28
July 2021
Modest
Attire
The Old
Testament is filled with the image of God's people being a holy people, set
apart. The ancient Israelites were not like their neighbors. Their values and
their faith impacted everything about them. They dressed differently than many
of their neighboring pagan tribes. Their worship was centered on the God that
had revealed himself to them and made them his chosen people. Their spiritual
and moral views reflected this relationship with the One God that had entered
into communion with them and who had revealed Divine Truth through the
prophets.
The Church is
the continuation of the Church of the Old Testament and as such, we are the
chosen people of God. Our lives should reflect this truth in everything we do
and in the moral standards that guide our daily living.
These
standards of faith should even govern the way we dress. It is not only Orthodox
monks and priests who should hold themselves to dress codes that reflect
modesty and purity. We are all called to be a people set apart from this world.
Christ's Kingdom is not of this world and we need to dress in a way that does
not bring temptation to others. For the Orthodox Christian, tight and revealing
clothing are not appropriate. We should not reserve modest clothing for church
services or when making pilgrimages to our monasteries. The center of our being
is in the heart and the attention of the mind must be fixed in the heart.
Modest attire
for the layman is just as important as the robes of a monk in aiding the quest
for living a life given over to being, in every way, God's chosen people.
Abbot Tryphon
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