Feast of St John the Beloved

During Christmastide we celebrate the Feast of St John the Beloved. So loved by Our Dear Lord was he, his feast day falls within the 12 days of the Great Feast. We have a devotion to St John as many do purely because he just loved..loved unconditionally, not forsaking Our Lord during His Passion as others did. 

Such pure love did St John learn from Christ that he is often known as the Apostle of Charity. In this Christmastide and New Year may we all learn from dear St John as we strive to love more deeply and draw ourselves closer to Our Lord.

Our little Grace in her ivory mantilla after the Holy Mass of St John the Beloved.

A young girl learning to venerate Our Lord by covering her hair and kneeling.

The incredibly sacred 'Christmas' reliquary which holds relics from the stable in Bethlehem.

Christmas Mantilla

At Peter's Bride, the most exquisite Christmas Mantilla is being given away in turn for just a comment on the blog!

This Mantilla is made of sheer black Chantilly lace with deep red flowers and green foliage around the edge. 

Here is the link to Inspiring Peter's Bride blog-  http://petersbride.blogspot.ca/p/blog-page.html

Thank you dear Gail (Peter's bride!) for your true devotion to your apostolate by creating the most beautiful veils for women to wear and honour God.

Peter's Bride Veils can be found here; http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/PetersBride and you will be spoilt for choice!

Little drops of grace

It is especially sweet to see a little girl wearing her mantilla for Holy Mass. Most of them enjoy the lace veil and wear it with love for Jesus even at such a young and tender age. 

Teaching them to honour God in this humble way will invoke devotion and modesty whilst in Church and towards Christ. 

My little daughter, Grace Therese, 3, wearing one of her mantillas.

A small Chapel veil from Rosa Mystica Mantillas.

This mantilla ties under the chin for assurance of position!

A sweet lace mantilla which cleverly fixes on the back of the hair so little one cannot fiddle! From Etsy.

My dear friend Heather's daughter, Shannon, with three of her siblings just before Holy Mass.

A beautiful pale pink mantilla with flower...this one ties at the back of the neck for firmer hold. From Etsy.

A sweet young girl hearing Holy Mass in India- the bright red scarf covering her head modestly.

'A pure soul is like a fine pearl. As long as it it hidden in it's shell, at the bottom of the sea, no one thinks of admiring it. But if you bring it into the sunshine, the pearl will shine and attract all eyes. Thus the pure soul, which is hidden from the eyes of the world, will one day shine before the Angels in the sunshine of eternity.'

St John Marie Vianney

Holy Orders

Veiling has always been part of what defined a lady who gave herself to Christ through Holy Orders. Very sadly, not all orders continue to veil, but many still do. They cover their heads for a similar reason as other women do; to show humility, devotion and submission to God - they have rid themselves of earthly habits and offer little sacrifices for Our Dear Lord. 

Dominican Sisters in the 1950s

A young postulant.

Sister Benedict from the Gospel of Life Order.

Entering the Carmel in Australia. 

'Who except God can give you peace? Has the world ever been able to satisfy the heart?

St Gerard Majella

All Saints

All Saints is a beautiful feast day as we commemorate *all* the Saints in Heaven. Every Catholic gets to celebrate their own Patron(s) and all the other thousands of heroic and devout Catholics who, by their example, can help us to lead more holy lives.

Our youngest daughter, Grace Therese was 3 on All Saints. Here she is dressed for her Patroness, the Little Flower, veiled and holy!

An array of Saints; St Elizabeth of Hungary, Two Little Flowers of Jesu, St Bernadette, Blessed Theresa of Calcutta - all these exemplary female Saints wore veils of some sort to maintain their modesty and purity.

May all the Blessed Saints in Heaven pray for us now and evermore!

Wedding Anniversary Blessing

On the 22nd October, my dear husband and I have been married for 18 years. We received a beautiful Wedding Blessing in Latin straight after the Missa Cantata. As we were not married in the Holy Catholic Church, the blessings are especially precious to us. Deo Gratias!

I am wearing my blue, teal and black mantilla from 'Peter's Bride'.

 

A friend's Wedding Blessing. She is wearing a 1940s cotton, lace mantilla.

Our Wedding Day, October 22nd 1995, wearing a long, ivory lace mantilla.

First Holy Communion Veils...now.

First Holy Communion, such an important and beautiful day, the beginning of a child's Eucharistic life. This Sacrament is so spectacular that a child must prepare their  entire soul, mind and physical being for it. They will experience the monumental Sacrament of Holy Confession, where their sins are washed away by Christ's Precious Blood, and only then, can they approach the Holy Altar and receive the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Blessed Lord, a Treasure so beautiful it is hard to verbalise. The young girl's attire will be that of a young Bride of Christ, usually a white dress and matching mantilla; pure, innocent and free from all iniquity. 

My eldest daughter, Marie, who made her First Holy Communion on the Feast of Corpus Christi. 2005. She wore a Spanish mantilla which had lace edging.

Receiving Our Dear Lord in the Traditional Rite. I love the blue shawl and sash the young Communicant is wearing.

Beautiful mantilla with small Crosses, perfect for a First Holy Communion.

Pure white modest veil and dress from Zelie's Roses.

A stunning First Holy Communion veil depicting the Sacred Body and Blood of Our Lord.

'Hoc est corpus meum'