Pope Benedict and "conversi ad Dominum"
In his General Audience address today, the Holy Father referred explicitly to a theme addressed by Fr Michael Lang in his seminal work "Turning Towards the Lord":
Behold, the meaning of prayer: to open our hearts, to create in us a willingness which opens the path to Christ. In the liturgy of the ancient Church, after the sermon, the bishop or president of the celebration, the principal celebrant, would say: "Conversi ad Dominum…Turn (around) toward the Lord". Then he himself and all there rose up and turned themselves toward the East. The all wanted to gaze toward Christ. Only if we have been converted, only in this turning toward Christ, in this common gaze at Christ, can we find the gift of unity.H/T Fr Z