Have we lost something?

  • Thread starter Thread starter zeland
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Z

zeland

Guest
I saw an article on another site about women wearing chapel veils or mantillas at Mass. I have always thought that women who wear them look so attractive. I also think wearing one is an outward expression of a woman’s inner humility – a very good trait for a woman to have.

Maybe that is the problem; maybe that is why so many women today don’t cover their heads at Mass. Would I be wrong in assuming that most of today’s modern Catholic women are less humble that women were 40 or 50 years ago. Are they more concerned with outward appearances than interior dispositions?

In a similar line of thought, why have many modern “Nuns” thrown away their habits and opted for more worldly manners of dress?

One more oddity I have noticed with the return of the Tridentine Latin Mass – that of some women wearing a mantilla at Mass, but also wearing pants or slacks – what an odd combination. From a man’s point of view, I find that very strange. I guess times have changed, but are these changes really for the better? Just a few thoughts I had.

.
 
When I was young a fresh women wear fancy head-coverings, and there was a competition who wears the fancier one.

Murphie’s law: ‘whatever can go wrong is going wrong’ applies here too.

Especially when only a few is wearing head-coverings, it could nurture the I am holy you are not feeling.

The real humility would mean to accept the change that our mother the Church does not requires the head-covering for the women.
 
Judging the heart of someone based on what they have on their head may be a bit presumptuous.

I’m sure there are those who wear a head veil so that everyone can see how holy they are.

-Tim-
 
laszlo said:
When I was young a fresh women wear fancy head-coverings, and there was a competition who wears the fancier one. …
Click to expand...
When I was young and in school, we girls all wore a little, black veil bobby-pinned to the top of heads. If a girl forgot to bring the veil to school, sister would have her pin a tissue to the top of her head so that her head was properly covered during Mass. That certainly was not fancy, but it served the purpose. I don’t recall ever seeing anyone compete to try to wear a fancier head-covering than the next person. The only time I ever saw anything “fancy” was at Easter Mass, when women and girls wore Easter hats and bonnets, but I don’t think that was done to outdo their neighbor, though I admit there could have been a small element of that for some, I guess. For my part and the rest of the females in my family, it was all part of celebrating the joyous occasion of our Lord’s resurrection.
 
I like wearing a veil because it helps me to focus–I can’t see to the sides and that cuts oit a certain amount of distraction, and I think that others are less likely to inyerrupt when I am praying.

However, some do comment negatively, both with the holier than thou sort of thing, and if it’s not lacey but more of a scarf, with comments about looking Moslem.

I think more women would wear them if they knew how helpful it was !

ETA: I am a woman, despite my user name. Just wanted to clarify that, since it is no longer clear from my sig line!
 
One more oddity I have noticed with the return of the Tridentine Latin Mass – that of some women wearing a mantilla at Mass, but also wearing pants or slacks – what an odd combination.
Click to expand...
Kind of like wearing combat boots with a ball gown.

I agree with you.
 
SwizzleStick said:
When I was young and in school, we girls all wore a little, black veil bobby-pinned to the top of heads. If a girl forgot to bring the veil to school, sister would have her pin a tissue to the top of her head so that her head was properly covered during Mass. That certainly was not fancy, but it served the purpose. I don’t recall ever seeing anyone compete to try to wear a fancier head-covering than the next person. The only time I ever saw anything “fancy” was at Easter Mass, when women and girls wore Easter hats and bonnets, but I don’t think that was done to outdo their neighbor, though I admit there could have been a small element of that for some, I guess. For my part and the rest of the females in my family, it was all part of celebrating the joyous occasion of our Lord’s resurrection.
Click to expand...
Swizzle, we must be close in age. The sisters we had in school made us pin a tissue to our heads as well if we forgot our chapel veils. Can you imagine if they did that today? Those were the days!!! 👍
 
Lormar said:
Swizzle, we must be close in age. The sisters we had in school made us pin a tissue to our heads as well if we forgot our chapel veils. Can you imagine if they did that today? Those were the days!!! 👍
Click to expand...
Indeed, those were the days! 👍😃
 
We can not judge what is in the hearts of others. This is not charitable.

Head coverings are up to each individual.
Mantillas can be purchased through various catalogues including EWTN.
ewtnreligiouscatalogue.com/shop.axd/Search?keywords=mantilla

Wearing a head covering (Mantilla) is an act of humility and respect.
Those who think someone is merely “showing off” are the ones who truly have concerns about current practices not being holy or respectful enough.

1 Corinthians 11:2-16

Modest dress slacks or a pant suit is very appropriate clothing for Mass.

From Cardinal Raymond Burke:
“Thank you for your letter …The wearing of a chapel veil for women is not required when women assist at the Holy Mass according to Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite.
It is, however, the expectation that women who assist at the Mass according to the Extraordinary Form cover their heads, as was the practice at the time that the 1962 Missale Romanum was in force.
It is not, however a sin to participate in the Holy Mass according to the Extraordinary Form without a veil.”

Clearly wearing a Mantilla (head covering) is an approved option at both Forms of the Mass.
 
zeland said:
I saw an article on another site about women wearing chapel veils or mantillas at Mass. I have always thought that women who wear them look so attractive. I also think wearing one is an outward expression of a woman’s inner humility – a very good trait for a woman to have.

Maybe that is the problem; maybe that is why so many women today don’t cover their heads at Mass. Would I be wrong in assuming that most of today’s modern Catholic women are less humble that women were 40 or 50 years ago. Are they more concerned with outward appearances than interior dispositions?

In a similar line of thought, why have many modern “Nuns” thrown away their habits and opted for more worldly manners of dress?

One more oddity I have noticed with the return of the Tridentine Latin Mass – that of some women wearing a mantilla at Mass, but also wearing pants or slacks – what an odd combination. From a man’s point of view, I find that very strange. I guess times have changed, but are these changes really for the better? Just a few thoughts I had.

.
Click to expand...
In reference to the line I have highlighted, the modern “Nuns” have not thrown away their habits; many of the founders of these orders never intended for them to wear habits in the first place. They are simply returning to their origins.
 
zeland said:
I saw an article on another site about women wearing chapel veils or mantillas at Mass. I have always thought that women who wear them look so attractive. I also think wearing one is an outward expression of a woman’s inner humility – a very good trait for a woman to have.

Maybe that is the problem; maybe that is why so many women today don’t cover their heads at Mass. Would I be wrong in assuming that most of today’s modern Catholic women are less humble that women were 40 or 50 years ago. Are they more concerned with outward appearances than interior dispositions?
Click to expand...
I think these changes are definitely for the better, and I’m a full head coverer. I don’t think women 40 or 50 years ago were any more or less humble than they are today. But they did have fewer choices. I remember well the napkins and tissues we wore on our heads when we forgot our chapel caps, and I don’t think those paper products were any indication of my inner humility :rotfl:. In 2011 I can wear a mantilla or tichel or snood or go bareheaded if I choose, and it’s all good. I appreciate that.

An anecdote: I was raised primarily by my grandparents, and when I was coming up in the 1960s my grandma went to the hairdressers every week, had morning and evening beautification rituals that she performed at her dressing table, and wore foundation garments that I don’t even know the names of. And she was just a woman who lived on a corn/soybean farm and worked part-time in an RCA factory. In contrast I get my hair trimmed once every six weeks or so, and the only thing I put on my face is sunblock. My beauty ritual is flossing and brushing my teeth and maybe trimming a hangnail. So I ask - who was more concerned with outward appearances?
 
karow said:
.An anecdote: I was raised primarily by my grandparents, and when I was coming up in the 1960s my grandma went to the hairdressers every week, had morning and evening beautification rituals that she performed at her dressing table, and wore foundation garments that I don’t even know the names of. And she was just a woman who lived on a corn/soybean farm and worked part-time in an RCA factory. In contrast I get my hair trimmed once every six weeks or so, and the only thing I put on my face is sunblock. My beauty ritual is flossing and brushing my teeth and maybe trimming a hangnail. So I ask - who was more concerned with outward appearances?
Click to expand...
Just a comment on your anecdote, maybe a little off subject: When I was young in the 1960’s my grandmother used to come and stay with us and we would set up an extra bed for her in my room. I remember everynight before she went to bed she had this beautification routine she went through everynight also. I have to say she did have pretty good skin for an elderly woman doing all that moisturizing.
 
laszlo said:
When I was young a fresh women wear fancy head-coverings, and there was a competition who wears the fancier one.

Murphie’s law: ‘whatever can go wrong is going wrong’ applies here too.

Especially when only a few is wearing head-coverings, it could nurture the I am holy you are not feeling.

The real humility would mean to accept the change that our mother the Church does not requires the head-covering for the women.
Click to expand...
I remember wearing small chapel veils and we never had competition to see whose was the fanciest. That must have been something local in your area.

As time goes on I am seeing more and more women choosing to veil. Not to be holier than thou but because that is what they feel God is calling them to do and they want to listen and obey.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top