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Why order the psalter from the monastery? Sorokoust and the everlasting psalter

The Psalter rightfully occupies its own special niche, at least in Orthodoxy. After all, this book is fully presented in the liturgical charter. This article addresses the issue of reading the Psalter at home, as well as a number of other important issues on this topic.

Sample Prayer

The special significance of the Psalter lies in the diversity of human feelings, spiritual aspirations, and praises of the Creator. One of the theologians once said that there is no feeling in a person that would not be reflected in the psalms. Reading this holy book is a beneficial activity for a Christian, as it gives him many examples of true spirituality. In the texts of the psalms one can find a huge number of examples of repentant prayer.

Psalter in Orthodox worship and traditions

This book is a collection of several hundred psalms - a kind of spiritual hymns, a significant number of which were written by the Old Testament king David.

These texts were used in church services even before the birth of Christ. The rules for reading psalms during Orthodox services, namely the calendar plan for their singing, are stipulated in a special book called “Typikon”.

In addition to church reading, there is also a long-standing Orthodox tradition of reading the Psalter outside church walls, with family or close friends. This kind of reading is called cell reading. How to read the Psalter correctly at home? This question has been considered more than once by various Orthodox theologians, and saints have repeatedly mentioned reading the holy book in their written works. There is a strong opinion that before you begin such reading, you need to get the blessing of a confessor or simply a priest who has been confessing for a long time to the person who wants to start reading.

Psalter in Russian

In worship, only the Church Slavonic version of this sacred text is used. Despite this, there are translations into modern Russian. To the question: “Is it possible to read the Psalter in Russian?” - priests usually answer something like this: “During a church service, such reading is unacceptable, since, according to Orthodox tradition, church services should be conducted only in Church Slavonic. However, during private readings, the use of Russian-language text is not prohibited.”

There is no specific charter that would regulate how to correctly read the psalter at home. Nevertheless, over the long history of this tradition, certain stable rules have developed that are purely advisory in nature. That is, it is desirable to observe them, but some of them may not be fulfilled due to certain life circumstances.

Unwritten rules

For example, it is recommended to read the Psalter with a lit lamp. But what if a person is traveling and does not have this lighting device at hand? Then this rule can be safely ignored. Because the only rule in this godly work that must always be followed, or at least try to adhere to it, is thoughtful, attentive reading, similar to reading prayers.

Another rule states that it is necessary to try to avoid mistakes in stress when reading Church Slavonic words. It can also be interpreted in two ways. Of course, the clergyman, being a professional, must read the Psalter with minimal distortion of pronunciation norms. But for the common man, the main thing here, again, is not how you read, but whether you read at all. This means that living, sincere prayer is the main purpose of reading.

In liturgical publications, the Psalter consists of special parts called kathismas. Each of which, in turn, is divided by Glories: parts during which prayer takes place for the deceased, and prayer for the health of living people.

Before the reading of the Psalter begins and after its completion, special prayers are said, which, like troparia, are also required to be said after the completion of each kathisma.

Another important question on this topic is as follows: “How to read the Psalter correctly at home: out loud or silently?” Priest Vladimir Shlykov answers this question as follows. He says that reading this sacred text can also be done silently. However, many holy fathers recommended, if possible, to try to do this out loud. For example, St. Ignatius speaks of the benefits of saying psalms.

He writes that reading aloud accustoms a person to attentive prayer and increases understanding of the text.

Church reading of the holy book

Read for the dead and the living, the Psalter is often heard in monasteries and other churches. Such church reading can be ordered, thereby helping the soul loved one. This care can be provided to both living and dead people, about future fate which the person ordering this reading cares about. In addition, such prayers can be useful not only to the one for whom they are praying, but also to the one who performed this benefactor - ordered the reading. You just need to firmly remember the words of Christ: “Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.”

Reading the Psalter for deceased relatives and friends

First of all, you need to remember that reading cannot always be done: during Easter week, reading stops. However, this prohibition is not strict, since in “ reference book clergyman" it is said that if a person died on these days, then reading can be done on him.

When reading the Psalter for the deceased, it is most convenient to use the liturgical version of the holy book, where kathismas are indicated. During the Glory, during such a reading, a prayer for repose should be said.

Priests say they are often asked questions like these:

How to read the Psalter of Repose at home?
Is it possible to read the Glory in turn: for the dead and for the living?

Most often you can hear a positive answer to these questions from the priest.

How to read the Psalter about health correctly?

Accordingly, if the psalms are read for healthy people, then at Slava you need to say a healthy prayer.

One more rule regarding Slava. If a person wants to learn how to correctly read the Psalter about the living at home, then he must accustom himself to stand up while reading the Slavs. While reading the rest of the text of this holy book, the reader is allowed to sit in a sitting position. Only seriously ill people can not get up during Glory, as, indeed, during church service. This standing up during the reading of the Glories is necessary, because during it the worshipers demonstrate their love and respect that they show to the Lord God.

Quite often the following question arises: how to correctly read the Psalter for children? There are no special rules here. The Psalter is read for children in the same way as for adults.

If we are talking about teaching children to read the Psalter, then it is important to teach children to understand this holy book with early childhood, explaining to them the meaning of individual incomprehensible fragments. The mindless reading of sacred texts by children must be prevented. This also applies to adults. Therefore, many priests and theologians recommend taking on the reading of feasible parts of the Psalter. You should not continue reading when your attention has already wandered. Such reading can only “anger” God. That is, reading in such a manner leads to the fact that a person begins to treat this tradition in a pagan way, attaching importance not to prayer, but only to the fact of performing the ritual.

Regarding the various practices home reading Psalms, there are a huge number of them. You can read either alone with yourself or together with other people. IN Orthodox literature There are also reading techniques in which the kathismas of the Psalter are divided among a group of people into an equal or unequal number of texts.

In conclusion

Despite the fact that many holy fathers recommend reading the Psalter thoughtfully, some of them also say that one should not be embarrassed if the meaning of what is being read is not always accessible to the reader. There is also an opinion that even if the reader does not understand the meaning, then his very intention to glorify the Lord by reading the psalms is good. Therefore, you should not be discouraged if you are not always able to read the sacred text flawlessly and with deep understanding.

Information for beginners

1. To understand worship, you need to know the psalms

The Psalter is the book of the Old Testament on which everything is actually based Orthodox worship. Psalms are used in large quantities in all services. For example, at the beginning of Vespers, Psalm 103 is sung, and at the beginning of Matins, six psalms are read: 3, 37, 62, 87, 102, 142. At liturgy (or at mass), Psalms 102 and 145 are sung. And these are only the most obvious examples.

2. If you buy an edition of the Psalms, everything you need will already be there

There are 150 psalms in the Psalter, and they are divided into 20 groups called kathismas. Each kathisma is divided into three more parts, between which short prayers are inserted. Usually, editions of the Psalter already have all the divisions and the introductory and intermediate prayers are printed, which is convenient. In principle, such publications are easy to Google.

3. You can’t stop in front of a difficult text.

What may not be included in the purchased Psalter are explanations and translations of the text. Psalms are ancient spiritual poetry. Because of the poetic expressions and the special style and rhythm that you need to “get into,” the psalms are initially very difficult to perceive when listening and reading. It is often difficult to understand what a place means in Church Slavonic. You can understand difficult passages with the help of Russian translation or interpretations of the holy fathers. The most famous interpretations are those of Basil the Great, John Chrysostom and Athanasius the Great.

4. You can read the Psalter at home in the same way as it is read in church

The Psalter is read in full at services every week. At Vespers one kathisma is read, and at Matins two kathismas are read. On Saturday evening a new week begins and new circle reading of the Psalter, therefore the first kathisma is always read, and at Sunday matins the second and third kathisma are always read. It turns out that the reading scheme is like this:

Saturday (vespers): kathisma 1
Sunday: 2.3
Monday: 4, 5, 6
Tuesday: 7, 8, 9
Wednesday: 10, 11, 12
Thursday: 13, 14, 15
Friday: 19, 20, 18
Saturday: 16, 17

5. The main thing: The Psalter is a book that is good to pray through

And the holy fathers highly recommend doing this. You can read individual psalms or kathismas at home, adding short prayers at the beginning and between parts of the kathisma, just as they do in church. They are usually already in publications (see point 2).

At the beginning:
Come, let us worship our King God. (Bow)
Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King God. (Bow)
Come, let us bow and fall down to Christ Himself, the King and our God. (Bow)

In the middle:
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, glory to You, O God! (3 times).
Lord, have mercy (3 times).
Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

You can follow the reading cycle that is completed during the week and read those kathismas that are prescribed on this day of the week: the first two are read in the morning, the third in the evening. Or learn your favorite psalms and remember them throughout the day, following the example of many saints who knew the entire Psalter by heart.

There is also advice to remember individual verses from the psalms for the same purposes.
For example, Ps.117 verses 10-11:
All the nations have gone after me, and in the name of the Lord I have resisted them.
bypassed me, and in the name of the Lord you resisted them
(that is: all the nations, going around, surrounded me, but I resisted them in the name of the Lord)

The Psalter is a book of sacred hymns or psalms, most of which were written by King David at the instigation of the Holy Spirit. In each psalm we see the pain, joy, confusion or triumph that the Great Psalmist experienced when he created these sacred texts.

Psalms have been used in worship since Old Testament times. And in our time at services we hear choral singing or reading psalms. The reading of the Psalter in church is regulated by the Typikon - the liturgical charter.

Reading the Psalter at home

In the Orthodox Church there is a good tradition of reading the Psalter privately (at home). The Holy Book is read either by agreement - several believers, reading the entire Psalter per day, or individually, by kathisma (section of the Psalter) per day. By taking upon himself the rule of diligently and carefully reading the Psalter at home, a Christian accomplishes a small feat; it is both difficult and at the same time brings great peace to the soul.

There is no rule for reading the Psalter at home. But over time, certain rules have developed, the implementation of which is desirable.

Without the blessing taken from the priest, you cannot begin to read the psalter.
Before reading begins, a candle or lamp is lit. The fire does not light up when reading only if you are currently on the road.
Following the advice of St. Seraphim of Sarov, one must read the Psalter out loud, quietly. This makes it easier to perceive the sacred text not only with the mind, but also with the ear. “My hearing brings joy and gladness” (Ps. 50:10).
You can't put stress on words incorrectly. It's a sin. Incorrect placement of accents changes the meaning of the word and distorts the phrase.
If it is difficult to stand, then you are allowed to read the Holy Book while sitting. It is necessary to get up when “Glory” and prayers are read, with which the reading of the Psalter or Kathisma begins and ends.
When following the rule, one should not indulge in excessive passion. Let the reading be a little monotonous, devoid of theatricality.
There is no need to read the titles of the psalms.
Do not be discouraged because at first it is not clear what the psalms say. Gradually the beauty of ancient texts is revealed, and their meaning becomes clear.

Order of reading the Psalter at home

First, “Prayers before starting to read the Psalter” are read.
The Psalter is divided into twenty kathismas, which are divided into parts by three Glories. At Slavy, when reading the Psalter at home, the living and the departed are remembered.
After reading the kathisma, it is necessary to read troparia and prayers.
The Psalter ends with the reading of “Prayers after reading several kathismas or the entire Psalter.”
You should not be afraid of making a mistake in something or reading something incorrectly, not according to the regulations. Sincere repentance and gratitude for everything will make prayer alive, regardless of any mistakes.

HOW TO READ THE PSALMS... Pray for one another (James 5:16). Psalter - holy book psalms, or Divine hymns, recorded by King David at the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Reading the Psalter attracts the help of Angels, blots out sins, and saturates the soul with the breath of the Holy Spirit. The method of praying according to the Psalter is much more ancient than the Jesus Prayer or reading akathists. Before the advent of the Jesus Prayer, in ancient monasticism it was customary to read the Psalter in one’s mind (to oneself) by heart, and some monasteries accepted only those who knew the entire Psalter by heart. In Tsarist Russia, the Psalter was the most widespread book among the population. In Orthodox ascetic practice, there is still a pious custom of reading the Psalter by agreement, when a group of believers separately from each other reads the entire Psalter in one day. At the same time, everyone reads one kathisma determined for him at home, privately, and remembers the names of those who pray with him by agreement. The next day, the Psalter is read in its entirety again, with everyone reading the next kathisma. If someone fails to read the kathisma assigned to him one day, it is read the next day plus the next one in order. So during Lent the entire Psalter is read at least 40 times. One person cannot achieve such a feat. Tips for beginners 1. To read the Psalter, you must have a burning lamp (or candle) at home. It is customary to pray “without a light” only on the road, outside the home. 2. Psalter, on the advice of Rev. Seraphim of Sarov, it is necessary to read aloud - in an undertone or more quietly, so that not only the mind, but also the ear, listens to the words of the prayer (“Give joy and gladness to my hearing”). 3. Particular attention should be paid to the correct placement of stress in words, because a mistake can change the meaning of words and even entire phrases, and this is a sin. 4. You can read the psalms while sitting (the word “kathisma” translated into Russian means “that which is read while sitting”, in contrast to the word “akathist” - “not sitting”). You need to get up when reading the opening and closing prayers, as well as during the “Glories”. 5. The psalms are read monotonously, without expression, slightly intoned - dispassionately, because Our sinful feelings are unpleasant to God. Reading psalms and prayers with theatrical expression leads a person to a demonic state of delusion. 6. One should not be discouraged or embarrassed if the meaning of the psalms is not clear. The machine gunner does not always understand how the machine gun fires, but his task is to hit enemies. Regarding the Psalter, there is a statement: “You don’t understand - the demons understand.” As we mature spiritually, the meaning of the psalms will also be revealed. Prayers before reading kathisma In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee! Heavenly King. Trisagion according to Our Father. Come, let us worship our King God. Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King God. Come, let us bow and fall down to Christ Himself, the King and our God. Then another kathisma is read, remembering the names on each “Glory”. On “Glories” Where the kathisma is interrupted by the mark “Glory”, the following prayers are read: Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, glory to You, O God! (3 times). Lord, have mercy (3 times). Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Save, Lord, and have mercy on the Patriarch (name of the rivers), then the name of the ruling bishop and the names on the list are remembered, and forgive them all sins, voluntary and involuntary, and with their holy prayers forgive and have mercy on me, unworthy! (After this prayer you can put prostrations depending on the zeal of the believer). On the first and second “Glory” names of health are remembered, on the third Glory - names of repose: “Rest, O Lord, the souls of Thy servants who have fallen asleep (according to the list) and forgive them all sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant them Thy Kingdom of Heaven! » (and prostrations). And now, and forever, and forever and ever. Amen. And then - the following psalms. After the third “Glory”, the troparia and prayers written in the next kathisma are read. The prayer “Lord, have mercy” is read 40 times - on the fingers or rosary. Sometimes, at will, between the second and third tens (between 20 and 21 of the prayer “Lord, have mercy!”), a believer’s personal prayer is said for those closest to him, for the most vital. After reading the kathisma It is worthy to eat and final prayers _____________________________________ Read the Psalter, the Apostle, the Gospel - everything is here. Whoever reads the Psalter at night with two kathismas goes through the whole Psalter. It is more valuable to read the Psalter out loud, silently if necessary. Raise the nightly Psalter - pray for yourself and those you don’t know to the seventh generation. Daytime is also valuable. Just as leaves fall from a tree in autumn, so do sins from a person reading the Psalter. Read the 17th kathisma - pray away your sins and the sins of your relatives to the 7th generation. Be sure to read the 17th Kathisma on Friday evening. Read the 17th kathisma for the deceased every day. Pray for the Kingdom of Heaven. ☦ Schema-Archimandrite Ioannikiy _____________________________ One ninety-year-old old woman said that on the fortieth day after her death, a familiar psalm-reader appeared to her in a dream. During her life, she helped him with housework: she washed floors, dishes, and laundry. He said sadly: “Why do you pray so little, but for us there is no better help than reading the Psalter.” ☦ The story of a village priest ______________________________ My husband and I lived alone, but there was no peace and silence in the house. I did not give in to my husband, and he, in turn, proved that he was right, and so it went on for a long time. Finally I got tired of all this and decided to behave differently. My husband will say an offensive word to me, I feel like I’m starting to get irritated, so I take the Psalter and start reading. The husband will make a little noise, then become silent. And so, little by little, peace and quiet settled in our house. I came to the temple, my father passed by, stopped next to me and said: “I wish it would have been like this a long time ago!” ☦ From the book “Biography of the elder schema-abbot Savva. With love in the Lord, your D.O.S.”, M., 1998. ___________________________________ “The seventeenth kathisma is the basis of the Psalter, it must be read in its entirety, it is indivisible... Remember the seventeenth kathisma! So that the seventeenth kathisma be read every day! You won’t be able to read it in the evening, which means during the day, on the road, anywhere, but the seventeenth kathisma must be read daily. This is your spiritual savings book, this is your capital for your sins. At the ordeals, the seventeenth kathisma will already be in defense for you." Some people think that the 17th kathisma is read only when it is her turn and there is no other way. This is not entirely true. It is good to read it every day and many pious laymen do so - For the deceased, this is a great help! ☦ Elder Schema-nun Antonia ________________________________ The elder advised those who have relatives who smoke to read Psalm 108 every day for the smoker. If a relative dies (spiritually), read the Psalter and Akathist. Mother of God"Recovery of the dead." The demon fights strongly for a man, he said, seven times stronger than for a woman, because a man is the image of God (meaning that the Lord Jesus Christ came to earth in a male image and the first man was Adam). - To complaints the priest answered: - Read the Psalter! - Father, there are big quarrels in the family. - Read the Psalter. - Father, there’s trouble at work. - Read the Psalter. I wondered how this could help? But you start reading - and everything works out. ☦ Jerome (Sanaksarsky) ________________________________ - The Psalter drives away evil spirits. St. Barsanuphius of Optina said that for everyone Orthodox Christian you need to read at least Glory a day. I want to say that St. Alexander, the head of the monastery of the Never-Sleeping, introduced the Rite of the Never-Sleeping Psalter in the monasteries. It is very well written about him in the Cheti-Minea. Some spiritual giants read the entire Psalter a day on an ongoing basis. Like, for example, Simeon the Divnogorets, Parthenius of Kiev, and others. Ephraim the Syrian speaks of the psalms, so that they are constantly on our lips. This is such a sweetness - sweeter than honey and honeycombs. The law of the Lord is good to us more than thousands of gold and silver. I have loved Your commandments more than gold and topaz (Psalm 119, 127). Indeed, you read it and cannot be moved. This is wonderful! Not everything is clear when reading. But Ambrose Optinsky says that understanding comes with time. Open my eyes, and I will understand the wonders of Your law (Psalm 119:18). Let us really hope that our spiritual eyes will be opened. Priest Andrey Uglov

In many monasteries there is a custom of asking to read the Psalter for the departed or for health, which is combined with giving alms. The rite of the Indestructible Psalter is that the Psalter is read by monks day and night, around the clock and without any interruption - incessantly, with special commemorations names about health or repose. This kind of prayer is prayed only in monasteries, because it is the monks who have a special calling to unceasing prayer.

Psalter - bible book Old Testament, consisting of 150 or 151 (in the Orthodox Greek and Slavic versions of the Bible) songs (psalms), setting out the pious outpourings of the enthusiastic heart of a believer during various life trials. In addition to the Davidic psalms contained in the Psalter, of which there are no less than 78, there is one more (89th) belonging to Moses, 11 psalms (41-48, 83rd, 84th, 86th) of the Levites, the sons of Korah , 12 (49th, 72-82) Asaph the prophet, also from the tribe of Levi, one (87th) of Heman and one (88th) of Etham, contemporaries of David. All the above psalms, according to interpreters Holy Scripture, collected in one book in the 5th century BC. high priest Ezra.

The Psalter is an excellent guide to prayer and to the glorification of God, and therefore is constantly used in church services.

No one has ever doubted the inspiration and canonicity of this book. The Psalms are nothing other than the words of the Holy Spirit addressed to all times and peoples, says St. John Chrysostom. That's why all psalms are imbued with holiness .

The Book of Psalms, which contains in abbreviation all the books of Holy Scripture, is a complete set of truths of knowledge of God and worship of God. It is no coincidence that it is sometimes called the “little Bible.”

What is the Indestructible Psalter?

The Undying Psalter - a special kind of prayer. Her reading takes place around the clock, without interruption. The monks replace each other after a certain amount of time. Reading the Incessant Psalter proceeds in silence, in a reverent mood and pacifies the soul.

After reading each part of the kathisma, called “Glory” (each kathisma has three “Glories”), established prayers are said, depending on the memorial being read - About Health or About Repose. Such commemorations are designed to ensure that prayer for a person is constantly offered up. Thus, a person will be remembered not once a day, but at every kathisma (in Psalms 20 kathismas).

The power of this unceasing prayer very big. During this prayer, the soul being prayed for is cleansed, protected from evil demons and receives help in the fight against passions. Prayer for the living or the dead when reading the Indestructible Psalter has unprecedented power, which “He crushes demons, and softens hearts, and appeases the Lord so that he brings sinners out of hell.” Since ancient times, ordering commemoration on the Everlasting Psalter has been considered a great alms for a departed soul.

Reading the Incessant Psalter is great and hard work. If you look from the outside, you may get an erroneous opinion, and it may seem that the person praying is not particularly bothered. But this is not true at all. In order for prayer to give more strength and be more beneficial, the person reading the Psalter must be in complete harmony with God.

The indefatigable Psalter is read both about health and peace. It is also good to order the Indestructible Psalter for yourself. By ordering the Indestructible Psalter for your health, you will immediately feel the help of higher powers.

Such a strong and long prayer as the Indefatigable Psalter for a person can work miracles. And when you see the result (and there will definitely be one), you will strengthen your faith even more. Although the Indestructible Psalter is considered the most expensive church requirement, believe me, the money spent will be rewarded to you a hundredfold.

Regarding reading the Psalter and prayerful commemoration at home , then this also happens, although it is not so much an “indestructible psalter,” because few people read the entire Psalter every day. But you can read it in memory of the living and the dead. For example, you can read at least one kathisma, while remembering health (peace) on each “Glory”. How exactly to commemorate - here you can use both your own words and short prayerful commemorations. For example, you can pray for the living like this: “Lord save your servant (name), forgive him his voluntary and involuntary sins, enlighten him with the light of Your truth and help him in all his everyday righteous deeds.”. You can ask God for help in all your needs.

Regarding readings of the psalms for the departed . This practice is more common. When a person passes into another form of existence, we (the living) must fulfill our duty of love for the deceased not by commemorating with alcohol and other pagan things, but by prayerful remembrance and doing good deeds. If a person reads the psalter for several days, then he can start with the first kathisma. If the psalter about the deceased is a one-time commemoration, then the 17th kathisma is read. It is this kathisma that is considered funeral. It is read by the clergy on memorial Saturdays in churches.

Reading the Psalter both for the living and for the dead benefits not only those for whom we pray, but also those who read them . The spirit of the Psalter itself, which, like the spirit of all Holy Scripture, has a great cleansing power, has an undoubted influence on the human soul. Reading the Psalter drives away demons and attracts God's grace. The action and power of this Divine grace extends to all who read, sing and listen to the psalms and cleanses their souls. Elder Paisius the Svyatogorets wrote that the Psalter is an amazingly godly book, filled with tenderness and reverence. Reading it calms you down, distracts you from anxious, disturbing thoughts, and sets you up for a conversation with God.

Athanasius the Great wrote: “The words of this book measure and embrace the entire human life, the entire state of the soul, the entire movement of thought, so that nothing more can be found in a person. Is it necessary to perform repentance and confession? Are you overwhelmed by sorrow and temptation? Are they persecuting you or plotting against you? Has despondency taken hold of you? Or, seeing yourself happy and your enemy humiliated, do you want to bring gratitude and praise to the Lord? Everyone can find guidance in the divine psalms. Let them read their words about each of these states, and every person will lift them up to the Lord, as if they were written about him.”

Material prepared by Sergey Shulyak

for the Temple Life-Giving Trinity on Vorobyovy Gory

Good afternoon. First of all, I would like to say that the very concept of the “unfailing psalter” refers to commemoration in monasteries and some churches. That is, in the monasteries, the monks read the psalter every day (readers are changed in random order). The statutory requirements for commemorating both the living and the dead vary somewhat in different parishes. Some people remember after every kathisma, others - at every “Glory” (that is, three times during kathisma). Such commemorations are designed to ensure that prayer for a person is constantly offered up. Regarding the question of whether this can help an unrepentant sinner, no one can answer this question unambiguously because we do not have the right to judge God’s will. We can only hope for God's mercy. We can definitely say that a deceased person, for example, will benefit from this, because people are praying for him. But no one here can give a guarantee of salvation to the deceased. All that remains for us is hope, which we confirm by the act of love for the deceased, which consists in prayer.
Now regarding the prayerful commemoration at home. This happens, although it is not so much an “indestructible psalter,” because few people read the entire psalter every day. But you can read it in memory of the living and the dead. For example, you can read at least one kathisma, while remembering health (peace) at each “Glory”. How exactly to commemorate - here you can use both your own words and short prayerful commemorations. For example, you can pray for the living like this: “Lord save your servant (name), forgive him his voluntary and involuntary sins, enlighten him with the light of Your truth and help him in all his everyday righteous deeds.” I wrote this in my own words. That is, you can ask God for help in all your needs. Here you can decide for yourself.
Regarding the reading of the psalter for the departed. This practice is more common. When a person passes into another form of existence, we (the living) must fulfill our duty of love for the deceased not by commemorating with alcohol and other pagan things, but by prayerful remembrance and doing good deeds. In this sense, a baptized person is given a funeral service. The priest reads a prayer for the resolution of sins and deliverance from curses. In addition, people themselves pray for the deceased - they read the psalter, hoping that this prayer, as a fulfillment of the duty of love, will help the deceased in the afterlife. If a person reads the psalter for several days, then he can start with the first kathisma. If the psalter about the deceased is a one-time commemoration, then the 17th kathisma is read. It is this kathisma that is considered funeral. It is read by the clergy on memorial Saturdays in churches.
Now we can say that reading the psalms for both the living and the dead brings benefits not only to those for whom we pray, but also to those who read them. For example, reading the psalter about the deceased is called not only to pray for forgiveness of the sins of the deceased, but also to alleviate the suffering of those living who experience the death of their neighbor. In prayer, a certain connection between the dead and the living is manifested; it is a kind of “bridge” connecting the living with the dead.

The incessant psalter in monasteries and houses with churches is read all night. Where did the tradition come from and why is it important? What is the book of Psalms? This article will help you find the answer to these important questions.

The Indestructible Psalter: History and Meaning

The Psalter is one of the most ancient books of the Bible, which was written by David and is a poetic book. Its texts are used extremely actively for worship, both in ancient times and in the modern Church, dividing into 3 groups:

instructive;
laudatory;
repentant.

About King David, the psalmist:

Some parts of individual psalms became part of the sermon before reading the Bible, as well as songs and prayers. These poetic works can be compared to water on earth - this is an integral and formative part of the church. But the Indestructible Psalter in monasteries is the continuous reading of a book to remember the departed and for the health of the living for several days.

Reading the Indestructible Psalter

The indestructible psalter is one of the varieties of forms of cell monastic prayer, the history of which dates back to the 4th-5th centuries. Characteristic feature is that it is read exclusively in monasteries and throughout the day. Hence its name.

About some psalms:

The basis for performing prayer in this form is passages from the Bible, which indicate that angels praise the Lord continuously, that is, they are in a state of constant prayer. For an ordinary person, it is quite difficult to read psalms all day without being distracted by anything. Only the Egyptian and Palestinian hermit monks, who could read the Psalter in one day, came closest to this. But reading was included in the monastery charter only in the 4th-5th centuries by Abbot Alexander in his monastery near the Euphrates River, which is written about in his Life.

The story tells that the monk was reflecting on the text from the first psalm about the continuity of man’s existence in the law of God. Reflecting, Alexander came to the conclusion that if it were impossible, then it would not have been written like that. The Holy Spirit gives strength and opportunity, so the abbot ordered the rite of continuous reading of psalms to be introduced into the monastery’s charter.

However, he lacked the determination to declare this prayer obligatory, and he began to ask the Lord for a word or a sign of approval. His prayers continued for three years until he received permission from the Lord that literally sounded: “Begin what you have planned - it pleases Me.” Afterwards the monastery was named in honor of this prayer - the monastery of the Unsleeping. When Alexander founded another monastery in Constantinople, the tradition moved there, and then spread to Rus'.

Venerable Alexander, head of the monastery of the Unsleeping Ones

Important! The Psalter itself consists of 150 short psalms, which in turn are divided into kathismas, and those into three “glories” (saying a prayer-doxology “Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit ...”). The Inexhaustible Psalter is read in this way: 1 and 2 Glories - a prayer for the living, 3 - for the repose.

An indefatigable psalter about health and peace in monasteries

Why is this prayer popular today? The indefatigable Psalter has enormous power and helps with the following:

protects a person from the influence and influence of evil spirits;
helps to eradicate sins and passion (any intemperance: alcohol, food, greed, anger, etc.);
helps in healing the body and soul.

Usually the Psalter is read in churches, but only in fits and starts between the sermon and the sacraments. But in monasteries you can order the reading of the Indestructible Psalter for certain people (living and dead). This usually involves giving alms to the monastery.

Why can such a service be ordered only in monasteries? There are several reasons for this:

Monks are given special grace to beg the laity - they live by prayer and are the most distant from worldly passions.
The Psalter is a special prayer that has enormous power. The elders said that when they read the Vigilant Psalter, it rises from earth to heaven in spiritual world pillar of fire
When reading the Vigilant Psalter for a certain person, angels protect him from temptations, protect him from evil spirits and tame passions around and inside him.
When reading such a prayer, the person’s name is mentioned not only when reading psalms, but also several times a day, at each kathisma.
The monks read the texts for several days, replacing each other. It doesn’t matter whether it’s day or night on the street.
The vigilant Psalter is considered a great sacrifice for an already departed soul.
Maintaining a monastery - as an independent organization, monasteries often require financial support, and the ordering of such services is accompanied by donations.

Psalter

The result of such an order will be the benefits:

to the one who ordered - as a desire to glorify the Lord, strengthening in faith and as a matter of mercy;
the monastery, spiritually and financially;
monks in their spiritual development;
to those around him who ordered it, because this is an example of spiritual deeds and mercy.

You can order the Vigilant Psalter for your family and friends, friends and for yourself.

Advice! In monasteries, the Inexhaustible Psalter is read in Church Slavonic. For home reading, you can take Russian, it is more understandable to most people.

Where and how to order the Vigilant Psalter

As mentioned earlier, the Vigilant Psalter is read only in monastic monasteries and nowhere else.

Therefore, to order it, you should contact the nearest monastery that has accepted such a rite. The monastery can be male or female. In this case, it does not matter at all for whom exactly in which monastery the order is submitted, i.e. you can read for a man in a nunnery and vice versa.

The period for reading the prayer is from 40 days to a year.

Important! They do not order readings for the names of suicides, unbaptized people and people who support a different faith.

Price

The cost (donation amount) varies depending on the monastery. Moreover, some of them even accept orders through the Internet, the cost of which for one name starts from 400 rubles for a month or more. The amount of the donation also depends on the number of names to pray for.

But monasteries can accept payment not only in finance, but also in material assistance - food, firewood, building materials, etc.

What is important is not the amount or amount of assistance, but the feasible participation in the life of the monastery. At the same time, it should be understood that reading a prayer in a monastery is not a guarantee of a comfortable and problem-free life; a person must make efforts to draw closer to the Lord and renounce the temptations and passions of the world.

Reading order at home

It is very good to read the psalter with the whole family, dividing the kathismas and the time of reading them among themselves. This brings together and unites the family or group of people who have become involved in the service in this way. It will be quite difficult on your own, but if you have the desire, you should definitely try, the Lord sees the desire of the heart and helps in need.

More about home prayer:

However, it is worth remembering the reading rules:

When reading, be sure to light a candle or lamp;
You should read slowly, not very loudly;
Kathismas are read while sitting, and songs and “glories” are read while standing;
it should be remembered that prayer must come from the heart and sincerely, so gestures and pathos will be superfluous;
If you do not understand any passage, you should not be ashamed; you must seek an interpretation from a clergyman.

Advice! Before reading, you should pray and express your doubts and fears to the Lord, and ask for help while reading. After all, these are not just texts, but an attempt by a person to get closer to God.

After reading, you should definitely take communion in church.

Reading the Psalter in the Valaam Monastery

Order of reading the Psalter

The liturgical regulations for reading the Psalter are stipulated in Chapter 17 of the Typikon. In general, Orthodox worship basically consists of the Psalter. The psalms are the core, the foundation of the service. There is not a single service in the daily liturgical cycle that does not use psalms; in almost all sequences of the Trebnik, texts from the Psalter are used.

Along with the reading of kathismas at Vespers, Matins and the Lenten Hours, psalms are used separately in divine services (for example, the Hours are based on three psalms) and verses from them (prokeemny, chants to stichera).

During the week in churches, the Psalter must be read in full once, twice a week during the period of Great Lent.

For the laity, the Psalter has become an indispensable book in home prayer. There are no special instructions here on how to read the Psalter at home, but general rules similar to liturgical ones. The Psalter is read with prayers for health and the repose of the departed, especially during periods of fasting.

Charter for reading the Psalter...

In difficult life situations, a person often turns to faith. And then he may have many difficulties regarding traditions and rules. And one of the frequent questions is how to correctly read the Psalter to the Lord and the Mother of God.

How to read the Psalter about health correctly?

The Psalter contains poems and prayers that are read on a variety of occasions. About health The Psalter is read in case of a serious illness - one’s own or a loved one’s. An important condition is the presence of faith. If you believe in the power of prayer, it will definitely help.

Before you begin to read the Psalter about health, you must read special preliminary prayers. Those who do not know them can read the Lord's Prayer, which will replace them. A priest can indicate prayers for health more precisely, but to alleviate mental illnesses, psalms 4, 7, 27, 55, 56 and 108 are most often read, for severe headaches - 56, 79, 125, 128, to improve hearing and vision - 5 , 58, 99, 122. For…

How to read the Psalter

Among the books of Holy Scripture, the book of Psalms occupies a special place. Written long before the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is the only book of the Old Testament that was entirely included in the liturgical charter of the Christian Church and occupies a prominent place in it.

The special value of the Psalter is that it depicts the movements of the human soul striving for God, provides a high example of prayerful resistance to sorrows and temptations and praise to God. “In the words of this book, all human life, all states of the soul, all movements of thought are measured and embraced, so that beyond what is depicted in it nothing more can be found in a person,” says St. Athanasius the Great. The grace of the Holy Spirit, penetrating every word of the Psalter, sanctifies, cleanses, supports the one praying with these sacred words, drives away demons and attracts Angels.

The first Christians deeply revered and loved the Psalter. They learned all the psalms by heart. Already in apostolic times...

In Orthodox ascetic practice, there is still a pious custom of reading the Psalter by agreement, when a group of believers separately from each other reads the entire Psalter in one day. At the same time, everyone reads one kathisma assigned to him at home, privately and...

To search, enter the word:

Pray for one another (James 5:16).

The Psalter is a sacred book of psalms, or Divine hymns, written down by King David at the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Reading the Psalter attracts the help of Angels, blots out sins, and saturates the soul with the breath of the Holy Spirit.

The method of praying according to the Psalter is much more ancient than the Jesus Prayer or reading akathists. Before the advent of the Jesus Prayer, in ancient monasticism it was customary to read the Psalter in one’s mind (to oneself) by heart, and some monasteries accepted only those who knew the entire Psalter by heart. In Tsarist Russia, the Psalter was the most widespread book among the population.

In Orthodox ascetic practice, there is still a pious custom of reading the Psalter by agreement, when a group of believers separately from each other reads the entire Psalter in one day. At the same time, everyone reads one kathisma assigned to him at home, privately...

Good afternoon Please tell me what prayers to read at the 3 Glories in the Psalter, when about living, deceased relatives, about a deceased father, and what prayer for him? Best regards, Tatiana.

In the Orthodox tradition there is no uniform sample readings of the Psalter for the living and the dead. Among the traditional approaches, the following options are worth noting:

1. At all kathismas, according to the first glory (in the text it looks like “Glory:”), prayers are read for health, according to the second - for repose, according to the third - prayers for someone you want to pray for, for example, for a sick person or a traveler, or the newly deceased, depending on prayer needs;

2. On the odd kathisma - according to the first and third glory they pray for health, according to the second - for peace. On even-numbered kathismas it’s the other way around. 17 Kathisma is usually read about repose.

When the text of the psalter says “Glory:”, we read:

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory...

IN Orthodox Church There is a good custom of reading the Psalter in memory of the deceased. The reading of the Psalter for the dead has its origins in the most distant antiquity. Serving as a prayer to the Lord for the dead, it brings them great consolation both in itself, as reading the word of God, and as testifying to the love of their living brothers for them. It also brings them great benefit, for it is accepted by the Lord as a pleasant propitiatory sacrifice for the cleansing of the sins of those remembered - just as every prayer and every good deed is accepted by Him.

The Psalms should be read with tenderness and contrition of heart, slowly, and carefully delving into what is being read. The greatest benefit comes from reading the Psalms by those who commemorate them: it testifies to the great degree of love and zeal for those commemorated by their living brethren, who themselves personally want to work in their memory, and not replace themselves in work with others. The Lord will accept the feat of reading not only as a sacrifice for those remembered, but as a sacrifice for those who bring it, the workers themselves...

— The Psalter is the sacred book of psalms, or Divine hymns. The author of the Psalter is King David. At least most of the psalms are his. These are his experiences, experience of communication with God, repentance, joy, gratitude, reflections, prophecies about the coming Messiah. Since Old Testament times, the Psalter has been sung during worship. Psalms were sung.

And today the Psalter is often used during worship; we hear some psalms sung in chorus, some read. The reading of the Psalter in church is regulated by the liturgical regulations. The entire liturgical circle of services is connected with this book of Holy Scripture. Certain kathismas are read at services. It takes a week to read it completely. And during Great Lent - even twice. When reading at home, there are strict instructions on how to read, it is much more important to tune in to prayer. This, I think, is the therapeutic effect...

“Praise God in His saints, praise Him in strengthening His power.

Praise Him according to His strength, praise Him according to the abundance of His majesty.

Praise Him with the trumpet, praise Him with the psaltery and the harp.

Praise Him in the tympanum and face, praise Him in the strings and organs.

Praise Him with the cymbals of good will, praise Him with the cymbals of shouting.

Let every breath praise the Lord.”

Psalm 150

If once, at a difficult, difficult moment in life, you began to read the Psalter, felt how it became a healing plaster, a healing balm for your ailing soul, you will never be able to leave such, blessed by the name of King David, offering prayers to the Lord . For a Christian, the Psalter is the most precious book of the Old Testament and one of the most beloved collections of prayers.

St. Ambrose of Milan writes: “In all Scripture the grace of God breathes, but in the sweet song of the psalms it breathes primarily.” In grief, in feeling...

Rev. Macarius of Optina writes about the need for spiritual warfare for salvation:

“The point [of salvation] is not just to go to church and sit down at the hoop, but to look after your heart and destroy passions: pride, self-love, vanity, anger, rage, malice, gluttony, lust of the flesh, etc.; This is precisely what our spiritual warfare consists of - to resist passions, to destroy them with the help of God.

“Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, and against the authorities, and against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against the spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12); likewise, “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,” but spiritual, “capable of destroying the strongholds of the enemy” (2 Cor. 10:4), about which St. also writes. Apostle: “For this reason take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the day of cruelty” (Eph. 6:13) ... He commands you to gird yourself with the truth, put on the breastplate of righteousness, put on your nose the clothing of the gospel of peace, take on the shield of faith, in which all things are possible quench the arrows of the evil one, and receive the helmet of salvation, and...

The Psalter for health and peace is read according to the following rule:
Before reading each kathisma, those prayers that were written before the 1st kathisma are read. In the kathisma itself, after the 1st and 2nd *Glory*, we read a prayer for health: “Save, Lord, and have mercy on (names) all Orthodox Christians. Amen." After the 3rd *Glory* we read a prayer for repose: “Rest, O Lord, the souls of your departed servants (names), and forgive them all sins, voluntary and involuntary, grant them the Kingdom and the communion of Your eternal good things and Your endless pleasure of life. Amen."

Now, sequentially: we open the Psalter and read: Let it be reasonable, as befits an individual to sing the Psalter.
Blessed be our God, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. ...
Through the prayers of the saints, our fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
Heavenly King...
Trisagion: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (thrice).
Holy Trinity…
…

If you read at home, a rigid sequence constructed by someone is not necessary. It is better to stick to the order you define.
Hallelujah! (3p), Glory to You, God!” “Lord, have mercy! (3p) - in this sequence - this is the usual reading on Slava. Of course you can! This is a prayer, and not some kind of mantra that should sound like this and nothing else. ...

For those who believe in God, in his help to us, it is necessary to read the psalms (besides, Great Lent is now underway), thanks to which we get closer to our creator, attract angels to us, and get rid of acquired sins. But for those who do not know what the Psalter is, we will try to give an answer for beginners, in addition, we will tell you how to read the Psalter correctly.

What is the Psalter

The Psalter is a book from the Old Testament that consists of 150 songs (or psalms). Psalms or songs are intended to pour out one's emotions about all the trials of a person's life (death, birth, illness). At this time, the Psalter is used for worship. Before reading the Psalter and the psalms contained in it, you need to understand the content, structure of these religious songs and the book as a whole.

In a general literary sense, the Psalter is written according to all the rules of Jewish poetry, that is, the simultaneously colorful and amazing text of the song conveys all the power...

Reading the Psalter for the Dead

From the book “Rest with the Saints” - Published with the blessing of Bishop Longin of Saratov and Volsk

See: Afanasy (Sakharov), bishop. On the commemoration of the dead according to the Charter of the Orthodox Church. St. Petersburg, 1995. pp. 198–200.- Comp.

The custom of reading the Psalter for the dead dates back to ancient times. In our country, the Psalter is read at the tomb of deceased laymen. In some places there are special readers who are either invited to the house of the deceased for continuous reading of the Psalter, for example, for 40 days or even a whole year, or in their own home they read the Psalter at the request of the relatives of the deceased. In many Orthodox monasteries, the so-called vigilant day-night reading about the living and the dead is performed. With this reading of the Psalter, in addition to the usual troparions and prayers for each kathisma, a special prayer is added at each “Glory”, after which the names of the deceased are remembered. (When reading the Psalter simultaneously for the living and the departed, the commemoration of both is performed on the “Glories” in turn: one at a time -...

Use of the Psalter

Psalms, as sacred songs, were mostly written for temple worship in ancient Israel. Each psalm has its own story, its own special reason for writing. IN christian church The Psalter has also become the main book of worship; believers sing and pray in a new way, reading the psalms, seeing in them an indication of the love of God revealed through Jesus Christ. Church experience determines for many psalms a special prayer purpose, in particular psalms read during illness.

Psalms about healing

The most famous psalm read in the church and related to bodily recovery is Psalm 103. The general idea of this psalm, which begins with the words “bless my soul the Lord,” is that a person proclaims the greatness of God and his mercy and generosity in all areas human life. In particular, the psalm contains the following lines: “He forgives all your sins, heals all your ailments, saves life from destruction...

A collection of prayers and poems from the Old Testament, consisting of 150 verses, which glorifies the name of the Most High, is called the Psalter, and hymns and psalms in church during services are read from this book. The good custom of reading the Psalter about the dead and the living has been going on since time immemorial; at this time, believers regain comfort for the deceased and rejoice with the living, lifting up words with love to the Lord. Reading the word of God is considered a merciful sacrifice intended for cleansing from earthly sins, and prayer is considered one of the good earthly deeds. Historians believe that many psalms originate from the times of David and Solomon, some were written later, closer to modern times.

To receive the help of the Almighty, get rid of sins and acquire helpers on earth in the form of Angels, you need to read psalms daily that glorify God and his power. The psalter is used in worship, for example, at matins psalms of praise are sung (148-150), and during other...

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