Every time I read an article about the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Rite - aka the Old Mass, the Latin Mass, or Tridentine Mass - there seems to be an emphasis about how the priest turns his back to the people.
Let's just understand this: the priest is NOT turning his back on the people, he IS turning his own face to the Lord with the rest of us poor sinners, begging the Lord's mercy and favor with us and for us.
There's this kind of presumption that the Mass is a spectator sport and that we need to see the priest's performance. A priest should not perform the Mass. He should offer it, to the Lord. "Lord, accept this sacrifice," he prays and then holds the gifts up to us. Hmmm.
See the reasoning behind the priest offering the Mass ad orientem? Towards the Lord does not necessarily mean away from the people. Let's lose the negative connotations.
You know that's always been a pet peeve of mine, that phrase - "turning his back on the people". Our pastor likens it to a bus driver - he's not turning his back, he's leading us all, and where would we be if the driver faced us? Incidentally, he celebrates the novus ordo form of the mass ad orientem as well.
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