This is posted on the door to the nave of Holy Family church in Dayton.
As far as knees go: the USAF Class One Combo for females had a straight skirt that ended just below the knee. It was intended to identify its wearer as female in the most unadorned way possible. In most cases it was mission accomplished. However, and to this day, I can recall one particular junior enlisted member who wore her regulation uniform, including the little black pumps that looked painful, with only her calves exposed.
I think part of the problem with some priests and laity today is still this over-reaction to the authoritarianism of the Church prior to Vatican II both in our schools and parishes. There was a meanness it getting people to comply, a harshness.
But that generation sucked it up and usually complained briefly but were grateful for law and order in our schools and parishes. Most laity loved hell-fire and damnation homilies too. The more angry the priest became in the pulpit the more the people's adrenaline ran too!
But today we have the snowflake phenomenon and God forbid anyone's feelings are hurt. One extreme to the other isn't good, no?
Nothing is offensive. But they can be distracting. In my example there are some people who can follow the rules and get attention, at least MY attention anyway. The young lady in my example was simply beautiful. She was not trying to distract me nor was she putting herself above or in front of the reason we were there. She had her head in the game so she was respectful of our group. And inspiring, too.
Might a person be distracted by the exotic, colorful, and/or I interesting pattern in the fabric of the article of clothing that covers the knees and/or elbows? Maybe the fabric is a textured or raw silk. Maybe is is a houndstooth in wool.
If a person is distracted by what someone is wearing, it's the responsibility of the person distracted, not the other to be focused.
The sincere worshiper *should* be distracted from the mundane by the trappings of the Mass. Being in a Catholic Church those in attendance should strive to not compete with the Mass for attention. There will be distractions that are not even present, work, family, even hobbies. Yes the person who is participating should use the activity of the priest, servers, or choir to help focus and suppress those distractions. We should respect the other people present, though strangers, by not drawing unnecessary attention to ourselves.
Most Catholic churches here in Hong Kong have a sign like that, and I even witnessed a priest tell someone in a tank top to please leave the church, although granted it was at the Tridentine mass. Anyways, in Asian societies the liberals haven't yet completed their destruction of all decency and family values as they have in Western societies...
Yes, Charles, those exposed elbows and knees are assuredly unimpeachable evidence that liberals are making progress in the destruction of all decency and family values. Would that we had never been forced to see a person's ankles...
It is not the first time that Anonymous has invoked a Japanese dish and members of the eel family (tempura, morays). It's an obvious pun, but what does it signify? Surely he's not suggesting that Charles G is ignorant of Latin.
Dear Anonymous, Yes I do believe in dressing modestly in church. Your mockery is of a piece with the nonstop liberal mockery of decency and morality that has led to the current sewer of a society that is the West.
14 comments:
Oh, those knees and elbows! How offensive!!!
Ha!
I want the shirt that young gentleman is wearing.
I need a double XXL.
Or, would a tight one look better?
This is posted on the door to the nave of Holy Family church in Dayton.
As far as knees go: the USAF Class One Combo for females had a straight skirt that ended just below the knee. It was intended to identify its wearer as female in the most unadorned way possible. In most cases it was mission accomplished. However, and to this day, I can recall one particular junior enlisted member who wore her regulation uniform, including the little black pumps that looked painful, with only her calves exposed.
I’m sorry, were you saying something?
I think part of the problem with some priests and laity today is still this over-reaction to the authoritarianism of the Church prior to Vatican II both in our schools and parishes. There was a meanness it getting people to comply, a harshness.
But that generation sucked it up and usually complained briefly but were grateful for law and order in our schools and parishes. Most laity loved hell-fire and damnation homilies too. The more angry the priest became in the pulpit the more the people's adrenaline ran too!
But today we have the snowflake phenomenon and God forbid anyone's feelings are hurt. One extreme to the other isn't good, no?
Hurt feelings . . . USAF . . . . authoritarianism . . . . ? Yeah. . .
But what's offensive about knees and elbows?
Nothing is offensive. But they can be distracting. In my example there are some people who can follow the rules and get attention, at least MY attention anyway. The young lady in my example was simply beautiful. She was not trying to distract me nor was she putting herself above or in front of the reason we were there. She had her head in the game so she was respectful of our group. And inspiring, too.
Anyone who thinks that the shirts being worn by the two people pictured
is appropriate attire for mass needs to have their spiritual head examined.
Might a person be distracted by the exotic, colorful, and/or I interesting pattern in the fabric of the article of clothing that covers the knees and/or elbows? Maybe the fabric is a textured or raw silk. Maybe is is a houndstooth in wool.
If a person is distracted by what someone is wearing, it's the responsibility of the person distracted, not the other to be focused.
The sincere worshiper *should* be distracted from the mundane by the trappings of the Mass. Being in a Catholic Church those in attendance should strive to not compete with the Mass for attention. There will be distractions that are not even present, work, family, even hobbies. Yes the person who is participating should use the activity of the priest, servers, or choir to help focus and suppress those distractions. We should respect the other people present, though strangers, by not drawing unnecessary attention to ourselves.
Most Catholic churches here in Hong Kong have a sign like that, and I even witnessed a priest tell someone in a tank top to please leave the church, although granted it was at the Tridentine mass. Anyways, in Asian societies the liberals haven't yet completed their destruction of all decency and family values as they have in Western societies...
Yes, Charles, those exposed elbows and knees are assuredly unimpeachable evidence that liberals are making progress in the destruction of all decency and family values. Would that we had never been forced to see a person's ankles...
Oh tempura! Oh, morays!
It is not the first time that Anonymous has invoked a Japanese dish and members of the eel family (tempura, morays). It's an obvious pun, but what does it signify? Surely he's not suggesting that Charles G is ignorant of Latin.
Dear Anonymous, Yes I do believe in dressing modestly in church. Your mockery is of a piece with the nonstop liberal mockery of decency and morality that has led to the current sewer of a society that is the West.
Charles - Can you describe what is indecent about an exposed knee or elbow?
And can you describe how the exposure of knees and elbows led to the "destruction of all decency and family values"?
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