I’m noticing a trend. Anytime I see Instagram posts about dressing beautiful and elegant to Mass, the comment section becomes a heated debate. It’s the “come as you are” people versus the “dress up for the King” people.
Of course its never black and white, and either encouragement can be helpful to each individual. It’s a discernment for every person’s spiritual life.
But it still begs the question of what I’m called to say as a voice in this community of Catholics on social media. What does the world need to hear today?
The answer I’m confident I found in prayer: the world needs to be called to a higher standard. We hear enough “come as you are”, but not enough “stand out, dress well, and give God your absolute best”.
Something to note is that come as you are was historically a way to invite people to parties, to indicate that the dress was casual, and to be inclusive of anyone who cannot attend for financial or societal reasons. Jesus welcomed the sinners and the outcasts, yes. Then he called them up, to sin no more, and to live their lives anew. To live a way of life different from the world. To present themselves as more of WHO THEY ARE, created by God. Come as YOU ARE meaning a beautiful and remarkable creation.
The reality is so many women settle. They settle for men. They settle for friends. They settle for what they wear. Settling is a basic symptom of NOT KNOWING ONE’S WORTH.
If you know your worth, you don’t settle. If you truly understand and live out the life that God created you for, then you bring yourself (and others) to a higher standard.
Don’t settle, please. Dress for the King.
