Why We Orthodox Christians Face East in Our Worship
We Orthodox Christians collectively worship facing east. Together with our bishops and priests, we all stand before the Lord in the direction of the east. Our priests are sort of like captains of a ship, looking towards the ocean and leading the crew on a voyage. The priest (and bishop) lead the people in prayer and worship not as the center of attention, for all are gazing in the same direction, together as the Body of Christ. Together we all gather as one body, while the priest offers the sacrifice of praise on our behalf, as the Divine Liturgy is served before the Lord of Hosts.
The celebrant (bishop or priest) stands before the holy table (altar), facing God, while facing the people only when reading the Gospel, delivering the sermon, or when blessing his people. This is similar to the Jewish pattern of worship and preaching, for like the Jews, we consider it rude to speak to someone with your back to them. So we dare not turn our backs on God when worshiping Him.
An Orthodox church is built facing true east when possible, but when building in an area where it would be impossible because of limitation or necessity, liturgically it still faces the East and looks toward God.
This ancient Tradition comes down to us for several reasons. Perhaps most importantly, we believe our Lord will return triumphantly from the East (Matthew 24:27 and Acts 1:11). We also recognize the Lord Jesus Christ as the Sun of Righteousness (Malachi 4:2) is the light who illumines all mankind. Thus, because the sun rises in the East, so too will Christ.
We also recognize the paradise of Eden, is in the East (Genesis 2:8), and we remember the perfect communion Adam and Eve experienced with God there, and we look eagerly toward it every time we worship God. Even the mercy seat in the tabernacle of testimony faced East (Leviticus 16:14), and the temple of Solomon’s Gate of the Lord was placed eastward
Numerous Old Testament references toward the East clearly saw this Eastern orientation as distinguishing the Israelites from all the pagan religions, who faced other directions. Many Fathers of the early Christian Church also reference facing East during prayer and worship. Saint John of Damascus is perhaps the most well-known Father to have explained this part of our Holy Tradition. Essentially, this shows that facing East has been a uniform part of Christian worship since the beginning of the Church, something it inherited from Jewish worship.
Each time we Orthodox Christians worship facing East we do so in anticipation of the Second Coming of Christ. We know our true home is in the paradise of Eden with God. Therefore, it should not be only in our churches where we face East, but even in our homes. This is why we have the Tradition of placing our personal prayer corners in our homes facing East. We face God when we worship Him, as we eagerly await His triumphant return.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Tuesday February 1, 2022 / January 19, 2022
33rd Week after Pentecost. Tone seven.
Venerable Macarius the Great of Egypt (390).
St. Mark, archbishop of Ephesus (1444).
Blessed Theodore of Novgorod, fool-for-Christ (1392).
Venerable Macarius the Roman of Novgorod (1550).
New Hieromartyr Peter priest (1918).
New Hieromartyr Nicholas priest (1930).
Martyr Theodore (1940).
Venerable Macarius of the Kiev Caves (12th c.).
Venerable Macarius, deacon of the Kiev Caves (13th-l4th c.).
Opening of the relics of Venerable Sabbas of Storozhev or Zvenigorod (1652).
Virgin-martyr Euphrasia of Nicomedia (303).
Venerable Macarius of Alexandria (394).
Venerable Anton the Stylite of Martqophi, Georgia (6th c.) (Georgia).
St. Arsenius, archbishop of Kerkyra (Corfu) (953).
Venerable Euthymius, confessor (20th c.) (Georgia).
St. Branwalader (Breward) of Cornwall and the Channel Islands (6th c.) (Celtic & British).
St. Fillan (Foelan) of Strathfillan (VIII) (Celtic & British).
Venerable Meletius, confessor of Mt. Galesion, monk (1286) (Greek).
Translation of the relics (950) of St. Gregory the Theologian (389).
Martyr Anthony Rawah the Qpraisite (8th c.).
The enthronement of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
The Scripture Readings
James 3:1-10
The Untamable Tongue
3 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. 3 Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.
See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
Mark 11:11-23
11 And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.
The Fig Tree Withered
12 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.”
And His disciples heard it.
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
15 So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 16 And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. 17 Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”