Reverting to the Veil...

A few months ago (I believe I've already posted this) I registered my family with a more conservative, traditional parish, Ss. Cyril & Methodius. The Holy Mass there is much more reverent and complete than I have seen anywhere in the past thirty+ years. I have finally found the parish where I can feel at home, and, thankfully, our children have started to feel this way too. Some still attend Holy Mass at other parishes, but they still call this one the most beautiful. One thing we have noticed is how many women there wear the veil to Holy Mass, Eucharistic adoration, whatever service is being conducted at the time, they never come into the church without a head covering. Most do not, of course...this is still the 21st century...but for many, the veil or chapel cap is faithfully worn. My daughters and I have had this conversation before: wear the veil, or not? Most of them probably won't ever wear it, unless they see that it becomes the more common way; they are still young and don't remember it the way I do. But they have all agreed that if I want to wear it, I would not be considered 'weird' or 'too different' ~ seeing that a good portion of the women in this parish wear one all the time. Now, with all that said, I went looking for a good set, as I like the mantilla veils and also chapel caps (I have no preference)...and I found this set (pictured) on eBay, @ 'buy it now' for $10. So, I did!
I have also posted here that I am becoming a member of the Work of the Holy Angels...and as I was doing my reading one day, I came across a passage that tells of the Guardian Angels and how they report to God whether or not a woman in their charge is veiling for Holy Mass, and they tell Him of her submissiveness or of her refusal to submit. And that's what did it for me...if I am to become a member and truly listen to my Angel, then I should really do what he tells me to do!
Years ago, when I was first married, I was reading 'Dear Abby' one day. A woman had written and was complaining that her marriage vows (she was engaged) had the word 'obey' and that she was trying to convince her fiance and her minister to take it out! 'I am not going to be submissive and meek all the rest of my life!' she was saying. 'I am equal to my future husband in everything...and he'd better understand that right now!'
I wrote to Dear Abby myself, and my letter was published...I still have the copy I cut out and saved all those years ago. In it, I quoted from the passage of St. Paul, where he talks about wives being submissive to their husbands, and also telling husbands to love and cherish their wives. It is a two-way street, and in marriage we each play our part. I see veiling for church the same way. We, as women, should have respect for our men, but even more so, for our God. We are not being humiliated or beaten into submission, as this woman so wrongly believed. We are actually put upon a pedestal. We are compared to Our Blessed Lady in all that She was and all that She did. It was all for Her love of God, her Divine Son...and now, see how She is the Queen of Heaven and Earth! There is no one like Her in all of creation ~ nor will there ever be again. Somehow, I don't picture Her giving her Angels (She has many Guardians) a hard time when they advised Her to veil for church (or in Her case, synagogue?)...and I won't be giving mine a hard time, either!
Yes, it will probably feel really strange being under all that black lace (either piece) but I really don't care, I'll get used to it quickly enough...from the Bible itself until today's modern age, some things just never change.
All of the new-age hype after the Second Vatican Council, which was not meant to change so many things anyway, and all of those old-fashioned devotions being taken away from us for all these years...I see them, many of them, making a comeback and I intend to do all that I can to take advantage of that!
Reverting to the veil, for me, is not a sign of my lowliness. It is a sign, to me, of my submission to the Higher Authority Who is my God, my eternal Love, my Delight. It is a sign of His high regard for me as one of His own; He has loved me forever, and only asks that I return the favor. If it pleases Him that I veil, that I make extra visits, attend a daily Holy Mass when I can ~ all with my veil on my head, then so be it. If that is what He asks of me, placing me on a pedestal as a child of His, then I welcome the chance to show Him I accept!
I will wear my veil, and I will wear it humbly ~ and the more I exercise humility, the more I believe that I will be raised someday to the status of Saint.
And isn't that the goal we all share?!?