Veiling is intended to draw our hearts and mind closer to Christ by directing our attention to the altar. Putting on a veil before entering the church reminds us of where we are and gently signals to those around us the sacredness of the space we are about to enter.
In the Church, we veil what is holy, sacred, and life giving. The tabernacle, chalice, altar, and monstrance are all veiled at various times highlighting Christ's presence in the Eucharist. In a similar way, women are life giving vessels. When women veil during Mass, they become a living symbol of that same sacredness, pointing to Christ being truly present on the altar.
In Ephesians 5:22-33, St. Paul describes the Church as the bride of Christ and Christ as the Bridegroom. By veiling, women imitate the posture of the Church, the Bride. In marriage, a husband and wife become a sacramental sign of this relationship. A woman's veil symbolizes the Church in her role as bride of Christ. A bride's veil is a visible sign that she is loved, chosen, and set apart. Veiling mirrors the Church's receptivity, belovedness, openness to grace, and orientation towards the Bridegroom. It becomes a lived reminder of Christ's covenant love.
Veiling also draws us into the hiddenness and mystery of Christ. Veils in the Church do not reject what is hidden but invite us to look deeper with reverence and wonder. Just as Christ is veiled by the bread and wine, chapel veils reflect the way God often works quietly, humbly, and behind the veil of the ordinary.
In 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, St. Paul teaches about divine order and honoring Christ's headship. We see Christ as the head of the Church and the Church responding to Him. When a woman veils, she participates in that symbolic order, pointing directly to Christ’s authority and governance in the life of His Church. St. Paul thanks the church in Corinth for preserving the traditions he handed on to them, reminding us of the importance and meaning of sacred traditions. Veiling gives women a special privilege of participating in this Christ centered tradition. For centuries, women have veiled in worship to take the focus off of themselves and place it entirely on Christ.
Veiling is a devotion that keeps Christ at the center by expressing reverence for His real presence, embracing the posture of the Bride, and entering more deeply into sacred mystery. This beautiful tradition remembers a time when all Christian worship customs were deeply oriented toward Christ’s holiness and majesty.
The veil doesn’t say, “I’m holy,” but rather, “Someone holy is here.”
