Also, the reason why we traditionally pray facing East is because we are praying in the direction from which Christ will return. This reminds us that our worship, lives, thought, freedom, everything should be oriented and moving towards our destiny (communion with God in heaven, to partake of the divine nature).
Even though facing East is not always possible now because of city planning our traditional orientation is still maintained by the priest and the people facing in the same direction together. I think that the consciousness of the direction of our lives, worship, and being is greatly diminished by versus popolum (sp) as practiced in the Roman rite.
In Christ through Mary