The Beauty of the Veil

"But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head - it is the same as having her head shaved. For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a women to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head." 1 Corinthians 11:3-6

The veil has incredible significance and meaning. Overtime, this beautiful act of reverence to the Lord Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament has become increasingly uncommon. Some people believe that Vatican || had changed the requirement of women veiling, however this was simply a misunderstanding.

"An article in the Atlanta Journal of June 21st, 1969 titled 'Women Required to Cover Head, Vatican insists.' stated 'A Vatican official says that there has been no change, as reported, in the Roman Catholic rule that women cover their head in church. The Rev. Annibale Bugnini, secretary of the New Congregation for Divine Worship said the reports stemmed from a misunderstanding of a statement he made at a news conference in May. Bugnini stated: 'the rule has not been changed. It is a matter of general discipline.' However, the 1983 Code of Canon Law, currently in force, does not contain a requirement that women cover their head in church. Just as the church does not mandate that every person pray the Rosary, neither does she mandate that every woman wear a veil." However, as the company Veil by Lily explains, even though these holy and worthy devotions are not required, it does in fact please the Lord to practice them. These devotions are highly encouraged for the faithful to partake in.

My journey to veiling has been gradual. When I first started veiling I felt a bit awkward seeing as though I was the only one in my parish to veil. Yet, despite my feelings of being uncomfortable, I knew that this was simply not for me, but rather to please and console the Lord; I continued in this devotion. However, overtime I stopped wearing the veil. The peer pressure of the other women not veiling caused me to stop. I regret making that rash decision based on what others may have thought of me. Fast forward to about two years, I consecrated myself to the Blessed Virgin Mary. I soon found myself scrummaging through my things to find my veil. I resumed this holy devotion and haven't stopped since.

Questions may arise at seeing women wear a head covering at Mass. Since it's become so uncommon, why would one decide to veil? The answer to this question varies from each person you ask. For me, it's simply to reverence my Lord. At the Traditional Latin Mass (extraordinary form), it's a requirement for women to cover their head. Yet, if it's the same Lord Jesus at the Novus Ordo Mass, wouldn't He desire the same reverence? I've heard that women are concerned with distracting others or that others view them as "holier than thou" but these are just fears and one should not base their decision off of fear. If people are distracted by one being faithful to the Lord, I would see it as a testimony of the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. If people think one is "holier than thou", let it be an opportunity of humility and self mortification. Veiling is a response to love.

The soul must give herself wholeheartedly to the Lord. She must love Him to folly. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37). Sister Clare Crockett who was killed in an earthquake in 2015 at 33 years old was known as being for the Lord "all or nothing". All the faithful should be for the Lord "all or nothing". If you find yourself wondering if you should veil, if you asked me, I would say go for it. It's an invitation from the Lord to "go out into the deep."

St. John Paul ||, pray for us.

Notes:

www.veilsbylily.com