“Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”
A Christian lady once asked her pastor, “How can Christians claim to have a special knowledge of God?” The answer, of course, depends upon who Christians say Jesus is. In the history of world religions, no religious leader ever claimed what Jesus claimed. Moses rejected talk of him as “godlike”; the Buddha rejected any veneration; and Mohammed admitted being a sinner. Jesus is the only religious leader who dared to say, “Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father.” If Jesus is who He claimed to be, then Christians can rightly claim a special knowledge of God.
It is likely that if Jesus came to today and claimed to be God, He wouldn’t be crucified. Rather, people would invite Him to dinner, hear what He had to say, and then make fun of it. Would I join in? If I truly believe that Jesus is God, I have to do something with this belief. It must change my way of life, my way of thinking . . . everything, or it is just an empty thought.
The Lesser Known Virtues, The Virtue of Modesty
After our long brutal North Dakota winters, it is a welcome gift when the temperatures start rising, but sadly, it is accompanied by falling necklines and other immodest clothing. When we hear of a lament for the good old days of modesty, we may just roll our eyes . . . what an outdated virtue! What kind of prude still talks about modesty? Well, a Christian prude, concerned about the harmful effects that immodesty has upon the lives of believers. Considering that the lives of individuals, and marriage and family life as well, suffers from the ill effects of immodesty, perhaps modesty is a virtue that needs to be revisited in our day.
Saint Thomas Aquinas connects the virtue of modesty to the cardinal virtue of temperance, which has the reigning in of the human passions as its goal. Modesty thus aims to conform the exterior of the man---his clothing, his way of talking, his bearing---to the interior sense of humility that all Christians should have. As this virtue is broad in scope, our discussion of modesty will have to narrow upon the most common public violation of modesty, and that is modesty of dress.
In the beginning, God made Adam and Eve perfect and they lived in a state of perfect harmony as well. But, sadly, they sinned and then saw themselves as they were---fallen, separated from God and from each other. The original harmony of the Garden of Eden was broken and rather than complete the other perfectly, Adam and Eve began to use each other for selfish needs . . . lust had entered into human relationships. To avoid this sin, which brought great shame and harm to their relationship, they covered themselves with quickly-fashioned loincloths. Then God Himself clothed them, replacing their fig-leaf loincloths with more substantial tunics, to support them in their effort to love and not to lust after each other.
When the Church teaches about the evils of immodesty in human relationships, especially it’s “using” mentality, some believe the Church views the body as a “bad thing” and that we cover ourselves because we are sinful and revolting in the eyes of God. This is not the case. Adam and Eve didn’t cover themselves because they were “bad” or ‘ugly”. No, they covered themselves because through the Fall, they no longer reflected what God made them to be: perfect complements of each other and the perfect image of their Creator. In covering themselves, they attempted to recover the great dignity they had lost. The human body, the pinnacle of God’s creation and elevated by Jesus Christ the Redeemer (who took upon Himself a human body) is beautiful. But when the body is revealed in an immodest manner, it leads to a lust that doesn’t honor the body, but instead degrades it. To be immodest is to give to the world that which it has no right to, for the beauty and sensual delight of the body is reserved to one’s spouse and to him or her alone.
What the virtue of modesty thus strives for is to “veil” that which is sacred and holy, to preserve its dignity. In the life of the Church, we see sacred objects covered in veils: chalices; tabernacles; and the Blessed Sacrament when processed from the church. By veiling them, Catholics are reminded that what is hidden underneath has great spiritual value and worth. This same understanding applies to the human body, which is sacred, not a commodity to be “bought and sold” in the public forum. When people dress immodestly, they are sending a clear message to the world: my body is available for you to lust after and to manipulate in your mind in whatever manner you wish to do so. The “look at me” mentality in how we dress is an open invitation to become an object for another’s lustful desires. Why would a person want to tempt another to commit a mortal sin? Immodest attire degrades our bodies and their minds.
In pointing out the evils of immodest dress, some wonder if there is an element of sexism that enters into the discussion. Immodesty seems to be an attack on women and their manner of dress. What about the men? Well, all people are called to modesty of dress, men included. Men can also dress immodestly, as in the “high crotch” jeans, which draw undue attention to the groin area. Yet, a review of current fashion styles clearly reveals (no pun intended) that immodest attire is primarily a feminine concern and it places an undue burden on women. Why do young women have to starve themselves so they can fit into that “perfect” bikini or midriff-bearing top? Why is it so hard to find an outfit for women of all ages (even young girls) that doesn’t show a lot of cleavage? Why is it virtually impossible to purchase a modest wedding dress? If anything, the Church sympathizes with women who are the victims of a fashion industry that treats them like objects, rather than as people with inherent beauty and dignity. If there was a need for a new women’s liberation movement it would be liberation from the fashion industry that wants all women to dress like women of the street!
Men should be upset about this degradation of woman by the fashion industry because men are supposed to be protectors of women. Real men protect the women they love from lustful men who want to mentally, and at times physically, attack the bodies of women. What father would allow his daughter to go out into the world dressed in a provocative manner, inviting the mental and physical advances of sick men? When a bride walks down the aisle in an immodest wedding dress, do you believe all the men are thinking, “What lovely lace; I wonder if it comes from Paris?” I doubt it. That very day a man promises to love and honor his future wife, he is allowing her to become an object for another man’s sensual desires. Men . . . be men and encourage your daughters and wives to dress in a modest manner. If you truly loved them and wanted to protect them from harm, you would not avoid this topic in marriage and family life. Encourage them to reclaim true femininity that reflects who they truly are.
So, as the summer soon comes to North Dakota, let it be a summer marked by modesty. Reclaim the dignity the body once had . . . a dignity now under attack in our sexually charged culture. In all things, ask yourself what kind of attention you want for yourself. If you are seeking the attention of others through immodesty, then maybe you need to contemplate once again your true dignity. You are beautiful in God’s eyes and He loves you for who you are. With modesty, the body is adorned in a truly Christian manner and holiness and happiness are the outcomes. When we treat our body as a divine gift, we find once again the original happiness God so earnestly wants to restore.
God Bless our Mothers
Happy Mothers’ Day to our mothers and blessings to you on this day that you truly deserve! One day is not enough to thank you for your great love and your many sacrifices that you offer daily for your families. May God reward you and know that to have the love and support of a mother is one of life’s most treasured gifts. Blessed Virgin Mary, patron of mothers . . . pray for them!
Let Faith be Part of Your Summer Plans
We know that summer provides a lot of fun opportunities for our youth: sports camps; judging events; family vacations; swimming at the pool; parades; watering the priest’s vegetable garden; etc. But, when we encourage faith opportunities in the summertime, some would say, “Summer is for fun; save faith for the dreary days of winter.” Well, it sounds like we need to show that faith and fun can go together in the summertime and we have just the right opportunities to prove it.
For our youth, know that our parishes will pay your way to Catholic summer camps/institutes and there are some great ones to consider. First, for our youth entering grade four or leaving grade eight, there is Trinity Youth Camp at various locations in the state of North Dakota. They are as follows: Session I, Red Willow (Binford, ND), June 14-18 (register by June 7th); Session II, Pelican Lake I (Bottineau, ND), July 12-16 (register by July 5th); Session III, Camp of the Cross (Garrison, ND), July 19-23 (register by July 12th); and Session IV, Pelican Lake II, July 26-30 (register by July 21st). Go to their website, wwwtrinityyouthcampnd.com and register your child. Then notify your parish so that we can cover your registration fee.
For our high school youth, grades 9-12, there is a great summer institute offered by the University of Mary called Cor Christi (Heart of Christ). It is offered on the campus of the University of Mary at two different times: July 10-14 and July 24-28. Please call 1-800-408-6279 to register and then notify Father Gary so that the parish can pay for your Cor Christi Institute fee.
Lastly, there is the Weed Father Gary’s Vegetable Garden Summer Camp. This awesome Catholic summer camp allows kids to commune with nature and learn the benefits of hard work and sacrifice. There is no entrance fee, but you can pay Father Gary in tomatoes and cucumbers if his garden does not produce well this summer.
God bless our Catholic youth this summer. Take a break from the demands of the school year, but don’t take a break from your Faith. It requires constant care and attention, for it is our most prized gift . . . the one that will lead us to the glory of heaven. Faith and fun in the summer sun . . . complementary, not contradictory.
Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace
We are quickly approaching the June deadline for the November pilgrimage to Rome-Subiaco-Orvieto-and Assisi. Please contact Father Gary if you may be interested in being part of this pilgrimage of faith. We need to have thirty pilgrims to make this pilgrimage viable. Pray about it and allow God to lead you to the right decision. Saint James, patron of pilgrims . . . pray for us!
Help Wanted
With Father Jason’s coming to our parish, he has asked for two things: he would like to hire someone to clean his house once a month and he would like to hire someone to care for the church grounds. The grounds duties include: preparing the flower beds in the spring for planting; planting the flowers; weeding throughout the church property; sweeping the sidewalks and entry ways to the church each week; watering the flowers daily or at least every other day; trimming the shrubs weekly; mowing the lawn when Andy is away; raking the leaves in the fall; and preparing the flower beds for winter. Please contact Father Gary if you are interested in either position. Wages are negotiable.
Spending Time with God
I will be away this week, Monday through Friday, for my annual retreat at Assumption Abbey in Richardton. If an emergency should arise, please call me on my cell phone: 701-509-9504. Please pray for me and be assured of my prayers for you. [Due to my absence this coming week, the bulletin next week will be modified in content. Thank you for your understanding].