A couple of our Religious Education students had some questions for me. This week’s are from Beau Merriman.
Question: Why do you wear a cloak?
The long black cloak that I wear, which altar servers also wear, is called a cassock. It dates back a long, long way (over 1500 years!) as the traditional clothing of a priest. Although I don’t always wear it, especially throughout the week, I do wear it for more formal occasions, like Sunday Mass.
The cassock is meant to be simple clothing, like a uniform. Ideally, a priest should be recognizable, but without wearing flashy or fancy clothing. Seeing a man in a cassock should allow for quick recognition that he is a priest, much like a deputy’s uniform does for members of our county’s sheriff’s department. The black shirt with a white tab that I wear throughout the week serves much the same function, but the cassock is more traditional and formal.
Question: Why do you wear black clothes?
You might hear an adult say, “Black makes you look slimmer”. While that might be true, that’s not the reason why I wear black. The only thing that’s going to make me look skinnier is exercise and eating healthier, which I’m trying to do.
As a priest, I wear black because it’s a symbol of dying to myself. It’s also a sign of poverty, as black dye was the cheapest and easiest to make. My priesthood is not about me, but about Jesus and His People, so I have to die to what I want to do with my life and instead live it for Jesus and for all of you. I’m also called to live a much simpler life, giving up family and many things I want for myself.
Question: Why do we have colorful windows?
A simple answer would be, “Because they’re colorful instead of just clear.” But that’s not the full reason, of course.
A lot of churches, especially older ones, have beautiful stained glass windows. These windows are made up of small pieces of colored glass that make up an image of the saints, symbols of our Faith, and more. They help to teach the faith in images, much like a picture book for little children does. While newer churches haven’t continued this tradition, St. Mary’s here in Malta was built with colored glass as decoration. It also helps to keep from being distracted by seeing things happening outside while we’re praying in the Church.
