An account of my discovery of and subsequent journey with the headcovering/veil in the post Vatican II Church.. by Maria delos Angeles
-------------------
I have been going up to women .
I felt an inner calling to do so., in churches in the Westminster diocese
and said to them, quite naturally - nothing forced , nothing
condescending.., "from one woman to another .."
Entre nous., I believe you are missing some blessing here ..
There was a look coming from a deep place in the psyche of all of those
woman with whom I spoke - unveiled in Church, unveiled before the Blessed
Sacrament ,
which when I spoke them about this important subject.. , it seems to me
that what I was conveying to them bypassed the critical faculties - as if
it was going to the depths of the mystery of her womanhood into the very
depths of her soul .
That she acknowledged the truth of what I was saying to her - I believe
because of where I was coming from with it..
Initially some women reacted at bit with some pride .. Who is this person
coming up to me and telling me -
Or
"modesty on the heart " ~
But I believe I saw with a bit of meditation, that that was what it was ..;
pride.
Due to a lack of knowledge, ignorance.., and well.., pride perhaps.
But I believed that what I conveyed penetrated somewhere into depths of the
psyche nevertheless.
One woman obeyed within moments of me passing her a handwritten note in
the.chapel of Adoration.
She reached into her bag and put a scarf over her head .
I think her response was God-fearing and obedient ..
She was wearing the scarf the next time I saw her there.
Women do not know their true identities of who they are called to be as
women, and how they are truly called to serve in the Church .
I do not recognise what they are at times . I think I perceive they are
lacking something in their sense of identity.
I am a woman who covers her head in Church in a culture (in Western
Christendom ) where women have been electing not to cover their heads in
Church.. I believe the reasons for this are socio-cultural. And due to the
lack of education about this important subject .
We tend to follow or be guided by the behaviour of those around us.., and
the customs others are following in the church .
I also elect to cover my head outside of church as well by the way .
The conclusions I have drawn from this journey so far can be further
evidenced below .., the bulk of which I wrote in 2013, lately edited, and
in which I was inspired to write about the believed spiritual effects of
donning the veil, in obedience or submission to what I believe was the Will
of Christ .
I believe exegesis and education should be provided on this subject if it
is not, so that women can make an informed choice whether they wish to use
this external sign (with, I believe, interior spiritual effects) of
headship to Christ and to His Church .
I think women are in danger of behaving in idiosyncratic ways in and
outside of church - disgracing their own head as St Paul says if they are
not doing one of the most important things - admittedly not on pain of sin
- but which is an external expression - I believe with interior effects or
graces providing a key part of their identity as brides of Christ; as
brides of the Church.
What I have seen on the internet about this has further confirmed the
truths of these questions for me .
I think it is and has been very bad for the Church .
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Dec 23, 2017 11:21 AM
Subject: Is there a shortage of exegesis on this subject in the Church
today ?
Subject: A little-known, little thought of, little understood "secret"
weapon that will help me bring the True Faith to Albion ..so help me God ..
In the face of those who do differently (.. Most of which I wrote back in
in 2013 )
Modesty and the covering of women and why I choose , in a liberal, tolerant
multicultural, post- Vatican council II society to veil in Church
I have the choice to talk about this or keep it as a private personal
matter between me and God as the choice to veil is frequently considered a
hidden, humble a faith-based choice, an outward sign of being betrothed to
Christ. I then reasoned that if I dont talk about it, then not as many will
know of the fruits I believe can be conferred on the believer through this
seemingly simple act of faith. I reason that probably the opposer of man's
salvation wouldnt want it being known, so, believing the Holy Spirit is
leading me, I have decide to share my witness on the subject .
I ought to outline before I begin a little bit about my faith background.
Firstly to point out that I am neither a nun or religious ; I havent taken
any vows or public professions as a tertiary . I am a single woman in my
early thirties, who is out in the world. I was re-converted to my catholic
faith of upbringing five years ago after lapsing during my teenage years.
Lately in the past year or so I have been led to embracing the veil /
chapel veil/ mantilla/ headcovering as an outward profession of reverence
for and submission to Almighty God. I make this choice primarily out of a
growing awareness of exactly Who it is I am going to meet in the Blessed
Sacrament of the Altar, and in the House of God.
My faith journey began about five years ago and has seen my involvement in
the Charismatic renewal from early on in this journey (it was through the
renewal movement, which has been described as the "New Pentecost" that I
became converted).
Initially I was more of a receiver of these fruits, and increasingly as I
have been continuing to grow on my faith walk, I have been giving back. To
be a charismatic is to learn to ask for the gifts of the Holy Spirit as
described in in the events of Pentecost, in the Acts of the Apostles. It is
learning to live our Christian vocation as an apostle and ministering to
one another in prayer for each others' needs. We grow in the spiritual
gifts the more we not only become aware of their existence through praying
together in the Spirit (when two or more are gathered, I shall be in their
midst"), but in so doing, we learn to ask for the gifts, for an increase in
these gifts. "Ask and ye shall receive. " Matthew 7:7
There are references in Biblical scripture that the hair of the woman is
her glory one shouldnt approach the altar of God with ones head uncovered
if female.
When in Church, I personally find it a distraction when there are people
who have got large or short mains of dazzling looking hair. It seems clear
that they spend quite a bit of time making themselves look
impressive, something to potentially be proud about ?, and therefore I find
this a distraction away from God, which is where I believe ones attention
should really be most focussed in Church . I believe that God does
condescend to allow us to receive Him, for the sake of those who are
seeking Him, in the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, even if some things we
do are not as perfect as He should like, because the awakening to
His-ways-are-not-Our-ways is frequently a gradual process. He is such a
loving God that I believe He allows each one of us the time we need given
our point on our faith walk, means and state in life, giving us the grace
to find Him in all the ways He desires for us. The cleansing action of the
Holy Spirit is a gentle one, little by little prompting us to
self-examination and the shedding of the layers of the onion so that a new
self, clothed in Christ can be allowed to emerge.
It does occur to me that if one grew up in a pre-Vatican II generation, it
is possible that one has taken for granted some of the blessings and
spiritual benefits of covering in church back in the days when it was
compulsory, than if one really “owned” this blessing and came to it in
light of seeking God's face.
This is not a choice that I arrived at my means of intellect alone, but by
a gradual process of conversion, an inner growing awareness of the sacred
Person of the Blessed Trinity in His Eucharistic presence. I have been
aiming to communicate (receive Holy Communion) on a daily or near-daily
basis now for a couple years. At first I would receive Him on a Sunday, but
in recent times I was drawn to go more often; as often as reasonably
possible. I do so as a lay person, someone out in the world, who is
nevertheless conscious of not being of this world. Each time I do so, I do
so in the awareness that I am inviting the very Person of Christ, who is
the Light of the World, into my being. He is the One who gives true
enlightenment and the grace, without which I am conscious that I could do
nothing. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the most powerful prayer we know
as Christians. I believe and confess that Jesus is really actually present
in the Bread and Wine and the supernatural grace that can be received from
consciously understanding and accepting this truth I believe cannot be
calculated by any human means.
As Padre Pio would say “If we understood the value of the sacrifice of the
Mass , we would be racing there and they would have to put security at the
door! ” (something along those lines)
Would I in this growing awareness, as I allow the Holy Spirit to work in,
mould, fill and use me, convict and banish from me all that is displeasing
to Him, dare approach His Greatness in my poor naked and blind condition
without recognising my nothingness before His Majesty ?
So now I have been led to cover .
I am also a catholic charismatic Christian and involved in an active way in
the Renewal (praying with other Christians for each others needs and asking
for the gifts of the Holy Spirit as described in the Acts of the Apostles )
..
To cite a few known examples in Sacred Tradition of veiling in the catholic
(meaning 'universal') church, there is a Lenten tradition of covering icons
and statues in churches, the more so perhaps to encourage us to appreciate
the beauty and help us reflect on the meanings of what those images
represent. It is a form of Lenten mortification .
One must admit that Our Lady is usually always depicted not only with her
head covered but most all of herself covered, except face and hands, (even
with wrists and ankles frequently covered).
If any part of the anatomy is displayed, you can bet that the human mind
can find a way to think evil thoughts. Its not that the ankle or the wrist
is in itself evil, but the corrupt inclinations of man and that is why I
believe that modesty in church and outside for that matter protects woman
from concupiscence and intrusiveness of the eyes.
I see and now have a better understanding than I did at first as to why God
led me to veiling and the spiritual gifts that come from it by degrees
rather than accepting without question as part of church teaching (ever
since Vatican II abrogated this, it has become a question of personal
choice ).
I believe I am not alone in having an interior struggle regarding this
choice in ways that I wont go into here.
We live in a society where it is not the custom to cover ones head in or
outside a place of worship except for reasons mostly of fashion and
protection from the elements .
I believe that other parts of the world have been given this blessing, this
understanding of the protection and dignity of women, through the Law if
not as a matter of personal choice through faith (one wonders that in some
respects it may be for their good and for the good of society generally),
but this has eluded Western Christendom in modern times due to the twists
and turns of history and sociocultural factors, and we believe “no
compulsion in religion”.
??????????
We live in a secular nation, there is little sense of the reverence due to
God both in the world and often also in Churches; in fact little sense of
anything being sacred any more. Everything is fair game nowadays and up for
parody...
I believe Satan has wanted to snatch this gift out of my hands ever since
the start... he has tried wrestling it away from me in various ways. I
believe that people, including (!) well-meaning religious, do not perhaps
fully realise the great graces that God is wanting to confer on Woman (and
thus on men also, by association) through covering ones head in Church .
Maintaining modesty in clothing and manner at all times.
Sacred Church Tradition has made the link that the veil or headcovering was
blessed by the Holy Face when Veronica gave her veil to help wipe the blood
and sweat from the brow of Jesus on the road to Calvary (one of the
stations of the Cross).
If we seek to understand the true nature of Woman from the point of view of
the plans and purposes of a loving Creator, I feel we will be consciously
seeking to imitate Our Blessed Mother. Sadly I feel that many of my
brothers and sisters in the Protestant Church do not have a particularly
well-evolved understanding as to who the Virgin Mary is, not only as a
woman , but in the fullness of her role in the salvation of mankind.
Was she preaching in the synagogue or did the height of her womanhood lead
her to the home in Nazareth and the raising of the child Jesus ? Sure
things and times change, but from my relations with Protestants who are my
brothers and sisters in Christ, I do feel that there is definite scope for
them to evolve this awareness through earnest seeking.
It is my belief that Our Blessed Mother is the very paragon and model of
womanhood , as having a very distinct meaning from “womanliness”.
Some may say “but you can wear modesty on your heart”
.
The revelation that was given to me is that the covering of head in church
(if female, and approached with humility and obedience to the gentle
inspirations of the Holy Spirit, which is NEVER forceful or puts a person
under compulsion, as in the case of scruples or religious scrupulosity ),
is a secret weapon against rebellion, laxity and lukewarmness in prayer,
and an instant means of mortification of ones natural (unruly, earthly)
passions. You are instantaneously in a prayerful state simply by obeying.
For me the change was instantaneous, and powerful all the more so to the
extent to which the blessing of more fully, spiritually understanding the
true order of Man and Womans' roles had eluded me all my life up until that
very moment.
I think I have been shown that women who do not cover do not know their place, have an invasive presence - I believe, both interiorly and exteriorly in Church and elsewhere ; and I think I was shown that she is unable to prevent herself from reacting out of the nature wounded by sin and by original sin. With the covering of the head in Churrch.., these interior disorders of the spirit are instantly silenced. I think a lot of suffering is avoided this way.
In the earlier days of my Christian walk, I was still fighting an internal
battle against pride, rebellion and ego, and I was aware that my relations
with men were on some level fraught and unredeemed. I believe I was
continuing to gradually die to self, and having made the private
consecration to Our Lady and implementing recomendations of St Louis De
Montfort in the treatise on the True Devotion to Mary .. and taken up the
recitation of the Holy rosary, I had, I believe come across some awesome
means of dying increasingly to the self and to the world, through the hands
of Our Lady.
I only fully realised the unredeemed nature of my relations with men in
light of receiving the great blessing of the veil, not so much at the time
of the strife. I was at the mercy of every single distraction around me in
Church and my mind was not able to focus on the Word of God. It was like
being in a state of hell. The devil did not want me to break free from this
so he found ways to delay my embracing of that gift .
In hindsight I am perhaps glad that I gave myself time to test its fruits ,
and distance myself from it for a while and then return . The fruits really
cannot be disputed.
ALL MY LIFE this was the case... !! And then suddenly I can hear the Word
of God in my spirit when I cover. Not only this but my relations with the
male gender are completely transformed!
Who would have thought that an action as simple as covering the head would
produce such a sense of peace and protection , a sense of being “in my own
sacred space”, collected , spiritually gathered, whilst fully aware of
everything going on around me, in peace and harmony with my neighbours and
able to focus on the Word of God ?
But it not a question of just a simple act, but a gradual process of
surrender, and seeking that docility of spirit to the gentle inspirations
of grace.
The devil did not want me to break free from my private hell of distraction
from that which leads to internal prayer so he found ways to delay my
embracing of that gift .
In hindsight I am perhaps glad that I gave myself time to test its fruits ,
and distance myself from it for a while and then return . The fruits really
cant be disputed.
Fr Philip Wolfe said in one of his sermons that the derivative of the Greek word for the unveiling of the bride has the same meaning or sense as "the Apocalypse" .
(Please see "The theological significance of the veil." youtube.com/watch?v=nqmV8UNYbB8 )
Many blessings flow from this . Why was this denied me my whole life ? Why
was this secret kept from me ?? But then the most precious things are often
hidden or not plainly in sight. And not all that glitters is gold.
I do tend to wear hats or berets sometimes if not a mantilla, but always
with the intention in my heart to humble myself before God. It carries the
same protection I believe , if arrived at in the light of faith and with
the conscious desire to honour God. I do not believe it carries quite the
same blessing as the mantilla, however.
I believe anyone.., Joanne Bloggs , male and female can wear a hat in
church, but it does not have the same interpretation, nor may it carry the
same intention from the wearer... I believe, for those faithful who feel
called to wear the mantilla or chapel veil , I believe that God is wanting
to pour out manifold mysterious graces into souls through this act.
As the external sign is not without interpretation from without. To wear
the mantilla is to make the statement and to not be ashamed of loving
Christ, to being first and foremost before all other creatures, married to
Christ. That doesnt mean to say it is only for single women!
It may seem oxymoronic, but although wearing a headcovering makes you stand
out in this culture at this point in our history, it doesnt actually draw
attention to oneself in the wrong kind of way, because it mortifies one
internally in the right kind of way, if you know what I mean.. I see it as
my 'cloak of invisibility'. God knows the graces He has given to a
particular soul, even if they are not always evident to human eyes .
Up until the point of wearing the veil I felt there was always something
unredeemed in my relationships , particularly with the male gender. When I
made the choice to wear the veil... not only did I suddenly understand,
suddenly become enlightened, but I felt that it taught the male to also
understand my true role and dignity as a woman, and he treated me
accordingly . No conflicts of ego, no more of that particular kind of
strife. As a woman, a man will subconsciously recognise the true beauty
that radiates from the being of a woman who embraces her true dignity, the
dignity for which she was created. A light in him will switch on. I truly
believe that a deep part of his soul was programmed to recognise The Mother
of God as the mother of mankind in the Spiritual Order, whether he is
conscious of this yet or not. The woman can enkindle and water that seed in
him by imitating the spirit of Our Blessed Lady, who was in essence
meekness and humility, echoing the attributes of Jesus “Jesus who was meek
and humble of heart”. You will have peace. You will have harmony, you will
be blessed in your dealings with one another. The great secret is that the
modesty extends even beyond Church once you have removed the headcovering.
Praise God !
There has been so much confusion in society today about the roles of men
and woman, largely to the scourge of feminism and secular atheism. The
wearing of the veil shows not only that man and woman are equal although
different, the man being the initiator and the woman the responder, but I
believe that this is a hidden weapon in the spiritual armoury and the
perfect antidote to rebellion in society today.
It restores the dignity of woman, lost by Eve's disobedience. It protects
the woman, it protects her modesty and her true identity as a woman and as
a living icon of the Church. Veronica = “Vera-icon” = (Veronica's veil).
We are taught to obey the teachings of the Church, as the inspired
instruction of the Holy Spirit the Paraclete, and I will always honour
that. The Church says it is not obligatory to wear the headcovering in
Church, but it also does not say “do not cover” , and respects the right of
the woman, through faith to make that choice for herself, recognising that
she is a conscious being with free will. God Himself also respects that
right, the right of the all people to arrive at their own conclusions. My
apologetics on the subject over.. !
To cover the head is to make the statement “there is something precious
underneath”, a statement that is so frequently lacking in society today. A
woman who is led to the headscarf through faith takes on a hidden quality
of quiet grace. The Mother of Our Lord herself is in many respects hidden,
clothed in the mantle of humility .
This is a hidden shortcut to mortification and grace.
Others can recognise the grace in the woman who seeks God before the love
of and attachment to all creatures.. A woman NEVER needs to chase after a
man. This is not the way of grace. This is REBELLION and a complete
misapprehension of what it is to be Woman.
O Woman, that you might understand and clearly perceive your true dignity ,
the dignity for which God has created you !
I do know that I wouldnt dream of imposing this on anyone, only share my
experience. It defeats the purpose to say someone is obligated. It really
comes down to a question of faith .