Help a Brother Out

During Mass today, several young men and one older woman were dressed very immodestly. When my housemate and I left, I said I was going to write a letter to our pastor and ask him to please remind people not to wear clothes that look like they have become part of their bodies. The guy's clothes were so tight that you could see things you should not be able to see on a clothed person. There was a woman at Mass who had on a sleeveless shirt that was cut down low between her breasts. I am not blaming these people for my piggy wandering eyes, but they are responsible for being a stumbling block to others.

To be clear, I do not think the woman with the revealing top thought to herself, “Hey, I think I’d like to be sexually tempting to the priest” before she headed out to Mass, but that doesn’t change the fact that her top was inappropriate. I do not think the guys in the tight clothes necessarily set out to tempt people to lust after their bodies, but that doesn’t change the fact that their clothing does have that effect.

That being said, I also have a difficult time believing that these people are entirely unaware of the impact their clothing has. When I wear things that are too tight, I feel it. The shirt tight on my stomach, or the pants on my thighs, is obvious. If I lean over and my shirt lifts, I feel the air on my exposed skin, so the idea that a woman wouldn’t notice the air on her breasts seems unlikely. So it is likely these clothing choices are intentional so we need to help our brothers and sisters see the errors in their ways.

Scripture says we are responsible for the impact our behavior and way of dress have on others. “... Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble...” Romans 14:20-21

To keep this info from those who cause us who are weak to this type of temptation is to allow them to remain stumbling blocks. It is true charity to tell them.

Another way to see this is to tell those who are dressing immodestly that their style of dress is not appropriate for Mass, and being in the church is a way to help remind them that the Mass and the church are all about the real presence of Christ. Many have forgotten that Jesus is present in the Tabernacle and in the Eucharist we receive. He is to be shown respect and reverence, and to dress this way is neither respectful nor reverent toward Him or those present to worship and receive Him.

So I think it is time to speak with parishes about this and, at the same time, implement a dress code for our churches. We who do look out for ourselves and our brothers and sisters have to be willing to step out and speak up for the defense of what is good and proper, no matter the consequences.

Human-Written, AI Spell-Checked 5/2/21 AD

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