Fifth Sunday of Lent
March 26, 2023 •
The Church has maintained this tradition of veiling because of what is symbolizes. Women, you are a "type" of the Church. Because the Church is the Bride of Christ, every bride represents the Church - especially every Catholic bride. To symbolize the Church's own desire for modesty, for chastity, and for submission to Christ, women wore veils.
That's why whenever you see a picture or a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, She's got a veil on. Even over the last two thousand years when She has appeared in mystical ways to people, She's always veiled. Always. Why?
Because of the theological significance. Mary isn't just a "type" of the Church. Mary, the Blessed Virgin, is the archetype of the Church. An archetype is much greater than a type. Mary, she is the perfect type. She perfectly models the Church. She was perfectly chaste. She was perfectly humble. She was perfectly submissive and obedient to Christ in all things.
That's why She said "yes" to the will of God. God had authority over Her and She submitted to Him in everything.
That veil was a symbol of that obedience, that submission, that humility, and that chastity. It's precisely those virtues that drew God to Her. That lead Him to want Her to be the Mother of His Son.
One of the things even Catholic women who wear veils don't know is what Paul specifically mentions in First Corinthians as to why Catholic women at Church should wear veils - why he required it. Again, it's not an official teaching of the Church today. . . . but the reason Paul says God wants you women to wear veils in Church is to be a sign of submission to your husbands. Their authority over you.
Paul is speaking on behalf of God through the Holy Spirit. The truth of what Paul is saying remains whether you wear a veil or not. That's the rub isn't it?
Whether or not you wear a veil, God expects you wives, you mothers, to be submissive to your husbands in all things as to God Himself.
Ez 37:12-14; Ps 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8; Rom 8:8-11, Jn 11:1-45
Homily begins at 22:50