Why we Veil.

2 I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you. 3 But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man,[a] and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. 6 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 woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.— 1 Corinthians 11:2-16

I think many women have struggled to embrace these words St. Paul speaks to us in this letter to the Corinthians. I know I have. I often looked at women who veil with a sort of disdain. I would think to myself, “ Who does she think she is?” or “That must make her feel superior to the rest of us.” It was not until I asked my friend why she veiled that I began to uncover the beauty of this tradition of the Catholic Church.

A little less than a year ago, two of my friends were talking about which Latin Mass they would attend that weekend. After hearing about the Traditional Rite for so long I finally asked the question: “Why?” Why is Latin Mass so uncommon to hear of, why is it different from Novus Ordo rite, and the one most on my heart: why do you veil? After my questions were answered, I not only had a greater understanding of the Traditional Rite but a more profound sense of my femininity through love of the Lord.

When asking my friend why she veils, she shared an instagram post with me that I would like to share with you.

“The altar because of the Sacrifice that takes place there. Veiled.

The chalice on the altar because it is a sacred vessel. Veiled.

The paten in the subdeacon’s hands from the Offertory to the Pater Noster. Veiled.

The priest’s hands when he holds the monstrance during benediction. Veiled.

Our Lady in devout depictions. Veiled.

The Holy of Holies under the Old Covenant. Veiled.

The tabernacle because it houses the Blessed Sacrament. Veiled.

The Blessed Sacrament, His true Body and Blood, by the accidents of bread and wine. Veiled.

The divinity of our Lord Himself by His human flesh. Veiled.

…and then there’s lowly lowly me in the Divine Presence. Veiled.

What a privilege.” - Our Roman Roots on Instagram

When I read this, my heart was sealed. What a privilege. To share in dignity, respect and beauty with the most sacred aspects of The Catholic Church was truly a privilege. When beginning to do my own research about veiling, I simply typed into my search bar “Why do Catholic women veil?” The answer I found was that veiling is an external sign of a woman’s interior desire to humble herself before the Lord, truly present in the Blessed Sacrament. Wow. Now what woman with that desire would walk around thinking she’s better than everyone else? As I began to dive deeper into what veiling meant to me and my relationship with the Lord, I could not believe I had been so harsh in my judgement of the women around me who did veil.

One of the most profound ways veiling has changed my spiritual life is that it truly makes me feel more dignified. I’ve even heard another young Catholic woman explain veiling as an experience that for an hour where she feels as though she is the bride of Christ. I truly could not agree more. It is in the moments, like when I am veiled before the Lord, that I simply feel like his daughter.

Veiling invites me to be feminine with the heart of Christ at the fore front of my mind. So I hope that the next time you encounter a veiled woman, you see her as the dignified daughter that she is and not how I would have judged her.

“Woman, because she was created by being drawn from man’s side, is constantly trying to return to him. She desires the original unity of one flesh and one bone. The desire for unity between man and woman is a mirror of the relationship between Christ and the soul. A woman longs for union with man in human relationships; she is also drawn to unity with God. He calls her to become one with Him: to come under His side and become flesh of His flesh and bone of His bone. This occurs during reception of the Eucharist. The covering of the head with a veil symbolizes the reality of woman sheltered in the side of her Source and becoming one with Him. She becomes covered and hidden in her Divine Spouse.”

- Excerpt from “The Chapel Veil: Symbol of the Spouse of Christ” on St. John Chrysostom’s theology of the veil.