The Meaning of the Declarations

👉🏾👉🏾👉🏾The #Meaning of the #Declarations During the #holy #Liturgy (Part 2) Dear followers of the Orthodox teachings on John's Repentance website .we greet you with the peace of the Lord. Today, based on the topic mentioned above, we present to you the following important lesson. We encourage everyone to read it carefully and learn from it. ✍🏾The Priest Says: “Lift up your hearts.” Meaning: To lift up your hearts means to raise our inner thoughts and desires toward heavenly things. It calls us to reflect deeply in our hearts on works that lead us to our heavenly home, and to translate these holy thoughts into righteous actions. When the people respond, saying: “If we think about the heavenly mystery, we have value in the sight of our Creator, God,” they are affirming and emphasizing that our hearts and thoughts must be directed toward the Kingdom of Heaven, not toward earthly concerns. ✍🏾The Deacon Says: “Those who are sitting, rise up” Meaning: ✍🏾This does not mean that everyone was physically sitting. Except for:The sick,The elderly. All others are expected to stand during the Divine Liturgy. ✍🏾Spiritually, this declaration means: 👉🏾Rise from the bed of forgetfulness with vigilance 👉🏾Rise from the bed of sin with repentance and sincerity 👉🏾Stand before God with reverence, alertness, and prayer. 👉🏾 It teaches that it is impossible to remain spiritually idle when the mystery of God’s glory is being proclaimed. ✍🏾The Deacon Says: “Look to the East.” — Why? Meaning: ✍🏾In the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, looking to the East during the Divine Liturgy is a sacred command filled with deep spiritual and biblical meaning. ✍🏾 Church Orientation Orthodox churches are built facing the East 👉🏾The Meqdes , also Bethlehem, is located on the eastern side of the church. We pray facing the East during prayer. 👉🏾 When a deceased person is buried at a funeral, the body is laid with the head facing the West and the feet facing the East. 👉🏾 During the Divine Liturgy, the deacon proclaims, “Look to the East.” Why? 1. Our father Adam’s garden was in the East (Gen. 2:8). 👉🏾 When the garden was closed by the sword of the cherubim because of Adam’s sin, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ conquered death, judged sin, and opened it for us by His death (Luke 23:43). 👉🏾 When we turn to the East, we are reminded of the hope given to us to enter Paradise. 👉🏾 Our Lady’s garden, which was opened, is revealed to us through faith. 👉🏾 We remember the grace we have received in Christ. 👉🏾 We also remember that we are not earthly. 2. The Lord was born in the East. The wise men saw the star in the East, and the star is a symbol of the mercy of God. Just as it led them to God, may it also lead us to the field of harvest (Matthew 22:14). 👉🏾 Whenever we turn to the East, we are reminded of the birth of the Lord, 👉🏾 His favor upon us, 👉🏾 And that the star of mercy is guiding us. 3. The East is a symbol of Our Lady. Just as the sun rises from the East to dispel darkness, so from Our Lady, the Virgin Mary, came the Sun of Righteousness, Jesus Christ, who dispels the darkness of sin in the world (Malachi 4:2). 👉🏾 The prophet Ezekiel also saw Our Lady in the East; therefore, whenever we turn to the East, we remember Our Lady (Ezekiel 44:1–4). 👉🏾Since the Sun of Righteousness, Jesus Christ, was not born in darkness, we are reminded of Our Lady and are kept away from sin. 4. The salvation of the world is found in the East. 👉🏾 The Lord was crucified and saved the world in the East. 👉🏾 Since Jerusalem is an eastern city, whenever we turn to the East, we remember the crucified Christ and the price paid for us. Continues 👇🏾