The way people dress to Mass

[catharina]

Looks like this is turning into ANOTHER fruitless modesty thread. Unsubscribing!

Hope you haven’t unsubscribed yet.
I’ve noticed NOBODY advocating immodesty.
So why do some need to preach about modesty here?

All agree that people should dress appropriately for Mass.
Clean, modest, clothing that will not distract others.

Who is arguing against that? Anybody?

 

[archangel04]

Those you quote are things of the past. Church fathers teaching is not nessesarily comply fully with church teaching.

John Paul II Apostolic Letter on woman dignity

vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_15081988_mulieris-dignitatem_en.html

John Paul view woman highly. You don’t enforce modesty on others because your own way of looking at woman.

Remember a group of men came to Jesus with an adulterous woman. Jesus did not blame her as the cause of what happened. Surely the man whom she commit adulterous act with must be responsible of his own sin. So Jesus challenge all the men present on that day “he who is without sin can throw the first stone”. They all left without throwing any stone. They all know that they carry their own sin.

So if one have lust for a woman, he can’t blame it on the woman. It is his own imagination, how can you blame it on others?

If a woman dresses to reveal and attract and she causes lust it is her own fault as much as the men who lust for her. If a woman dresses humble and modestly, but still some men lust over her, it is no longer her fault and she is not held accountable, only those who have lusted.
youtube.com/user/TheChurchMilitant#p/u/5/XligkAYY2LY
youtube.com/user/TheChurchMilitant#p/u/4/8xBgdQ6NNLc

And by the way what did Jesus say to the woman who was accused of that sin? “Go and sin NO MORE” He didn’t say “I won’t judge you and you may continure your lifestyle”.

 

[grasscutter]

Whoa! This has certainly become contentious! Guess I might as well throw in my two cents.

I don’t wear fancy clothes (skirts, dresses, etc.) But my clothes are neat, clean, comfortable and you can’t see any inappropriate skin.

This has been entertaining!

 

[Heliotropium]

'You carry your snare everywhere and spread your nets in all places. You allege that you never invited others

To practice modesty is good, not to enforce Modesty on others. In doing so, one practice vanity (if I -or my wife- can dress properly, then why can’t you?).

St John crysostom, st alphonsus pope pus xii, they live long time ago. Their view towards woman was not the best, because the influence of how the culture at the time view woman. Jesus teach to love woman, and forgive a prostitute and view highly a prostitute who anoint His feet with oil. He didn’t enforce modesty on her.

No I dont not agree at all. They cared about the salvation of souls and their truth is just as much needed today as it was back then. They are not sexiest they are being truthful as Christ was. Modest women help men and I for one always remember a modest woman and respect her dressing as such. These saints are saying what they are saying for the salvation of our souls and for a womans benefit.

Telling someone to dress modestly is loving them! Jesus also told those who came to Him to SIN NO MORE! When you wear clothing that is not modest you sin grievously. One woman asked God by what sin are most women condmend to hell and by what sin do most woman offend Him and he showed her that it was the woman who dressed immodestly. That was taken from “The Dogma of Hell, Illustrated by Facts Taken from Profane and Sacred History” by F. X. Schouppe. I recommend reading it.

 

[doug_ury]

I agree and disagree. While we should always dress modestly, having an offical “dress code” goes a bit too far.

I have been to some protestant churches where the men are looked down on if they are not dressed in a suit and tie and the women in their very best sunday dress. I think nice casual dress and alittle modesty should be fine. If you want to dress up, or dress down, great, however, holes in the jeans and a dirty T shirt really should be avoided. Yes’ the main thing is to get to church.

 

[Shin]

Given that many people feel free to come to mass dressed improperly, quite naturally the effective way to correct this, is by posting guidelines in the bulletin and/or the vestibule.

A dress code of this kind is also less confrontational than having to have repeated sermons on it, when people might have shown up dressed improperly, or personal intervention.

Instead one can simply point to the code, which is less *morally *confrontational too. People are normally proud and disobedient, if you tell them the need to correct something, instead of acting like Christians who know they are sinners and want to learn to live more moral and virtuous lives and make progress, they automatically resist and complain. Goats instead of sheep. They seek to justify their behavior.

So non-confrontational ways of correction are really helpful, and dress codes work in this category.

OTOH, of course, plenty of priests too are not well formed in modesty, and so if a church has a bad dress code minimum, some people will then say, ‘Well father says only this much is OK’, etc. instead of trying to learn the fundamental moral reasons that modesty requires everywhere and being open to the fact that they might have to do far more.

Still…

Modesty is a virtue. But somehow lots of people don’t want anything to do with it. They say, "I am already modest.’ or “I am modest enough.” Or, “It’s irrelevant.” It doesn’t even come into their worldview. This is mostly the case.

But modesty is a -virtue-. A person should be trying to -increase- in it always, and to be -very- modest, and more modest and more modest, and so on, so as to truly please God and shine with this virtue in Heaven and on earth. A Christian -loves- modesty. Rather than trying to do the minimum, or rather the opposite, the vice.

When a dress code is in place, people will more quickly adapt to it and provide a good witness to others. We should be able to see people are Christians by their modesty.

If we do not as Christians give witness to the virtue of modesty… Well… Are we being Christians?

Where Christ is, there modesty is found.

 

[Nostradennis]

It’s funny. No one has to be told on what to wear to a wedding reception. Everybody is dressed properly and tastefully. But at Church, God’s House, there’s always this “Oh, God really doesn’t care what I wear He looks into my heart” attitude. This is just a lame excuse to dress down to mundane street clothing attire. That’s the Spirit of Judas.
Why did you waste those precious perfumes anointing the feet of Our Lord? He doesn’t need that. You could have sold it and given the money to the poor.
God deserves the very best you can muster up. That is choosing the better part and it will not be taken from you.

 

[StTommyMore]

It’s funny. No one has to be told on what to wear to a wedding reception. Everybody is dressed properly and tastefully. But at Church, God’s House, there’s always this “Oh, God really doesn’t care what I wear He looks into my heart” attitude. This is just a lame excuse to dress down to mundane street clothing attire. That’s the Spirit of Judas.
Why did you waste those precious perfumes anointing the feet of Our Lord? He doesn’t need that. You could have sold it and given the money to the poor.

          God deserves the very best you can muster up. That is choosing the better part and it will not be taken from you.

I love the charity in this post.

What is the problem here? Why is it so important to be concerned about what others are doing? If you are still inhabiting a body, then it means there is room for improvement. SO instead of bemoaning how your spiritual brothers and sisters do not live up to your own impeccable standard, why don’t you worry more about improving your own holiness and set a good example?

 

[Nostradennis]

I love the charity in this post.

What is the problem here?

False humility.

 

[StTommyMore]

False humility.

Are you going to, I don’t know, actually ADD something to the discussion other than (self-) righteous indignation?

 

[OurLadyPerpHelp]

If upon waking, our guardian angel said to us, “Get dressed, we’re going to meet Jesus.” I wonder what choice in clothing we’d make?

 

[Nostradennis]

Are you going to, I don’t know, actually ADD something to the discussion other than (self-) righteous indignation?

I thought I did that with my first post. Re-read it again and search the biblical texts concerning Judas and the alabaster jar and Martha scolding Mary for not helping her in the kitchen because Mary was too busy helping Our Lord. There's much to glean here.

 

[StTommyMore]

I thought I did that with my first post. Re-read it again and search the biblical texts concerning Judas and the alabaster jar and Martha scolding Mary for not helping her in the kitchen because Mary was too busy helping Our Lord. There’s much to glean here.

I did read it. It was devoid of charity. It was full of the attitude of the Pharisee form the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. All I was trying to say is that we need to concern ourselves primarily with our own holiness, rather than the holiness of others. Why? because we cannot read their hearts. So maybe the dress inappropriately for Mass. Perhaps they don’t even realize that they should be paying closer attention to their dress when receiving the Lord. On the other hand, there are things they are doing in their life that you don’t know about but they are truly holy. If more Catholics (and I count my self here as well) would be more concerned with our own holiness rather than if someone else meets our standards, you would see an absolute transformation in the overall holiness of our parishes.

 

[OurLadyPerpHelp]

I’m just learning about traditional Catholicism so forgive me for not know the answer to this question. I thought traditional Catholics wore their Sunday best to Mass. Am I wrong in thinking this?

 

[Nostradennis]

I’m just learning about traditional Catholicism so forgive me for not know the answer to this question. I thought traditional Catholics wore their Sunday best to Mass. Am I wrong in thinking this?

No, you are absolutely 100% right. Sunday best means just that. You wear the best clothes in your closet for Sunday Mass.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

So everybody **appears to agree **that modesty in clothing is a good thing.

But then everybody appears to fall apart after that.

One person says, “God doesn’t care WHAT we wear at all.” Well, that statement doesn’t jibe with the 'everybody supports modesty in clothing as a good thing", does it? If God doesn’t ‘care’, why bother about ‘modesty’? It’s ‘anything goes.’

What can we glean from that?
Probably something from the next person, "We can’t impose ‘our standards’ on other people.’ IOW, relativity rearing its ugly little head. “Our standards” are reduced to one of many equally ‘valid’ ideas which for some reason cannot be allowed to be ‘superior’. Further, while WE are not allowed to advocate for things like a code of dress lest we ‘impose on others’, those who choose to wear offensive and/or indecent attire are imposing THEIR standards onto us as ‘superior’ to our standards in that THEY are to be permitted to dress as they choose yet those who disagree with them are to be SILENCED or called ‘bigots’.

Now as I said, I’ve been ‘dressed’ on both sides.

What I can’t understand is the attitude that comes from those on both sides who both engage in misdirection, vitriol, wild surmises, and plenty of name-calling, “Pharisee!” cry the ‘God doesn’t care’ crowd. “Lazy” respond the “calling for reverence” crowd. “You hate the poor!” respond the first group. “You disrespect God and your fellow men” respond the second. “it’s all about what YOU WANT” they both scream at each other.

And yet, supposedly, just about every poster here claims to wear clothes which are 'clean, modest, and decent." Which is what both ‘sides’ claim for themselves as ‘appropriate.’ And just about every poster seems to be ‘against’ clothes which are immodest.

If jeans and a T shirt are modest, clean, and decent, and you have nothing that you would wear otherwise to say meet the Pope, go to a wedding reception, or be on national TV (etc.), then hey, you’re in your best modest attire.

If you would wear something ‘different’ to a venue other than Mass (and by ‘different’ I mean dressier or more ‘special’), what makes Mass ‘less’ than the other affair?

 

[Maureen1125]

Personally, I feel that what is in your heart is much much more important then what is on your back.

I am not at church to judge others. I am at church for God and for Him alone. I personally do not care if you come in sweats, PJs, jeans, or a Tux. Come with a pure heart and for the right reasons. Come and PARTICIPATE!!! Do not come, just to fulfill you obligation or to be seen.

And while this is off topic - for the love of God, leave your cell phone home or in the car. NOTHING is more distracting in mass, then the person 2 pews up texting.

 

[OurLadyPerpHelp]

No, you are absolutely 100% right. Sunday best means just that. You wear the best clothes in your closet for Sunday Mass.

Based on this thread I’d say there isn’t concensus in the traditional Catholic ranks. Anytime I’ve met my traditional Catholic friends after Mass they are wearing their Sunday best. I guess not all traditionals think this way.

 

[Heliotropium]

I’m just learning about traditional Catholicism so forgive me for not know the answer to this question. I thought traditional Catholics wore their Sunday best to Mass. Am I wrong in thinking this?

No you’re not wrong but your Sundays best is also understood by Traditional Catholics to not mean your Sundays flashiest

TommyMore ( A saint I absolutely love btw) I think telling other posters that their posts are not charitable is also not a very charitable thing considering you also do not know the intentions of their hearts and if they are being self-righteous.

As for the subject of this thread this is what we can conclude. Mass is the most important thing in this world. Your attendance and your dress are important since you will be in front of God Himself. We are however not to judge our fellow brothers and sisters if we see them dressed in an unbecoming way. We are to think the best of them since we do not know their hearts and that only God knows their motives. Maybe they are visiting and have never been to a Catholic Church? Maybe they are poor and do not have the clothes or funds to attain them? We don’t know. Yet there is a big difference between people who visit and parish members who regularly attend. In regards to the parish it should be made known either in the bulletin or by the priest in his sermon/homily that it is ones duty to honor God and in doing so we must try our hardest to wear clothing that is modest and not distracting to others around us. It is also our duty to each other to edify our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ on this practice and why it’s so important. We should also offer to help them obtain decent clothing if they do not have the funds to do so.

I believe one should dress simply, and modestly. I believe this because the Saints stress the importance of this practice. I however do not judge my brothers and sisters if they do not do this and I don’t appreciate that just because I advocate that people think about what they wear when visiting Christ in Mass that this makes me a modern age Pharisee.

God Bless

 

[sulkow82]

Hello,
When I was growing up, my mom used to say that well kept jeans and a polo shirt are fine for daily mass and more formal attire for sunday. This was when I was living in Buffalo, N.Y.

Here in Hawaii we tend to be more informal. People would dress in “daily mass” attire for sundays. My personal reason for dressing casual clothing was more practical. I worked in security and if I went home to change (city bus is my only form of transportation), I would be late for work (schedules with sunday shifts were the only ones available).

I’m presently working on a career change which would free up my weekends. So, I’ll be working on wearing more appropriate clothing.

Here is an interesting aspect to this also. While it is common to dress casually here, I’ve seen people dress casually when our Bishop is the presider at the service.