11th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Dear Parish Family,

As I mentioned last weekend, I would like to offer a few more thoughts on how we can cultivate greater awareness of and reverence for the Blessed Sacrament here in our parish, and in every Catholic church we enter. One overarching point is that both the church building itself and our time spent within it are different from any other space and period that we occupy during the rest of the week. Like with so many different aspects of life, depending on the event, the location, and the people we are with, we act, speak, and dress accordingly. Today, I’d like to focus briefly on our attire at Mass, particularly on Sundays.

I’m sure many of you, like me, remember the phrase “wear your Sunday Best.” I know I used to hear this on occasions in my public schools when growing up; when there was going to be a more formal event that I was participating in, that was the phrase often used to tell us the expected dress. There was an understanding that people generally dressed up for Sunday services. As a culture, I think we have become less formal in general. I’m not making any judgments about that. But I do believe that being intentional about the way we dress when we come to Mass, on Sundays especially, will help us to remember and live out the fact that this is an important and significant moment. … I have no intention of making a dress code for us! But I do ask us to sincerely consider whether the clothes we choose to wear reflect that coming to Mass is something different from the rest of the week. I am going to meet the Lord! We do it out of respect for him rather than anything else.

They say it’s the little things in life that really matter. The way we dress at Mass may be one of those “little things.” It doesn’t have any bearing over what objectively takes place at Mass and all that the Lord is doing. But would it help us to better receive what the Lord wants to show us and do for us? I believe so.

As a final thought: please know that I’m not going to be judging anybody for what they wear to Mass. I am glad you and all are here! But let’s allow the way we carry and and conduct ourselves before the Lord in the Eucharist reflect our belief that he is truly there.

God bless you.

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-Fr. Kennell