Another Parish Moves East

At the New Liturgical Movement is a recent post about a parish that has "moved East", that is, has gone "ad orientem" in its celebration of the Ordinary Form...yes, even with the encouragement of the Bishop. How I wish my own bishop were as supportive and open minded to the idea of Ad Orientem worship. (sigh!)

Another Parish Moves East

Truly Unconfused Worship

Taken at the Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary Form at the Our Lady of Grace Shrine, Grace Park, Caloocan City. The Mass was offered on the 31st of May 2012, Thursday in the Octave of Pentecost. The Celebrant was Rev. Fr. Rodel Lopez, OMI, assisted by yours truly as deacon, and Mr. Dennis Maturan as straw sub deacon. Thanks to Mr. Maturan for the pictures.

The Self-enclosed Society

In "The Spirit of the Liturgy" then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Benedict XVI) warned us against being a "self-enclosed society" as expressed by a form of worship wherein clergy and laity faced each other. Fr. Ray Blake's Blog has an entry about the Church becoming a self-enclosed society as reflected in the crisis in the Church in Ireland. The only way out of the crisis is by "breaking the magic circle". I don't know how to create the link with his blog and so I hope he will forgive me for reblogging his article:


It is pretty obvious that the Vatican II experiment has failed! The Council that sought to make the Church truly missionary ended up by making it self serving and introspective. Not the Councils intention but in Europe at least it is the result.
Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Austria once the most faithful of Catholic countries have become deserts. George Wiegel, worth reading, looks at Ireland and suggests that even if the number of dioceses are significantly reduced, it is most probably impossible for Ireland to find good native bishops amongst the homegrown sons of Eirin.

The problem is the Magic Circle syndrome, like selecting like, faithful servants of national Churches appointing their faithful servants. It is indeed a circle, symbolised by the post-Concilliar stance at the liturgy, bishops, priests and people looking at one another celebrating, as if it is worth celebrating, their own community. It is self celebrating, self serving. It lacks the faculty of self criticism and self evaluation. Ultimately it lacks direction and vision and is incapable of redirecting itself. It is by its very nature conservative and illiberal and therefore intolerant of criticism. Like any self perpetuating group it easily becomes totalitarian and ultimately unjust.
This we have seen in Ireland, and elsewhere.

Breaking the Circle seems to be a priority, in Ireland it needs to happen now, as Wiegel says.

Some of the Irish clergy, as much in panic or desperation as anything else are suggesting electing bishops by clergy and laity. The problem with that is the most popular candidate is unlikely to be the best. Mandates given can be taken back. Although election by popular acclamation is an ancient model, it only worked when clergy and laity held the faith, or when the Bishop was expected to be a political figure. In Ireland that will merely perpetuate the problem and eventually lead to a schismatic national church, even more self serving than what exists at the moment.

Wiegel suggests sending in foreign Bishops. In the past the lineage of the Catholic Archbishops of Canterbury was peppered by Greeks and Italians, it was not unusual, perhaps it was easier in a Church with a single language. In Ireland it might be a temporary solution. The Pope's solution for Ireland, set out in his letter was first of all a year of penance, a visitation, then a mission be held for all bishops, priests and religious.

It is well worth thinking of this as a solution for other Churches:
Penance reminds us that the solution for our problems lies in Christ and perhaps it is a way of breaking down the sese of we are okay, the problen lies elsewhere.
Visitation is a way of reconnoitering and evaluating the present Church structures, it presumably is about looking for future bishops.
Mission is a way of changing minds and hearts and underscoring the Catholicity of bishops, priests and religious.

The problem with our present structures is that they are essentially feudal, a Bishop is Lord in his own domain, in reality against him there is no appeal, except to a Roman dicastery which is understaffed, often not very efficient and generally dependant on the Bishop's good will. The Bishop's Conference structure was supposed to be a counter to this feudalism but is actually part of the problem.

Perhaps there needs to be a permanent Visitation of dioceses, a group of proven senior foreign bishops, who have an ongoing interest in the local Church, getting to know the local Church, and therefore offer advice on future bishops, being able to offer critical and supportive advice to the bishop, being able act as a court of appeal if necessary, ensuring proper procedures are followed and being able to offer some gentle fraternal correction to the clergy.
There is a need for accountability.

Again a regular Mission to the bishops, clergy and religious also seems a good idea, actually to break through a self approving theology, that often goes for "ongoing formation". Now, we are perhaps in a situation where such a Mission might actually pass on the Catholic faith, rather than some destructive alternative form.
There is a need for an outside voice.

It is about time that we break the magic circle...I think returning to the worship ad orientem will be a good start. It is time to restore liturgy to its original intent as worship of God. We should break the mutual admiration club meeting that we call the new liturgy!

The Single Greatest Obstacle to the Reform

Yesterday, some students from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila interviewed me for an article on Universae Ecclesiae. When the conversation tackled the issue of Ad Orientem, I asked the students: To whom does the priest offer the Sacred Liturgy, to God or to the people? Without carefully thinking, the students unanimously answered: "The people!" They were surprised when, using the Ordo Missae, I pointed out to them how the prayers were addressed to the Lord and not to the people. No matter how much the Holy See insists on the fact that the Liturgy is always directed Ad Deum, it seems that such is not immediately picked up by the average Catholic. The reason for this? It is the celebration of the Mass versus populum. I agree with Dom Mark Kirby of Vultus Christi when he said that "Mass facing the people is the single greatest obstacle to the Reform" of the Liturgy.

You can read his article by following the link: New English Translation Be Enough?

The Ascension and Liturgical Orientation

The 40th day of Easter is Ascension Thursday. On this day, the Lord Jesus ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives. As a cloud took Him from the sight of the disciples, "suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood before them. They said, 'Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen Him going into heaven."

The Lord Jesus will return in the same way He was seen going into heaven. "As you have seen Him going into heaven": The Son of Man will come back, descending upon the clouds - this is what the Lord Jesus said about the parousia. Also, there is a long standing tradition that the Mount of Olives will be the place of the Lord's return. He ascended from the Mount of Olives, He will return on the Mount of Olives.

This is one of the explanations given for the Christian Liturgical Orientation. Inasmuch as the Mount of Olives is located east of Jerusalem, Christians faced the east when they prayed, as Jews faced Jerusalem when the prayed. Between Mount Zion (where the temple of Jerusalem stood) and the Mount of Olives (where Jesus ascended into heaven) is the Valley of Jehosaphat which is the known as the valley of judgment. Jews believe that from that valley God will judge all nations. Thus, on the slopes of the Mount of Olives, there is a Jewish cemetery where the dead are buried with their faces towards Jerusalem. This they do so that at the resurrection of the dead, those buried there will rise facing the Temple. However, on the slopes of Mount Zion, there is a Christian cemetery where the dead are buried with their faces towards the Mount of Olives. This they do so that at the resurrection of the dead, those buried there will rise facing the Lord who will descend on that mountain. Usually, we Christians bury our dead with their faces towards the east in anticipation of the Parousia.

"When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes in glory." The celebration of the Liturgy does not only look back at the Paschal Mystery which is made present. It also looks back with blessed hope towards the return of our Lord Jesus. Thus, we face the east - if not the literal east, at least the "spiritual east" which is the Cross. In doing so, we engage in a procession towards the Lord "who shall come to judge the living and the dead."

Orientation in Jewish Prayer

An interesting article on the topic of Orientation of Prayer. In one of his talks, a famous Filipino liturgist claimed that the eastward direction of liturgical prayer is of pagan origin. This article says that we inherited from the Jews the custom of having a common liturgical direction. The Jews turned towards Jerusalem. We turn towards the east.

When I studied in the Graduate School of Liturgy in San Beda College, we went to a synagogue in Makati for a Sabbath service. The liturgical direction was so evident. Everybody faced Jerusalem. It was then that I started to question why we gave up the orientation of liturgical prayer. If it is true that we inherited our liturgical practices from the Jews, why do we not pray facing a common liturgical direction today? This is definitely a discontinuity not only from the tradition of the Apostles but also from the Jewish tradition which they keep to this very day.

Follow the link: Orientation in Jewish Prayer

Ad Orientem in the Ordinary Form

The New Liturgical Movement reported on the Mass in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite offered ad orientem at the Pope John XXIII High School in Texas.

Follow the link: Ad Orientem, Ordinary Form, Pope John XXIII High School, Texas

The End of Orientation

Those who argue in defense of Mass versus populum say that the priest facing the people better express the centrality of Christ and his Sacrifice in the life of the Christian people. However, ad orientem shows that the ultimate direction of our worship is the Father Almighty.

The Latin theological tradition views the liturgical re-presentation of Christ’s
sacrifice (however conceived) as an offering of the whole Christ, Head and
members, to the Father through (and with) the Son in the Holy Spirit. In the
Roman Canon as well as in the other Eucharistic Prayers of the modern Roman
Rite, the First Person of the Trinity, God the Father, appears as both the
starting point (principium a quo) and the end (terminus ad quem) of the
Eucharistic action, while Christ, the incarnate Son, appears there as High
Priest, through whose mediation the Father has been gracious to us and we render
praise and glory to Him. In contrast, but not in disagreement, with the Western
structure of liturgical prayer, the traditional Eastern liturgical prayer ends
with the words: “For unto Thee are due all glory, honor, and worship, to the
Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of
ages. Amen.” From this I reason that the celebration of Mass facing ad orientem
symbolizes a movement not only toward the “east” of Christ, but also toward the
Father through, with, and in Christ (“Per ipsum, et cum ipso, et in ipso...”).

For the whole article, follow the link The End of Orientation

O Oriens

Fr. Mark Kriby of Vultus Christi blog has this article on the O Antiphon "Oriens" and showed its significance in the orientation of Christian Prayer. He wrote:

From the earliest times, Christians at prayer have turned towards the East.
Christ is the Dayspring, the rising sun who dawns upon us from high “to give
light to those in darkness and in the shadow of death” (Luke 1:9). The eastward
orientation of churches and altars is a way of expressing the great cry of every
Eucharist: “Let our hearts be lifted high. We hold them towards the Lord.”

Ad Orientem

When, in the celebration of the liturgy, the priest
faces the “liturgical east,” he is “guiding the people in pilgrimage towards the
Kingdom” and with them, keeping watch for the return of the Lord. “This Jesus,
who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him
go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). Pope Benedict XVI has reminded us that a powerful
witness is given in the prayer of a priest and people who stand together facing
eastward and giving voice to the same hope. “The Spirit and the Bride say,
'Come.’ And let him who hears say, 'Come’” (Revelation 22:17).

The
message of the Holy Father at Heiligenkreuz Abbey in September 2007 was clear
and compelling:

In all our efforts on behalf of the liturgy, the
determining factor must always be our looking to God. We stand before God - he
speaks to us and we speak to him. Whenever in our thinking we are only concerned
about making the liturgy attractive, interesting and beautiful, the battle is
already lost. Either it is Opus Dei, with God as its specific subject, or it is
not. In the light of this, I ask you to celebrate the sacred liturgy with your
gaze fixed on God within the communion of saints, the living Church of every
time and place, so that it will truly be an expression of the sublime beauty of
the God who has called men and women to be his friends.

Follow the link: O Oriens

The Benefits of offering Mass "Ad Orientem"

Fr. Mark Daniel Kirby of the Vultus Christi blog has a short article on his own experience of offering Mass "ad orientem'.

follow the link: Five Years of "Ad Orientem"

Fr. George Rutler on the New Translation, on Liturgists and on Ad Orientem

I have always been a fan of Fr. George Rutler because I find him as a man of culture. I respect his views and I love his preaching over EWTN. With what he wrote on the New English translation, liturgists and Ad Orientem, I couldn't have said it better!
Read and be educated:
Fr. George Rutler on the New Translation, on Liturgists and on Ad Orientem

Common direction of worship in liturgical architecture

A very enlightening article on liturgical architecture which deals with the history of liturgical direction:

Architect Dino Marcantonio on the Christian Sanctuary

The Priest and the Holy Trinity

Suscipe, Sancta Trinitas, hanc oblationem, quam tibi offerimus...

As I was offering Mass in the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite this morning, my attention was taken by the words of this offertory prayer. Suddenly it dawned upon me that the words of the rites were very clear about the direction of the Eucharistic Sacrifice. The oblation is not made to the people. The oblation is offered to the true God, the Most Holy Trinity. The orientation of the prayer is so very clear both in text and in ritual. In ritual, the priest and the people face the same direction - ad Deum (to God). The prayer makes it even clearer: Suscipe, Sancta Trinitas... (Receive, O Holy Trinity, this offering which we make to Thee...)

In fact, at the conclusion of the Mass, an equally beautiful prayer is prayed: Placeat tibi, sancta Trinitas, obsequium servitutis meae: et praesta; ut sacrifium, quod oculis tuae majestatis indignus obtuli, tibi sit acceptabile, mihique et omnibus, pro quibus illus obtuli, sit , te miserante, propitiabile (May the performance of my homage be pleasing to Thee, O Holy Trinity; and grant that the sacrifice which I, though unworthy, have offered up in the sight of Thy majesty be a propitiation for me and for all those for whom it has been offered). Towards the end of the Sacrifice, the priest is reminded of his real purpose. There is no "pat in the back," no affirmations like, "Good work, Father, you got the attention of the audience." The priest has no care of what the "spectators" say for his only purpose is to be able to offer homage that is pleasing to the Holy Trinity. No human affirmation can equal the value of our Lord's words: "Well done, good and faithful servant."

The two prayers of the Mass remind the priest of his real "employer" - he is at the service of the Holy Trinity! The priest is servant of the Holy Trinity.

The Ascension and the Orientation of Worship

"Psallite Domino, qui ascendit super caelos caelorum as Orientem, alleluia." (Ps. LXVII. 33, 34)

Sing ye to the Lord, who mounteth above the heaven of heavens to the East, alleluia.

The Communion Antiphon for the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite shows that the mystery of the Ascension has influenced the Catholic custom of facing the east at the liturgical prayer. In the Acts of the Apostles, the apostles are shown as looking up to heaven as the Lord was taken away from their sight by a cloud. Two men in white garments said to them: "Ye men of Galilee, why stand you looking up to heaven? This Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come as you have seen Him going into heaven." What did they mean by the words: "This Jesus...shall so come as you have seen Him going into heaven"? Were they merely referring to the manner by which Christ our Lord ascended into heaven? Is he to return in the same way? Or did they also mean that on His return, the Lord will come back in the same location where He ascended into heaven.

Apparently, early on in the life of the Church, the words of the two heavenly beings were understood as referring to both the manner and the location of the Lord's departure and future return. In his book "Turning Towards the Lord: Orientation in Liturgical Prayer," Fr. U.M. Lang spoke of the liturgical direction of Jewish prayer as related to their expectation of the coming of the Messiah: "...after the destruction of the Temple, the prevailing custom of turning towards Jerusalem for prayer was kept in the liturgy of the synagogue. Thus Jews have expressed their eschatological hope for the coming of the Messiah, the rebuilding of the Temple, and the gathering of God's people from the Diaspora. The direction of prayer was thus inseparably bound up with the messianic expectation of Israel."

The same author made reference to the work of Georg Kretschmar who saw "a connection between the development of the eastward direction of prayer among Christians and a local tradition of the primitive Church in Jerusalem. Interpreting some Old Testament prophecies (Ezek 11:23; 43:1-2, 44:1-2, and Zech 14:4), the earliest Christians expected the Second Comingh of the Lord to be on the Mount of Olives, which was revered as the place of his Ascension (Acts 1:9-12). On the eve of the Passover, at any rate, the Christians of Jerusalem prayed turning toward s the Mount of Olives. Given the topography of the city, this meant that they were facing east."

Another scholar named Stefan Heid objected to Kretschmar's theory. However, even in his objection, he acknowledged the existence of a local tradition that the Second Coming was expected on the Mount of Olives: "...the sources for a local tradition that the Second Coming was expected on the Mount of Olives do not reach far back before AD 70."

Whether this local tradition was observed before or after AD 70, the fact remains that early on in the life of the Church, facing the orient during prayer ia already associated with the joyful expectation of the glorious coming of our Savior and Lord Jesus the Christ. The Church in Jerusalem faced the Mount of Olives, which was in the east. When we face the east during liturgical worship, we look at the place where He ascended into heaven. We look to that privileged place on earth where He left and where, we hope, He would return. The orientation of Catholic worship is a long standing tradition that looks back at the Ascension and looks forward to the Parousia.

On Facing the East

God's word tells us: The high priest shall put incense on the fire in the sight of the Lord. The smoke of the incense shall cover the mercy-seat above the tokens of the covenant, so that he may not die. He shall take some of the blood of the bull-calf and sprinkle it with his finger over the mercy-seat toward the east.

God taught the people of the old covenant how to celebrate the ritual offered to him in atonement for the sins of men. But you have come to Christ, the true high priest. Through his blood he has made God turn to you in mercy and has reconciled you with the Father. You must not think simply of ordinary blood but you must learn to recognize instead the blood of the Word. Listen to him as he tells you: This is my blood, which will be shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.

There is a deeper meaning in the fact that the high priest sprinkles the blood toward the east. Atonement comes to you from the east. From the east comes the one whose name is Dayspring, he who is mediator between God and men. You are invited then to look always at the east: it it there that the sun of righteousness rises for you, it is there that the light is always being born for you. You are never to walk in darkness; the great and final day is not to enfold you in darkness. Do not let the night and mist of ignorance steal upon you. So that you may always enjoy the light of knowledge, keep always in the daylight of faith, hold fast always to the light of love and peace.

(Origen, Homily on Leviticus, 9, 5. 10:

PG 12, 515. 523; Office of Readings,

Monday, 4th Week of Lent)

Facing the East in the Eastern Churches

Fr. Finigan's blog (The Hermeneutic of Continuity) has this wonderful document on the east-ward direction of the Eastern liturgies. The document is worth our reading.

The hermeneutic of continuity: Eastern Churches must face East

(Of course, many liturgists will say, "But we do not belong to the eastern rites." However, Pope Benedict has shown in 3 Masses at the Sistine Chapel and once at the Pauline Chapel that Ad orientem worship is a legitimate possibility even in the Missal of Paul VI and in the Missal of John Paul II.)

Papal Mass Ad Orientem

The Holy Father again celebrated the Mass ad orientem for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This was held in the Sistine Chapel. The fact that he has been doing this for the past three years should prove the point that the Mass in the ordinary form (according to the Missal of Paul VI) may be legitimately celebrated ad orientem. It seems that many bishops and liturgists do not understand this point.

Thanks to New Liturgical Movement for the pictures.

The Nazarene and John the Baptist: a lesson on Ad Orientem worship

"Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea, where he spent some time with them baptizing. John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was an abundance of water there, and people came to be baptized, for John had not yet been imprisoned. Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew about ceremonial washings. So they came to John and said to him, 'Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him.' John answered and said, 'No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Christ, but that I was sent before him. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete. He must increase; I must decrease.'"

John 3:22-30

Whenever I ask people, "Who is the patron of Quiapo Church?" the usual answer I get is "The Black Nazarene." That's wrong because the true patron (the titular) of the said church is St. John the Baptist. Not many people know this. In fact, many mistakenly think that January 9 is the Fiesta of Quiapo which is not really true because the fiesta of Quiapo is June 24, which is also known as Manila day. People go to Quiapo Church to visit the Nazareno and not really the Baptist. In a sense, what his disciples said to John at that time can be repeated to him about the pilgrims who go to Quiapo: EVERYONE IS COMING TO HIM!

When these words were first addressed to John by his disciples, it would probably have been in an alarmed tone. The concern was that the Lord Jesus was gaining a reputation at the expense of John. People were abandoning John in order to transfer to Jesus' side.

But John was not alarmed. After all, he knew who he was and where his place should be. John knew his place: "I am not the Christ...I was sent before him." The bride, God's people, was not his to claim. He was just the best man. Jesus is the Bridegroom! The role of the best man is to stand and listen for the Bridegroom. Hearing the Bridegroom's voice, he rejoices greatly because his arrival would mean that the wedding feast has begun. The best man never gets jealous of the attention showered on the Groom. After all, it is the Groom's wedding, not his. The best man does not attract attention to himself. He directs all the attention to the Bridegroom himself: "He must increase; I must decrease!"

The Priest: the Bridegroom's friend

So John the Baptist is the appropriate image of the priest at Mass. In the Holy Sacrifice, the priest is never to keep the attention of the people to himself. Rather, like John the Baptist, the priest's presence should not be an imposing one but rather, it should be a presence that should disappear when the Bridegroom arrives: He must increase; I must increase.

Unfortunately, this is not the case in most liturgies today. The Holy Father, when he was still Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, made this valid observation:

"In reality, what happened was that an unprecedented clericalization came on the scene. Now the priest - the 'presider', as they now prefer to call him - becomes the real point of reference for the whole liturgy. Everything depends on him. We have to see him, to respond to him, to be involved in what he is doing. His creativity sustains the whole thing. Not surprisingly, people try to reduce this newly created role by assigning all kinds of liturgical functions to different individuals and entrusting the 'creative' planning of the liturgy to groups of people who like, and are supposed to, 'make their own contribution'. Less and less is God in the picture. More and more important is what is done by the human beings who meet here and do not like to subject themselves to a 'pre-determined pattern.' The turning of the priest toward the people has turned the community into a self-enclosed circle. In its outward form, it no longer opens out on what lies ahead and above, but is closed in on itself." (J. Ratzinger, The Spirit of the Liturgy, 79-80.)

John the Baptist shows us the pattern that every priest must emulate at the celebration of the Mysteries. The Baptist was sent to prepare the way for the Lord's coming. This preparation is by preaching. Thus, he is the voice crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord! "The Liturgy of the Word is about speaking and responding, and so a face-to-face exchange between proclaimer and hearer does make sense." (Ibid., 81)

However, at the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the priest, like the Baptist, must disappear through the common turning of the priest and people to the same direction: to the Lord.

"...a common turning to the east during the Eucharistic Prayer remains essential. This is not a case of something accidental but of something essential. Looking at the priest has no importance. What matters is looking together at the Lord. It is not now a question of dialogue but of common worship, of setting toward the One who is to come. What corresponds with the reality of what is happening is not the closed circle but the common movement forward, expressed in a common direction of prayer." (Ibid.)

When the priest faces the Lord, he conveniently disappears into the background. Some liturgists mistakenly say that the only advantage in the eastward direction of liturgy is that the celebrant is able to concentrate more and is freed from distractions coming from the assembly. This shallow understanding fails to appreciate the fact that Liturgy is worship and not entertainment! Liturgy is a procession of God's people, led by its priest, towards the Lord. The priest has his back to the people because in worship, he is not talking to the people. He is addressing God. His face should be turned toward the Lord.

"It was much more a question of priest and people facing in the same direction, knowing that together they were in a procession toward the Lord. They did not close themselves into a circle; they did not gaze at one another; but as the pilgrim People of God they set off for the Oriens, for the Christ who comes to meet us." (Ibid., 80)

The liturgical reform which allowed the celebration of Mass versus populum (facing the people) involved more than just a rearrangement of sanctuary furniture. It has, unfortunately, changed the orientation of the liturgy. No matter how much the Congregation for Divine Worship tries to explain that the orientation of the liturgy remains to be "towards the Lord", the liturgy has become, at the very least, a "teaching session" (like a cooking class in which the audience is shown how the dish is made) and at its worse, "entertainment" ( a show that has to keep up with the demands of an MTV generation). The constant pressure for priests is to keep the Mass entertaining. The priest has forgotten that the liturgical act is first of all God's act, not his. He is just the best man who stands and listens for the Bridegroom's coming. He is simply there to pave the way for the encounter of Groom and Bride. The priest should not be an obstruction to this encounter. When the Bridegroom arrives, the best man should conveniently disappear. How is this done? When the priest turns towards the Lord, the people no longer see his face. The priest decreases and Christ increases!