What is modesty?
Catechism Meditation:
Purity requires modesty, an integral part of temperance. Modesty protects the intimate center of the person. It means refusing to unveil what should remain hidden. It is ordered to chastity to whose sensitivity it bears witness. It guides how one looks at others and behaves toward them in conformity with the dignity of persons and their solidarity. ―No. 2521
REFLECTION. Modesty is a moral virtue that, according to Christian tradition, governs external behavior in accordance with the dignity of the soul and reverence for the mystery of the human person. In his monumental work, the Summa Theologiae, St. Thomas Aquinas describes modesty as a healthy reaction to what might lead us into sin or distract others from virtue (ST, II-II, q. 144). Modesty, therefore, is not merely about clothing or outward behavior but an interior disposition that reflects a profound respect for the body and soul―both our own and others. Modesty is a kind of temperance (ST, II-II, 160, 1). It restrains and moderates a whole range of actions and desires (ST, II-II, 141, 2). Our desires often pull us in a direction that is contrary to reason; so we need a virtue that will help us resist wayward desires and to bring our desires back into accord with reason. Modesty also tempers our curiosity (ST, II-II, 160, 2). For example, it restrains the vicious desire to hear the latest gossip, or to learn about some scandal in the life of an acquaintance. Modesty also moderates the way we present ourselves to the world. We have the desire to brag, to show off, to build up our public image and to make other people look bad by comparison. Modesty restrains this desire. Modesty moderates many other areas of life as well..
Modesty is rooted in the biblical vision of the human being as the image and likeness of God (cf. Gen 1:27). This foundation emphasizes that every person possesses and inherent dignity that is not based on physical appearance or cultural norms but on their calling to share God’s holiness. St. Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, puts it powerfully: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit?” (1 Cor 6:19). Modesty, then, arises as a natural response to this truth: if we are living temples of God, our actions, words, and even our presentations must reflect this reality.
PRAYER. Dear Lord, teach us by your example to instill into others a real respect for modesty and purity. May we cherish and bear witness to the virtues of prudence, temperance, chastity, and modesty for the sake of our own salvation and of others..
Timeless Wisdom Quote:
“Every person is a precious mystery. An individual cannot be weighed by public opinion; he cannot be measured by his conditionings; he belongs to no one but himself, and no creature in all the world can penetrate his mystery except the God who made him. The dignity of every person is beyond our reckoning.” ― Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen