Is modesty outmoded?

How sad it is to see so many Catholics dressing for the summer season in attire that is unbecoming to a person wanting to please God! What is it about summer that lowers inhibitions and blinds so many to what is modest? Several church bulletins have covered this subject yet many Catholics still uncover themselves as soon as the weather warms up.

Although we should always present ourselves in a modest way, do we ever stop and consider that immodest dress shows a lack of respect, not only for ourselves, but for the other people who share in the Mystical Body of Christ. The signs at the door asking for decent apparel in church, goes way beyond what we wear at Mass. Modesty is not a good dress or outfit worn for Sundays but a way of life the entire week.

We are responsible for how we represent ourselves. Clothing that incites sinful thoughts or distractions during Mass falls entirely to our own blame. How many times, however, have you met modest people from Mass who do not carry the modesty into the rest of their lives? They seem to have compartmentalized their modesty to the situation in which they find themselves. Is there less sin involved in short shorts worn at the mall than in church? It seems that many good people have failed to grasp ‘the big picture’. The thinking on modesty is adjusted to meet their needs of the moment, not God’s holy desires for us.

A modeling class once taught that you should always take a few minutes to review your dress for the day in a full-length mirror. You need a head to foot check to make sure everything is as it should be for where you are headed. Perhaps, we need to install a spiritual full-length mirror. It would be kind of a review of how our soul will look according to how we are viewed by the world. Delving into this kind of thought process can be painful. Many items of clothing in our present wardrobe would be tossed out. We might have to wear something that may be a little warm for a summer day but the hereafter could end up being a good deal warmer! Modesty is a conscious decision and a matter for the free will graciously given to us by God.