Image of Our Lady--by me

A couple of years ago I took a picture of the statue in our back yard, and I came across it last night while on the computer.

I have been playing around with my pictures a lot lately and here's my before and after of our statue.

Before

After

Wearing A Veil

Veiling is something I do for several reason's, but mostly because I see it as a great showing of humility in the presence of Our Lord. I first started to wear a veil to Mass after I started attending the TLM, but now I veil no matter what form of Mass I am attending. It was not long after I converted that I started veiling, and that might be why it was such an easy transition for me. I'm sure the decision to start would have been much more difficult if I had grown up in the Church and was not brought up wearing a chapel veil.

I would love to hear your stories or thoughts about veiling. Do you wear a veil to Mass? Do you not wear a veil to Mass? Do you want to? How do you feel about it.?

I found the article about veiling on a newly discovered blog Will You Mantilla With Me, I hope you enjoy it!!

By Sr Patricia Therese, OPB

In ancient traditions dating back even thousands of years, the “veil” represented purity and modesty in many religions and cultures. A veil, or head covering, is both a symbol and a mystical sacrifice that invites the woman wearing it to ascend the ladder of sanctity.

When a woman covers her head in the Catholic Church it symbolises her dignity and humility before God, not men. It is no surprise women of today have so easily abandoned the tradition of the chapel veil (head covering) when the two greatest meanings of the veil are purity and humility.

The woman who covers her head in the presence of the Lord Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is reminding herself that she must be humble before God. As with all outward gestures, if it is practised enough it filters down into the heart and is translated into actions that speak volumes. The “veil” covers what the Lord calls, in Holy Scripture, “the glory of the woman”, her hair. Covering her hair is a gesture the woman makes spiritually to “show” God she recognises her beauty is less than His and His Glory is far above hers.

In doing this she is reminded that virtues cannot grow in the soul without a great measure of humility. So she wears the veil to please God and remind herself to practice virtue more ardently.

There is no other piece of clothing a woman may wear to serve this function. The veil symbolically motivates the woman to “bow” her head in prayer, to lower her eyes before the great and mysterious beauty and power of God in the Blessed Sacrament. By the bowing of her head and lowering of her eyes, she is more able to worship God in the interior chapel of her heart and soul.

The veil or head covering a woman wears gives a beautiful sense of dignity to a woman. When she wears it, she identifies herself with God’s greatest creation, the Blessed and Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God. There was none on earth that loved and loves the Lord Jesus more than the Blessed Virgin Mary. In her love, her humility breathed forth like sweet scented incense before God. The veil she wore symbolised her purity, modesty and of course her profound humility and submission before and to God Almighty.

Those women who love Jesus must come to realise the imitation of His Mother in wearing a chapel veil (head covering) and in other virtues is a small sacrifice to make in order to grow in spiritual understanding of purity, humility and love.

The covering of a woman’s head in Church is a striking reminder of modesty, something old but lost in the society of today. Modesty and purity walk hand in hand.

When a woman veils her head she is shielding her heart to be wooed by the love of God in the Blessed Sacrament. This is a mystical ‘country’ that only the Eternal Father may enter. Her veil is like the lighted lamps of the virgins waiting for the Bridegroom, an indication that she is prepared to receive Him at a moment’s notice; an aureole of her spiritual love for the Bridegroom. Wearing the veil is an act of love of God.

Why should a woman wear a head covering or veil in church? Not to be praised, not to go along, not for tradition’s sake, not to stand out in the crowd, not because you say or I say or anybody says…But because she loves our Eucharistic Lord Jesus and it is another small sacrifice she may offer for her soul’s sake and for the sake of many souls who have no one to offer for them.

Rosary Tips

Here is a list of 4 ways to help prevent distraction during the Rosary.

1) Put yourself in the presence of God and imagine that God and his Blessed Mother are watching you.

2) Imagine that your guardian angel is at your right hand, taking your Hail Marys, if they are well said, and using them like roses to make crowns for Jesus and Mary.

3) Remember that at your left hand is the devil, ready to pounce on every Hail Mary that comes his way and to write it down in his book of death, if they are not said with attention, devotion, and reverence.

4) Do not fail to offer up each decade in honor of one of the mysteries, and try to form a picture in your mind of Jesus and Mary in connection with that mystery.

Source: HERE

Our Sunday

Today we went to Mass at the Church where we were married, and I really wish we could go more often, but it's just too far. The Church resembles an old Spanish mission, but it was built by Italians. The inside is small & beautiful.

The parish Priest, Fr. Marx, is the closest thing to a Saint that we know on earth, and having him be the one to marry us was a blessing.

Paul had arranged for us to meet with Fr. Marx after Mass today so that he could enroll us in the Brown Scapular, since in order to obtain the benefits of the Brown Scapular you must be enrolled by a Priest into the Confraternity.

I hope everyone is having a blessed Sunday & happy feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary!!

Now we're home watching golf & eating pizza. Good times!!

To learn more about the Brown Scapular, CLICK HERE.

To learn more about the Assumption of Our Lady, CLICK HERE.