In this wonderful article, Fr Pius Noonan teaches us something obvious; but long forgotten- both words and gestures matter. Whatever ideas we express and the language we use to express them must converge on the meaning we intend. This meaning is both captured and expressed in the actions we perform in the service of those ideas. This is perhaps nowhere more important than in those gestures that accompany the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. In particular, how we orientate our worship.
There are many causes of confusion that did not begin with Pope Francis. The position of the altar and the direction of celebration of the Mass is certainly one of them. We can now affirm that until the altars recover their proper position and the priest stands with the people towards the Lord, who is symbolised by the rising sun, there can be no hope for clarity, and confusion will continue to wreak havoc. The Christian people will continue to be afflicted with what we can only identify as a form of cognitive dissonance, stemming directly from the divide created in their minds and hearts by the innate longing of the Christian soul for Christ, the centre and focus of our prayer, while at the same time being forced to look at each other instead of at Christ. Lex orandi, lex credendi. If we observe the apostolic form of worship, we will have the apostolic faith, and our hearts will find rest. If we persist in not observing the norms of the apostles, our faith will always be wanting. It will remain confused, both for ourselves and for the world, and this is not a good situation to be in, for, as is well known, the Devil fishes in murky waters.
Read the full article by Father Pius Noonan here.