The summer is winding down. Labor Day weekend is just ahead. Schools are either back in session or about to begin. And it’s almost time when people in church will stop whispering, “Good heavens, look at the way they’re dressed!”
About 20 years ago, I wrote an article that examined the always emotional issue of: Does it matter how people dress for Mass?
There are two sides to this debate. One side is the “You bet it matters because people need to show some reverence in God’s house” point of view. The other side is the “The only thing that matters is that people are at Mass, and besides, God doesn’t care how we dress” point of view.
There are some good arguments for both views. On the one hand, if we truly believe that Mass is where human beings draw closest to our Almighty Creator, where Jesus Christ Himself becomes truly present in the Eucharist — body, blood, soul, and divinity — then Mass is an extremely important and reverent event. It’s kind of insulting if people dress exactly the same way they do for mundane activities, such as mowing the lawn, stopping by the convenience store to buy cigarettes, or going to bed. (I’m not sure why, but I’ve noticed recently that pajama pants and slippers have become a fairly common way to dress outside of the house. Maybe for some folks, sweatpants and sneakers are just too formal.)
On the other hand, there are some people who can’t afford fine clothing, and they come to church wearing the only clothes they own. Other people may have health problems and are barely able to get out of bed and get to Mass on time, and so they show up with pajama pants and slippers. Still others may have just gotten off work, or have to go to work right after Mass, and so are unable to wear what others would describe as their “Sunday best.”
There are some good arguments for both views. On the one hand, if we truly believe that Mass is where human beings draw closest to our Almighty Creator, where Jesus Christ Himself becomes truly present in the Eucharist — body, blood, soul, and divinity — then Mass is an extremely important and reverent event. It’s kind of insulting if people dress exactly the same way they do for mundane activities, such as mowing the lawn, stopping by the convenience store to buy cigarettes, or going to bed. (I’m not sure why, but I’ve noticed recently that pajama pants and slippers have become a fairly common way to dress outside of the house. Maybe for some folks, sweatpants and sneakers are just too formal.)
On the other hand, there are some people who can’t afford fine clothing, and they come to church wearing the only clothes they own. Other people may have health problems and are barely able to get out of bed and get to Mass on time, and so they show up with pajama pants and slippers. Still others may have just gotten off work, or have to go to work right after Mass, and so are unable to wear what others would describe as their “Sunday best.”
The primary point is that we don’t know the circumstances and struggles of other folks, so we shouldn’t judge the way they dress for Mass. We simply should be happy they are at Mass, since so many people have stopped going to Mass in recent years.
That was the main gist of my article 20 years ago. I laid out the arguments for the two points of view, and acknowledged that some folks have difficult circumstances and we shouldn’t judge if they dress the same way for Mass as they do for a quick trip to the 7-11 store. But my conclusion definitely leaned more toward the “Would it kill you to show some reverence?” side of the issue.
Back when I wrote that article, Mass attendance was starting to drop a bit, and many people were beginning to question whether church attendance really mattered. Looking back from today’s perspective, all I can say is, “Boy, those were the good ol’ days!”
In the wake of the COVID shutdown, Mass attendance has not “dropped a bit.” It has fallen off a cliff. Many people who got into the habit of not going to Mass at the height of the pandemic have not returned. I’m not exactly sure about their thought processes here. Did they lose their faith completely? Did they convince themselves that God doesn’t really care whether they show up? Or did they just lose their momentum and can’t seem to get back in the habit of going to Mass each week?
That was the main gist of my article 20 years ago. I laid out the arguments for the two points of view, and acknowledged that some folks have difficult circumstances and we shouldn’t judge if they dress the same way for Mass as they do for a quick trip to the 7-11 store. But my conclusion definitely leaned more toward the “Would it kill you to show some reverence?” side of the issue.
Back when I wrote that article, Mass attendance was starting to drop a bit, and many people were beginning to question whether church attendance really mattered. Looking back from today’s perspective, all I can say is, “Boy, those were the good ol’ days!”
In the wake of the COVID shutdown, Mass attendance has not “dropped a bit.” It has fallen off a cliff. Many people who got into the habit of not going to Mass at the height of the pandemic have not returned. I’m not exactly sure about their thought processes here. Did they lose their faith completely? Did they convince themselves that God doesn’t really care whether they show up? Or did they just lose their momentum and can’t seem to get back in the habit of going to Mass each week?
There’s no doubt in my mind that quibbling over how people are dressed at Mass is silly. At this moment in history it is a million times more important that people GO to Mass rather than what they wear. I would be thrilled if we had churches overflowing with people all wearing pajamas and slippers. I might not join in, but in solidarity, I definitely would break out some sweatpants and sneakers.
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