Women Under Cover
March 6, 2005Hello! Well, the good news is that I think I have landed my thesis topic: Women Under Cover: Authentic Catholic Femininity in the New Evangelization. I want to explore the benefits of sexual complementarity to the mission of the Church, especially as portrayed in the writings of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein). Now THERE was a woman ahead of her time. The spirit of her writing is all over the work of PJPII, especially in Mulieris Dignitatum and his "Letter to Women."
I want to thank those of you who responded to my "cosmic query" regarding headcoverings. Dr. Fastiggi, bless him, gave me helpful direction in understanding how Canon Law relates to Church practice. Ultimately, I decided to take this "nudge" as a sign that, for whatever reason, the Lord wants me to interpret the 1 Cor 11 passage literally, and cover up.
I put on my headcovering for the first time last Sunday at the 11:30 Mass. In the middle of the service, Sarah stood behind me on the pew, and started poking her fingers through the holes in the netting. “Pretty Mommy, pretty hair.” Christopher also asked about it. The adults mostly just looked and smiled; a few had quizzical looks, but only one person actually asked me about it.
I did not know Agnes, an older woman who was the only other person who had any sort of headgear – a boyish tan brimmed cap. Agnes followed me out to the parking lot, mourning the days when every woman would go to church with a hat on. She attributed the breakdown of marriage to the same resistance to subject oneself to another person – and to the introduction of contraception, which was good for a solid ten minutes.
It was hard not to feel conspicuous, though we sat at the back. I'm thinking a hat would probably be better… but they are so expensive, and this $5 snood suits just as well. Somehow the inexpensive snood seems more in keeping with the attitude of humility and obedience, which as Dr. Fastiggi reminded me is the whole point of the cover. At least, more in keeping than a $100 chapeau.
It bothers me that the ones who most adamantly espouse women wearing hats tend to be men on the extreme right end of the apologetics spectrum. I think this is a message that would much better come from another woman. And so, I start with me.
Pray for me!
Heidi
posted by Heidi Hess Saxton @ 9:10 AM
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