catholicregister.org August 2-9, 2020 7
YOUTH NEWS
SPEAK
Youth adapt to new reality
Every woman has her own ex- perience with veiling. Except for her wedding, or if she's fortunate enough to meet the Pope, some women may never wear a veil. In my own experience in veiling for Mass, it helps me see the Holy Mass in a more authentic sense. There are several reasons women wear a veil. Since ancient Jewish times, it has always been customary for a woman to cover her head. In St. Paul's Letters to the Corinthians, he urges this out of modesty, but throughout history, the reasons have typically revolved around one key element - reverence. As a young child, my first chapel veil was a gift from my mother that set a tone about the Holy Mass' importance. It made me very self-conscious for years until I chose to stop veiling at nine. It was around this time I began to find the liturgy boring and un- important, a relatable experience for many young Catholics. This was the case until I was 18, when I began to see my questions as an invitation to grow deeper in knowledge, particularly with the liturgy. I realized the Mass hadn't been important to me because I wasn't treating it as such. Before Vatican II, veils were mandated for women at Mass but have since been made optional and are rarely seen. A place still exists for them though. I have three reasons to consider wearing a veil to Church. First, as an act of humility. As Catholics, we cover what is holy - the Tabernacle, where Our Lord is most present. Once we receive Him during the Eucharist, our bodies transform and we become one with Him. Veiling's intent is not shrouding a woman's strength of beauty, but rather acknowledg- ing that she is sacred. Second, veils are an honour- able way to imitate the Mother of God, the first person to receive both human and supernatural life, thus making her the First Taber- nacle. Any image or statue of Our Lady, her head is always covered, sometimes with a crown. She too exemplifies humility before Our Lord. Finally, the most important reason is that the Holy Mass is a wedding, a union between Christ and His bride, the Church. Ev- erything about our faith and the liturgy is profoundly symbolic. A unique distinction is made for women, because of the reality that we can carry life, not just human life, but also supernatural life. It's why women wear veils at their weddings and men do not. The profound nature of being the daughter of a king is one to be lived out. The image of a veil, a princess-like crown, is meant to be pleasing to God. Many people, myself included, tend to fixate about what others think and allow that fear to prevent us from going outside our comfort zones. But that shouldn't prevent one from wearing a veil. If veiling does draw attention, then it is meant to point to someone greater. (Timson, 21, is finishing her Event Management studies at Humber College in Etoibicoke, Ont.)
Sara Rodriguez outside her home parish of St. Malachy Church in Tehachapi, Calif.
(Photo courtesy of Sara Rodriguez)
BY ELIZABETH GAY Youth Speak News Special
The days of living-room Mass, celebrated while still in pyjamas, are no longer the only option as churches have slowly re-opened for public services. Churches are not able to fully open, and there are different rules in provinces across the nation as society returns gradually to a new reality brought on by the coronavi- rus pandemic. Capacity limits vary across Canada, but at least parishes are welcoming the faithful once again. Many youth, however, are finding the return to Mass has not been exactly what they would have pictured a few months ago. Masks, sanitization, social distancing and new directives for the reception of Holy Communion are all new and many are finding the experience odd. As an usher, 23-year-old Blake Taylor participated in the dis- cussion to re-open Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Pembroke, Ont. He understands his responsibility for ensuring parishioners abide with new public safety guidelines. "I am expected to guide and lead people by example, following the social distancing rules and sanitizing," said Taylor. "I do see the purpose and importance of wearing masks because I work in health care, and it's predomi- nantly an older parish. It's for their safety that I should wear them, so I don't see it as an intrusion of my freedom. I can't put my freedom over the fact that I could be asymp- tomatic and spread the virus." One of the biggest changes revolves around receiving Communion. Most dioceses have banned parishioners from receiving Communion on the tongue and there is no drinking the blood of Christ. Twenty-year-old Sarah Rodriguez of Tehachapi, Calif., said her parish of St. Malachy debated over the reception of Holy Communion prior to re-opening in June. Not all parishioners were happy with the new rule. "Our parish asked the bishop for his advice. He replied that pa- rishioners couldn't be denied the reception of Communion on the tongue," she said. "Our priest ad- ministers on the tongue, but it's not recommended." Rodriguez and her family continued to receive the host on the tongue, but a recent surge in COVID-19 cases has again forced many California churches to close and return to live-steamed Masses, which Rodriguez says isn't perfect. "We would stream Mass and say family prayers, but it wasn't the same," said Rodriguez. "When I was finally able to go to Mass again, it was so peaceful, and I felt like I was home again." Mary Zwicker, 19, wasn't happy about celebrating with a virtual Church. "During quarantine, you got to see how atheists lived - how the whole world lives," said Zwicker. "We were without communion for months. Sunday was just another day, there was nothing on Sunday." Without the physical building of St. Clement's Parish in Ottawa, Zwicker felt a lost connection to prayer. "You had to make a really big effort to pray harder and make room for your spiritual life," she said. Zwicker prefers Communion on the tongue. She is able to now as St. Clement's, which is run by the traditional Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, received a dispensation from the archbishop to continue the reception of Communion on the tongue. "Communion is something so sacred, and it's worth doing right, so why not take the extra step for something so important?" (Gay, 20, is a third-year student at Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College in Barry's Bay, Ont.)
Veil is a sign of reverence
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SPEAKING OUT BERNADETTE TIMSON
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