The Meaning of the Veil for Nuns
A sacred sign of a Bride set apart
Welcome to the Nun corner of Substack!
I’m not sure about you, but the most noticeable thing people often recognize about a nun’s attire is her veil. I can say from my own experience that when I first met a religious sister, I took delight in watching it sway back and forth as she walked. Initially, I simply thought it was “pretty,” but my admiration prompted me to understand the real reason why they practice veiling and conduct themselves in that way. In my research, I found that the veil isn’t simply a tossed-on, head covering but is a tradition that dates back to women in the Bible.
A woman’s Hair: Her Crowning Glory
Before I begin, I want to disclose by saying, “Hair is beautiful!” It would be wrong to think otherwise for a lady. The Christian author, Jeanette Walls, said it best: “A lady’s hair is her crowning glory.” This is reflective of 1 Corinthians 11:15, as it remarks on the beauty of a woman’s elegance. If this is true, then why do nuns intend to cut their hair and place a veil? Do they think it is wrong to show hair because it would be too attractive?
For clarification, nuns don’t see hair as wrongful.
Certainly, hair can be captivating and all, but that’s not the reason sisters cut it.
The main purpose is actually the opposite. Hair is a sweet offering
This may sound strange, but Nuns believe hair is honorable and can be a sweet offering to Jesus. Just in the same way, Mary of Bethany offered hers to wipe Jesus’ own feet (John 12:3). Others didn’t understand, and actually rebuked Mary for her strange gesture. But for her, it was an act of declaration to say, “Jesus, I am yours, and you are mine.”
Tradition: Women in the Bible who veiled
As I mentioned, women in the Bible practiced veiling! This was a surprise for me as I had no idea. Though the Bible doesn’t explicitly state that “religious sisters” wore veils (as nuns didn’t exist at that time), it was a cultural practice among women.
For example, when Rebekah catches sight of her husband, Issac, coming down the hill, she immediately covers her hair with a veil. (Genesis 24:64-65). Likewise, Tamar wore a veil during her meeting with Judah, her father-in-law (Gen 38:13-14).
Then the question comes up… was veiling only an act of submission to men?
Not entirely… certainly they veiled as a sign of respect, but all in all, it was a virtue in regard to the presence of high honor. For nuns, this makes total sense. Because, if you think about it, what higher presence can they honor than Christ Himself, who is always in their presence?
Veiling expresses Chastity
As you know, every religious sister professes vows. These are known as the Evangelical counsels of “Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience.” In particular, Chastity is the virtue of purity and is defined by the Catechism’s as follows…
“Chastity is connected to purity of the heart, [and] is a virtue that moves us to love others with generous regard for them. It excludes lust and any wish to exploit them sexually. It helps us see and put into practice God’s plan for the body, person, and sexuality. All people are called to pursue and live the virtue of chastity according to one’s state in life.”
Veiling for religious sisters marks this chaste sacredness of “body, person, and sexuality.” It’s often misunderstood as simply a way to conceal unwanted attention. Moreover, it’s a mystery and an act of virtue for love of neighbor and love for her spouse, Jesus Christ. This is a sister’s heartfelt desire: to fulfill her mission as His Bride daily in this world.
Plus, think of how grand it is for nuns to get to wear their wedding dress every day! 😊
Personally I feel there are few more beautiful images than any woman veiled at Mass. I love their piety and only pray that more women would wear simple lace veils at Mass. It’s so inspiring to me in the faith and devotion.
When I was at a Steubenville youth conference, there was this thing where you wrote something kind or a little message on a clothing pin and tried to pin it onto somebody's clothes or bag without them noticing. Me and my friends succeeded in "clothespinning" two religious sisters' veils...it was hilarious.