Hearts up! Meet your Trainers
Help is on the way
Your ‘Hearts up!’ Coaches
You’re not doing this alone.
You have coaches - ancient Christian Practice trainers - who’ve been guiding souls for centuries on the practice of lifting hearts to God.
Meet two of them:
COACH 1: ST. CYPRIAN OF CARTHAGE
‘This Is Spiritual Warfare’
Who he was:
Bishop of Carthage (North Africa), 3rd century (d. 258 AD). Led Christians through devastating plague, persecution, and martyrdom. Wealthy convert who sold everything for the poor, rose quickly to bishop. Wrote extensively on prayer, unity of the church, and facing trials.
His key teaching on the Sursum Corda (from On the Lord’s Prayer, Chapter 31):
‘For this reason also the priest, by way of preface before his prayer, prepares the minds of the brethren by saying, ‘Lift up your hearts,’ that so upon the people’s response, ‘We lift them up unto the Lord,’ he may be reminded that he himself ought to think of nothing but the Lord.
Let the breast be closed against the adversary, and be open to God alone; nor let it suffer God’s enemy to approach to it at the time of prayer. For frequently he steals upon us, and penetrates within, and by crafty deceit calls away our prayers from God, that we may have one thing in our heart and another in our voice.’
What Cyprian Understood
The Sursum Corda is not gentle suggestion - it’s active resistance against spiritual attack.
The devil is ‘constantly prowling’ during prayer, trying to induce distraction.
We must have ‘one thing in our heart’ matching ‘one thing in our voice’ - simple intention
The priest says it to prepare our minds - it’s deliberate spiritual positioning.
Cyprian’s Coaching for You
You think you’re just distracted? You’re under attack.
Every time you reach for your phone mid-prayer, every time anxiety hijacks your thoughts, every time you say ‘God’ with your mouth but think about tomorrow’s meeting - the adversary has penetrated.
‘Hearts Up!’ is your defense.
When the priest says “Lift up your hearts” at Eucharist, he’s positioning the whole community for spiritual warfare. He’s saying: ‘Close your soul to the enemy. Open it only to God.’
This is why you say it constantly at Trexo:
Morning: ‘Hearts up!’ = I’m setting my defenses for the day
When anxious: ‘Hearts up!’ = I’m closing the breach the enemy is exploiting
Before decisions: ‘Hearts up!’ = I’m ensuring my heart matches my voice
Cyprian’s Assignment for You
For one week, every time you notice distraction during prayer (reaching for phone, mind wandering, anxiety rising), say out loud:
‘Hearts up! This soul is closed to the adversary.’
You’re not drifting - you’re being attacked. Fight back.
COACH 2: THE EARLY CHURCH LITURGY
‘This Is How We’ve Always Done It’
What it is:
The Sursum Corda appears in the earliest written Christian liturgies (worship services) - Apostolic Tradition (~215 AD), Didache, every ancient rite across the world.
The dialogue (from Apostolic Tradition):
Priest: Lift up your hearts.
People: We have lifted them up to the Lord.
Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is fitting and right.
Then the Eucharistic Prayer begins.
What’s Remarkable
Every Christian tradition kept this - even when they disagreed on everything else:
Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, some Reformed/Presbyterian. Latin Mass, Divine Liturgy, Book of Common Prayer. For 1,800+ years, in every language, every culture.
When you say ‘Hearts up!’, you’re joining the most universal Christian practice that exists.
The Early Church Understanding
This was part of the early Christian theology. The community’s consciousness was actually being lifted to join the heavenly worship happening around God’s throne right now (Hebrews 12:22-24, Revelation 4).
Standing at Eucharist, saying: ‘We lift them to the Lord,’ worshipers believed their hearts were ascending - their spirits climbing up to participate in the eternal liturgy.
The people must lift their hearts before they can offer thanksgiving. You can’t approach the mysteries of Christ’s body and blood without first being spiritually prepared, internally ascended.
The Liturgy’s Coaching for You
When you gather for Eucharist on Sunday and the priest says “Lift up your hearts,” you’re not doing something different from your daily Trexo practice.
You’re doing the same thing - just communally instead of individually.
Your daily ‘Hearts up!’ practice is training you for this moment.
And if you’re not in church, you’re saying it along with the community - and billions of Christians over 2,000 years.
Every anxious moment when you reset with ‘Hearts up!’, you’re practicing the ascension of the heart that happens at the altar.
The Liturgy’s Assignment for You
Next time you’re at Eucharist (whether you’re a church member, or you’re visiting, or if you find yourself in a service like a funeral or wedding ), pay attention to the Sursum Corda.
When the priest says ‘Lift up your hearts,’ notice:
THIS IS WHAT YOU’VE BEEN PRACTICING ALL WEEK.
Your daily Trexo Practice isn’t separate from the liturgy. It’s preparation for it.
Want to explore more?
Quick Start - Hearts Up! (How to practice)
Why It Matters Today - Hearts Up! (Modern application)
Troubleshooting - Hearts Up! (Common struggles)
