Why does the priest wear vestment

These are the vestments they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a brocade tunic, a turban, and a sash. Instead, the beginning of the holy vestments of the Christian Church came from the everyday garb of the Greco-Roman world. At the heart of this first-century dress was the tunic and the mantle. The Greeks believed that the tunic that draped from the shoulder was symbolic of the body and its movements.

They believed that this enveloping cloak around the body with the head in the center expressed the spiritual and intellectual perfection of man. In the Roman world, during the second century, the dalmatic, which was a loose, unbelted tunic with very wide sleeves, came about. It was the outer garment worn over the long white tunic.

Interestingly, it was striped and for the most part is the outer garment still worn by Catholic deacons today. By the fourth century, garments worn at liturgical functions had been separated from those of everyday life. Priests could be distinguished by certain ornamentation added to the everyday dress. It was also at this time that the stole began to be used as official symbols of the holy priesthood. The first mention of a special liturgical garment for sacred worship comes from Theodoret of Cyrus d.

In his writing on Church history he noted that, in , Emperor Constantine presented to the new church in Jerusalem a sacred robe which was to be used by the bishop at baptisms and the Easter Vigil.

Documents during this time also reflected the fact that many were divided on the question of special liturgical vestments. For instance, the early Christian author Tertullian rejected special dress while Clement of Alexandria advocated it.

Some modern style albs have collars which preclude the necessity for an amice. The spiritual purpose reminds the priest of his baptism, when he was clothed in white to signify his freedom from sin, purity of new life, and Christian dignity. The cincture is a long, thick cord with tassels at the ends which secures the alb around the waist.

It may be white or may be the same liturgical color as the other vestments. In the Graeco-Roman world, the cincture was like a belt.

Spiritually, the cincture reminds the priest of the admonition of St. As obedient sons, do not yield to the desires that once shaped you in you ignorance. Next the priest puts on a stole. The stole is a long piece of cloth that is worn like a scarf over the neck and falls down the front of the priests chest, usually ending near his waist or knees. Although many priests wear it over the chasuble the next vestment , it is supposed to be worn underneath the chasuble. The stole is symbolic of the spiritual authority of the priest, and so it is what is primarily worn to signify priesthood.

This is why the stole is worn for everything—confessions, exorcisms, and most priests carry one in their emergency kit in case they need it for an emergency baptism. The final vestment that the priest puts on is the chasuble. The chasuble comes in many different shapes and designs, but it must be the proper liturgical color purple for Lent and Advent, green for ordinary time, etc.

The chasuble is representative of the charity required for the priest. This is also why it is supposed to be worn over the stole.

The stole is an article of enormous importance, which, more than any other garment, indicates the state of ordained office. Like the cincture, the stole can be, and, usually is, the color of the day, or liturgical season. Putting on the stole, the priest recites this prayer, "Lord, restore the stole of immortality, which I lost through the collusion of our first parents, and, unworthy as I am to approach Thy sacred mysteries, may I yet gain eternal joy. The traditional symbolism of the chasuble is that it represents charity covering a multitude of sins, as this liturgical vestment covers the individuality of the priest with the priestly role of the High Priest, Jesus Christ.

Schuster is the pastor at Church of St. Hildegard in Menoken and Sacred Heart in Wilton. If you have a question you were afraid to ask, now is the time to ask it!