Lace Underwear and Veiling

Several months ago I stopped at the store after Adoration. I was walking through an aisle, when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to meet eyes with an embarrassed looking woman.

“Umm ma’am.” She said sheepishly.

“What can I do for you?” I said cheerfully.

She looked away and then back at me urgently. She gulped and said “Umm...you dropped your underwear. They’re behind me on the floor.”

For once, I was thankful for wearing a mask as it covered my cherry red cheeks. A million thoughts flooded my mind, “AHH! WHAT? NO! HOW DID MY UNDERWEAR GET HERE!” In a moment I flashed through a million different possible explanations, and then cursed static cling.

I quickly moved by her and desperately scanned the floor for my undies. Finally, I saw what she was talking about and immediately started laughing. Turns out my chapel veil had fallen out of my pocket and onto the ground, but the way it folded up looked exactly like a pair of lace underwear.

NO JOKE.

I whirled around to explain to the woman... but she had already ran away from the weird lady who carries “underwear” in her pocket

A lot of ladies share beautiful detailed posts about their conviction to veil and the history behind it. I love my sisters who have that gift and passion. Tbh that ain’t my gift. I actually didn’t want to share this, but you know ya girl can’t turn down a Holy Spirit prompt. I’ll keep it brief, because I don’t have many words to describe the experience of my soul.

What I want to express about veiling is that it’s really not a big deal. I remember when I first started veiling people hyped it up so much. On both sides of the Catholic spectrum, I was bombarded with many messages about all the opinions associated with chapel veils. For many years I delayed veiling because I didn't want to enter the rabbit hole of conversation and debate over veils. Overtime, the call from the Lord grew louder than all the exterior voices, and I just went for it.

Two years later, the veil has prevailed. Despite what others do and say. . . I mind my own business, pray for the haters, put boundaries between me and the weirdos, repent for my sins, earnestly try to love the Lord with all my heart, and do so with style and a beige chapel veil.

What I want to emphasize most is veiling is normal. It’s not a sign of an extra holy person. I’m not more devout than you because I wear a veil. I don’t think I’m better than you. I'm not condemning you for not wearing a veil. I’m not looking down on you for not wearing a veil. I’m actually not paying attention to anyone else but Jesus during prayer/Mass.

Veiling is just one tool in my spiritual tool kit in which God uses to reorder the disordered places of my heart. Like many and all things in the spiritual life, it's not a magic trick that instantly heals my heart. (God can work in miraculous ways though, don't forget/doubt that!) However, I can say that every time I put on the veil, it is a tangible and physical way for me to declare my true identity as a beloved, chosen, cherished, and valued daughter of the most high.

This lil piece of lace has been used by God in big ways to purify my beauty and identity. It’s one of many ways God is reclaiming me as His beloved, and redeeming my femininity. The veil is a sign of my brokenness yielded to the Father to be glorified by the love of Jesus. It's an outward sign of inner purification of my heart, mind, and soul by the power of God's abundant and powerful grace.

That’s why I veil.