Facing Jerusalem/East

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mchristian
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
M

Mchristian

Guest
Any thoughts on Catholicas facing Jerusalem or East while praying ?
Thank you for your (name removed by moderator)ut in advance.
Pax et Bonum
<>
Click to expand...
 
I heard our Churches face East as well as the Orthodox Churches. Most Orthodox, even at home, are recommended to have their home altar facing East. This is because the sun rises in the East and I believe I heard a priest say something about Jesus coming from the East? Also, most Biblical events start coming from the East. I don’t think it is much a difference, but a preference. My home altar naturally faces the East.
 
Last edited:
Don’t see how it could hurt, although God is OMNIDIRECTIONAL
 
Mchristian said:
Any thoughts on Catholicas facing Jerusalem or East while praying ?
Thank you for your (name removed by moderator)ut in advance.
Pax et Bonum
<>
Click to expand...
Most Catholics ignorantly believe that the priest faced the alter before Vatican II. That is inaccurate. The priest faced east, uniting with the congregation that also facing east. If one we’re to look at the historical first masses ever recorded that is how they would have been done. Today, churches have a more stadium like structure, but the altar still usually faces east if you have a compass. Why? Because the 2nd coming of Christ is to come be with Jesus coming from the East, and it is a symbolic way for us to remember this and to embrace it. I personally do not like how the priests faces the congregation when praying now. Is the priest an actor? Who is the priest that we should be focused on him. We should all, priest included be facing east towards the coming of Christ. But I only am talking about mass. When we pray God is all around us, and we should remember that and pray in all directions.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
I understand the tradition of altars, but prayer never made sense to me. Besides, we’re also called to pray without ceasing. We can’t rightly face the East doing that at the same time… not without looking strange at least 🙂
 
Doesn’t matter what direction we pray. As long as we pray. 🙏🕊️
 
Roseeurekacross said:
Doesn’t matter what direction we pray. As long as we pray. 🙏🕊️
Click to expand...
There is always a temptation to pray in an INWARD direction, which is a bad idea.

Directionality has historically been an important factor in resisting the temptation to worship ourselves. Whether it be “next year in Jerusalem”, or facing Mecca, or the tradition of altars facing East. This is not our home, the center of the universe is not the middle of the congregation’s seating pattern.

The tendency towards “church in the round”, where most of the congregation is seated in a kind of veneration posture towards…the congregation, coincided with many of the hymns that emphasize the congregation’s sense of self importance. Hymns about the majesty and power of God are usually omitted.

I realize most church buildings now are lined up to fit into the confines of the plot of land they happen to have. So they face a “liturgical East”, which really might be closer to North. But the point is clear: this is not our home, we are not God, nor is the priest. The focal point of our worship is outside this building.

I do not feel more united with the priest when he is facing me through the entire Mass. I feel more united with the priest when he faces me for parts of the Mass, but during the appropriate times faces “East”, as I do.

It goes without saying you should be able to walk into a church and find the Tabernacle right away…in the “East”.
 
In my parish, the tabernacle/altar faces east, but it is on the west end of the church. Is that right?
 
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
It’s the direction the heart points to, not the direction of the compass needle that is important to God.
 
This is a good sign just how closely tied the early church was to synagogue Judaism at first, before they were kicked out. I see no other reason why they insisted on this. They kept an old practice they already had from the earliest days.

And I only think the Muslims did it because they were copying Jews and Christians. They aren’t some kind of tradition on their own.
 
Last edited:
FrancisPio said:
Today, churches have a more stadium like structure, but the altar still usually faces east if you have a compass.
Click to expand...
It’s true that in the United States, as also in Britain and some other countries, churches are conventionally built so that they lie along a west-east axis. But I’ve noticed that in France, Italy, and some other historically Catholic countries in Europe, most churches are built facing the same way as all the other buildings on the same street, having nothing to do with the points of the compass. The same is true of cities in Latin America, from what I’ve seen. I’m not claiming to have conducted a survey, and I’ve never even seen this question mentioned in print. I’m just mentioning something I’ve noticed as an occasional visitor to a few places in Europe and South America.
 
Last edited:
AmericanRose said:
In my parish, the tabernacle/altar faces east, but it is on the west end of the church. Is that right?
Click to expand...
It is in the right place. The whole congregation faces the tabernacle, and altar. That is “east”, in a liturgical sense. As it happens, your church was lined up facing geographic West, probably because of the shape of the real estate, and buildings adjacent at the time.

It is nice when church buildings can line up to face geographic East as well, especially on Easter and at funerals, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day. But this is much less important than the single, unified direction your church does have.

A lot of spirituality in recent decades tries to focus our hearts inward…to worship ourselves, or the community worships the community. Directionality helps reduce that.
 
Last edited:
“There is always a temptation to pray in an INWARD direction, which is a bad idea.”

You;ll have to inform the Vatican and remove the doctorship of St Teresa of Avila and St John of the Cross, who returned the practice of interior prayer.

God dwells within, and all we need do is turn within to be in His presence.

Jim
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top