Holy Family Catholic School
Before the Christmas holiday, some of our teachers were sharing their concerns about the way young people these days dress in general; in particular, the way our students dress when they come to school or church. As a follow-up, earlier in the year, our Middle School Religion teacher launched a campaign to raise student awareness of the impact of the media not only on style, but also on beliefs and interests. Through a series of exercises involving observations, readings, anecdotes, and sharing of related personal experiences, students were invited to consider the role of technology, social media, and digital technology in shaping our perceptions. Along the way, they were prompted to evaluate the extent to which exposure to content delivered by such technology can promote excessive concern with physical appearance, conceit, vanity, and, ultimately, lead to behavior that can adversely affect our relationship with God.
As part of our Catholic Schools Week program, on Monday, January 29, students were strongly encouraged to come to school in their best Sunday outfit for the “Wear your Best for the Lord” day as a way to promote self-respect as well as respect and admiration for God, the church, and the community. After Friday’s Mass, a brief presentation was made at the church where we highlighted the correlation between high regard and physical appearance as children of God. We emphasized that our body is the temple of the Lord and that, therefore, we must protect it, and use it with decency and respect in our mission to love and serve. Three students were selected from each class to acknowledge them for proudly wearing their best Sunday’s outfit for the Monday activity.
We closed the activity by inviting students to repeat 1 Corinthians 6:19 three times “do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” We exhorted them to pledge to make it part of their routine and value to respect and honor their body which is the temple of the Lord.
