"Lift up your heart" in Mass Liturgy

[tlnd]

I have felt uncomfortable with the gestures associated with this part of the liturgy and did a little research. This command comes from Lamentations 3:41- Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven. The word Hebrew word lebab that is translated as heart actually means mind. The Jews believed the heart was the site of our mind. I take the meaning of this passage to mean that we should be raising our thoughts from earthly matters and problems to look to God for our answers and raise our hands in supplication.

 

[Nelka]

:hypno:

 

[Phemie]

I have felt uncomfortable with the gestures associated with this part of the liturgy and did a little research. This command comes from Lamentations 3:41- Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven. The word Hebrew word lebab that is translated as heart actually means mind. The Jews believed the heart was the site of our mind. I take the meaning of this passage to mean that we should be raising our thoughts from earthly matters and problems to look to God for our answers and raise our hands in supplication.

Gestures? What gestures?

 

[Sirach2]

I believe he is talking about the “preface” where the celebrant invites us to “lift up our hearts” - concluded with “it is right and just” and the Holy, Holy.

Some in the congregation lift their arms briefly as they respond, “We have lifted them up to the Lord.” However, many do not. It is optional - neither right, nor wrong. So why be concerned?

 

[tawny]

I believe he is talking about the “preface” where the celebrant invites us to “lift up our hearts” - concluded with “it is right and just” and the Holy, Holy.

Some in the congregation lift their arms briefly as they respond, “We have lifted them up to the Lord.” However, many do not. It is optional - neither right, nor wrong. So why be concerned?

Agree.

 

[Adonia]

I have felt uncomfortable with the gestures associated with this part of the liturgy and did a little research. This command comes from Lamentations 3:41- Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven. The word Hebrew word lebab that is translated as heart actually means mind. The Jews believed the heart was the site of our mind. I take the meaning of this passage to mean that we should be raising our thoughts from earthly matters and problems to look to God for our answers and raise our hands in supplication.

Amen! Looking to God for answers and thus help in our lives. This is a constant prayer from me on a daily basis. The comfort I get from this is immense.

 

[drforjc]

The rubrics do not prescribe any gestures for the people at the is part of the mass. Some people raise their hands but this is totally of their own volition. The rubrics simply do not foresee this.

 

[nysacerdote]

The raising of the hands here is similar to the raising of the hands during the Pater Noster. Although this practice has spread throughout many churches, technically the raising of the hands is a gesture specific to the priest and the priestly office. People in parishes continue to do this for many reasons. However, the proper position to keep your hands folded or in the iconic “prayer hands” position that we all learned in CCD The raising of the hands is for the priest alone.

 

[TimothyH]

“Lift up your heart” in the Mass comes from the Book of Revelation. John probably was referencing Lamentation 3:41. There are hundreds of references to the Old Testament in Revelation.

The Book of Revelation roughly follows the liturgy of the Mass, and the part in the Mass where the priest says “Lift up your hearts” corresponds to Revelation 4:1.

After this I looked, and lo, in heaven an open door! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, "Come up hither, and I will show you what must take place after this." (Revelation 4:1)

When the priest says, “Lift up your hearts” and we respond “We lift them up to the Lord” - this is where the liturgy taking place 24x7 in heaven is joined with our Earthly liturgy. We “come up hither” as we enter through the same open door which John saw in his vision. We worship together with all the saints and the angels as we say the thrice holy…

And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all round and within, and day and night they never cease to sing, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, (Revelation 4:8)

The Sanctus (thrice holy) in the Mass corresponds to Revelation 4:8. Our physical and spiritual posture reflects the posture of the 24 elders who worship God.

the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing, (Revelation 4:10)

Our physical posture - kneeling - reflects (or should reflect) how the 24 elders “fall down before him who is seated on the throne.” Our spiritual posture reflects how the 24 elders “cast their crowns before the throne” as we place all our needs, troubles, gifts and blessings before the Lord who is about the be enthroned on the altar. The Memorial Acclamation mirrors Revelation 4:11.

The whole liturgy and especially those parts around the preface prayer (preface dialogue, memorial acclamation, sanctus, etc) mirrors the Book of Revelation. I imagine myself being lifted up into heaven to join the heavenly liturgy with all the angels and saints when the priest says, “Lift up your hearts.”

-Tim-

 

[ProVobis]

I have felt uncomfortable with the gestures associated with this part of the liturgy and did a little research. This command comes from Lamentations 3:41- Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven.

The Latin, however, is not “sursum corda” in Lamentations. “Sursum corda” is literally “Upwards hearts” and is translated that way in the Polish “W górę serca.” I think the Anglophones got this one wrong. There is no “lift” or “our” in the Latin.

That’s not to say Lamentations is wrong in the translation. There is a “Levemus corda nostra” (Let us lift our hearts) there but it is not “sursum corda” which must come from somewhere else.

 

[PietroPaolo]

The raising of the hands here is similar to the raising of the hands during the Pater Noster. Although this practice has spread throughout many churches, technically the raising of the hands is a gesture specific to the priest and the priestly office. People in parishes continue to do this for many reasons. However, the proper position to keep your hands folded or in the iconic “prayer hands” position that we all learned in CCD The raising of the hands is for the priest alone.

Nysacerdote is correct. There is no “gesture” prescribed for the laity during the Sursum Corda. If you are uncomfortable raising your hands, don’t raise them. The words (in English) are not “Lift up your hands,” but “lift up your heart.” It’s a call for active interior participation the kind the laity are called to in Vatican 2, the kind which has been grossly misinterpreted as “inactive” which is absurd.

 

[giuseppeTO]

The rubrics do not prescribe any gestures for the people at the is part of the mass. Some people raise their hands but this is totally of their own volition. The rubrics simply do not foresee this.

Rubrics only apply to the priest and his actions at the altar. The actions of the congregation are merely customs.

 

[drforjc]

Rubrics only apply to the priest and his actions at the altar. The actions of the congregation are merely customs.

Not true in the OF. There are rubrics which bind the laity. Many times in the Missale Romanum the laity are instructed to do certain things involving posture and gesture. For example, at the Orate Fratres, the rubrics direct the people to “rise and reply.” The striking of the breast in the Confiteor at “mea culpa…” apply to all, as does the prescription to bow in the Creed at up to and including “incarnatus est.”

There is certainly nothing in either rubric or custom which suggests the hand gesture sometimes seen at Sursum Corda.

 

[Aramis]

Rubrics only apply to the priest and his actions at the altar. The actions of the congregation are merely customs.

Wrong. The Rubrics of the Missal do include some annotations specific to the postures of the faithful. The General instructions also do so. Even in the EF, the General Instructions include postural rubrics for the laity in broad scope - explicit rules for when to stand, when to sit, when to kneel.

Even in the Eastern Rites, where almost all the rubrics apply only to those in the Altar, there are some postural rubrics. Or, as is the case in the Byzantine DL, the people’s rubrics are black text for the Deacon to proclaim. (Or in more modern editions, moved to added rubrics specific to the recension and/or particular church sui iuris and use.)

 

[ProVobis]

Even in the EF, the General Instructions include postural rubrics for the laity in broad scope - explicit rules for when to stand, when to sit, when to kneel.

I’m not too sure about this. There may be prescribed postures in the handmissals but they vary depending on whether it’s a Low Mass, Sung Mass, etc. Many of the rubrics, such as bowing to the name of Jesus, Gloria Patri, etc. have just been traditional, not really mandated.

 

[tlnd]

I believe he is talking about the “preface” where the celebrant invites us to “lift up our hearts” - concluded with “it is right and just” and the Holy, Holy.

Some in the congregation lift their arms briefly as they respond, “We have lifted them up to the Lord.” However, many do not. It is optional - neither right, nor wrong. So why be concerned?

I think it is healthier for Catholics to see themselves in need and engaged in a meaningful relationship with our Father than seeing themselves as offering something that is beneficial to God. Our Father is Holy-separate and in need of nothing from mankind, and any gifts or sacrifices we make are for our edification.

 

[corsair]

Thank you, ProVobis those were the things I was about to say.

 

[johnmann]

It’s not about being a priestly posture or not. The priest doesn’t extend his hands at this point!

And while in the EF and most of the OF, orans is a priestly posture that, the Our Father is an anomaly. It’s the one time the priest extends his hands during a communal prayer. At that point, he’s not praying as a priest. Some argue that the posture should be abolished for the priest.

Personally, I don’t like the hand waving. I went to Mass recently where a very pious seeming woman in the first row was doing so many motions, it looked like she was putting on a performance. She literally had a motion for every time she responded. There were motions I’ve never seem before like bowing while simultaneous stretching out your hands towards the priest as if handing him a large object.

Having said that, within reason, do what you will. If it helps your worship to have your hands out throughout Mass, go right ahead. You profit and nobody else loses.

 

[giuseppeTO]

Wrong. The Rubrics of the Missal do include some annotations specific to the postures of the faithful. The General instructions also do so. Even in the EF, the General Instructions include postural rubrics for the laity in broad scope - explicit rules for when to stand, when to sit, when to kneel.

Even in the Eastern Rites, where almost all the rubrics apply only to those in the Altar, there are some postural rubrics. Or, as is the case in the Byzantine DL, the people’s rubrics are black text for the Deacon to proclaim. (Or in more modern editions, moved to added rubrics specific to the recension and/or particular church sui iuris and use.)

You are wrong Aramis. Perhaps you have never seen a Roman altar missal according to the 1960 book. Pick up the Missale Romanum and you will find no rubrics pertaining to what the faithful must do during the Mass. Rubrics are not recommendations, they are instructions for the priest in the offering of the sacrifice. There are no rubrics in the EF missale for the deacon at a Mass, with the exception of the administration of Holy Orders. General instructions are not rubrics. Rubrics pertain only to the priest at Mass, not the servers nor anyone else. I wouldn’t know if it were different for the Novus Ordo Missae. Rubrics are not the red print in the Missal used by the faithful.

 

[SushiFan]

…and nobody else loses.

Some people do. I find these unusual gestures extremely distracting, I get annoyed which then causes my mind to wander from my focusing on God. If I sit near someone that is doing this, I wind up closing my eyes during most of the Mass so I do not get distracted. The problem with closing my eyes is that I have ADHD and an auditory processing problem so I need to follow along in the missal to get the most understanding from the Mass. If I decide to leave my eyes open so I can read along, I find I leave Mass with feelings of anger. My daughter also has similar issues and also gets distracted by these people, but she whispers in my ear to ask why they are doing it which causes a further distraction because I then have to discipline her to stop whispering (she is generally a very good child in Mass.)

At our church we also say the St. Michael prayer at the end of Mass. The choir director always announces that it is on the back cover of the hymnal. There are so many people that refuse to use this version and say their own version that at one part of the prayer I don’t even know what I am saying. It all just sonds like a jumbled mess with everyone saying something different.

I get so stressed out some days that I can’t wait for Mass to end and I leave feeling the need to cry. I wish everyone would just do what they are supposed to do, it would make Mass much easier for people like me and my daughter.