Praying together toward the Lord: "the symbolism of facing together, and awaiting Christ, is rich, time-honored and important...as we await the coming of the Lord"

"More recently, it has become common for the priest and the people to face one another during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The priest stands behind the altar as he consecrates the Eucharist, facing the people. The people see the face of the priest as he prays, and he sees their faces. These positions can have important symbolism too. They can remind us that we are a community—one body in Christ. And they can remind us that the Eucharist, at the center of the assembly, should also be at the center of our families, and our lives.

"But the symbolism of facing together, and awaiting Christ, is rich, time-honored and important. Especially during Advent, as we await the coming of the Lord, facing the east together—even symbolically facing Christ together at the altar and on the crucifix—is a powerful witness to Christ’s imminent return. Today, at a time when it is easy to forget that Christ is coming—and easy to be complacent in our spiritual lives and in the work of evangelization—we need reminders that Christ will come."

- Bishop Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska, on prayer of priest and people facing "east" together in the celebration of Holy Mass.

Read the entire column here: http://www.lincolndiocese.org/op-ed/bishop-s-column/3004-looking-to-the-east