A veil is an article of clothing that is
intended to cover some part of the head or face. Veiling has a long history in
European, Asian, and African societies and is prominent in many forms of
Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Veiling continues to play a role today
especially in wedding customs where it’s used to hide the face of the bride so
that the groom would not see her face until after the ceremony. Then the new
groom would lift the veil hiding the bride’s face and kiss her.
Sometimes it feels like you and I are walking
around with veils covering our faces. We go through the motions of life not
clearly seeing due to the many temptations of our modern culture like power,
wealth, success, adulation, etc. – everything in relation to “me.” When we wear
this veil, we become disoriented, disillusioned and lost, and we cannot see
where we are heading.
St. Paul tells us that a veil lies over our hearts, but when we turn to the Lord, that veil is removed. It reminds me of that beautiful image we often see of St. Anthony of Padua holding the infant Jesus in his arms. When our veils are removed, we can experience the power of Jesus in our lives. When we gaze upon the face of Christ, we will find joy, happiness, comfort, peace, love, and the true light that shines out of darkness.
It’s time to remove the veil that hides us
from seeing Jesus. Let us put aside the darkness that the world draws us into
and allow the joy that comes from living with Christ permeate our lives for all
to see.
Let the unveiling begin!