Veil

[dreamingformore]

I think it’s awesome people my age (I just graduated college) do it! I’m pretty new to my parish, and what I’ve heard is that no one was veiling. A woman from Spain moved here and she did it- slowly people are picking it back up! I’ve heard others say THEY started it… whatever. Either way it’s beautiful!

I guess I worry about being questioned more b/c my husband teaches at the catholic high school associated with our church, and I substitute there… I see my kids (that I teach) all the time! It really keeps me on my toes on what I wear, do say, and even think!

 

[reindeer]

I returned to the church a year ago after a 45 year absence. I am disabled and receive
a small amount of money monthly. I had to consider the cost of a veil. My priest told me
I didn’t have to wear a veil. Being free to choose I decided I wouldn’t wear one, but it
was nice that my priest gave me that freedom.

 

[Student09]

I returned to the church a year ago after a 45 year absence. I am disabled and receive
a small amount of money monthly. I had to consider the cost of a veil. My priest told me
I didn’t have to wear a veil. Being free to choose I decided I wouldn’t wear one, but it
was nice that my priest gave me that freedom.

If you go to a thrift shop you may be able to find a nice scarf for only a few dollars, or an inexpensive hat. I’m not saying you must cover your head, but there is no reason why cost should prevent anyone who wants to cover her head from doing so.

 

[ZoeFaith]

I was very happy to come across this topic! I am not Catholic yet, but I do cover. I wasn’t sure though whether it was just the lace veils that Catholic women wore, or if wearing my scarves as tichels and hijabs would still be appropriate. I have several scarves- I admit, I’m a bit obsessed with them- and a few two-piece al-amira hijabs.

 

[Rence]

Hey! I’ve been lurking around here but finally got around to creating a login!

I’m curious to women here- do you wear the veil? Why?

I’m interested in starting, but I’m self-conscious about wearing it. A few at my church do and I love it. I partially am intimidated that people will question me about why and I won’t be able to support it well- basically I think it’s beautiful and historically important- symbolic of chastity.

Sorry if this is a repeat of a post- I’m still figuring out how to look through old posts and find what I want.

I do not wear the veil. But I hate hate hate hearing about those who want to wear it feeling self-conscience. It bothers me that others make you feel uncomfortable or self conscience…or maybe you are making youself feel self consious But I think you most certainly should wear it if you are being called to do so, or if you just want to, or whatever. It doesn’t ever bother me to see someone with a head covering. Some of them are really pretty. And actually, I’ve never heard anyone criticizing another person for wearing a head covering. You don’t need to be able to support your choice to veil. You don’t need to defend your choice to veil. If you want to be nice and polite if someone asks, you can tell them that you think it’s beautiful and historically important - symbolic of chastity…and that’s it.

I have only seen a handful of Catholics wearing a veil. Most of the women I know that veil (that I now of in real life) are Jewish or Amish…or even Muslim. I’ve even met non-denominational Bible fundamentalists who wear them just simply because the women in the Bible wore them. There’s nothing wrong with wearing or not wearing a veil. If you want to, you should, and don’t worry about what another person thinks. They may just think your headcovering is very pretty

 

[Robert_Burns]

Hey! I’ve been lurking around here but finally got around to creating a login!

I’m curious to women here- do you wear the veil? Why?

I’m interested in starting, but I’m self-conscious about wearing it. A few at my church do and I love it. I partially am intimidated that people will question me about why and I won’t be able to support it well- basically I think it’s beautiful and historically important- symbolic of chastity.

Sorry if this is a repeat of a post- I’m still figuring out how to look through old posts and find what I want.

Why?

1 Cor 11

1 Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ.

2 Now I praise you, brethren, that in all things you are mindful of me: and keep my ordinances as I delivered them to you.

3 But I would have you know *that the head of every man is Christ: and the head of the woman is the man: and the head of Christ, is God.

4 Every man praying or prophesying with his head covered, disgraceth his head.

5 But every woman praying or prophesying with her head not covered, disgraceth her head: for it is all one as if she were shaven.

6 For if a woman be not covered, let her be shorn. But if it be a shame to a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her cover her head.

7 The man, indeed, ought not to cover his head: because he is the *image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of the man.

8 For the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man.

9 *For the man was not created for the woman, but the woman for the man.

10 Therefore ought the woman to have a power over her head, because of the Angels.

11 But yet neither is the man without the woman, nor the woman without the man, in the Lord.

12 For as the woman is of the man, so also is the man by the woman: but all things of God.

13 Judge you yourselves: doth it become a woman, to pray to God uncovered?

14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that a man, indeed, if he nourish his hair, it is a shame to him:

15 But if a woman nourish her hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering.

16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor the church of God.

 

[myangelmarc]

If you have the urge to wear a veil, go ahead and do so. It just might be the Holy Spirit calling you to do so. I grew up before Vatican II when ladies HAD to cover their heads in Church, and I have never stopped covering my head. Personally for me it is a sign of respect for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. I wear a mantilla most of the time and have found some beautiful ones in thrift shops very reasonable in price.There are quite a few women and girls in my parish that cover their heads. Good luck with your decision.

 

[wisdomseeker]

Hey! I’ve been lurking around here but finally got around to creating a login!

I’m curious to women here- do you wear the veil? Why?

I’m interested in starting, but I’m self-conscious about wearing it. A few at my church do and I love it. I partially am intimidated that people will question me about why and I won’t be able to support it well- basically I think it’s beautiful and historically important- symbolic of chastity.

Sorry if this is a repeat of a post- I’m still figuring out how to look through old posts and find what I want.

yes, i do. sometimes i am the only wearing it. i wear because it has always been this way until the modernists took over the Church and begin changing things. i dont obey the modernists.

 

[HCC]

Seeing this thread gives me great pride. Knowing that the daughters of the Church, our sisters in Christ are so deeply concerned with giving God their best.

Surely, the verse from Proverbs applies to all of you: “Who shall find a valiant woman? far, and from the uttermost coasts is the price of her.”

 

[dreamingformore]

Why?

1 Cor 11

15 But if a woman nourish her hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering.

16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor the church of God.

It is hard to tell from translation, b/c it sounds like “for her hair is given to her for a covering.” is her hair is the covering, which is obviously not what it implied, but that sentence does say… I think I’m going to start soon, either way. I want to talk to my husband and see what he thinks, and one of the women in the choir has offered to bring me one to borrow! I’m nervous!

 

[kamaan]

It is hard to tell from translation, b/c it sounds like “for her hair is given to her for a covering.” is her hair is the covering, which is obviously not what it implied, but that sentence does say… I think I’m going to start soon, either way. I want to talk to my husband and see what he thinks, and one of the women in the choir has offered to bring me one to borrow! I’m nervous!

Don’t be nervous! I was a nervous wreck before my first time until someone told me “Stop worrying and just do it”. Seriously, I don’t think anyone will say anything. And the sense of peace (I don’t really know how to describe it) that you get while wearing it is worth it. I’ll be praying for you that your experience goes well

 

[odile53]

Having gone to high school during the just-past Vatican II days, I have to admit I was a little more than intrigued when I saw that there is what appears to be a fairly recent trend toward Catholic women wearing head coverings of some sort or another to Mass, at least.

I recall when Sister was teaching about St. Paul’s admonition when I was in high school. Wish I had listened more closely, and that was quite a few years ago, but this is what I recall about her lecture on the subject.

In ancient Rome, women wore very elaborate hairstyles, so much so that they were a distraction at Mass. I can imagine that this would have been a real problem in a catacomb. Sister said that St. Paul was trying to remove this distraction.

Remember, this was a long time ago, and religion class wasn’t something that I was always fully alert in. So I have no idea whether Sister was talking off the top of her head, or whatever. But it did make sense from a cultural context. And she was very fond of explaining the whys and wherefores of things that seemed somewhat obscure.

Women had just recently ditched wearing hats to church. And usually, it was a hat that they wore. Chapel veils were little circles of lace, made to carry in one’s purse, that were convenient in case one wished to pop into church for an impromptu weekday visit to the Blessed Sacrament. The alternative was a sheet of Kleenex bobby-pinned to one’s hair, or maybe even a fold-up plastic rain cap. And back in those days, you used to be able to pop into the church on a weekday for an impromptu visit with the Blessed Sacrament. Church doors were open. It’s a sad commentary on our society that churches for the most part are locked when there is no liturgy going on inside. Very sad.

Fast forward to today: Like I said, I found myself charmed about this revival. So I started hunting online for chapel veils and mantillas.

I was astonished at the prices! Thirty five bucks??? They used to cost maybe $1.50 when they were ubiquitous.

I was also charmed by the variety available.

I know myself well enough to know that I have the uncanny ability to have a bad motive underlie a good, innocent, and even noble action. It’s part of my character, and I try to be always on guard against doing something that seems to be good before I can discern exactly why I am doing it. This is a trend I noticed years and years ago, and it has been a subject of discussion with my confessor. I was advised to use prayer, prudence and discretion in my affairs, especially when I initially felt called to do something that I really wouldn’t have thought of on my own.

As I looked at the various styles available, the prettier and more expensive veils caught my eye. It seems that those pretty pieces of lace were calling me, not necessarily the Holy Spirit. My initial response to all of this was intrigue—was I being called by the Holy Spirit, or the spirit of vanity and the need to distinguish myself in some, albeit insignificant way?

So I don’t know where I stand on this. I have to pray and let it percolate a little in my brain. I think I will know that I ought to veil and that my motives are pure in this when I would, without hesitation, bobby pin a piece of Kleenex to my hair, and march right up the main aisle at 11 o’clock mass.

This is just for me, based on my own observations of my own personality and character. I have to be very sure of why I am doing something before I do it. There have been instances in my life where what seemed to be a good idea at the time turned out to be the very devil in the details. My take on this is not meant to detract in any way from whatever anyone else is doing or not doing. I have no desire to discourage anyone who believes she is truly called to this, but I needed to get this off my chest in the arena of other women. A priest, although Christ’s representative, is a man, and may not be fully cognizant of the nuances of motive that I may be discerning.

I do support those of you who have chosen to veil, but I am not sure if I ought to do this myself. Therefore, no offense is meant by my observations of my own thoughts (so far) on this matter, nor should any be taken.

 

[Student09]

This is just for me, based on my own observations of my own personality and character. I have to be very sure of why I am doing something before I do it. There have been instances in my life where what seemed to be a good idea at the time turned out to be the very devil in the details. My take on this is not meant to detract in any way from whatever anyone else is doing or not doing. I have no desire to discourage anyone who believes she is truly called to this, but I needed to get this off my chest in the arena of other women. A priest, although Christ’s representative, is a man, and may not be fully cognizant of the nuances of motive that I may be discerning.

I do support those of you who have chosen to veil, but I am not sure if I ought to do this myself. Therefore, no offense is meant by my observations of my own thoughts (so far) on this matter, nor should any be taken.

Hey.

I have avoided chapel veils and mantillas even though I think they’re pretty - or maybe *because *I think they’re pretty - for the reasons you mention: suspicion about my own motives. Also because of shyness. I love to see other women wearing veils, but for now, I have chosen to wear a hat and view it as a mortification. It was very difficult at first but has gotten easier. Another thing you could do is get a really plain, inexpensive veil.

I recently read an article in an old edition of Latin Mass Magazine, by a woman addressing this issue - when she first decided to begin veiling, she wanted to get several veils in different colors, to match her shoes, etc; her husband told her to get one black veil and stick with that, and she did. Actually, it was a pretty funny article. But that is our corrupted human nature - good spiritual practices like fasting, penance, covering the head can become, for us, temptations to pride. Some people confusedly think that this means we should not fast or cover our head; but that is a mistake. There will always be temptations. We have to not let the devil discourage us from practices that are good, healthy, and have the approval (if not the mandate) of the Church.

 

[kamaan]

I recently read an article in an old edition of Latin Mass Magazine, by a woman addressing this issue - when she first decided to begin veiling, she wanted to get several veils in different colors, to match her shoes, etc; her husband told her to get one black veil and stick with that, and she did. Actually, it was a pretty funny article. But that is our corrupted human nature - good spiritual practices like fasting, penance, covering the head can become, for us, temptations to pride. Some people confusedly think that this means we should not fast or cover our head; but that is a mistake. There will always be temptations. We have to not let the devil discourage us from practices that are good, healthy, and have the approval (if not the mandate) of the Church.

I dunno… if I had money to spend, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy some of these:

headcoverings-by-devorah.com/





garlandsofgrace.com/products-page/one-of-a-kind/cecilys-hayride/

http://www.garlandsofgrace.com/prod.../index.php?image_id=1171&width=400&height=400

I don’t think there is anything wrong with wanting to wear nice head coverings! We should give God our best, eh?

 

[dreamingformore]

@Odile

I don’t think there is anything wrong for wearing pretty ones. It would be like saying “I need to dress modestly for mass. I should not dress beautiful for mass though- that would be vain- so I’ll wear a brown potato sack!” The veil is part of your outfit. Although knowing your intention is good, it is b/w you and God. You also would be watched more (one of my fears!) Veils often give a holier-than-thou appearance to people- I’d hate for people to see what and be watching to see what mistakes I make! That’s one of my big nervous fears!!

I’ve read a lot of reasons for why Paul wrote about this. I’ve read that it goes along with the “women wear women’s clothing, men wear men.” I’ve read it’s about submission to man (aka the husband, father, priest, etc) authority over her. I’ve read it was to remind women of their role in the church (often to be quiet, remember they would debate and stuff at temple- a place of learning and discussion- not just lecture) and if they had to speak, it showed they were aware they weren’t the ones in charge…

So I have no idea! I talked to my husband about it, and he said I need to discern if GOD is calling me to do this. I, as an individual and human, want to have “reasons” for people, but the fact is- If I feel I am supposed to be doing this, that’s enough.

 

[Student09]

I don’t think there is anything wrong with wanting to wear nice head coverings! We should give God our best, eh?

I never said there was anything wrong with wearing a nice head covering. What I meant was, if fear of vanity is stopping you from covering your head, then wear something that looks respectable but isn’t especially decorative or attention-grabbing. If fear of expense is stopping you from covering your head, then wear something that is inexpensive but still looks respectable.

Women put so many obstacles for themselves in the way of following a practice that is really simple and straightforward. I’m just trying to point out that these obstacles are mostly in our imagination.

 

[kamaan]

I never said there was anything wrong with wearing a nice head covering. What I meant was, if fear of vanity is stopping you from covering your head, then wear something that looks respectable but isn’t especially decorative or attention-grabbing. If fear of expense is stopping you from covering your head, then wear something that is inexpensive but still looks respectable.

Women put so many obstacles for themselves in the way of following a practice that is really simple and straightforward. I’m just trying to point out that these obstacles are mostly in our imagination.

I was only half-responding to you, I just hear that “vanity” accusation a lot. Plus it gave me an excuse to post pictures of some pretty veils

You make a good point about women putting obstacles between themselves and veiling.

And to dreamingformore, there are other reasons for women to veil besides the “submission to men” reason. From fisheaters.com/theveil.html :

This one superficially small act is:

-so rich with symbolism: of submission to authority; of surrender to God; of the imitation of Our Lady as a woman who uttered her “fiat!”; of covering our glory for His glory; of modesty; of chastity, of our being vessels of life like the Chalice, the Ciborium and, most especially, Our Lady;

-an Apostolic ordinance – with roots deep in the Old Testament – and, therefore, a matter of intrinsic Tradition;

-the way Catholic women have worshipped for two millennia (i.e., even if it weren’t a matter of Sacred Tradition in the intrinsic sense, it is, at the least, a matter of ecclesiastical tradition, which also must be upheld). It is our heritage, a part of Catholic culture;

-pragmatic: it leaves one free to worry less about “bad hair days”;

-and for the rebels out there, it is counter-cultural nowadays, you must admit!

 

[Student09]

I was only half-responding to you, I just hear that “vanity” accusation a lot.

To be clear, I do not think that wearing a beautiful veil is vain. Not at all! I love to see beautiful veils, wear more of them! But if you are so afraid of being vain that it is keeping you from covering when you otherwise would, there are ways around that.

Honestly, I think women covering their heads in church must **really **annoy the devil, because I can think of no rational explanation for all the fears and anxieties and scruples that women experience when they begin covering or thinking about it. I have experienced them, too.

 

[odile53]

Update: It was chilly and windy today (it has dropped forty degrees in two days in these parts, with sustained winds of 30 mph.) So I wore a scarf over my head to Mass, more out of fear of making my cold worse and having to untangle my waist-length hair than anything else. I left it on when I got inside, because the parish caretaker hasn’t turned off the air conditioning yet, which seemed to be going full-blast. It’s a N/O parish.

Nobody seemed to notice or care one way or another. And nobody else had anything on their head, either.

Still not sure how I feel about this, though. Not sure if the unseasonably cool and windy weather was some kind of nudge or not, or if I should take it as such.

But it was nice not having to untangle my hair.

 

[kamaan]

To be clear, I do not think that wearing a beautiful veil is vain. Not at all! I love to see beautiful veils, wear more of them!

I wasn’t trying to accuse you of saying that, sorry if it looked that way We are of the same opinion on this topic.

Update: It was chilly and windy today (it has dropped forty degrees in two days in these parts, with sustained winds of 30 mph.) So I wore a scarf over my head to Mass, more out of fear of making my cold worse and having to untangle my waist-length hair than anything else. I left it on when I got inside, because the parish caretaker hasn’t turned off the air conditioning yet, which seemed to be going full-blast. It’s a N/O parish.

Nobody seemed to notice or care one way or another. And nobody else had anything on their head, either.

Still not sure how I feel about this, though. Not sure if the unseasonably cool and windy weather was some kind of nudge or not, or if I should take it as such.

But it was nice not having to untangle my hair.

Definitely a sign from God