Clothing the Naked - What Clothing Means for Human Dignity

Mark Shea recently wrote an article for the National Catholic Register which reflects on one of the Works of Mercy, to clothe the naked. He talks a lot about what it means to be naked, and how it damages a person. He states, "To nake someone, to strip them publicly, is universally understood as taking away their human dignity. Clothes, in some mystical sense, quite literally make the man."

Shea mentions how infrequently we meet poor people who are actually naked. Because of fast fashion, he writes, it's not difficult for someone to find extremely cheap clothing, relatively effortlessly.

He asks his readers to reflect on this truth - and how it might not be the same for people in third world countries. He beckons others to clothe those people as if they were Christ.

He dives deeper, as well, stating, "In short, clothes are never merely clothes. They mean. They express. Clothes are also extensions of ourselves, and they can even be sacramental."

I would definitely agree with this. I really think clothing gives each person we meet a visual as to how we perceive ourselves as individuals, but also in light of the Gospel, and as children of God. Human dignity is so important, and it is imperative to approach our own human dignity through the way we choose to present ourselves in our clothing.