On the one hand, clothes are commonplace. She accompanies us from birth. And there is not a single day when we encounter it. At the very beginning, Adam and Eve were naked and they were not ashamed. We can observe an echo of this state in our young children, who are not ashamed of anyone, go about their "business".
The first fashion designer on Earth was the Lord, who dressed Adam and Eve in leather robes. Shame and weakness became human companions after the Fall. This was the reason for the appearance of clothing.
Clothing protects, protects and matches the gender of its wearer. Through modern fashion, the image of the ideal person is imposed on us. A certain image is formed in our consciousness, which we are trying to correspond to. Fashion is a soft violence over a person's thoughts. Thus, people, like zombies, perceive the promoted image.
Previously, the saints wore chains under their clothes - a heavy burden in order to humble themselves before God. Modern man no longer needs this, not because the need for spiritual exploits has disappeared, but because he is unable to bear it. He, first of all, needs the healing of the mind. If a contemporary is to load the body, he will not be able to overcome this load either physically or spiritually.
Modern man's clothes
Those who get married have a certain dress code. The man should be dressed in a white shirt, dark suit, tie or bow tie. The girl is in a white wedding dress. Such rules were introduced by Napoleon in the 19th century, and this tradition took root throughout Europe and is valid to this day. The white color of the dress does not indicate the purity of the bride. It's just a fashion statement. The crowns at the wedding, which are hoisted over the couple, testify to the cleanliness. This is a sign of victory over lust.
A person's psychology is highly dependent on how he looks. Clothes can greatly change the state of mind. A woman dressed in an evening dress and going to the theater is different from herself in a tavern at two o'clock in the morning, dressed in leaky jeans. These are different people. As a person will be dressed, so will he behave.
You can buy things in a boutique, or you can buy them in a second hand. There is nothing wrong with that. It all depends on the financial situation. Having bought such a thing, it is imperative to sprinkle it with holy water, because it is not known who was the previous owner and what is his state of mind. The sin that is in us pervades everything that the body touches, and clothes are no exception. You can completely "become infected" with other people's sins by wearing such clothes. It is not for nothing that the belt of the Mother of God, the tunic of Christ and the clothes of the saints are revered. They oozed holiness and left it on their clothes. If a person gives used things to the beggars, then this fact of sacrifice, which will cleanse them. No filth can be transmitted through them, because the grace of the holy spirit will be on the garment.
Clothes are not so much a continuation of a person as of his secrets. He will inevitably share what he has. The saints are holiness. Sinners are sin. Clothing must be appropriate for gender and age. It symbolizes the occupation and signals how to handle a person.
Clothing in the temple
Many lay people denounce priests in rich vestments. The tradition of this kind of dress goes back to ancient times. It has arisen and spread since the time of the Gospel. The most important element is the epitrachelion. With this part of the vestment, the priest covers the head of the parishioner for the sacrament of confession. The priest's wide ribbon is thrown over the shoulder and fastens with buttons. She means the weight of his labors borne and participates in all the sacraments. Any actions and items related to serving God should be in their best shape, including vestments.
Covering the head in some religions (Orthodoxy, Judaism) is teaching humility. A Jew cannot pray with his head uncovered. This is a reminder that he is not in charge. For the same purpose, a woman in Orthodoxy also covers her head. This means humility and submission before God and man.
We must not forget that clothing originated after the Fall. This is a kind of reminder to us. We would be completely different if this did not happen. Because of sin, people became weak and ashamed. Weakness must be strengthened, and shame must be covered. These two functions are performed by clothes. She will remain with us until the end of the century, until the last judgment.
Based on the conversation of Archpriest Andrei Tkachev.
