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Hope your summer is going well. I am hosting a Drama Camp here at the house starting today. We should have about 25 kids here by 1:00 pm. Have I lost my mind?
And of course I need to remind you — come visit me at Faith & Family Live! eh? There are plenty of new posts over there you’ll want to check out.
So, what’s new with you? What would you like to talk about today?
[tags]catholic family life, coffee talk, catholic moms[/tags]
I think I might have gotten lost. My explanation to the veil wearing while in Church was just to inform that it is a Catholic practice. One priest beautifully said: “Now one reason for the use of veils is wrapped up in the mystery of a woman’s femininity which can bear children. At the moment of conception, when God creates a soul and it joins its body in the womb of its mother, God’s creative hands work within her, and since whatever God touches becomes sacred, we veil it. And since a woman’s hair is her glory (1 Cor. 11:15), we veil what is her dignity. We do the same thing in our church, for the glory of the Tabernacle is veiled because of the sacredness inside; furthermore, the glory of a consecrated Chalice is veiled before Mass because of the sacredness of what it holds. Thus, head coverings should not be considered a sign of inferiority; rather it is a sign that women are different from men and even further, that women aren’t men.”
Now, I don’t think (or at least it wasn’t my intention, and if it came across that way, I apologize) I said we should all dress with long skirts or cover our heads everyday. I was simply trying to explain what a beautiful thing it is (for me) to see women (specially mothers or grannies) with their heads covered in Mass.
From what I understood in what Happy Appy Wife wrote was that dressing like that was very much her personal choice, and I think she was trying to explain where this feelings came from and why she dressed like that. I never felt that she was pushing that to us or that she was implying that that’s the way all Catholics should dress like. I wear jeans sometimes, I wear skirts sometimes, and I wear bathing suits when I go to the pool or to the beach. If my comments or explanations to the veils and mantillas came across as if I was saying we should all do that, I apologize for it. My intention was to put out information simply about what a mantilla is and that it is a Catholic thing, it is something that used to be normal when going to Latin Mass. When the Mass changed from Latin to our own language, it wasn’t established that women should keep wearing mantillas or chapel veils to Mass or not, and that’s why we usually don’t wear them now. I think that if God ever sends us children, after I have the baby or babies I’ll want to wear one, as an outside sign that life is a miracle and that God made it happen in my body. I do not expect anyone else to feel this way nor am I saying that wearing jeans or not wearing a mantilla to Mass or not having your head covered is something against the religion, it is obviously not. And just like I wouldn’t approach a woman in the street and tell her that I think she’s showing too much, I won’t tell Happy Appy Wife she isn’t showing enough. Like she said, the wardrobe should be the decision of the wife and husband. Like Lauren, I also thought of it heartwarming to hear about the way she preserves the dignity of their femininity. Again, if I came across as pushy or trying to tell everyone that’s the way they should dress, that is not what I meant. Perhaps I could explain myself a little better in Spanish, sometimes my translating isn’t very good, I’ve only been living here for a year.
And Karen, you’ll be in my prayers.
“I think that if God ever sends us children, after I have the baby or babies I’ll want to wear one…”
I don’t see why you see it as something reserved for women who have borne children? Prior the the change 1983 Code of Canon Law, it was obligatory for women towear a head covering in church, regardless of age or child-bearing status.
I, a young unmarried female, wear a chapel veil when I attend Mass in the extraordinary form and have friends who wear a chapel veil whenever they are in the Lord’s presence.
My original questions kind of went in a different direction than I intended. I don’t advocate covering ourselves with tent like clothing. Our bodies are beautiful. I think though that when Adam and Eve “realized they were naked” the realization that their bodies would no longer be thought of sacred but now could be considered “objects” entered their minds.
This covering of our bodies is clearly a result of the fall. So, yes you can say, “my husband and I are ok with how I dress so it’s ok” but what about the other people out there who are tempted to view you as an object? Do you have any obligation to these guys or it just “their problem”? Viewing pornagraphy is at 70% among men….do you help them by revealing a little too much? This is what I’m talking about, not covering your hair, not wearing super long dresses or sleeves. I’m talking mainly about
showing cleavage. This is an occasion of sin for many men (obviously not ALL) and I need to know what the limits are…a little cleavage, medium, a lot or none at all? And also, by purposely revealing cleavage in public do you think you might be tempting others and is that ok? I seriously would like some direction as far as what the Church advises in this matter. I have daughters myself and “I want to train them in the way they should go”. We wear tank tops and shorts and swimsuits in the summer. This is not my question. My question is ultimately “how low can you go” as a Catholic woman in our current body-driven society and still be considered modest?
Hi Nina – Modesty is subjective. Keep what’s supposed to be covered, covered. I would think that this would include – cleavage (for those who have it) and bottoms that are suggestive or reveal too much. I think we can all agree that there is a difference between a thong bikini bottom, and a bikini bottom that covers the entire rear end. There is a difference between a shirt that ‘accentuates and uplifts’ womanly assets, and wearing a v-shaped top. If you feel uncomfortable in it, then go with your feeling. If seeing your daughter in a certain outfit rings red bells, make her change. My mom-in-law exchanged her 17-yr old daughter’s glasses because the frames were made by Playboy (they didn’t notice that at the time of purchase). I think it’s a matter of prayer and what you believe God’s and your husband’s guidance for your appearance is. Peace and Thank you for having the courage to introduce the topic. Lyn