Only One Veil Matters

I received a color fund-raising brochure in the mail today from a group of sedevacantist nuns. Sedevacantist means "empty chair" - that since Pius XII there is no pope: John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis are imposters. And  there will be no pope into the future until that pope returns the Church to about 1958. 

The brochure wittingly or unwittingly presented this religious community as the real deal - featuring the nuns in dozens of pious poses all dressed alike in long veils. Catholics love veils:

First Communion veils
chapel veils,
brides veils
nuns veils
  white
  black
  short 
  long
bring back the Passiontide-purple
  cover-the-cross
  cover-the-statues - veils
tabernacle veils
chalice veils
ciborium veils
humeral veils
veil and unveil the monstrance.

It makes for fussy religion.

But there is only one veil that matters and that is the veil over my eyes. The veil over my heart. The veil over the eyes of my heart. St Paul writes: 

With a hope like this, we can speak with complete fearlessness; not like Moses who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites should not watch the end of what was transitory. But their minds were closed; indeed, until this very day, the same veil remains over the reading of the Old Testament: it is not lifted, for only in Christ is it done away with. As it is, to this day, whenever Moses is read, their hearts are covered with a veil, and this veil will not be taken away till they turn to the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:12-16

Saint Paul is no doubt talking about the Jewish people, or maybe unbelievers in general. There are Christians who like to use verses like this as a weapon against them.  

Truth be told, we all have a veil over the eyes of our hearts in one way or another, at one time or another. We might pray a prayer of self-knowledge for the veil to be lifted:

Take the veil from my eyes, Lord,
  that I may see beyond my nose.

Take the veil from my eyes, Lord,
  that I might see through the fog of lies.

Take the veil from my eyes, Lord,
  that I might see your presence -
  so close.

Take the veil from my eyes, Lord,
  that I might see myself rightly;
  others too.

Take the veil from my eyes, Lord,
  that I might see the stranger rightly,
  and be done with otherism.

Take the veil from my eyes, Lord,
  that I might see my way to 
  mercy,
  compassion and 
  love.

Intercessions ~ Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Cathedral of St Mary ~ Nagasaki, Japan

Today marks the one year anniversary of the violent and deadly Unite the Right march in Charlottesville, Virginia./ For the healing of our nation/ suffering painfully deep divisions./ We pray to the Lord.

This week marked the remembrance of the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan./ We pray for the many thousands still living who survived that day,/ and ask for a world creative in preventing wars./We pray to the Lord.

Wednesday is the Feast of the Assumption:/ Mary is taken up/ even in her body,/ into the life of the Holy Trinity./ Grant safety and healing to those whose bodies are trafficked,/ starved,/ abused and degraded./ We pray to the Lord.

Pope Francis has changed the Catechism of the Catholic Church,/ instructing us that Capital Punishment,/ is no longer admissible./ We ask for a broad Pro-Life vision/ which perceives the dignity of each human person./ And for our our own conversion./ We pray to the Lord.

We ask safety and well-being for the members of our families./ For any who are living in dysfunction or danger./ We pray for dear ones who have died:/ may they enjoy the healing which is heaven./ We pray to the Lord.

We pray for the hundreds of migrant children still being held in detention centers around the country./ For the thousands of firefighters battling enormous blazes in California./  For the people of Indonesia/ where a series of earthquakes have caused great suffering./ We pray to the Lord.

Intercessions ~ Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

At the start of August we pray for those who will celebrate birthdays,/ anniversaries and other days of remembrance this month./ We ask for gifts of good health,/ safety and growth in goodness./ We pray to the Lord.

One in every four children in America is brought up in poverty./ We ask forgiveness for this failure,/ and pray for the clarity and creative resolve to abandon and rectify this sin./ We pray to the Lord.

Enormous wildfires continue to burn in the western states,/ especially California./ We pray for fire-fighters,/ rescuers and helpers./ For those who have lost loved ones and property./ For the displaced/ and the healing of the environment./ For the gift of rain./ We pray to the Lord.

We ask for the healing of our church/ as more stories of sex abuse and concealment are revealed./ We pray for a Church that is clean of heart./ We pray to the Lord.

May we not just hear or read the news,/ be made angry,/ depressed,/ cynical or sad by the news,/ but learn to pray the news,/ and be strengthened in faith,/ hope and love./ We pray to the Lord.

Grant that those who seek public office this November,/ would not be empty people,/ but rather/ be filled with a desire to serve the  common good,/ with generous,/ honest,/ humble hearts./ We pray to the Lord.