Sorry if this is a silly question, but is it okay to take a break from veiling? I’ve been veiling since May, but I’ve been weirdly distracted by it in the past couple weeks. I don’t know how to explain it, but I catch a bit of the lace in the corner of my eye and completely lose focus. Then I become weirdly conscious of it and then I feel vain and it’s like a spiral of focusing on me instead of God. I try to refocus, but I really struggle to. Thanks for any advice you can give!

to-veil:

I wouldn’t think that taking a break from veiling would fix this issue: it’s the fact that you have been feeling distracted. Assuming you are not overreacting, the following tips may help.

You can wear your veil in such a way that you do not see it. Some women may wear their hair up and have a veil like this at the top of their head, like so:

Or you could wrap the lace around your hair so that it is not floating near your face/eyes, such as this:

And on top of that, it doesn’t have to be lace, or even a cloth headcovering! You could easily wear a beret-type snood, a modest hat, or even experiment with wide headbands.

Veiling gets a lot of nonsensical flack for being “vain” or “temptation to be vain” in terms of distraction. I say that’s not only false, but also harmful and unhelpful to women who are seeking to obey Scripture and Tradition. There are so many ways to veil to fit specific circumstances and lifestyles, that it’s best to simply change up your veiling style should a problem arise. 

Hopefully this helps!

ETA: I wear a normal lace veil for Mass, and let me tell you: my youngest child LOVES to tug at it. Being distracted by my children during service is no less holy than it is to be distracted by a veil. Lots of things are going to distract you momentarily, and all that matters is that you are seeking to love God by obeying Him and doing the best you can.