The Recovery of the Sacred - Bishop Serratelli

Before, I get to the article, I thought I would share a little about Bishop Serratelli from my sister's experiences with him.

My sister, who studied at Seton Hall University, remembers Bishop Serratelli as very unassuming. This is what she told my brother in law and me yesterday when I mentioned to them that Bishop Serratelli's writings are traveling fast over the internet, in the Catholic blogosphere.

She then related a little anecdote that both my brother in law and I found very amusing. One day she walked into the sacristy after Mass, and found him eating a piece of chocolate. She must have looked at him quizzically that he responded "I was hungry". Not only is he a very good bishop but he also likes chocolate! :-)

But back to the reason for this post. Bishop Serratelli's second installment regarding the liturgy is entitled "The Recovery of the Sacred". The column appeared in this week's The Beacon.

Certain settings demand their own particular etiquette. Dress at a wedding reception differs from dress at a sports event. Conversation in a bar is louder than in a funeral home. The more we realize we are coming into the Presence of God in Church, the more respectful and reverent our whole person becomes. Chewing gum in Church, loud talking, beach attire and immodest dress simply do not belong!

Father J.P. Ryan of Blessed Sacrament column in yesterday's Church's bulletin, touched on the Bishop's column. In particular he writes about the recent loss sense of sacredness when visiting Arlington Cemetery and especially when entering God's house.

He related two stories that happened at the parish. One in particular is a teen girl who went to Mass wearing a tight t-shirt with the words "Of course, they're real" written across her chest. Father R. confronted her about the inappropriateness of her clothes for Church, and she looked at him with a shocked look and walked away. He also approached the girl's father who was walking behind his daughter and questioned how he could allow his daughter to leave the house dressed like that. The father too looked at Father with a look of confusion.

I must admit that until recently, I didn't have a problem wearing shorts to daily Mass. At the risk of sounding like a hypocrite, I walked to Mass in hot Hawaii. By the time I got to Church, which was about 20 minutes away, I was very hot and sweaty. However, I am more aware that proper dress is essential when entering God's house. Needless to say, I don't wear shorts anymore. I am now trying to break my habit of wearing jeans to daily Mass. My family does wear appropriate clothes (dress clothes) for Sunday Mass.