...But your neighbors do. Word on Fire blog contributor Father Damian Ference explores the always colorful (and low-cut) topic of Summer Fashions at Mass. And while God might not have a problem with those sweat pants, chances are someone else will.
Have you heard it yet? If not, chances are you will in the next few weeks. And if you don’t hear it from the pulpit, you might read it in the parish bulletin. And if you don’t find it in your pastor’s column, maybe yours is the community where the parish council or liturgy commission has decided to place signs in the vestibule. Yes, summer is almost here, which means so is summer dress, and with the change of seasons and the change of attire usually follows the annual reminder: please dress appropriately for Mass.
There was a time not so long ago when folks just knew what was appropriate attire for church and what wasn’t. They didn’t need a reminder. For instance, when I look back to pictures of the crowds at Cleveland Indians games from the 1950s, the men were wearing the same outfits to the ball game that they would wear to Mass on Sunday mornings—dress pants, a shirt, a tie and hat. In other words, the culture and the church were on the same page in regard to proper attire. The same, I am told, is true of air travel. There was a time when people actually dressed up in their Sunday best to fly from one city to another, whether they were flying in first class or coach...