Scottish Catholic Observer

Adam Coates: Absolutely, man is a union of body and soul, a psychosomatic being. Therefore, whatever one does on the outside (the body) necessarily influences the inside (the soul), and vice versa. To deny this is to fall into dualism.

We must ask ourselves what we are doing when we attend Mass: we are coming before the King of kings, The Lord of all, Creator of the Heavens and the Earth and all that is in it. When we go out to a nice restaurant we make an effort, so when we come to the wedding banquet of the lamb we should too.

It’s telling that in past times people would pay a small fortune to pay for beautiful churches, vestments, statues, art, etc. all for the glory of God. Yet today we are happy with things which should be for the glory of God being practically ugly. Ancient records showed that when the Romans confiscated things from the first Christians they found that everything they used in the Liturgy was of the highest quality. The Council of Trent reminds us that beautiful things and outward signs of piety are positive contributions towards inward piety, and anathematises those who deny this. The Second Vatican Council too reminds us too that the things we do should be simple, naturally so that we can see beyond them, but so too should they be noble, and too many forget the latter.

Andrew McManus: What is going to Mass but a participation in Heaven and the raising of the heart and mind to Christ’s Passion and Resurrection? Of course we should make some sort of effort, just as we would if we were meeting someone we were in love with. But it’s not just our own self meeting the Lord, it’s everyone in the building, so we should take into consideration how we might affect others’ participation. Our own attire should never rob anyone of the attention they would rather give to Christ who is acting through the ministry of the priest.

If our attention becomes diverted then the Mass for ourselves stops being about Jesus.

Christine Glen: If your family has a tradition of Sunday best that’s good. But should not the Mass be a participation for all and not the few?

Should we not feel comfortable when coming to Mass? God wants us as we are, God accepts us as we are. Corinthians 10:7 (NIV): “You are judging by appearances. If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do.”

And in 1 Samuel 16:7: “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

For what is it but judgement that we pass when we decide that someone is not wearing the ‘right’ clothes?

Adam Coates : Christine, you’re creating a false dichotomy between rich and poor. After all, all are called to give their best as shown when Our Lord pointed to the widow in the temple. She was only able to give a few pennies, yet this was looked upon more kindly by The Lord than the actions of the Pharisees.

Stuart Irvine: I personally think that you need to make an effort. You wouldn’t go to a party without wearing something smart.

Susan McQuiston: You go to Mass to feel comfortable with God. God does not look at the clothes you wear. People should wear what they like within reason. The church is not a fashion show.

Columba Saint Iona Knight: It matters if God the Father is important to you. Would you go to a black tie evening to honour someone important in jeans and T-shirt? NO. Then why would going to Mass be different?

Sunday best: a reflection of our attitude towards Mass?

By Aidan Cook

Even in a secular context the issue of dress can be controversial, but even more so when religion is added to the mix! It is obvious then that many at least feel that what we wear matters. But should it?

As a starting point, we can note that just as external postures of prayer can aid internal participation, so too can external preparations aid internal preparations. Of course, it we put all our efforts into external appearance then it will be a hollow experience, but if used properly then external preparations can help bring our whole being closer to God.

What we wear gives a strong message: It can show us to be rebellious, fashionable, fans of a particular sports team, practical, ill-prepared, and so on.

Making an effort in our dress for worship is a sign of our commitment, respect and devotion and sends the message (both to ourselves and others) that what we are dressing for matters.

It is true that it is better to be at Mass without having got dressed up than not to be there at all. But too often, it is not a choice between going dressed down and not going at all, but simply a choice not to make the effort.

To turn up at Mass in casual dress can suggest that we take Mass casually.

Of course, religious who wear habits go in the same dress that they wear all the time, but that dress itself has a deeper significance: the total consecration of their lives to God.

We are all in very different circumstances and so it can be hard to generalise, but one thing is true for all: that we owe God the very best of what we have. There is no set style of clothing beyond general standards of modesty, and Mass should certainly not be a fashion show. We should not be dressing to draw attention to ourselves, but ostentation can come anywhere on the scale.

The parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22 provides some food for thought. The original guests turned down their invitations to the feast so the king invited everyone and anyone. One man came without a wedding garment and he was unable to give an explanation why, and so the king had him thrown out (Matthew 22:1-14). Of course, it should be said that the man’s external dress here symbolises his interior state, but that is the point: How we dress is a strong symbol and speaks volumes; it is not something we can ignore. If someone sees us going to Mass in the morning in jeans and T-shirt and then out with friends in the evening dressed to the nines, then that says something about the relative importance we place on each, even if we do not intend it to.

St Benedict reminds us that God should be glorified in all things, and so we could do well to ask ourselves how we can best glorify God in our dress, both in general but especially at Mass.