02-23-2021, 08:54 PM
Chapter 4 (Part 3)
It is at our exterior that we begin when training our interior. Ven. Louis of Granada tells us in ‘The Sinners Guide’ that our exterior and interior virtues are dependent on each other for their sustenance. Our exterior is a reflection of our interior virtues; it is the vine that supports the “fruit” of our interior virtues. Even Religious know this as they train their novices to hold their tongue, walk quietly, and of course wear the habit that will be theirs for life. The movie, ‘The Nun’s Story’ shows this wonderfully for those of us who will never see the inside of a convent.
Bishop Williamson goes on to say, “Clothing divided for the legs obviously liberates the mobile lower half of the body for a number of activities for which clothing undivided like a skirt is relatively cumbersome. Adam then having to earn his family’s bread by the sweat of all kinds of activities outside the home, it is entirely normal for the man to wear trousers, and if a girl gets it into her head to join him in these activities, obviously trousers likewise emancipate her to do so. Shorts are the outward visible sign of her liberation from the restricted range of homemaking activities.” 9B.
This uneasiness, in wearing pants, is more apparent in someone whose conscience has not yet been dulled by the wearing of pants. I can see the difference in my own girls who have grown up more or less completely in dresses. Being young they have not yet been exposed to society’s idea of “woman” and they are insulted when they see a woman in immodest clothing or in pants. Because they are young, I have to remind them of the gift of being a girl and explain why we have chosen to wear dresses at all times. But our eldest daughter now sixteen, has a greater sense of femininity then even I did, because she grew up for most of her life in dresses. Her actions and manners are more womanly, where I still feel I lack them at times. It is almost as if growing up wearing pants leaves a scar on femininity. When femininity has not been developed in young girls it is a very difficult for them to discover it later to the full extent that it should be. Young girls naturally develop this feminine trait when they are brought up solely in dresses. This may seem like nonsense but it is only after a girl is grown up and all that time has been lost that one discovers the damage that was inflicted so subtly on her soul and inner womanhood. When there is no alternative to dresses, girls grow up learning how to do activities in their dresses. If we find that we cannot do an activity then we should not be doing it. Bishop Williamson says, “When activities are proposed to you requiring trousers, if it is something your great-grandmother did, then find a way of doing it, like her, in a skirt. And if your great-grandmother did not do it, then forget it!” I am so very glad that my girls will not have missed this beautiful aspect of their growth into womanhood.
Many would argue that modern life makes trousers necessary for women, Bishop Williamson responds to that with this, “if modern life necessitates…she forfeits her womanliness or her modesty, then modern life is not viable, and will destroy itself, as, arguably, it has already gone a long way to doing…that woman be womanly and that her womanliness be protected by her man, is not an optional extra, it is an absolute necessity for human survival.” 9. This changes this whole modesty issue into a battle for the revival of true womanhood and salvation of families, and truly this is the heart of the whole issue of modesty for women.
What more needs to be said, but that we have been duped? We have been fooled into believing that we could dress like men, act like men – but for what? To be like men? But we are women! We should want to be like women, as God made us. Here is where we can truly be fulfilled: as women, as mothers, in imitation of the Blessed Mother. Our purpose is to raise man’s vision to eternal truths, because men are too busy looking for answers here. God made woman to be man’s helpmate. But how can we be man’s helpmate, if we are too busy being “like men?” Women must regain their femininity, recover their lost modesty, balance society again, and in this way turn the direction that we are heading back toward God. It is our duty to discover the true womanhood God has given us and regain what has been lost for our sake, our family’s and society’s at large!
Our Lady of Fatima was very serious about modesty dress. Practicing modesty in dress will please Our Lady because it will eliminate much sin, which will in turn help save souls from hell and will then help to preserve peace in the world. It is Our Lady’s Peace Plan!
In a highly visual age like this one, modesty in dress is even more important. It makes an even stronger statemen today. It combats the glare of the world’s nakedness. If there are enough women in the world to truly accept the vocation of women and really fulfil it, it is they who will save from ruin and turn to good the social tide. The fate of the world is really up to us, although men or women all have a duty toward modesty. But it is true as we women have a larger part to play. Since it is, we who maintain the standard of chastity in the world, Satan would love to have us believe that this isn’t so. But a woman’s loss of modesty is directly related to her loss of femininity and Satan is very clever to keep this knowledge hidden. He is well aware that if he can get a woman to abandon her femininity he can shortly after convince her that her modesty is unimportant. Next, her chastity will be at risk. And then we have an entire society, steeped in immodest dress and impurity because femininity and modesty have been left behind! 13.
So, you can see just how important this whole issue of modesty is. It is much more than simply obeying the ‘law’; it plays a large part in recovering the good that has been lost from society. It is a small way that we can play our part in combating the evil that has gripped our age. Souls fall to hell each day from sins of the flesh, and to save these souls someone must be willing to ‘pray’ the price. There is a cost to saving souls, they must be ransomed from the clutches of hell, for that is where they are destined to go. Each and every one of us must choose to ‘Sacrifice ourselves for sinners,’ as Our Lady asked. But who is willing to pay the price necessary to save a soul?
We must realize that Christ asked us to love God with all our hearts, with all our minds and all our souls and to love our neighbour as ourself. We have been called to love. And we must love with the compassion of Christ, we must be willing to bear the sins of the world in our hearts, as Christ did, and to be moved to compassion that will lead us to pray and sacrifice for sinners, as Our Lady asked at Fatima. Here is the true vocation of women in the world today. 13.
One last point I would like to make on the wearing of pants is that we cannot forget that mini skirts are still unacceptable even if they are a ‘lesser evil’. They are still a highly immodest skirt. And a lesser ‘evil’, so to speak, is still an evil. The wearing of anything whether it is pants or a mini skirt must be judged on how modestly feminine it is. Is this clothing that was originally designed for a man (such as pants)? Or does it show a lack femininity due to the vulgarity of the exposing style, like a mini-skirt? This will ultimately help us to see which clothes are improper. But lacking that, we have all the specific advice given to us through the Church. Simple guidelines might make some people complain that you cannot make things so explicit. But I say, would you not rather have some very specific measurements about what ‘is’ and what ‘isn’t’ rather than having to guess for yourself and perhaps being deluded by the imposing views of society? The Church considered specifics important because when they first began sounding the alarm, people were still not hearing their advice. Therefore, these guidelines were set to help people understand just what the Church meant. It may be hard to believe, but living in a world so enveloped in immodesty can affect our own better judgement. This is one of the reasons why the Church gave us a ‘ruler’ with which to ‘measure’ our clothing. Just as God thought it was important to give us guidelines to live by with the Ten Commandments, so through the Church, He gives us guidelines for modest dress.
Just what are the specific guidelines that we have been given? Inspired by the late Fr. Kunkel, these guidelines have been adapted, expanded and updated from the Marylike Crusader, when Fr. Kunkel adapted them from the 1930 Decree from Rome. We call these:
AN EXAMEN ON MODEST DRESS
1. Looking to Mary as our Guide and model, we see that Her dresses in all approved apparitions fully cover Her from head to wrists to feet. Should we accept any less for ourselves? Ask yourself, have you ever seen the Blessed Mother portrayed in anything less than this? Have you ever seen her in any of Her approved apparitions with even Her head uncovered? Could you imagine Her in any of the fashions of today even seemingly simply loose-fitting PANTS? We should therefore follow Her example and not follow any of the worldly fashions.
2. Marylike dresses have sleeves that extend at least to the elbows. This excludes, sleeveless dresses, tops, short sleeves or cap sleeves. (Note: quarter length sleeves are tolerated, with Ecclesiastical Approval, for the time being until Christian womanhood again turns to Mary as the model for Modesty in dress.)
3. Skirts and dresses, following the direction of Padre Pio, should extend at least 8” inches below the knee. This would also exclude mini or micro skirts. They are also to be full enough to conceal the figure of the wearer and not reveal. Just because it is a dress does not mean that it is modest. If the dress is too narrow, or has a dropped waist or is designed to emphasize unduly parts of the body, it would be considered immodesty and not appropriate for wear. Flesh coloured fabrics, giving the illusion from a distance of ‘flesh’ are improper at all times.
4. Dresses should fully cover the chest, back, and shoulders. The neckline should not exceed two inches below the pit of the throat, nape of the neck of sides. We may not admit as modesty transparent fabrics, laces, nets, organdy, nylons, etc. unless sufficient backing is added. These may be used as trimmings. This would also eliminate tight sweaters, blouses or shirts.
5. This list would also exclude pants, slacks, culottes, jeans, shorts because they are considered men’s attire, and harmful for women and society at large. They are also against God’s command in Deut. 22:5. Most unbecoming also is sloppy looking clothing such as jogging pants and oversized t-shirts for both women and men.
6. Swimwear for women must at all costs be modest. The soul of another could be at stake! Due to the impure society in which we live, all public pools should be off limits. A Pastoral letter of Archbishop Santos stated, “Mixed bathing in beaches is…inadmissible.” 19. Try instead to have your own swimming pool or better still to find some other worthy activity. Even in ideal conditions modesty must be preserved. Unfortunately, women will not find appropriate swimwear in any store in this country. Except for Lilies of the Field (see Catholic Resourses Appendix), who offers a reasonably modest swimsuit and there is an 1890’s style suit in Part II that is worth looking into. Otherwise, one could simply wear a dark t-shirt under a vest, and long bike shorts under a below knee length skirt (8 inches), as a substitute. One could also do as I have done and simply discontinue swimming as a penance for the immodesty of others.
7. Our Children need to be taught from the youngest age, the importance of proper attire that is modest and becoming and feminine for women. These guidelines are designed to instill a sense of modesty in both boys and girls and a sense of femininity in girls and women and hopefully masculinity in boys and men.
Be sure to always sew or purchase clothing that matches these guidelines so that you will not be an occasion of sin or a source of embarrassment to yourself or others.