"Aren't you a bit overdressed for a Sunday afternoon?" a man recently asked while we were in a waiting room.
I mentioned that I just came from church to which he replied the same. I couldn't help asking if the shorts, shirt and flip flops were his attire to church and he said, "Yes." At their service, there is no dress code and anyone can come as casually as they wished. His statement brought a similar observation at my parish.
Nowadays, shorts, tank tops and flip flops seem to be the fashion statement. Women baring their shoulders at times immodestly dressed - casually stand up from their pews and receive communion - oblivious (it seems) to the miracle they just witnessed. Our parish priest tries his best to remind the congregation of the solemnity of mass; there are still those that somehow miss the mark.
Whatever happened to Sunday best when people attended in sharp clothing and freshly polished shoes? Not overly elegant but dressed simply and modestly in reverence for a solemn and sacred ocassion, the mass!
Yes, I am ranting, but a part of me understands. I was once an offender - at my worst, wearing halter tops to mass. It is California afterall - a proverbial summer hotspot. Looking back, it was pure ignorance. I am a better informed Catholic and know the truth about the miracle that happens at every mass.
I am not sure if this is a common issue at other parishes and if I struck a sour note - I hope we see active promotion of proper dress code on both the diocese and parish level. Nothing wrong with going back to the good old days when Sunday dress was truly one's best!
