As we continue to plow through the heat of what’s left of summer, I address an issue that always draws much response – how to dress for Holy Mass! Now some pastors will say they are thrilled people come to Mass, regardless of what they wear: I understand that line of thinking. Still, it seems people know how to dress for the golf course, the baseball game, the pool side, or the gym. Can we not be challenged to dress appropriately for coming to the foot of Calvary? Yes, I said “Calvary.”
One of my favorite quotes from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) reminds us, “In the Eucharist, the Church is as it were at the foot of the cross with Mary, united with the offering and intercession of Christ” (1370). So, how should we dress for such an occasion? In a recent article that came to me in the mail, a statement was made “Remember for whom you dress. The whole point of dressing beautifully is to draw your mind and heart to God. …Remember to offer your efforts to Christ who clothed the lilies of the field.”
Gone are the days of pearls and hats (although, I wear a hat). Gone are the days when people dressed up for traveling on a plane. And what have we lost in it all? People are satisfied with a T-shirt, ballcap, and pajama bottoms. Sometimes my jaw drops when I see what people choose to wear (or not wear) in public. When it comes to dressing for Holy Mass, the idea of giving your best to God and to dress so as to lift your mind and heart to God has been lost. Remember the concept of “Sunday best?” What would it be like if everyone decided to wear their “Sunday best” for Holy Mass?
The Catechism reminds us that how we dress reflects a number of attitudes. “Purity requires modesty… Modesty protects the intimate center of the person. It means refusing to unveil what should remain hidden. It is ordered to chastity to whose sensitivity it bears witness” (CCC 2521). Wow – that should give us pause to reflect on how we dress. The Catechism continues, “Modesty protects the mystery of persons and their love…Modesty is decency. It inspires one’s choice of clothing…It is discreet.” Finally, paragraph 2524 is a call to all parents: “Teaching modesty to children and adolescents means awakening in them respect for the human person.”
Now some will undoubtedly say “clothes do not make the person,” which is true. Some will also say that it is what is on the inside that makes the difference and one’s choice of clothing does not reflect the inner attitude. Yet, teachers in our Catholic schools will often say that when students are “out of uniform,” they act differently. Have you heard of the public elementary school where the students voluntarily wear ties and blazers, all with the motivating hope of instilling personal pride, confidence, positive behavior, and manners? These students constantly work on setting and attaining their personal goals.
Ultimately, Mass is not just one of many activities in the course of the day. Mass is the most important activity of the day. For reflection, I recently used the following quotes at a retreat I was leading for a group of religious sisters. I offer them here as well: from St. Thomas Aquinas, “The celebration of Holy Mass has the same value as the death of Jesus on the cross.” Another from St. Peter Julian Aymard, “Mass is the holiest act of religion. There is nothing we can do to glorify God more.” Finally, “Martyrdom is nothing compared to the Mass. Martyrdom is the sacrifice of man to God… the Mass is the sacrifice of God for man.”
So, while it is true that clothes do not make the person, it is also true that we can “dress for success,” or dress for the “foot of Calvary.”
As we continue to promote a Eucharistic Revival, let us ponder the words of Pope St. John Paul II: “To go to Mass means going to Calvary to meet Him, our Redeemer. He comes to us in Holy Communion and remains present in the Tabernacle of our churches, for He is our friend.”
“O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine.”
Published in the August 16, 2024 issue of The Mirror.
Photo Credit: Getty Images