+ J. M. J. +
Five years as a priest and I haven't even come close to figuring this out....
Summer is here, even in the Keweenaw, and as the pastor of a campus ministry parish, and working with young people of all ages, I'm still trying to hone my skills around preaching and teaching modesty. As a flesh and blood man, I'm also still trying to hone my skills around custody of the eyes and seeing hearts and souls rather than body parts...
In that context, I've been thinking for years about how modesty hits men and women differently. In terms of dress, I think guys more often struggle with being sloppy, while women are tempted to dress such that attention is focused on their bodies in a way that doesn't contribute to their dignity. I think men and women struggle to understand each other in these areas because we are so different, and it's not an easy conversation to begin, much less carry on to a fruitful conclusion.
I have been blessed with many good and holy women as friends and family members, and very many of them carry themselves with great dignity and beautiful modesty, for which I am deeply grateful!
I just read these two blog posts from Simcha Fisher and Jennifer Fulwiler, two of my favorite Catholic bloggers, and I would love to hear people's thoughts. In all of this, please work against our shared tendency to make assumptions, to hastily judge, and to assign motivations to others without knowing them!
Let the conversation begin, God-willing, prayerfully and lovingly!
Standing Out or Blending In? by Simcha Fisher
Modesty is an Opportunity to Love by Jennifer Fulwiler
+ A. M. D. G. +