May the way we dress never insult our Crucified Lord.
Don't ever just be Catholic. Be PROFOUNDLY
CATHOLIC.
Being profoundly Catholic means always dressing for church in a way that gives glory to God. After all, we are not actually dressing FOR church, we are dressing FOR God. We must always dress according to what He wills for us, and it is always God's will that we dress with dignity.
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is not a show, it's not the beach, it's not the backyard, it's not a fashion runway in New York or Paris, and it's not a spectacle.
Church is God's House, and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is a Mystery, the re-presentation of Christ's Crucifixion and our Redemption. There, we are unified with our Creator and our Redeemer.
Any time we are in church we should dress appropriately for our King, and in a way that honors Him and gives Him glory.
Clearly, it is not
enough that people be told to dress appropriately for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. People must also be properly educated, and told exactly what that entails and the reasons why it is important.
REGARDING ONE'S APPEARANCE BEFORE GOD DURING THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE
MASS, DRESS EACH TIME YOU ATTEND IN A WAY THAT REFLECTS YOUR SOULS' WEDDING TO CHRIST, BECAUSE EACH TIME YOU RECEIVE THE EUCHARIST YOU WED YOUR
LIFE TO HIS.
Always, always dress appropriately for your soul's wedding; it shows you
respect the Lord, yourself, and your union. It shows you respect other
people also.
When you visit the Lord in His House at other times you are still in the presence of a Mystery, the King of all kings, our Creator and Savior. He remains there day and night, humbled for us and a prisoner of love!
May we always, always choose clothes that first and foremost please God.
From a Sermon of the Cure' of Ars, Saint John Vianney:
"What of you, my good woman, are your thoughts any better now that you have occupied your mind and part of your time in thinking how you were going to dress, so that you might please the people you know; and then you came to a place where you should come only to lament for your sins? Indeed, too often the priest is ascending the altar while you are still turning around and around, looking at yourself in front of a mirror. Ah, dear God! Are these really Christians who have taken You for their Model. You, Whose whole life was spent amidst scorn and tears? ~ Saint John Vianney, Thoughts on the Way to Church. 1
St. John Vianney shared the following story in that sermon: One day, St. Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan, was standing in the doorway of the church and he saw a young person approaching; she was dressed with the greatest of care.
"Where are you going, young woman?" he asked her.
She told him she was going to church.
"You are going to the church, but one might rather think that you are going to the dance or to a play or a spectacle. Go away, sinful woman, and weep for your sins in secret, and do not come to the church to insult with your frivolous adornments a crucified God." 1
This reverence of God and the dignity of the human person
in His House will naturally influence what is worn everywhere else when we realize this pleases our most loving and generous Lord.
Our Triune God is so
eager to pour forth grace upon humanity, but so often, we are willing to
settle for so little. By doing so, we force the Lord to settle for very little when He is so incredible generous with us.
Why would anyone do this? Mostly due to a lack of proper
formation. It is God's will that we always dress with dignity, because He loves and values us beyond measure.
TEACH
OTHER PEOPLE TO DRESS APPORPIRATELY, USING WORDS AND BY EXAMPLE.
AND DON'T JUST DRESS NICE; BE
NICE TO PEOPLE.
God is at work in you!! Go, Team!!
© Joseph Karl Publishing/Michele Bondi Bottesi
Images taken at Ss. Cyril and Methodius Slovak Catholic Church,
Sterling Heights, Michigan, U.S.A.
Parish Website
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God is so in love with you!!
THE POWERFUL DEVOTION TO THE HOLY FACE OF JESUS
To learn more about the Work of Reparation through the Devotion to the Holy Face,
which our Lord, Jesus Christ called "the most beautiful work under the sun,"
Please share the information with others.
God is at work in you!!
+ + +
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Source:
1. Saint John Vianney, Translated by Una Morrissy, The Sermons of the Cure of Ars (Fort Collins, CO: Roman Catholic Books, 1959), p. 143-144.
