A Lost Tradition That I Practice - Wearing a Veil

First Holy Communion of Therese, December 6, 2013

I was teary-eyed yesterday when Therese had her first Holy Communion in her school. I myself wore a veil as is now my custom when I attend Holy Mass.

It used to be that women wore veils to Mass, but it seems it has been phased out or is no longer uso (in vogue).

What is the significance of the veil?

From the website http://www.catholicplanet.com/women/veil.htm  , it says there that:

Wearing the veil during Mass shows devotion to the Virgin Mary. 
The veil symbolizes the Virgin Mary's meekness and humility, as well as her submission and obedience to Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior.


1 Corinthians 11:3-10

"But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a woman is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. Any man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but any woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled dishonors her head—it is the same as if her head were shaven. For if a woman will not veil herself, then she should cut off her hair; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her wear a veil.

For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. (For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.) That is why a woman ought to have a veil on her head, because of the angels..."

1 Corinto 11:3-10

 “Ang pangulo ng bawa’t lalake ay si Kristo; at ang pangulo ng babae ay ang lalake; at ang pangulo ni Kristo ay ang Diyos. . . . Ang bawa’t babaing nananalangin o nanghuhula na walang lambong ang kaniyang ulo ay inaalisan ng dangal ang kaniyang ulo . . . Sapagka’t ang lalake ay hindi dapat maglambong sa kaniyang ulo, palibhasa’y larawan siya at kaluwalhatian ng Diyos; nguni’t ang babae ay siyang kaluwalhatian ng lalake. Sapagka’t ang lalake ay hindi nagmula sa babae, kundi ang babae ay nagmula sa lalake; at hindi nilalang ang lalake dahil sa babae, kundi ang babae dahil sa lalake. Dahil dito’y nararapat na ang babae ay magkaroon sa kaniyang ulo ng tanda ng kapamahalaan dahil sa mga anghel.”

Wearing the veil during Mass shows submission and obedience to Christ and to the Catholic Church. 
Wearing the veil during Mass is an acknowledgement that a woman's role in the Church, the family, and society is different from a man's role.

1 Corinthians 14:33-35.

"As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silence in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be subordinate, as even the law says. If there is anything they desire to know, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church."

 My veil 

1 Corinto 14:33-35

"Gaya ng dapat mangyari sa lahat ng iglesya ng Diyos. Ang mga babae’y kailangang tumahimik sa mga pagtitipon sa iglesya. Sapagkat hindi ipinahihintulot sa kanila ang magsalita sa gayong pagkakatipon; kailangang sila’y pasakop gaya ng sinabi ng Kasulatan. Kung mayroon silang nais malaman, magtanong sila sa kanilang asawa pagdating sa bahay; sapagkat kahiya-hiyang magsalita ang isang babae sa loob ng iglesya."

A married woman who wears the veil during Mass is also acknowledging her husband as the head of her family.

Ephesians 5:21-24

"Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands."

Efeso 5:21-24

“Mga babae, pasakop kayo sa sari-sarili ninyong asawa tulad ng pagpapasakop ninyo sa Panginoon. Sapagkat ang lalaki ang ulo ng kanyang asawa, tulad ni Cristo na siyang ulo ng iglesya, na kanyang katawan at siyang Tagapagligtas nito. Kung paanong nasasakop ni Cristo ang iglesya, gayundin naman, ang mga babae ay dapat pasakop nang lubusan sa kanilang asawa.”

This devotion is for women only. Women may wear the veil, men may not. A woman's role in the Church, the family, and society, is meant by God to be different than a man's role.

1 Tim 2:11-12

"Let a woman learn in silence with all submissiveness. I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over men; she is to keep silent."

Timoteo 2: 11-12

 "Ang babae'y kailangang tumahimik sa panahon ng pag-aaral at lubos na pasakop. Hindi ko pinapayagang ang babae ay magturo o mamahala sa mga lalaki; kailangang tumahimik siya.

* I am a Catholic, and am only beginning to learn to read the Bible, and so the passages on being quiet as in "manahimik!" are not very clear with me , but I take it to mean that we should be more modest and peaceful rather than know-it-all, boisterous women. :) (Let me consult with Peacefulwife April Cassidy on this. She is more learned than me in the Bible arena. She is a very godly mentor and Christian;) )

You know how they have this joke that the way to tell a Catholic from a Christian [although Catholics ARE Christians] is by the state of their Bible. Christians have them dog-eared and dirty from too much and use and Catholics' Bibles are immaculate and perfect from not being read! Hehe. :)
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I got this idea from April herself. Read about it here :

I love wearing my veil in church and when I pray my rosary or read my Bible.

It reminds me to to be humble towards my husband and to acquiesce to his authority. It reminds me that God will lead me through Dong and that the ultimate test of my faith in God is to allow myself to be led by this imperfect man, whom God has ordained to protect me. :)

I also love wearing scarves over my head when I do housework. It keeps me focused on my role in the family as well as humbles me and reminds me of my submissive role as wife to my husband. After all, a self-reliant over-achiever such as myself, needs 'props' like these because it is so easy to get back the reins and go back to being the stressed out/controlling/nakakaturn off (yucky) Nikka.

My prayer is that all wives, with our without veils or scarves, be reminded of their wonderful, lovely place in the home as 'ilaw ng tahanan' (light of the home) as we Filipinos say of the Filipina wives/mothers. May we learn to submit to our husbands, not because we are inferior (certainly not!) but because we have the strength to empower their leadership. May we all be richly blessed! :)

First Dinner in our New Home, October 2013

P.S. I asked my husband's permission first before I practiced veil and scarf-wearing, as a sign of my respect and submission to him, and he graciously agreed. :)