I don't feel like wearing head covering. I don't like making obvious statements

[drafdog]

The orthodox Jews have it right. Since only the men are required by the Torah to pray, they keep all distractions out of sight. The women are behind a screen so that their presence does not hinder their concentration on their prayers. In this manner the women’s attire, coifure, make-up etc. is no longer an issue.
You want to be traditional; this is the tradition from which the Church springs.

Matthew

 

[bear06]

No one has mentioned the Scriptures that deal with this issue.
Unfortunately, I’m at work and don’t have my Bible here with me,
but Saint Paul in one of his inspired Letters said that women should wear a headcovering in church because of the presence of the Angels.

And angels are present everywhere you go, right? There might be a little more to the passage than you understand or it would seem that you’d have to take the position that women should always have their head covered.

And as far as the code of canon law, it is clear that the Vatican loosed the obligation before the new code came out as evidenced in Inter Insigniores in 1976. If you’d like to argue that no statement was made prior to this then you’d probably have an argument to make since I’ve yet to see one. As far as I know, the Vatican can revise norms and ordinances prior to them being published in canon law but if someone has something to the contrary, I’d be happy to look at it.

Another objection is based upon the transitory character that one claims to see today in some of the prescriptions of Saint Paul concerning women, and upon the difficulties that some aspects of his teaching raise in this regard. But it must be noted that these ordinances, probably inspired by the customs of the period, concern scarcely more than disciplinary practices of minor importance, such as the obligation imposed upon women to wear a veil on the head (1 Cor 11:2-6); such requirements no longer have a normative value

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[MariaG]

However, on reading documents both from ‘before’ Vatican 2 and also including (to their credit) many writers of the period through today, the focus, the practice, and the reason for wearing a veil had nothing to do with sexism, second class citizenship, male dominance and oppression. . .

but rather reflected the woman’s hair as her glory, and (like the veiling of the Ark of the Covenant), the practice was felt to reflect the innate sacredness and sanctity of that which was being covered.

**Rather than a woman being ‘oppressed’ by her veil, she was being elevated. She was being acknowledged as worthy and sacred, and she covered herself for acknowledgement of this, as well as to show her understanding of the fitness of the proper setting for her ‘glory’. **

Just because people choose to make (wrong) interpretations regarding ‘sexist’ veiling does not mean the interpretations were true. And just because there may have been individuals, or eras, where people did make those interpretations and because of them acted poorly does not make the reality of veiling wrong.

We do not blame the teaching of the Church that abortion is wrong as the reason that so many abort, because of whatever ‘interpretaton’ is put on the Church’s reason for teaching such (usually of course it is derided as being anti-woman, anti-choice, impossible to adhere to, failing to take ‘other factors’ into account, interpreted by MEN and thus biased, etc.)

I completely agree. A woman’s hair IS her glory. However, in the context of Paul’s writings, it was a modesty issue as well.

If one wants to consider the glory of it, the beautiful and ornate head coverings are perfectly appropriate for the glory of a woman’s hair.

But I think one should also consider the modesty part and I personally think the very beautiful and ornate headcoverings do little towards that aspect of it.

 

[Jehanne_Darc]

I do not think God wants a head-covering on me at this point because it distracts me from Him during the Mass. TLM.

Hmmmm. Thank you. That clarifies things for me. I was having a hard time with the idea that wearing head covering was nice on the one hand, but that I really don’t feel it is for me right now.

I see it is not hypocritical to have those two thoughts in the same head.

I remember the time when I realized on my own that I wish to partake of the Eucharist on the tongue. I had not attended the TLM at that point in my life it just dawned on me that I was not reverent enough when I received Him in my hand. I have spoken to others who are very reverent when they receive Jesus in the hand, but for me it was important to receive on the tongue. I started then even though I went to Novis Ordo masses only.

I suppose when my time to wear head covering comes then I will know.

 

[Jehanne_Darc]

Do not fret- you just are not ready yet. When the time is right you will know. I didn’t wear one right off and then I felt that I should, and then I did, and even though I felt uncomfortable at first, my desire to wear it out of reverence and respect for our Lord, made any uncomfortable feeling a small sacrifice. I wear it always now! I would be uncomfortable not to wear one. Also, I noticed other women beginning to wear them at NO Masses now. A move towards God- not society or fashion. (ps- I originally started to wear one to NO Mass and then after attending TLM, which I go to whenever possible, the TLM just convicted me of my desire to wear it. Our Lord appreciates our attempts to please Him- He knows our heart. Do not worry.

SIster, you heard the groans of my soul. Bless the Holy Spirit.

I guess I was grumbling out loud with my whirl of thoughts waiting for somebody to diagnoe my problem. Thank you.

I have tried to find a way to see what was really going on in my soul. Was it rebellion? Fear? I did not know.

I have peace thanks to you, dear old Bear06 (sorry Bear I suspect you are not old, but with a name like that…its either the stock market or a friendly old bear that I see) and others who have voiced their opions and shared their experiences.

I even benefited from the challenging remarks. Thank you.

 

[BobP123]

everyone can’t always genuflect…some of us are disabled you know. Does that make us irreverent?

Depends on the state of your heart. I can’t judge that, [edited by Moderator].

 

[catholicrocks]

SIster, you heard the groans of my soul. Bless the Holy Spirit.

I guess I was grumbling out loud with my whirl of thoughts waiting for somebody to diagnoe my problem. Thank you.

I have tried to find a way to see what was really going on in my soul. Was it rebellion? Fear? I did not know.

I have peace thanks to you, dear old Bear06 (sorry Bear I suspect you are not old, but with a name like that…its either the stock market or a friendly old bear that I see) and others who have voiced their opions and shared their experiences.

I even benefited from the challenging remarks. Thank you.

I wanted to reply to you as well. I shared my head covering story on one of the other threads, but I wanted to tell you not to worry too much about it. I struggled for a few years about whether or not I’d begin wearing one. I knew God was asking me to do it, but I wasn’t there yet. He put a lot of things and people in my path to lead me to it, and when the time came, I was ready. I now love my veil, and don’t see myself ever wanting to give it up. So, don’t fret - keep praying about it, and when/if the time is right, trust me, you will know. He will tell you.

 

[BobP123]

ETA- I don’t see anything wrong with some women wanting to wear something. That’s very nice. What bothers me is when people go around saying women should have to.

gbgm-umc.org/umw/corinthians/veils.stm

 

[movingmom]

I thought the OP meant that thoughts would be going through her mind like “is everyone looking at me?” and make her feel uncomfortable, as opposed to paying attention to the Mass. If she is the only one wearing a headcovering it may be distracting to her. You really have to be a special person to not worry about what other people think when you stand out in a crowd. I think it is beautiful to wear a headcovering and I admire the 1 person in my church (out of over 1200 per Mass) that covers her head, but I just couldn’t do it out of my own insecurity. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Margita]

This is the second or third thread I see here about head coverings. Let me share my view with you.
I come from Central Europe, and I have never ever seen a woman with a mantilla in church. Never. Older women wear hats or those simple triangular veils (“granny-style”), but headcovering as you discuss it here is just not an issue!! And honestly, after reading these posts, I cannot see why it should be an issue.

Jesus is present in the church. Everyone should acknowledge that and behave in a reverent, devout way. However, those who insist on headcoverings: should we focus on our own reverent behaviour, or on Jesus? A mantilla or whatever is really only important (and right) if it helps you to pay better attention to Jesus. But if you wear it to convince yourself of your own modesty, or to emphasize your “proper” attitude - don’t wear it.

As for mantillas helping women to reclaim their feminity - I do not think the church is the proper place to clear up gender identity questions. Again, we should focus on God, not on ourselves, or our womanliness! I do not want to feel womanly in church, I want to feel devout and prayerful!! If you wear a mantilla to “reclaim your femininity”, that is nearly as bad as wearing a fancy hairstyle or jewellery.

Personally, I think this is not a cardinal question at all. It is simply a matter of dress. The Lord looks at the heart, not the hair.

 

[BobP123]

Personally, I think this is not a cardinal question at all. It is simply a matter of dress. The Lord looks at the heart…

 

[m134e5]

Negative statement? How is showing respect and reverence a negative statement?

It is a negative statement when it looks like you are doing it to be rebellious, or to make everybody else think you are holier than them.

I have to wonder why distracting thoughts would be going through your head at a very reverent Traditional Mass just because you are wearing a head covering.

Lace brushing up against your ears and neck is probably distracting. Doing something abnormal and wondering who is looking at you is probably distracting. Rest assured there will be saints one day who have never even touched a veil except perhaps a wedding veil. There are also plenty of souls in hell of women who wore veils at every Mass they went to.

 

[Idyllwilde]

I didn’t read all of the posts, but I, too, must do without the veil. I feel so pretentious, even though most of the other women are wearing them. I simply can’t concentrate.

I think it comes from my parents making us (my five sister and I) wear them to mass when we were growing up (at our parish church) and I just wanted to die. I guess I associate it with that. It’s rather silly to judge someone by whether they wear a veil or not.:dts: