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It is not without reason or by chance that we worship towards the
East. But seeing that we are composed of a visible and an invisible
nature, that is to say, of a nature partly of spirit and partly of
sense, we render also a twofold worship to the Creator; just as we
sing both with our spirit and our bodily lips, and are baptized with
both water and Spirit, and are united with the Lord in a twofold
manner, being sharers in the mysteries and in the grace of the
Spirit.
Since, therefore, God is spiritual light, and Christ is called in
the Scriptures Sun of Righteousness and Dayspring, the East is the
direction that must be assigned to His worship. For everything good
must be assigned to Him from Whom every good thing arises. Indeed
the divine David also says, Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the
earth: O sing praises unto the Lord: to Him that rideth upon the
Heavens of heavens towards the East. Moreover the Scripture also
says, And God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put
the man whom He had formed: and when he had transgressed His command
He expelled him and made him to dwell over against the delights of
Paradises, which clearly is the West. So, then, we worship God
seeking and striving after our old fatherland. Moreover the tent of
Moses had its veil and mercy seat towards the East. Also the tribe
of Judah as the most precious pitched their camp on the East. Also
in the celebrated temple of Solomon the Gate of the Lord was placed
eastward. Moreover Christ, when He hung on the Cross, had His
face turned towards the West, and so we worship, striving after
Him. And when He was received again into Heaven He was borne
towards the East, and thus His apostles worship Him, and thus He
will come again in the way in which they beheld Him going towards
Heaven; as the Lord Himself said, As the lightning cometh out of
the East and shineth even unto the West, so also shall the coming of
the Son of Man be.
So, then, in expectation of His coming we worship towards the
East. But this tradition of the apostles is unwritten. For much
that has been handed down to us by tradition is unwritten.
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