I don't think anyone at church has noticed the covering, but I haven't worn a really obvious covering before. I've worn this pink scarf and a similar black one a couple of times like a wide headband. I wore a beret on one occasion. This Sunday I wore my scarf covering my bangs so the covering might have been more obvious. Still, I don't think anyone batted an eye. Whew!
One aspect of headcovering that I haven't thought about before was that it may help me be more charitable and sisterly toward other women. Really, I don't talk to too many people when I go to Mass. I go alone and I always leave at the earliest opportunity because Mass pushes the boundaries of Lillan's nap schedule and she gets pretty darn cranky by the time Mass is over. This Sunday I stopped to admire a baby who was going to be baptized and even asked what her name was. That seems like the tiniest thing, but it's really a struggle for me to reach out to others. I usually seek to mind my own business at all costs. Baby steps, people.
It seems an odd thing to say, but I felt as though the humility of wearing the veil helped me focus on the other rather than myself. I haven't thought a great deal about this aspect of veiling, but it's definitely something to think about. Veiling definitely doesn't make me feel "holier than thou". Just the opposite, actually!
Now I want to think more about how I will make my Advent more holy. Last year was my first Advent as a Catholic. I don't know what I did then, but I would like to make Advent more special and deliberate this year. My husband doesn't want to see any Advent decorations popping up, so I want to respect his wishes on that. My default is to study, study, study. I would like to do something more physical than intellectual. I hope the veil will help me there. I also intend to do a daily rosary and Divine Mercy chaplet during the hour of Divine Mercy (from 3-4 PM). I won God's Bucket List by Teresa Tomeo (lucky me!) from catholicmom.com and hope it comes in soon. Seems perfect for Advent reading!
Well. Food for thought.
Back to Catholic Librarian for more veiling tales :)
I am so glad you won that book! You will love it, I can assure you! Did you read the review on my blog? Of course you did!
ReplyDeleteHow funny that S found us!
Another help for me with Advent is the Magnificat Advent Companion. If you have a smart phone, you can access it there daily! Hope it can be a help.
Praying for you my veil sister,
Cristina
Thanks for the recommendation...$0.99 is definitely available in my budget!
DeleteIt seems to be a common thread...helping us all focus on the Mass...less distracted. And for someone who is distracted by nature, that is a great grace. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYep, it's funny how that works!
DeleteCongrats on winning "God's Bucket List." Great book and very funny in Teresa's characteristic tone :). I enjoyed your post and curious that it helped you focus on "the other." I too am new to Catholicism and this is my first Advent. Funny how some of us "newbies" and converts are the ones most interested in fully engaging Catholicism :). It's such a wonderful gift!
ReplyDeleteI was thinking that it might've had to do with the way that women tend to be competitive when it comes to appearance and covering the hair was covering a source of vanity...but my hair rarely looks good (usually in a bun) so I couldn't really explain that one! My scarf was tied on and the pressure kept reminding me to focus on Mass, so maybe it was an extension of the same thing.
DeleteI'm pretty "keep myself to myself" as well, but I find that because I don't want people to think I'm all "holier than thou" or judgmental that wearing a veil actually makes me friendlier. I smile more and try to seem approachable so that they can see it's not really an abnormal practice, but a beautiful one.
ReplyDeleteYes! I read your blog post about it last night and didn't have a chance to comment yet. I think you hit the nail on the head, and I really do hope it helps me be more friendly because God knows I need to be!
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