FOUR STEPS TO CHRISTIAN MATURITY AND FREEDOM

 
Four Steps to Christian Maturity
 
Have you ever wondered why those who have just joined the Catholic Church are excited about their faith, are filled with the Spirit, and ready to spread the Word of God?  Sometimes we may say to ourselves, “Wow, I wish I had that kind of zeal!”, yet on other occasions we may say under our breath, “Whatever.  In a few months I hope it wears out.”  I hope we lean toward a desire for the good of another and not toward jealousy or envy because someone has been powerfully blessed.
​I propose to you that there are four clear steps needed for any Christian, male or female, to grow in maturity of their faith and reliance on God. From all that I have read on the live of the saints they have all gone through these four steps that I will outline.  Furthermore, it would be most advantageous for teenagers and the college aged to know that these steps are a prerequisite for a lifetime of spiritual growth in order to make good adult decisions.  These four steps, which are progressively more difficult, will also prepare young people as they consider their career, or court the idea of marriage or the religious life.  Let’s see these four steps and challenges that Jesus presents to Peter in Luke 5:1-11.
​The first step to Christian maturity is to recognize that God is with us at all times, that Jesus has chosen to step into the boat that is our life.  We see that Jesus was already preaching to the crowds when he chose to get into the boat that belonged to Simon Peter who was minding his own business.  This may remind us of the passage from John 15:16, “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you.”  So, when did Jesus decide to step into your life?  When you were baptized! That’s the day that Jesus most assuredly came into your life, cleansed you from your sins, and opened up the channel to life in the Holy Spirit by a new birth to live a holy life, gave you a mission in life that is irrevocable, incorporated you into the Christian community of faith centered on Christ in the Eucharist, raised you in dignity through his grace, and welcomed you to a place of honor where you shall never be shamed but always treasured.  The first sign of Christian maturity is to “put on Christ”, to embrace Christ, and to be grateful each day that Jesus is in our boat to help us along each day.  Therefore, acknowledge Christ as your Lord and Savior and embrace the gift of your baptism!  If our sons and daughters are not doing this then their confusion and sins will continue to grow exponentially.
The second step of Christian maturity is to listen to the Word of God which parallels Jesus’ request to Peter as “he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.”  Jesus calls Peter to be attentive and to listen to the Word of God as he preached to the multitude.  Jesus was as gentle with Peter at this step as he is with us.  He did not ask too much from Peter, simply to row a short distance from the shore, something ordinary yet will forever change his life.  The Church throughout the centuries has been depicted in art as a boat of salvation.  Jesus calls us to come to step into our local church (boat) on Sunday, a rather simple task, where the Word of God is proclaimed and preached.  We are called to listen to the Word of God, to embrace the Word of God, to have a deeper prayer life and trust in the Lord, to delve into the teaching of Christ as expounded by the Church, and to reflect upon the preaching and the true events that take place at Mass and in the parish.  When we awaken to the true message of Jesus it is liken to the transfiguration when Peter says to Jesus, “It is good that we are here!”  When we look forward to attending and participating in Mass and the parish we are reaching the second level of Christian maturity.
The third level to Christian maturity is much more difficult. It involves personal risk and courage and all too few Catholics are willing to make this level but maybe it’s time to get there. The Gospel continues: “After he had finished speaking he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing.”  To help others through small gestures of kindness does not take much risk, but to be willing to say that you are Catholic or Christian in public or to take a stand on a moral issue is to take a huge risk.  You can imagine how James and John probably sat on the shore and laughed at Peter as they watched him cast his nets with Jesus.  But then again, James and John hadn’t caught a thing all night either!  All too often we are embarrassed to share our faith, to respond to the call of Christ to do a particular task, or to take a Christian stand on a particular injustice or against a particular sin in our society.  Peter made the leap of faith, Jesus blessed him with so many gifts that he called over his friends, James and John, and they too began to believe that Jesus is the Christ.  Yes, this type of faith is contagious in all the right ways.  A community of faith like this would light the world on fire!  And this is exactly the faith of the early Church had and it is the same faith Jesus calls us to today, to be a light to the world.  As we reach this level of spiritual maturity we are willing, for example, to also straighten out our life by seeking counseling from an addiction or a troubled past, get our marriage right with the Church, teach our faith to others at work or in the classroom.  For young adults this might mean spending a year in programs like NET, the National Evangelization Team, or attend the diocese’s vocational awareness programs to learn more about their own mission in life to evangelize, teach, serve, and care for others.  Young women at this point may consider the possibility of being called to be a sister or a consecrated lay woman.  Young men may consider a calling from God to be a brother or priest.
The fourth and last step to spiritual maturity is to give our whole life over to Christ who perpetually loves us despite our fallen nature.  “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” … Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.”  St. Paul says it best in 2 Cor. 5:14 “the love of Christ compels us …So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away.”  When we are convinced that Jesus is the only way for our life and we become convicted in our faith, then we, like Peter and the apostles, have reached spiritual maturity while embracing the will of God for our life even though we will still struggle internally to be reformed and conformed in Christ, and even though externally we will be harshly treated and mocked at. Let us not forget all the saints who urge us on the path of Christ which they themselves also chose.
In summary these four steps to spiritual maturity are: Recognize Christ!  Listen to Christ! Proclaim Christ! Give your life to Christ! Then and only then can you reach your full potential as a Christian adult as Christ intends.  Most converts have gone through all four of these stages and hence their joy and excitement of being Catholic can seem over the top, as it should be for all of us.  Where do you see yourself? Let’s all strive to reach that next step as the love of Christ compels us!
 


 

God Is Calling Me! What Is My Mission?

Psalm 40 is rich with insight into our purpose in Life: "Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will." and "In the written scroll it is prescribed for me. To do your will, O my God, is my delight, and your law is within my heart!"

My mission and my delight, then, is to do the will of God. Well, Padre, how do I know the will of God? Or how can I trust that God has a will for me? First, we can be assured that God has a will for each of us. In the Old Testament we see that God not only wills Moses to be the person that He has chosen to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, God also had a will for each of the enslaved people in Egypt...TO BE FREE from enslavement...even more so, God wills that we BE FREE FROM ENSLAVEMENT TO SIN. In the Bible there are 1000's of examples of God's will for individuals and as a whole nation, and yet we should be able to cite 1000's of examples of God's will in our lives if we come together and share the Good News of God in our daily lives. Secondly, the will of God is not altogether unknown nor is it something only a few can reach while everyone else is left out. No, as this Psalm says..."your law is within my heart", that is, we can know the will of God by examining the good God has place in our heart, the knowledge of the Divine Law that He has placed in each heart that can not change, that always reveals the Truth about God, about Christ as the Son, about creation, about humanity, about sin, about grace, about love and the Holy Spirit. Yes, everyone has the equal opportunity to know the will of God, but few choose or even want to know the will of God because they are afraid of what God may ask of them, or they are afraid that God made them inferior to others and are afraid that it would shame them, and so many other reasons, but all such nonsense leaves us sitting in the dark while we strain to figure out the meaning of life on our own, without God's help. Ok, listen, God has the only flashlight, in fact its a Perpetual Beaming Light that yearns to Light up the world to bring us happiness and holiness, and bring all of humanity into One Body in Christ. Only God Himself and people who are striving to know God, those who have received free flashlights who's batteries are prayer and surrender unto God are servants of God who can help us in following the will of God. As they say, let go and let God! Be yourself, be the person God has created you to be. Yearn to do things God's way rather than your own way which leaves you crawling out of another pit in life. The will of God for your life certainly involves daily prayer and meditation, reading a chapter a day in the bible, spending time each day to speak with Jesus and to ask for his help and guidance, going to Church on Sunday and being an active member of the faith community to help others and to do things together to share in the ministry of Jesus Christ, and, I firmly believe, that we are all called to journey back home to our Mother Church, the one and only Church Jesus Christ founded, the Catholic Church (the Orthodox Church partially shares in this Apostolic faith though they have chosen to separate themselves (1056? AD) from being completely One, Holy, and Catholic.

Does Anything Good Come From Celibacy?

Vocation Awareness

          Other Christian denominations can’t understand it, Catholics are often bewildered by it, and yet celibacy remains as the norm for the priesthood and religious life.  In this article I hope to give you some positive benefits to the church for such a practice.      

          First, however, you need to know that celibacy has played a large role in the history of many of the great religions.  For other religions celibacy is most closely connected with asceticism which is a practice of self restraint from worldly desires to live a more peaceful, holy, and simple life.  Although celibacy has never been a norm for our older Jewish brothers, at the time of Christ, the Essene sect was a monastic community of Jewish men that practiced celibacy and ritual baptisms in order to remain in a purified state of holiness with God.  Today, both Jews and Christians alike are blessed with the scribes of Essene community who have left us with the oldest known Hebrew Scripture text as well as other writings such as their prayers, practices, rituals and culture.  Hinduism has always looked favorably upon celibacy because it helps bring a detachment from this world and is considered a means to bliss or enlightenment.  Mahatma Ghandi, who helped lead India to Independence in 1947 after a lifetime of peaceful demonstrations, was a Hindu who accepted the vow of celibacy in 1906 at the age of 37 even though he was married and had children.  Most recently in the headline news has been the scene of thousands of celibate Buddhist monks in Burma who have been leading the protest in the streets for better living conditions and freedoms toward democracy.  So if other cultures and religions can see the good of celibacy then why is our own culture so baffled by it?

          While I think that Americans can see the good of living an ascetic, simple life, the choice of a lifetime vow of celibacy just seems to go too far.  They would be right if there was no meaning to celibacy, but celibacy has been full of meaning throughout the Church’s history.  In speaking in the terms of celibacy Jesus said that some “have renounced marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of God” (Mt 19:12).  St. Paul, in reference to his own celibate state in life writes “Indeed, I wish everyone to be as I am” (1 Cor. 7:7) and later he speaks in a rather humorous tone about the those who choose to marry, saying, “If you marry, however, you do not sin…but such people will experience affliction in their earthly life and I would like to spare you that.” (1 Cor. 7:28) Okay married people, admit it, marriage has its moments too!  Jesus chose a celibate life to be able to give himself over completely to the Father as a holy sacrifice and to devote himself completely to the salvation of mankind through his ministry.  So, celibacy, in our Christian tradition, really gains its value in Christ himself.  Meanwhile, many Church opponents want to see celibacy washed away with the next ocean tide.  But they are stuck in the narrow view that celibacy for the priesthood was mandated in the middle ages to protect the Church’s property and heritage, and that celibacy is therefore no longer needed.  This is very misleading because celibacy was embraced by Christ himself and was clearly a part of the Christian leadership since the beginning with leaders like St. Paul (the Council at Carthage in 390, for example, states that continence (no sexual activity) was embraced by the apostles and should therefore be the norm for all church leaders).  Should we not be elated that our Church has decided that its leadership, imitating Christ, must embrace vows of celibacy, poverty and obedience as the normal way to better assure a holy governance?  Many protestant pastors have told me that there is a lot to be valued by the Catholic Church’s position on this matter.

          As a priest I enjoy living in the Church’s requirement of celibacy for the priesthood and religious life.  It was a choice in life that I made.  I felt God calling me to the priesthood and I knew that our Lord always graces us with every blessing that we need in order to accomplish whatever he asks us to do.  The choice of celibacy has brought me great stability, freedom from the destructive forces of a hyper sexed culture, and a happiness of giving myself fully to Christ in service to his people.  People usually don’t know why they are attracted to their local priest, brother or sister, but somehow, by God’s grace, our free choice of celibacy helps us to connect on a deep spiritual life with people in their everyday struggles.  I view the celibate religious life as a great complement to the entire Christian community.  Since our natural state in life as we enter adulthood is the single life, parents should be supportive and even overjoyed when their son or daughter speaks about considering the religious life, remaining as they are, in order to imitate and more visible proclaim the salvation of Christ to the world.

Young Adults Are Finding Their Faith Through The Church

Vocation Awareness
 
​The majority of young Catholics ages 18 to 25 seem to drift away from the Church.  I take that back; they seem to run away from the Church at speeds that would impress Olympic coaches.  Although this has been happening for the last forty years, there is evidence that young adults are staying in the Church at a higher percentages in recent years.  We have a long way to go, but there is evidence of some really good news, evidence we can clearly point to in our own diocese.
First, there is the young high school Catholics who, after receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation, call themselves X-Cons which means they are post-confirmation Catholics who are proud to profess their faith and live the Christian life.  They already see themselves playing many vital leadership roles in the Church such as participating in their youth choir, leading middle school and high school youth groups, participating in various ministries for the Mass as well as outreach programs for the Church.
​A second group of young Catholics call themselves Reverts.  Reverts are young Catholics who left the Church for some time period, but by the grace of God they have returned with a new vitality and with a deeper understanding of their faith.  They are invigorated, lit on fire to spread the Good News.  They were lost but now they are found (Luke 15:32).
​A third group of young Catholics is the convert.  These too bring much vitality to the faith.  The majority of young converts have some history of Catholicism in their family yet others come having conversions from atheism, agnosticism, another faith, or another Christian denomination, all trying to find the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  As young adults step out into the world on their own they see the need to be rooted in faith to survive so they naturally want to learn more about the Church that has weathered the storms throughout the centuries and still remains as the Light to the world, the Catholic Church.
Marriage time!  Yes, this is one of greatest moments of a person’s life and it’s also the perfect moment to draw closer to Christ and the Church. Young engaged couples, who are preparing for marriage, are looking for unity and security, love and holiness for their marriage so they naturally find themselves talking to their priest and the marriage preparation team at the parish.  What we hope they encounter and discover is the beginning of a treasure that Christ offers them through the Church for a life fulfilling marriage of unity and the beginning of a new family.  While we naturally want to congratulate newly engaged couples, we also have an obligation to have them talk to a priest right away or direct them to the marriage preparation program of the Church (even more so when a mixed marriage is involved, a Catholic and non Catholic) so that they may find unity where there is tension, security where there is mistrust, love where there is selfishness, and holiness where there are holes in their relationship with God. Starting on the right foot can be all the difference in any marriage and the fruit is self evident.  I have officiated at so many wonderful weddings where the couple really grew up in their faith and love for each other, in the Church and in Christ during their process of marriage preparation.
​There remains yet the largest group of young Catholics who, like the convert, steps out into the world on their own for the first time and they too begin to search for answers to life’s struggles.  They too find real answers in the faith they had received by the Church but took for granted.  I, myself, fall into this category.  All I needed was a bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church to get started and to grow in my faith; others need more encouragement.  They may need to go on a retreat, or join a young adult Catholic group who meets in the parish, or be welcomed and encouraged to join an organization within the parish.  I am simply amazed at how young adults respond to their faith when they are given a sense of welcome and a sense that they are vital to the Church community; “If one part suffers, all parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, a parts share its joy” (1 Cor. 12:26). 
​Yes, we have a whole lot to be thankful for, yet it is true that many young Catholics are Catholic in name only, without the benefit of truly knowing their faith and who drift away out of ignorance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Church.  We have an obligation to labor day and night to continue to close these gaps and mend the nets so that one day none of our children will be separated from goodness of the Lord nor the rock by which Christ built his Church.

5 Spiritual Steps to Find or Deepen our Vocation

Vocation Awareness
 
Here are 5 steps to help prepare and guide teenagers and young adults to their vocation, the path God has prepared for them to follow, as well as a guide that will help all of us in our vocation.
(1) We must first encounter Christ - Until a person encounters Christ they will never truly know their calling in life and thus have the opportunity to be fulfilled. I will be as blunt as to say that they will truly miss out entirely on the plan Christ has prepared for them.  Until we know Christ and begin to walk with him we can not imagine, much less live, the life he has chosen for us. We are the blind and lost sheep needing to know our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, and to be protected and guided in the sheep fold, called the Church, which he established.  Prayer (and retreats which are enriched in prayer) is one of the primary means to encounter Christ. In the family setting this encounter can come through praying before meals, serving one another (prayer being lived out), and certainly by the entire family going to Church each Sunday, yet there is a more personal approach that is needed to help us encounter Christ at Mass and in the world; praying the Liturgy of the Hours, the daily praying of the rosary, the reading of spiritual books on the lives of the saints, attending a Holy Hour each week, the reading of Sacred Scripture, or praying through daily meditational books.  Retreats are meant to be a springboard by which to delve deeper into our relationship with Christ and not a temporary encounter with Christ that fades away when we return home.  Our encounter with Christ needs to be sustained through a commitment of personal prayer and communal support centered on the Sunday Mass.
(2) To live for Christ our courage must be great than our fear - As we feel God tugging us in a certain direction we typically resist. By the time we are teenagers we have already developed our comfort zone, but when we discover God’s call we will immediately recognize that God calls us out of our protective shell.  As the saying goes if you want to walk on water you’ve got to get out of the boat!  Saying yes to Jesus is exciting but also very frightening.  Remember, in all honesty we can be just as frightened in our comfort zone as were all twelve disciples in the capsizing boat.  It takes courage to overcome our fears!  Among the apostles only Peter had the courage to go out to Jesus on the water and only Peter, because of his faith and courage, was able to walk on water (Mt 14:22-33).  Figuratively speaking, we too must have greater faith in Jesus to follow him (no matter what) than the fears that prevent us from enjoying life to the fullest, to walk on water.
(3) Walk with Jesus one step at a time - Everything in this world seems to go fast.  The faster something goes the bigger the rush... so we think. With God we must take the time to slow things down.  In the rush of life we are suffocating our spirit! We need time and space to breathe. We need to set time into our daily schedule to communicate with God. We need months of prayer to discover our calling.  I heard of one person describing our vocation to the like of driving a car at night.  We only have enough light to see a few hundred feet ahead of us all night long but that is all it takes to get us to our final destination.  God will show us the way a little bit at a time, not the whole road map at once. Be patient.
(4) Then we can begin to discover our purpose in life - With an establish prayer life and new found light through Christ a person can begin to ponder the meaning of life. There are so many areas in which God needs our help.  If there are a million people in a city, then God has a plan in which all one million people are needed to help each other in building up the body of Christ. Through our common baptism we all belong and are a part of the body of Christ.  One should then ask; how do I fit in the body of Christ?   Where in the Church, or in what way in representing Christ, is God calling me to serve others?  I need to let go of my ways and my will and live according to God’s will for me. What desire has God placed in my heart to help others individually or benefit the community as a whole?
(5)  When we find peace its time to evangelize - When we are approaching our destination we will find ourselves joyful and being at peace. In another storm on the sea the disciples came to their senses and realized that Jesus was in the boat with them the whole time, so they called out to him, “Lord, save us! We are pershing!”  Immediately Jesus responded, “Why are you so terrified, Oh you of little faith?”, then brought about a calming of the seas. (Mt 8:23-27) Again, when Jesus appeared in the resurrection to his disciples he said, “Peace be with you!” then he showed them his hands and side and then he said to them again, “Peace be with you, as the Father has sent me, so I send you.” and he breathed on them the Holy Spirit. (John 20:19-23)  When we reach this level we are finally prepared, through our conversion and commitment, to say yes to the Lord where ever he calls us (be that through the single, married or religious life) and to bring others to Christ our Savior.
 
 
Yes, we need to plead to God for more young men and women to be called and to respond to their calling to the religious life.  However, for this to happen, we also need to plead to God for strong commitments or even a renewal of commitments within marriages throughout our diocese.  Furthermore, we need to plead to God that some young men and women be called to remain as they are in order to bear much fruit in the family, parish, and the diocesan life of the Church. We should equally respect and be humbly amazed at all three of these callings from God.

Helping the Next Generation Exploring Their Options

Vocation Awareness
 
Happy New Year to everyone! Our Lord leads the way to a new year in his name, 2011 years of celebrating our Lord’s birth, Jesus Christ, who has come to save us from our sins and bring us into his eternal kingdom.
As we begin a new year a lot of people tend to be fixated on new year resolutions.  I personally like new year resolutions because it makes us reflect on the path we have chosen in the past and then attempt to be resolute in redirecting ourselves for a better future.  For example, last year I made a resolution to turn off the television as I was often wasting an hour our two in the evenings that I could have been doing something productive, spiritual, or relaxing.  How did I do?  I did better than most of my resolutions (chuckle). With God’s grace I have freed myself of a chronic habit and spiritual disease that was consuming and wasting a part of each day God had given me to do good.  This year I am focusing on steadfast prayer throughout the day, attempting to form a habit of stopping whatever I may be doing (every three hours) and choosing to pray to make sure that what I am doing is glorifying God.  I hope you make a resolution and hold to it as well.
This brings me to reflect on deeper issues I see with teenagers and young adults.  By definition, as Christians our life must center on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  Yet, the culture we live in can lead all of us myriads of miles away from Christ and can do so in the blink of an eye.  Those most vulnerable to a path of perdition (loss of self/soul) are our own teenagers and young adults.  Like a new years resolution it takes sheer determination and a strong will (and God’s grace) to remain a faithful disciple of Christ in a culture that has rejected its Savior.
In response to this problem the Church has a long tradition of helping adolescents find the right path of happiness (that means happiness already exists along the way) and to fulfill their calling from Christ to be a servant of the Lord and to share the Good News with others.  Our culture gives off the impression that we will not be happy until some future event happens, such as completing high school, college, landing the big job that launches our career or maybe even the idea that we won’t be happy until we get married. Do we really have to wait to find meaning and happiness to our lives?  The Church says absolutely not! We receive God’s grace, and thus inner happiness, when we respond daily to our calling from God to live holy lives.  As Christians this call to holiness and the grace to follow Christ happens at the moment that we are baptized.  Our life is already being fulfilled, and thus true happiness begins and resides within us as long as we follow in the footsteps of Christ in communion with our Church.  With the support of family and the Christian community, teenagers should already be finding meaning and happiness in their life, learning how to live virtuous lives, how to serve others, and how to growing spiritually.  We already know that we need a new group of vibrant and resolute young men and women to rise to the occasion to re-Christianize our nation and the world. Before considering marriage, every Catholic teenager and young adult should consider the possibility of being called to remain as they are (as single) in order to begin new ministries and aid where new problems have developed, where new needs exist, or even to make permanent their current state in life by considering the religious life.  Yes, before the consideration of marriage, teenagers and singles should first pray for a few years over the idea of serving others in this unique and holistic manner as a vowed religious sister, brother or priest. We have an extreme shortage, right?  Yes we do!  We have excellent men and women set on fire with the Holy Spirit to bring Hope, Love, and Christ's Life to the world who are stepping forward, but not near enough.  God is calling many more than those who are responding.  If we want a great future for the next generation then we need to help create that environment that will guide them in the right direction during the most critical years of their life, adjusting from the faith of their parents to embracing the Christian faith wholeheartedly for their own life.  To help facilitate this I have helped run the Lenten Vocations Awareness Program for the past five years for single men and women, emphasizing the age group from 15 to 30, though one can be older. We meet once each week throughout Lent and we help them see the meaning and calling in life by examining the Christian prayer life, discipleship, community, family, and careers as well as a real, side by side comparative of what daily life should look like as a single Christian, a religious Christian and a Married Christian.  Do we not have a common goal, a common mission? In this way young adults can see more easily that what life is all about and to see the real options or avenues of happiness that fulfill the mission of Christ and the individual.  Please help us spread the word about our Lenten Program as further explained in our ad. Happy New Year, 2011, Anno Domini, Year of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Modesty in Apparel for Mass

 
Vocation Awareness
 
 
Modesty – Could something as simple as modesty help us in finding and growing in our true vocation? How should we present ourselves publicly?  What types of clothes are appropriate for Mass?  On one extreme, is it okay to wear a t-shirt, shorts and flip flops to church? On the other extreme is it okay to be overdressed for church such that it attracts others?  In determining the appropriate apparel for Sunday Mass and for all other occasions the virtue of modesty will help.  Let’s take a look.

To begin with, modesty is the virtue governing the outward expressions of inward humility and purity, an important virtue which falls under the virtue of temperance, a moderation in the indulgence of appetites or passions.  Public modesty, dignity, and self esteem often go hand in hand.  We say a lot about ourselves, our self esteem, and what we are looking for or what we are not looking for by how we dress in public. Do we seek glory from others by what we wear so as to invoke awe, jealousy or even lust?  Our modesty at church should set the example and govern our modesty in every other public occasion.  While clothing and appropriate attire seem small relative to our faith they do indicate the state of our mind in regard to God, self esteem, prudence, modesty, chastity, purity, and worldly influence.  When we come to church we are there to worship the Lord in community, as one family in Christ.  So, we should be asking ourselves, especially as we approach the summer months, what should I wear that glorifies God and sustains me in dignity and chastity of heart in the community.  When we seek the approval of God rather than others, we will find that we will win the approval of others because we have first obtained the approval of God.  In this way we are truly evangelizing through our faith, drawing others to salvation in Christ, as they recognize the chastity of our mind, the purity of our heart, and our good deeds as they join us to glorify God as well.
Thus, our overall dress at Church should not be an attraction nor a distraction for others, but a sign of dignity and appreciation as we worship God as a family in our holy place of public worship, our beloved church.

​Both men and women ought to dress appropriately for Sunday Mass.  On the men’s side, they can cause a distraction to the worshipping of God by arriving at Mass ungroomed, looking like they just woke up, like an unmade bed, wearing what resembles an undershirt rather than a nice collared shirt, wearing pants or shirts that are too tight for the purpose of attraction, or over grooming with the intent to attract others.  Tattoos should be covered (Lev 19:28 – do not tattoo yourself), cologne should be at a minimum (like a deodorant rather than to attract others who come close by), and jewelry should be the exception and not a norm. We don’t go to Mass to be making a macho statement nor a statement of rebellion either, but to worship our Lord in community.​

​On the side of women I’ve already seen this year single women dressed in Church in what resembles more of a towel than a dress, in fact a towel would have covered more body parts. I’ve seen married women wearing what appears more like a night gown for one’s husband rather than a public dress that displays honor to their body and to their husband.  What is proper dress?  What is visible or exposed?  Legs above the knees? A see through silhouette? A tight outfit that accentuates curves for attraction to one’s self?  Still, the most notorious and notable among women is the exposure of shoulders, back, and cleavage. As a priest I find this offensive.  I am trying to live in a state of purity of mind, body and heart and of all places we should set an example of proper attire for Mass! Full coverage is full coverage and partial coverage is never enough... just ask any insurance agency about the difference betwenn the two and they'll have plenty to say. lol. Enough said before delving into Sacred Scripture to reacquaint ourselves with the need of modesty.

St. Paul writing to Timothy states, “Women should adorn themselves with proper conduct, with modesty and self control, not with braided hairstyles and gold ornaments, or pearls, or expensive clothes, but rather, as befits women who profess reverence for God with good deeds.”  (1 Tim 2:9) and St. Peter says to wives, “Your adornment should not be an exterior one; braiding the hair, wearing gold jewelry, or dressing in fine clothes, but rather the hidden character of the heart, expressed in the imperishable beauty of a gentle and calm disposition.”

St. Peter lets single women know that their adornment too “should not be an exterior one”, lest they attract men for the wrong reason which will be a cause of deep sorrow, suffering, and pain as these types of relationships cause women to have an inferior relationship with men which will strip away dignity and self esteem. On the other hand, modesty builds women up in many other virtues, self esteem and dignity which gives women a true sense of equality with the opposite sex as they are to be valued and treasured for who they are rather than a toy to be used, played, dropped, broken and then disposed.  When we play the game of living through attractions we are actually living in the flesh rather than the spirit which is a choice made to live in the world, abandoning the gift of living in the spirit as children of God, saved and redeemed in Jesus Christ. In this case we are not building up the kingdom of God, we are tearing it down and falling into one of the many traps of the devil.  

Single women, finding the right one for marriage will come in your involvement in church activities and growing in holiness before God through family and community, and not by ulterior motives of luring a man by a scanty dress, doing as we please, or by cutting ourselves off from God who teaches us how to love and to be loved because He is love itself.

Similarly, a married women’s public dress should not be to attract men, for she is already married and has her man, lest she sin by attracting other men by her dress rather than attracting others to Christ through her “imperishable beauty” of living out her vocation in mind, body, and spirit.

And mothers, where are you when your daughter is picking out her bride
dress, or the dress for the bridesmaids?  Sadly, it is not infrequent
that the mothers of the wedding party dress more immodest than the
bride!  Remember women, you have the power to set was is fashionable,
acceptable and unacceptable.  Believe me, the fashion industry will go
to where the money is, and if they see enough brides purchasing more
modest dresses they will be offering more options for those who have
drawn the line to sustain dignity and purity before God and man. And yes, I went on-line and found several local bridal shops that include wedding and bridesmaid dresses that cover the word modesty.

Instead of competing with one another women of the church should set the example of embracing younger women to help them sense and know that they are welcomed and treasured in the community and to help them grow in the areas of grace and security, modesty and purity.

​Thus, growing in modesty can and will help us to grow in our true vocation as our hearts are set right before God.  In this way all of us will find life less burdensome because God calls us to cooperation not competition, the building up of the individual and family in the Spirit of Christ.  I believe this is a major reason I enjoy the religious life and find it attractive because sisters and brothers, priests and bishops enjoy living and being spiritually connected with people through Christ as opposed to being embattled in the attractions and desires of the body. In conclusion, please dress appropriately and modesty for Mass as befits the dignity and purity God gave you.