What is modesty? I grew up thinking that is was being a prude..dowdy dresses, long sleeves, long hair, in general FRUMPY!
Was I wrong? Was I right? Well both, sort of! LOL!
Let me explain: Look at the women of the mid to late 1800’s..did they wear pants? Did they hold men’s jobs? What did the community think of those that didn’t dress appropriately? Ladies wore dresses, they tended their homes and families, to wear anything inappropriate (low cut, men’s wear, etc) labeled them either as a “women of ill-repute” or as a “strange women in need of no help”.
Today, what does the general public think of women in general? Women are disrespected on a daily basis, we are given inappropriate clothing and we tell our young daughters that this is the “top of fashion”.
Why do we do that? Why do we encourage short skirts, shorts, tank tops, bikinis, thongs, tight jeans, low cut blouses or dresses, backless clothing, sheer clothes, etc? When did we lose the little voice that says “this is not right”?
Satan acts on us everyday, but we can fight back. In today’s society of “status quo” and the constant battle to be “fashionable and Popular”, Satan is gleeful..he’s jumping up and down with joy! We are not hearing the quiet voice of our Lord and our Blessed Mother Mary tell us that this is NOT right!
The Blessed Mother at Fatima said, “Certain fashions will be introduced which will offend My Son very much. More people will go to Hell because of sins of the flesh than for any other reason.”
Was she right? YES! ABSOLUTELY! Go out in any town, and sadly, in any church (Catholic or not) and you will find the most inappropriate clothing on women.
The danger of this is not just to the soul of the women, but also to the men..for when they see a women half clothed or dressed in suggestive clothing, Satan wins their thougts..he fills their minds with damaging, lustfull thoughts. What are we thinking? As Christian brothers and sisters, we have an obligation to protect not only our own souls, but to do NO harm to anyone elses by our words or deeds!
Deuteronomy 22:5 says: “A woman shall not wear an article proper to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s dress; for anyone who does such things is an abomination to the Lord, your God.
So what is modesty? How do we dress modestly? Well, first of all, examine your conscience..you can’t make full changes and hold to them if you can’t stand up to the “ridicule and snobbish remarks”.
To be a modestly dressed woman you should:
Choose dresses that hide the shape of the body, not accentuate it. Dresses should cover the knees when sitting, Blouses should not be low cut, tight or sleeveless. Make sure buttons don’t gap and that you can’t see your bra in the mirror. Start with the obvious things first…ask your husband..if you saw this on a women on the street..what would you think? If it’s not a wholesome thought, then chances are..all those strangers that see you on the street think the same thing!
When dressing your little girl, I have found that long shorts (to the knee) work very well to cover her little behind when she is playing and tumbling as small children will. As she grows, the behavior should become more ladylike and will require the shorts less and less.
Modesty is not just about dress though..it is also about behavior. You must act like a lady, in bearing and language and posture. Sit with your ankles crossed and knees together, speak softly and firmly, not loudly and obnoxiously. Act the way your grandmother or great grandmother probably acted.
Bear in mind that the Virgin Mary is a good example to use in both dress and behavior, properly covered and submissive to the Lord! Don’t you wish we could all be just a little like her?
Until my next post, May the Peace of the Lord be with you!
