Neat, clean, and modest...

My brothers and sisters in Christ, there is another issue in which I've been thinking about for a long time, and now I'm leaving the parish is time to put it in writing. “Dressed in your Sunday best" is a great phrase that harkens back to a time when people made a point of putting on their nicest clothes for attending church on Sunday. Contemporary culture is far more casual, and that is fine, but… is that appropriate for the Holy Mass? In San Antonio the temperatures have risen, and so we dress accordingly, right? Shorts, sleeveless tops, whatever keeps us cool. Again, that is fine, but… wait a minute! It’s Sunday morning and time to prepare for Mass. Whether we consciously think of it or not, this will be the most important event of the week, and certainly worth a bit of “fuss” when it comes to choosing what to wear. Think about it—the angels hide their face before His Majesty—and what have we just pulled off the hanger? If we’re dressed for a backyard barbecue, we need to back up and try again! So, what is appropriate Mass attire? Assisting at Mass is not about greeting your friends and neighbors; it is about greeting the King of kings, the Lord of lords, as He is present in the Eucharist. Let three words guide your clothing selection: neat, clean, and modest. Dear brother and sister, forgive me being so specific: out of respect for the Eucharist women should not wear plunging necklines, spaghetti straps or strapless tops, nor should they display bare midriffs. Extremely short skirts or shorts, or tight pants are also inappropriate. Any clothing that calls attention to the wearer and away from the Mass is disrespectful. We must pause a moment and think: “what event I am attending, a formal and important one, or informal and unimportant one? Clothing for Mass does not need to be expensive or elaborate. However, the care with which we dress reflects the care with which we pray. As simple as this. Most people take great pains to show up for a job interview or a party in appropriate clothing. It is only reasonable that we make the same effort to be suitably dressed at Mass to meet Our Lord. At the end of the day, attending Mass is a question of love, could we put a little more love to prepare internally and externally, to attend Mass? ■ Fr. Agustin, pastor.