St. John Neumann
Catholic Church

Modesty: Not an idea or an issue that you hear much about these days. In my trusty Merriam Webster’s dictionary, modesty is defined as freedom from conceit or vanity, and propriety in dress, speech and conduct.

Why is it that modesty is no longer recognized as an attractive behavior, as an attribute to strive towards? There was a time when the word “modesty” was one of those good words. It spoke to an idea and an ideal that most everyone accepted as “good”, worthy of one’s disciplined efforts. Would your child or teen be able to describe modest dress or modest speech or modest conduct?


For example: what about propriety in dress? Is there a proper way to dress when coming to worship the Lord at Mass? Our culture has elevated informality to an art form, and I am one of those devotees. Still, there is a line somewhere, when informality can be mistaken for a lack of respecting the sensibilities of your neighbor and the awesome presence of the Lord within our communal worship. Where is that line, between informality (that many of us cherish) and a seeming lack of respect for the sensibilities of others? Is beachwear an appropriate dress for the Divine Liturgy? I love the comfort of shorts and a tee-shirt and flip-flops; but, does that style of “dress” respect the sensibilities of others, your “neighbor” just down the pew? Let’s think and pray about it some.

If modesty is freedom from conceit and vanity... what is it freedom for? What does a modest disposition prepare us for? What does a modest disposition betoken?

Hope you don’t mind this short reflection. Speaking about these things is a dicey proposition for a pastor. There was a time when the priest seemed to “micro-manage” everything. That’s not what this short reflection seeks to inaugurate. Instead, I would ask that we... as a parish family... think about how we are with each other, how we respect the sensibilities of each other, how we seek to manifest our faith-life... in everything we do and say and are. All this, for the greater glory of God (AMDG), and for love.

Msgr. David

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