A sixth is that when women wear a veil in church, they also help men to pray, for the veil protects, safeguards and exalts the natural beauty of woman, inspiring men with awe and respect for her dignity, and barring their natural curiosity to see more of her. The Pauline Precept There is a seventh and preponderant motive for which the veil should be worn, and that is the formal precept of the apostle St Paul, from which followed a universal custom in the Church. Let’s read the somewhat long passage in which the apostle explains himself. It holds many valuable lessons for us: Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, that in all things you are mindful of me: and keep my ordinances as I have delivered them to you. But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying with his head covered, disgraceth his head. But every woman praying or prophesying with her head not covered, disgraceth her head: for it is all one as if she were shaven. For if a woman be not covered, let her be shorn. But if it be a shame to a woman to be shorn or made bald, let her cover her head. The man indeed ought not to cover his head, because he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man. For the man was not created for the woman, but the woman for the man. Therefore ought the woman to have a power over her head, because of the angels. But yet neither is the man without the woman, nor the woman without the man, in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, so also is the man by the woman: but all things of God. You yourselves judge: doth it become a woman, to pray unto God uncovered? Doth not even nature itself teach you, that a man indeed, if he nourish his hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman nourish her hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering. But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor the Church of God (1 Cor 11:1-16). The opening words of this passage make it clear that the apostle did not invent the practice of veiling, but was only handing on the custom received from those before him, and ultimately no doubt, from the Synagogue. The final words, however, make clear that this practice has never been without its contradictors. There may be plenty of reasons for not liking it, but the apostle is affirming that 13
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI3ODI1