What is the meaning of looking towards the east in our worship and our churches’ structure?

First: Christ is our east (Zech. 6:12), and the “Sun of Righteousness” who dawns continually to dispel the darkness (Mal. 4:2). Origen says, “we ought to pray towards the East in order to indicate that the soul is oriented towards the dawn of the Light who is the Sun of Righteousness and salvation, the Sun who shines upon the new world, which is the Church.”¹¹⁹⁸

Second: Commemorating our Paradise lost . St. Basil the Great says, “It is according to an unwritten tradition that we turn to the East to pray, but little do we know that we are thus seeking the ancient homeland, the Paradise that God planted in Eden, towards the East.”¹¹⁹⁹

Third: Waiting for the parousia (coming) of Christ. The Lord declared that His second coming will be like the lightning, coming from the east and flashing to the west (Matt. 24:27). Also at the Lord’s Ascension, the angel informed the disciples that the Son of Man will come again from the east, the same as in His ascension (Acts 1:11). The Didascalia Apostolorum states, “People should pray towards the East, because, as the lightning that flashes from the East, and is seen unto the West, thus shall be the coming of the Son of Man. By this let us know and understand when we pray, that He shall be seen from the East, and towards it we expect Him and we worship Him.”¹²⁰⁰

Fourth: As a symbol of rebirth, hope, and light. St. Clement of Alexandria comments that every time we stand up for prayer and turn towards the east, we remember the beginning of our new life that we have received in baptism.

Fifth: Looking towards the cross. St. Athanasius the Apostolic says, “Christ was facing the west while hanging on the Cross and thus we are obligated to look towards the east, meaning towards the Crucified.”¹²⁰¹