’t get the quote function to work correctly - what I don’t want to include doesn’t delete. It may be a problem with my computer.)

To Tantum Ergo,
The origin of the jean phenomenon wasn’t about equality; it was about cheap. We were kids who were broke and discovered you could buy jeans at the Army-Navy store or thrift shops and they’d last a very long time. It caught on and became sort of a uniform of sorts.

I like that about jeans. It means you can be pretty invisible in a room full of jeans-wearers and not call attention to yourself. You’re also not particuarly interested in what anybody else is wearing either. It’s very much like the 11 years of school uniforms I wore growing up.

When I was much younger and climbing the corporate ladder, “dressing up” was an occasion of great anxiety for me. I had to dress like my wealthy clients and the professionals I worked with, even though at heart I didn’t fit into their league at all.
I was constantly stressing, checking myself in mirrors. If I was a overdue to get my nails done, I’d hide my hands. If I got a spot of food on my blouse at lunch, I’d fidget all afternoon trying to make sure my jacket covered it. I’d half-listen to clients because I was more focused on how I appeared to them than on what they were saying. I compared myself to everyone else, and them to other people. And I wasn’t by any means unique; years later we could laugh about it. I was so relieved when I left the industry and got into one in which what you wearing didn’t brand you.

It’s not that jeans are comfortable; they’re no more comfortable than slacks or pants, and way less comfortable than a loose skirt that hides all manner of figure flaws.They’re not really easier, nor do they take less time than throwing on a skirt and a top.

Basically I like being invisible, and I think the most appropriate place to be invisible is at Mass, where you shouldn’t be calling attention to yourself at all.
Yes, Pope Benedict is trying to make people remember that God is God and we’re not, and at some point that may mean that it will become customary again everywhere to dress up for Mass because most people tend to equate respect and honor with wearing certain things.

As for egalitarianism, some of the earliest Christian communities could be considered egalitarian, holding all things in common, no one having more or less. They believed that that was the truly Christian way to live. Ditto for monastic orders.

 

[westboro]

With all this talk about jeans, I would like to interject a little story .
I was on pilgrimage a year ago last December to the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe and travelling with us were two wonderful priests, one of whom was all of 80 years old and in great condition…I could hardly keep up with him! One day, while we were having lunch I asked him how he felt about wearing jeans to mass. He said without hesitation “blue jeans are the worst”. Somehow, I ‘knew’ what he meant. There is something about the ‘blue’ ones that con-notates ‘dressing down’. He went on to give the example of how a young girl once lectored at mass in her blue jeans and after mass he approached her to tell her she could not lector dressed that way again and the girl’s mother berated him without mercy! He could not believe the extreme angry response of the mother! He NEVER brought up the issue again! He was all but ‘destroyed’ by this awful attack! Sadly, this is an example of why our priests don’t dare to talk to anyone about dress.
Most churches provide ‘albs’ to cover the people who altar serve, lector and even distribute communion. This is interesting. Why is that??? Is it just because they are ‘closer’ to Jesus? I think not. Shouldn’t everyone dress as though they are serving, lectoring, or distributing communion? Are we not ALL just as ‘close’ to Jesus during mass attendance? ‘Albs’ were never designed to ‘cover up’ improper dress. They were designed as ‘spiritual’ garments, like the vestments worn by priests. They do make everyone ‘look’ appropriate on the altar, but I cannot help but wonder why so many people think that they are somehow ‘less’ than those individuals who are serving at mass. In reality, we are ALL there serving and worshiping God. I cannot imagine people serving at mass dressed in gym shorts or jeans or tank tops, etc…can you? Why wear them while ‘merely’ attending mass, as though mere attendance is somehow being ‘less’ present? It makes no sense.
One final comment. Many people attend mass ‘on there way’ to some activity whereas they dress with ‘that’ activity in mind and assume it is acceptable because of that reason. I keep a pair of shorts in my car during the summer so that I can change into them after mass on my way to work at a rest room somewhere. Yes it is a little inconvenient, but wasn’t the cross that Jesus carried way more ‘inconvenient’? We really need to keep things in perspective. “Ask not what the mass can do for us…ask what we can do for the mass”!!!

 

[clock]

(Sorry but I’ve not read all 8 pages worth so I don’t know if anyone else has made this point already)

I go to church in my usual cloths, usually is jeans ballerina/pumps type shoes, regular top with most likely a cardigan (to cover shoulder exposure from most my tops).

I’m not a dress-up type of person, but then you could say well you are dressing up to receive Jesus, surely its got to be worth the effort. But any time I have ever dressed up for church because mum used to make us, I wasn’t really there during mass. I was physically there, but that was it. I spent the whole time being paranoid because I’m so uncomfortable wearing dressier cloths, thinking people were staring at me because I thought I looked stupid.

When I wear my regular cloths, I’m comfortable in myself, I don’t think people are staring or talking about me so I can get on with things. When I’m dressier I turn very paranoid, anyone that looks at me for a milli second I think is staring at me and decide they hate me, and so when I am at mass in dressier cloths I cannot focus at all, all I can think is what the person behind is thinking of me, where as in my usual cloths I can fully throw myself in there and not think about what others think of me constantly.
but thats just me

Edit: sorry I just realised this thread about immodesty not casual dress

 

[Sam_Maloney]

This comes up every couple months.

I’ll say what I always say: nothing the priest can do from the pulpit will do any good, and may well do much harm.

The locals will either assume he isn’t talking about them, or will take offense and go to the parish accross town that’s ‘less hung up on appearances’, and the visitors will feel bad, but will have moved on by next week anyway.

This is an instance where we must lead by example: if a significant number of people wear business dress, the cut offs and tank top crowd will feel under dressed and raise their own standards.

Like it or not, modesty is in part a cultural issue. The days when the sight of an ankle was a public outrage is well and truely over, thank God! But there are still more than a few Catholics out there that would happily issue Burquas to everyone.

 

[JRKH]

This comes up every couple months.

I’ll say what I always say: nothing the priest can do from the pulpit will do any good, and may well do much harm.

The locals will either assume he isn’t talking about them, or will take offense and go to the parish accross town that’s ‘less hung up on appearances’, and the visitors will feel bad, but will have moved on by next week anyway.

This is an instance where we must lead by example: if a significant number of people wear business dress, the cut offs and tank top crowd will feel under dressed and raise their own standards.

Like it or not, modesty is in part a cultural issue. The days when the sight of an ankle was a public outrage is well and truely over, thank God! But there are still more than a few Catholics out there that would happily issue Burquas to everyone.