Modesty is a Virtue

Modesty. A word that people both love and hate. How can one word cause such opposite feelings? Most of us, when we hear the word think immediately of brown paper sacks, or long skirts and nothing cute to wear. But modesty is not like this at all! 

Modesty, rather than imprisoning us in old-fashion views and styles of dressing, frees us to be the women God created us to be and wear cute, attractive outfits. The Bible says this about modesty: "I also want the women to be modest and sensible about their clothes and to dress properly; not with fancy hair styles or with gold ornaments or pearls or expensive dresses, but with good deeds, as is proper for women to claim to be religious." -1 Timothy 2:9-10.

No where in the Bible (look as hard as you want) does it say that women should wear floor length gowns or dress like nuns. Rather, it says to be modest and sensible about our clothes. But modesty is not just about our clothing; it starts in our hearts. St. Paul also says in the second verse that we are to be adorned with good deeds. Good deeds have nothing to do with clothing, yet they are a part of what modesty is. How can this be?

As I said earlier, modesty starts in our hearts. We need to be modest and pure in our thoughts, speech, and actions, as well as our dress. Even a promiscuous woman can dress modestly, but if she acts in a sexual, provocative way, is she truly being modest? When our hearts are centered on Christ and following his plan for our life, we will desire to act and dress in a way that reflects Christ and his love for us.

Whether fortunately or unfortunately, there is not list of what to wear and what not to wear. This is why forming our hearts is so important. We can only know what is modest if we have a well-formed conscience, if we are filling our lives with holy things. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) does offer some good advice on how to decide what is considered modest: "Modesty protects the intimate center of the person. It means refusing to unveil what should remain hidden....Modesty is decency. It inspires one's choice of clothing. It keeps silence or reserve where there is evident risk of unhealthy curiosity. It is discreet." -CCC 2521-2522

My favorite part of that quote is the first part: "Modesty protects the intimate center of the person. It means refusing to unveil what should remain hidden." This is so beautiful. The Church isn't telling us what we should and shouldn't wear. They simply tell us what I believe every girl knows deep down inside, that we should save what is meant only for our husband's eyes. Modesty is a virtue that we should pursue and nurture the growth of.