Dear Jeanette:

Dreams are most often our subconscious talking to us, or they are the brain's way to creatively deal with stresses and anxieties of our lives.

This dream may have been your subconscious talking to you to remind you of this devotional practice, or it could be a dream inspired by God.

It is not wrong to follow through on an inspiration gained from a dream as long as that inspiration is not sin, leads to sin, or is otherwise contrary to the faith.

Wearing a Mantilla is a great and ancient devotional practice. It is a shame that its practice has fallen into disuse.

You are to be applauded for deciding to return to this devotional practice and God will reward you for it.

I understand being uncomfortable at first. Your experience is almost exactly the same as mine the first time I put on the monastic robes.

Continue in this great devotional practice. Others will see you and be inspired either consciously or unconsciously. Those who may criticize you for it do so because deep down, at least unconsciously, they realize that they should be doing the same.

St. Louis de Montfort said once:

Although what is essential in ... devotion consists in the interior, we must not fail to unite to the inward practice certain external observances. “We must do the one, yet not leave the other undone” (Mt 23:23); because the outward practices, well performed, aid the inward ones; and because they remind man, who is always guided by his senses, of what he has done or ought to do; and also because they are suitable for edifying our neighbor, who sees them; these are things which inward practices cannot do.

The inward devotion is, of course, more important, but as the great St. Montfort teaches, we must unite the inward devotion with the outward observance.

Again, I praise God that you have decided to practice this devotion of a head-covering. God bless you for it.

Bro. Ignatius Mary