One of the questions that I have been asked several times in recent weeks is why some women wear a veil in Mass.  One of the geniuses of the Mass, and our faith in general, is that our actions and the various symbols do not exist isolated and in a vacuum.  When we wonder why we do a certain thing or what a particular symbol means, we can look around to the Mass and sacred scripture to see the other places and times when the same symbol appears to help us understand its meaning and significance.  So the first question I usually ask in response is: Where do we see the veil used?

Inside the church and during Mass, two places immediately come to mind.  First, the tabernacle is veiled (sadly, too many churches have forgotten about this).  During Mass, the chalice is also veiled.  Very few would suggest that we veil these things to hide their beauty or glory.  Rather, being veiled is a sign that something is among the most valuable things.  In the time of Moses, the veil was placed before the holy of holies.  It literally and practically designated the most sacred space.  The Tabernacle veil also recalls the tent of meeting that was placed over the Ark of the Covenant and place of God’s presence.  So when it is veiled, the people know that God is truly present (it is the veil over the tabernacle, not the candle, that is the primary indication that the Eucharist is within the tabernacle).  Recall also, that Mary, the Mother of God, carries also the name as the Ark of the Covenant and that her veil has been the symbol that she bore the Son of God.

Outside of the physical church, women who have vowed religious life wear the veil.  It is properly placed on them at their profession of vows as a sign that they are a bride of Christ.  Indeed, if you asked random people to name someone that is veiled, most would still say, “a bride”.

Lastly, in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he reminds us that women are the embodiment and the image of the Church.  To see a woman veiled, is to call our thoughts to the bride of Christ, of her great dignity and unique place in the salvation of the world.  The veil should cause everyone who sees it to pause and be attentive that there is something of great worth, to be treasured, that possesses a purity of holiness and to be revered for the gift of life it brings.  And for the one who wears it, the veil serves as a reminder of her dignity and relationship to Christ, the sanctity of her womanhood and gift of motherhood.

While the veil seems to be more associated with the traditional Latin Mass, there has not been any instruction, from Vatican II or after, to stop or even reduce the use of veils in the church or for women.