Here is a great video on Modesty for you to pass on to others that are seeking the “Higher Road”. It’s always good to hear from the guy’s point of view. Oftentimes, women think they are dressing revealingly to impress the guys…..It depends on what kind of guy we are trying to impress, right? Good men are not impressed.
Pius XII to Catholic Young Women’s Groups of Italy:
“The good of our soul is more important than that of our body; and we have to prefer the spiritual welfare of our neighbor to our bodily comforts. If a certain kind of dress constitutes a grave and proximate occasion of sin, and endangers the salvation of your soul and others, it is your duty to give it up. O Christian mothers, if you knew what a future of anxieties and perils, of ill-guarded shame you prepare for your sons and daughters, imprudently getting them accustomed to live scantily dressed and making them lose the sense of modesty, you would be ashamed of yourselves and you would dread the harm you are making of yourselves, the harm which you are causing these children, whom Heaven has entrusted to you to be brought up as Christians.”
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what makes people think guys would respect women if they dress modestly? Alter girls are dressed modestly at church, they try to live a live of holiness, perhaps they will even become Nuns in the future, and YET THEY GET TRASHED by especially the traditional catholic males. I go to church on Sundays, and I don’t see women dressing immodest, they may not have skirts on but they are worshipping God. How long will it be when women who have been faithful to the Church will be told they are trash because they wear pants. How long will it be when then start making us wear veils and dresses?
Well Sara I am a guy and can tell you that if I see a woman dressing modestly that I respect her. I dont trash them for it I am thankful for it. Actually I am also proud of her at the same time. Why? you ask. Well for me…If I see a woman dressing modestly nowadays it says one thing to me. That she doesnt care what everyone else thinks, that she is doing what is right, that she actually cares about her brothers in Christ, and that she has not given into the peer pressure of her modernized sisters and brothers. Who undoubtedly view her as weird and for the guys would probably never ask her out do to her weirdness and traditional views. Also her girlfriends who would be like …What is wrong with you? Why are you dressing like that. There are still men out there that appreciate a woman who dresses like a lady with dignity and class. Not woman who flaunt there bodies because it gets the the wrong kind of attention. As a woman would you rather be loved for your body or yourself? The way a woman dresses defines what kind of attention she will receive.
Hi Justin. I’ve dressed modestly, but the truth is a religious man will find fault with a woman because of anything she wears or acts ( it could be pants, it could be high heels, it could be make up, it could be with not being a good cook, or not being engaged or drinking a bit of alcohol(not drunk). Even if a woman does her best, it’s never good enough in a Catholic man’s world. That’s why I married a non-religious man.
Hi justin, I want my husband to love me for everything, for my body (which I maintain to keep in good health, which includes dental hygiene and skin care and for everything I do for him. If your daughter is good at playing soccer, then applaud her for it, don’t shame her for it. If your daughter is good at sewing or cooking, then applaud her for it, and don’t discourage her for it. If she’s good at being an Altar server, then applaud her for it and don’t shame her for it. If she’s good at just helping others then applaud her for it and don’t call her a show off for it. Don’t tear her down because of what she wears, but let her learn on her own the appropriate way to wear clothing. There is a proper way to dress up.
Hi Sara, No one should be trashing anyone, on either side of the pants/modesty issue. Unfortunately this is an imperfect world with imperfect people and these things will happen. We need to work on our own attitudes (speaking for myself and my family here) and be loving and charitable in our choices and principles, at the same time not compromising on what we deem important. That’s a big package to deliver and I think we are all struggling to get there.
But did you hear some of those comments in the video? Some of those comments that came from the students and Jason whom are religious are labelling women as such. The young girl in this video said that these young girls(children) are being provocative. I was labelled as such when I was young, but I didn’t do anything wrong. I’m being honest, but growing up in a strict Catholic Household, in a Catholic School, and going to Church, I never felt I was worthy. When I turned 20, I started my job, then I got my car and started to engage with people of little or no religion in their life. They treated me differently with respect. I’m not making this up. We can’t live up to these standards, Leane. We either go insane or attempt suicide. It’s too much for a young girl to hand. I hope people will consider what I have to say and ease up on the girls. By the way, I ended up going back to the Catholic Faith on my terms, but I am most cautious of the catholic community and who I associate with. I am very happy now.
correction ALTAR, not alter
Jason did a very lovely job; although with the corruption of women from the media, there will be girls who look at men’s legs. But by and large the reverse as he said is true. Thank you for posting.
I do wish he would take these principles to their full extent in his and his wife’s ministry though. The words are terrific but need to be acted upon in the Catholic light of things. There, it does fall short, sadly.
Your quote from PPXII is fantastic! I have read it many times and within it lies the heart of modesty. It must be loved as a golden virtue and practiced from the earliest beginnings so that a girl grows to love working within her nature. It is also well for a boy to learn this in his own realm. The soul MUST be the primary concern. Then everything is in the proper order. Way to many “groups” put the body first, subtly or prominently. It strikes at the heart of this virtue and undermines it without ever condemning the virtue outright.
It is awesome to dress nice, and fun to have cute accessories and to use the beauty of this world wisely. (Did I mention I design/sew…it can be sooooooo much fun!) But it must not and can not be put as a first. Time and time again you see the virtue deteriorate within the heart and then it shows on the exterior of a person. Children are pure ground that can be molded for good or bad. A girl who is taught to love and work with her nature will blossom in modesty. And girls can do so much in skirts/dresses. They never think, “now is this impractical, can I really do this in a skirt.” No, rather they think, “Let’s play!” The adults are the ones with the preconceived notions that try to superimpose their own doubts on to the children. There are things, though, a girl can not do modestly and shouldn’t do, because it relates back to eternity. If it hinders eternity, it is NOT worth it.
People should not be trashed, but taught the better route to Heaven. Charity does not condone faults. “The first condition of charity, is not to violate the truth, and charity can not be the snare with which to surprise faith into the support of error.(Liberalism is a SIN)” Charity demands we love God first in all things, and secondly our neighbor, first in the spiritual and second in the temporal.
Trousers have long been a problem. As Jason said, no matter what a women wears she should be respected. But he also said it doesn’t mean she is right in what she wears all the time. Many Catholics understand that contraceptives are evil and they have been condemned from their unholy beginnings about a century ago. So to, trousers on women as an OUTER garment where condemed in their infancy, “1911 — Paul Poiret, one of the greatest and most forward-thinking couturiers in Paris, presented a series of sketches entitled ‘Four Ways to Dress Women in Pants’ and introduced the ‘harem skirt’ – a long tunic with very full gathered pants of the same material underneath. Several other couturiers began to experiment with the skirt-pant concept as daywear, prompting the Vatican to vehemently denounce the concept of women in trousers, describing it as ‘immoral in the extreme.’(bespoke blog/world press)
St. PPX, in the Osservano Romano, “continued: ‘Besides perverting the mind, fashion has destroyed the line of demarcation between respectable women and the frail sisterhood, since dress is no longer considered as a sign of the respectability and
modesty of the wearer. Consequently the harem skirt is a shameful fashion which reveals the growing irreligion.’
Also, “The Vatican has put Its ban on the harem skirt, and given orders that wearers of the forbidden thing shall not be allowed to enter churches.”(Washington Post, March 1911)
The point being again, in its infancy, this is a very problematic OUTER outfit. It is unfortunate that so many priests and laity allow it as common today. I would pray for them greatly. One should never tamper with a virtue so close to the hearts of Our Lord and Our Lady.
Through the 20 century the popes gave strong condemnations towards ALL immodest outfits, they did not specify one or the other. And by all accounts of secular and private news from the times, trousers were prominently among these. Even comedians made fun of them as a ridiculous sexual garment that attracts the animal in a man, notables such as Bob Hope, Jack Benny, and Red Skelton.
Now along with the growing degredation in fashions, there has also been a lose of proper undergarments on women. Women view skirts/dresses impractical. Well the foundation garments are not there anymore. Get the bloomers back(now called shorts and capris) the cottons in the summer the wool/fleece/flannel in the winter. The skirt is the first line of defense, but the back guard should be prepared as well for those accidents which always happen, from bending to running, to climbing to the wind catching material and fluttering it in the air.
God did not set us up for failure. There is so much we can do as women. And this blog of Leanne’s is just so soul-inspiring. And that is the essence of this life. To do the best for our soul first! I hope the history helps, if not, find time to read history for yourself. God bless, MA
Men who label women as such are religious folk. Atheist (non) religious men don’t label/trash women. I’m glad I married a non-religious man. He saved my life. I can say the same for my sister too. Modesty is something learned and applied through various stages of a woman’s life. Men go through the same thing.
Christ said, “whoever is not with Him, is against Him.” Also Our Lord said, “be either hot or cold.” But because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold, nor hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth.” Douay Rheims
A protestant or non religious person can have many natural virtues but they are only a shadow of the truth in Christ and His Church. In the end there is the Church Triumphant, Church Militant, and Church Suffering, which is as my DH pointed out are ALL forms of Catholic. If one does not profess Our Lord in all His Truths, especially at the moment of death, there are serious consequences. We can’t judge a soul; we can judge exterior actions so that we do not fall as well. Consider the major “reformers” Luther, Calvin, Zwigli, Huss. They all fell through pride in their own apparent knowledge. We judge their actions and the evil it created. Their souls….only God knows for certain.
Our Lady of Good Success (approved apparition) said in speaking of our times, “Innocence will almost no longer be found in children, nor modesty in women, and in this supreme moment of need of the Church, those who should speak will fall silent.”
In Christ,
What a fabulous video Leanne! Thanks for posting: )
Leanne, I want to take this opportunity to again thank you for the wonderful posts that you put on this website. For those who are seeking the truth, it is not too strict, for it is exactly what the Church has taught, teaches and encourages. It is what the saints proclaimed in word and deed. For those who are resisting the truth, I am sure that it sounds too strict. For them, they have plenty of loose encouragement from the world…but the reason we are on this website is to get something more for us to aspire towards. And your family pics show that it is possible. Please keep faith and virtue strong! 🙂 <3
You are very kind, Mary. And I have much appreciated your refreshing comments. I will be putting out a request for pictures and articles from like-minded Catholic women to contribute to my Spring Maglet. I hope you will be one to contribute….you have a lot to give. 🙂
Thank you as well. 🙂 I will give what I can, and if you think it would help other ladies and girls, use it for all of our mutual benefit. And please pray for me and my family too. 😉
In Christ,