Veiling and You: 5 Things Catholic Boys and Girls Should Know

The devotion of wearing a veil is seeing a definite upswing throughout the country. This is evidenced by first time sales by veiling companies as well as the rapid growth of veiling groups in social media. One such group to which I belong, has seen its numbers grow from 10 to 700+ - since February! Lively discussions, education, and camaraderie are seen on a daily hourly basis. Today, one of the ladies posed a question:

I'm thinking my daughter and I will wear full veils this weekend. Any tips on veil apologetics for a 6 year old?

Her question was the perfect catalyst to set me into action. I wanted to include young men in the discussion because they should also be made aware. After all, we are training them to respect women and their special place in God's plan. This may be an evolving list, but here are five ideas I can readily share:

1.) Women are very special in the eyes of God. He made them to nurture new life and to be the complimentary (different, yet equally important) partner to men. The most special woman ever born was Mary, the Mother of God. God asked something very difficult from her - he wanted her to be the mother of His Son, Jesus. When she said 'yes' to Him, she showed us how we should react when we are asked to do something for God. If you look at pictures or statues of Mary, you will see that she has her head covered with a veil. One of the ways we can try to be like her is to do the same. Saying 'yes' to God, no matter what He asks, and showing that we understand He created us in a special way by wearing a veil, are two ways we can honor Him.

2.) Since women and girls are special and want to honor God, they should show respect when they go to His house. When we go to an important place or have a special occasion in our lives, we dress a certain way. We wear our very best on Easter, Christmas, birthdays, and weddings. When we go to God's house (church), we are certainly going somewhere very important! That's why we should do our very best to give honor to God by looking our best. In addition to wearing their best clothing, women and girls can also show Him how much they love Him and His mother by wearing a veil.

3.) Notice things in the church itself. You will see that the altars are decorated with flowers and candles. We have beautiful statues and Stations of the Cross. We also see that holy things are often covered. During Holy Week, the statues and crucifix are covered with a veil. The Eucharist, which is Jesus Himself, is also covered when not being given to the people during Holy Communion. Even the tabernacle has a veil behind its doors - to show how special the Contents are. As the beautiful flowers in God's garden, women and girls can put on a veil to show that they know they are His.

4.) Wearing a veil can also be a big help when we are trying very hard to concentrate during Mass. Do you ever notice that sometimes you feel distracted and start daydreaming during Mass? Maybe someone beside you is fidgeting or maybe there is something else going on that keeps you from your prayers. Wearing a veil can keep you on track - just like using Rosary beads to pray can keep you focused on what you're supposed to be doing.

5.) Wearing a veil whenever you're in church is a way to show what's going on inside (your thoughts, prayers, and love of God), on the outside. The priest wears his vestments to show us that he is acting in the person of Christ during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Married people wear a wedding ring to show that they belong to each other. Religious sisters and nuns wear habits to show that they have given their lives to Jesus. Wearing a veil shows that a woman or girl belongs to God. It helps others see that they are serious about doing what God wants them to do.

I hope this brief list will help begin a fruitful discussion of veiling with your children. Please share any other thoughts in the comment section below. If you know of someone who is contemplating the devotion of veiling, feel free to share this post. God bless!