{"id":209,"date":"2013-11-19T11:56:16","date_gmt":"2013-11-19T15:56:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/billykangas\/?p=209"},"modified":"2013-11-21T13:07:24","modified_gmt":"2013-11-21T17:07:24","slug":"no-father-z-you-are-the-icon-of-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/billykangas\/2013\/11\/no-father-z-you-are-the-icon-of-god.html","title":{"rendered":"No Father Z, we are the icon of God"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

So today on\u00a0@FatherZ \u2018s blog<\/a>\u00a0I saw an image that really disturbed me. It was a depiction of the Mass being\u00a0celebrated\u00a0\u201cad orientem\u201d (facing toward a\u00a0crucifix) contrasted with the mass being celebrated \u201cad populum\u201d (facing toward the people). It asked the\u00a0question, which makes sense? Here is the image in question.<\/p>\n

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First I have to make it clear that, although the evidence seems clear that a number of the ancient churches in Rome were constructed so that the priest would serve facing the people, I consider facing \u201cliturgical east\u201d a perfectly fine way to\u00a0celebrate Mass. It may not be the most ancient way, but it certainly has had a long history of tradition that goes back centuries. The theological idea was that the priest was facing \u201ceast\u201d towards the rising sun (an icon of the risen Christ).<\/p>\n

This image bothered me because it seems to argue that it makes more sense to face a\u00a0crucifix\u00a0<\/em>than the very body of Christ\u2026 the Church.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I would argue that if we were searching for the greatest icon of Christ to venerate we could find none better than the gathered people of God.\u00a0Consider\u00a0if you will the following passages from scripture:<\/p>\n