05/06/2026
A kind correction in practice during worship for us all. 🙏🏼☦️
Did you know why the priest says, “Let us lift up our hearts”?
During the Divine Liturgy, just before the most sacred part of the Eucharistic prayer, the priest turns toward the faithful and proclaims: “Let us lift up our hearts.” The people respond: “We lift them up to the Lord.”
Often, the question arises whether the congregation should raise their hands at this moment, since the priest himself lifts his hands. In the Orthodox tradition, however, raising hands is by no means what people are invited to do since this particular phrase clearly indicates the need for lifting the hearts.
This liturgical phrase invites the faithful to make an inner transition from earthly concerns toward the heavenly reality. Thus, the Church invites the faithful to leave behind every distraction, worry, or worldly thought and to focus completely on prayer, because the most sacred part of the Liturgy is about to begin.
The priest raises his hands as part of his liturgical actions, but the invitation is spiritual rather than physical. The proclamation is not “Let us lift up our hands,” but “Let us lift up our hearts.” By facing the people, he asks them to turn inwardly to God.
Then, after his invitation, he says, “Let us give thanks to the Lord.” In other words, this phrase does not mean lowering the head and expressing our gratitude to God towards icons. The priest turns toward the Holy Table again and leads the Church to the Eucharistic offering. Thus, the priest invites the faithful to the Holy Table. Here at the Holy Table, at the Eucharistic offering the faithful will witness how the gifts will be sanctified and transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ.
When the Church says, “Let us lift up our hearts,” she is inviting people to ascend spiritually. Our hearts rise up to heaven because the Eucharist unites earth with heaven. That is where “the things above” truly are.
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