The chalice veil, of more recent origin (only the 1500s), is a large square cloth that covers the chalice and paten for the ancient reasons mentioned above. It harkens back to the veils that covered the Tabernacle (tent) in the time of Moses and especially the veil that covered the Holy of Holies, in which the Ark of the Covenant was placed and only the Priest could enter. Fittingly, the veil remains in place until the Offertory, reminding us how that veil was torn by the supreme Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross (and in which we participate at every Mass). Like the burse, it is also made of the same fabric as the vestments.