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Dec 29th, 2019
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Joined: Nov 2001
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Dear Friends,
Actually, the epistle was formerly sung facing the people at the time of St Peter Mohyla and according to St Basil Velichkovsky, CSSR, the Orthodox in Volyn where he missionized told him of their love for the "old ways" and could not stand the Russian practice of reading with the back to the people - among other Russian liturgical practices he mentions.
As an altar-server, I was always directed to read the epistle facing the people.
Dominus Vobiscum!
Alex
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Joined: Oct 2002
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The Russians (and Ruthenian Greek Rite Catholics as well, I seem to recall) read the Apostle facing the East (i.e., the Holy Place), the Greeks read the Apostle facing the West, and now, dear Alex, you're telling us that you read it in either direction, right? :-)
Does anyone know WHY the Russians read the Apostle facing East? And why, when a Deacon (rather than a Presbyter) chants the Gospel in the Russian recension he also faces East (while, again, the Greeks face West)?
OrthodoxEast
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Dear OrthodoxEast,
All right, I admit it - I was Latinized!
But I'm also a very loving person and some people think I'm cute!
Alex
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Dear Alex,
Most people think I look like Santa Claus! I have to correct them and ask, "Don't you mean Saint Nicholas?"
OrthodoxEast
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Dear OrthodoxEast, St Nicholas oozed Holy Myrrh. And you ooze sophistication . . .  I definitely see the resemblance! Alex
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Dear OE, the facing of the reader towards the East or West seems to be a general difference between the churches of Greek or Russian usage.
Generally in Greek Catholic parishes the reader is positioned before the tetrapod facing east, similar to the Russian practice. The Greeks and churches of Greek liturgical practices (such as the Antiochians) face towards the people.
It is interesting that in the Ambrosian rite the Epistle and Gospel are taken from the Ambo facing the people. I read that at one time in the Greek Church before the 13th century the practice was for the subdeacon to read the Epistle on the second step of the ambo facing east while the Deacon sang the Gospel from the top of the Ambo facing the congregation.
Facing ad orientam in general for readings is still done in some conservative and orthodox Jewish synagogues symbolic of facing towards Jerusalem.
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As was mentioned, Byzantine churches historically has an amvon (pulpit) in the center of the temple. That being the case, and if I understand correctly, the Scripture readings would be proclaimed in the midst of the people, facing the Bishop and clergy seated/standing at the Synthronon.
Dave
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Basic liturgics tells the server to face in the direction that the words are directed.
A litany or prayer is chanted facing the east since the petition is to God to do something for us. God is in the east.
Scripture is read facing west since it is God's word to us and we are in the west (trying to get east, perhaps, but still in the fallen world in the west.)
Please note that the devil is also in the west. (Remember how we "spit on him" while facing west during the prebaptismal exorcisms.)
Striving toward Christ's east,
Andrew
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