And also a little about Lourdes…at last.

To put it upfront, it was a difficult decision for me to write this post. Well, at least the second half of that title.

Today is the Feast of Corpus Christi in the Catholic Faith, and it was providence that had me work on a graphic on the Feast of Corpus Christi this week at my internship. This feast day celebrates the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, and it is the total essence of the Catholic Church. The Eucharist is the physical presence of God in our lives. The moment of consecration is the moment where Heaven and earth come together, and a miracle happens. I started feeling something in my heart when I was sixteen years old. This was around the time when I started going to Adoration on a monthly basis at my high school. At first I only went for the social aspect. But as I kept going and going, it was something I realized I couldn’t live without. I needed to lay at the feet of Jesus for that hour and pray. I continued going until I graduated from high school.

As I went to college, I went less frequently, but the hunger for Christ never left me. At Mass, the consecration is still the most powerful thing I have ever experienced and ever will experience, and it is profound every time it happens (whether I am there or not). I started receiving the Eucharist on the tongue at some point in the fall of my Sophomore year because it felt much more appropriate to receive that way. Fast forward to the beginning of my Junior year of college, and I was following a Catholic lady on Instagram named Maria (@adorotejesu), and I realized that she wears a veil to Mass. I only remember seeing one person wear a veil on campus, and I didn’t exactly know why she was wearing it; I only knew that I wanted to know why. I had done some light research, and I was really moved at what I found. It seemed that the veil, once required before Vatican II, was coming back. Not like a fashion statement. Because more and more young women felt just the way I feel at Adoration and at Mass. We realize that Jesus is right here with us, and it is only right for us to acknowledge His presence. I’m not saying Vatican II is bad of course, but I think it’s a shame that veiling has been deemed old-fashioned and unnecessary. Early on in Junior year, one of my friends (different young lady than before) wore a veil to one of the Masses. I felt a stirring in my heart. Was God calling me to veil?

I put off getting a veil because I defensively thought something along the lines of: Jesus is in the Eucharist whether or not you wear a veil. People are just going to judge you. You don’t need to wear it anyway. And that worked for a while. But Maria’s videos and Instagram stories kept working on my heart. In March, I found out I was selected to go on a service pilgrimage to Lourdes, France. The small stirring I found in my heart grew stronger than it had ever been before. I would start veiling when I got to Lourdes. Finally, I had the courage to just buy a veil.

Because I am the way I am, I did more in depth research about veiling before I committed. And what I found only convinced me more to adopt it. I know there are already many resources on the internet about veiling, so I won’t list all of them here, but I can link a few helpful resources here, here (Father Mike Schmitz), and here. (And here is a piece that argues that veiling is bad and evil…something I disagree with.) Nonetheless, the one thing that stuck with me the most was this: If people are so worried about your veil and so bothered by your demonstration of reverence to the One who made you, then maybe they are going to Mass for all the wrong reasons. This was definitely the thing I read that empowered me to actually do it, but the main reason I chose to veil was because of the Eucharist. A close second was that Our Lady is always veiled, and anyone who knows me knows that I have an incredibly deep devotion to her. She was the reason I chose a light blue veil.

So, I did wear the veil in Lourdes! The first time I put it on, I was at home in my room, and I remember feeling super happy about it. But when I put it on for Mass, it was totally different. The Mass was heightened even more than it already is because I had a physical reminder that Jesus was there with us (other than in the Eucharist, of course). Unfortunately, I have faced some judgements from those close to me now that I am home, and I admit that it cuts really deep. But I don’t wear the veil now that I am in the US, which I think is a shame. I will pray about and consider my calling to veil again, and hopefully soon I will be wearing it again, maybe at Mass this Sunday (and maybe I’ll get another color too in the future). I do continue to pray just as I used to, which is fine, but the veil is a sign to others of the Real Presence. Although most Catholics know, sometimes we go through the motions, myself included, and the Real Presence goes on the back burner. But it shouldn’t. We get the chance every day of the week to experience a miracle. Many people find themselves praying for miracles to happen in their lives, when all they have to do is go to Mass and experience one right in front of their eyes. I think that it’s a sign that God truly loves us because He gives us the chance to celebrate the gift of His Son each and every day.

Me receiving the Eucharist at the Grotto in Lourdes

So in short, the reason I chose the veil was not to show off (if a woman does wear it to show off, that is her problem…it doesn’t change the fact that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist…and no one is really in a place to judge her anyway). I chose it because the True Presence of Jesus is something I want to honor and respect, and -my second reason- because Jesus’ Mother wore a veil. I cannot think of two better reasons. Now, this isn’t intended to convince or shame women who choose not to veil. If women feel uncomfortable wearing a veil, then of course they shouldn’t wear it. I just wanted to bring to light, at least in my circle of friends and family, the returning tradition of veiling.

Finally, in honor of the Feast of Corpus Christi (which will also be celebrated at Mass this Sunday), I will go to Adoration this week. Please let me know of any intentions I can pray for!

In Christ,