Anonymous Author
Some mediation points found at Notre Dame Priory, Tasmania
- All things holy are veiled. A veil is placed over the chalice, over the ciborium, over the tabernacle. It is a sign of respect for the dignity of God’s presence. Like the tabernacle which contains the Bread of Life, women are the tabernacles in which God creates new life.
- As men represent Christ the Bridegroom, so women represent His Bride the Church. As a bride veils herself on the day of her nuptials, so the woman who veils herself in the presence of God acknowledges that she symbolises the Church whom Christ enters to make her fruitful.
- Women who wear a veil in church imitate Mary, the perfect woman, the true Ark of the Covenant in which God united Himself with human nature. Just as the Ark of the Covenant was veiled (see Num. 4:5-6), so Mary is always veiled in all her apparitions.
- Wearing the veil is a way of dressing up for God; it tells Him how honoured the woman feels to be able to enter His house to pray.
- Veiling helps a woman to pray. Just as the priest comes to the altar with his head covered as a sign of recollectedness, so women are helped to pray with greater recollectedness when veiled.
- When women wear a veil in church, they help men to pray, for the veil protects, safeguards and exalts the natural beauty of woman, inspiring men with awe and respect for her dignity.
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Finally, St Paul teaches:
“A woman ought to have a veil on her head, because of the angels.” (1 Corinthians 11:10)
St Thomas Aquinas explains why “because of the angels”: “This can be understood in two ways: in one way about the heavenly angels who are believed to visit congregations of the faithful, especially when the sacred mysteries are celebrated. And therefore at that time women as well as men ought to present themselves honourably and becomingly as reverence to them: “before the angels I sing Thy praise" (Ps 137).
In another way it can be understood in the sense that priests are called angels, inasmuch as they proclaim divine things to the people: “for the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the angel of the Lord of hosts” (Mal 2:7).
Therefore, the woman should always have a covering over her head because of the angels, i.e., the priests, for two reasons: first, as reverence toward them, to which it pertains that women should behave honourably before them. Hence it is said: “with all your might love your maker and do not forsake his priests” (Sir 7:30). Second, as a precaution, lest the sight of a woman not veiled arouse their concupiscence. Hence it is said: “gaze not upon a maiden, lest her beauty be a stumbling-block to thee” (Sir 9:5).