The Sursum Corda is the opening dialogue to the Preface of the anaphora, also known as the "Eucharistic Prayer", in the Christian liturgy, dating back at least to the 3rd century and the Anaphora of the Apostolic Tradition. The dialogue is recorded in the earliest liturgies of the Christian Church, and is found in all ancient rites. Though the detail varies slightly from rite to rite, the dialogue's structure is generally threefold, comprising an exchange of formal greeting between priest and people; an invitation to lift the heart to God, the people responding in agreement; and an invitation to give thanks, with the people answering that it is proper to do so. The third exchange indicates the people's assent to the priest continuing to offer the remainder of the Eucharistic Prayer on their behalf, and the need of such assent accounts for the universality of the dialogue.
The phrase Sursum Corda is generally translated as "lift up your hearts", though the Latin literally just says "Upwards hearts". As a translation of the Greek, Ἄνω σχῶμεν τὰς καρδίας means "Let us lift up the hearts," it idiomatically implies "our hearts." Sursum Corda should imply "our hearts" rather than "your hearts", as per the modern Spanish translation, Levantemos el corazón. The full text in Latin is:
Priest: Dominus vobiscum.
People: Et cum spiritu tuo.
Priest: Sursum corda.
People: Habemus ad Dominum.
Priest: Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro.
People: Dignum et iustum est.
The current Roman Catholic English translation, as contained in the Third Edition of the Roman Missal, reads as follows:
Another contemporary English translation, that of the Church of England's Common Worship liturgy, translates the first and third responses more idiomatically:
Priest: The Lord be with you
People: and also with you.
Priest: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them to the Lord.
Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give thanks and praise.
In traditional English translations, such as the Book of Common Prayer, the dialogue may be translated as follows:
Priest: The Lord be with you.
People: And with thy spirit.
Priest: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them up unto the Lord.
Priest: Let us give thanks unto the Lord our God.
People: It is meet and right so to do.
Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, United Methodist, Presbyterian, and other denominations use the Sursum Corda in their Eucharistic celebrations. The Sursum Corda is also found in the Exultet during the Easter Vigil, where the dialogue is led not by the chief celebrant, but by the deacon. The Mozarabic Rite has its own text, which is slightly different from other Latin Rites:
Priest: Introibo ad altare Dei mei.
People: Ad Deum qui laetificat juventutem meam.
Priest: Aures ad Dominum.
People: Habemus ad Dominum.
Priest: Sursum corda.
People: Levemus ad Dominum.
Priest: Deo ac Domino nostro Jesu Christo filio Dei qui est in celis dignas gratias dignasque laudes referamus.
The love of God the Father +, the grace of the Only-begotten Son + and the fellowship and descent of the Holy Spirit + be with you all, my brethren, forever.
People: Amen. And with your spirit.
Upward, where Christ sits on the right hand of God the Father, let our thoughts, minds and hearts be at this hour.
People: They are with the Lord God.
Celebrant: Let us give thanks to the Lord in awe.
People: It is meet and right.
The various Anaphoras will have slight differences.
Coptic (Liturgy of Saint Basil)
Priest : The Lord be with you all.
Congregation: And with your spirit.
Priest : Lift up your hearts.
Congregation: They are with the Lord.
Priest : Let us give thanks to the Lord.
Congregation: Worthy and right.
Like the Syriac, the Coptic, especially the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, will have variations on the Sursum Corda, depending upon the particular Anaphora used.
Armenian Rite
Priest: The grace, the love and the divine sanctifying power of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Deacon: The doors, the doors. With all wisdom and good heed. Lift up your minds in reverence of God.
Choir: We lift them up unto Thee, O Lord Almighty.
Deacon: And give thanks unto God, the Lord, with the whole heart.
Choir: It is meet and right.
Church of the East
Quddasha of Saints [Addai] and Mari">Saint Mari">Mari
Priest: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all, now, at all times and for ever and ever.
People: Amen.
Priest: Lift up your minds.
People: Towards you, O God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, O glorious King!
Priest: The oblation is offered to God, the Lord of all.
People: It is fit and right.
Quddasha of Saint Nestorius
Priest: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all, now, always, and for ever and ever.
People: Amen.
Priest: Above in the exalted heights, in the fearful place of praise where the rustling of the wings of cherubim and the pleasant sounds of the hallowings of seraphim continues without ceasing, there let your minds be.
People: With you, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Israel, O glorious King.
Priest: The living and rational offering of our First-fruits, and the unslain and acceptable sacrifice of the Son of our race, which the prophets depicted in a mystery, the apostles proclaimed openly, the martyrs purchased with the blood of their necks, the teachers interpreted in the churches, the priests sacrificed on the altar of holiness, the Levites bore upon their arms, and the people received for the pardon of their debts, is offered to God, the Lord of all, for utterly all creatures.
People: It is meet and right.
NB: The Chaldean Catholic Church has changed "Israel" to "Jacob" in their English translation, but not in their Chaldean Missal.
