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. A 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 Inexhaustible Psalter has enormous power and helps in 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:

1. Monks are given special grace to beg the laity - they live by prayer and are the most distant from worldly passions.
2. The Psalter is a special prayer that has enormous power. The elders said that when they read the Vigilant Psalter, a pillar of fire rises from earth to heaven in the spiritual world.
3. When reading the Vigilant Psalter for a certain person, angels protect him from temptations, protect him from evil spirits and tame the passions around and inside him.
4. 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.
5. The monks read the texts for several days, replacing each other. It doesn’t matter whether it’s day or night on the street.
6. The vigilant Psalter is considered a great sacrifice for an already departed soul.
7. 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 at 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 “slavas” 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.

After reading, you should definitely take communion in church.

Reading the Psalter in the Valaam Monastery

WHAT IS THE UNFORTUNATE PSALTIRE?

The Inexhaustible Psalter (Indestructible Psalter) is a special church prayer that is continuously performed in monasteries. This prayer consists of reading the ancient liturgical book of Psalms with the remembrance of living and deceased Orthodox Christians.

The Psalter is called the Unsleeping (or, equivalently, Unsleeping) Psalter because the psalms are read around the clock. Usually almost all the monks of the monastery take part in this, replacing each other in turns.

In the story “Sche-abbot Melchizedek” from the popular collection “Unholy Saints,” Archimandrite (now Bishop of Yegoryevsk) Tikhon (Shevkunov) recalls how for two years he “read the Inexhaustible Psalter every day after his obediences.” “This is such a special tradition when the monastery does not stop praying day or night, alternately reading the Psalter, and then, through special memorials, many people are remembered for health and repose,” explains the bishop.

IS THE NON-SLEEPING PSALMS A MODERN MONASTERY PRACTICE OR AN ANCIENT TRADITION?

Reading the Indestructible Psalter is an ancient monastic tradition, the origins of which can be found one and a half thousand years ago. The tradition of the Orthodox Church has preserved not only the name, but also the life of the founder of the reading of the Indestructible Psalter. A monastery with the world's first Order of the Unsleeping, i.e. continuously performed psalmody, was founded by a holy ascetic named Alexander.

The Monk Alexander lived at the turn of the 4th-5th centuries after the Nativity of Christ, at a time when the persecution of Christians had ceased and numerous Egyptian, Palestinian and Syrian ascetics were looking for new forms of prayer. The first monastery of St. Alexander was located on the banks of the Euphrates River, and then he created the Monastery of the Unsleeping in Constantinople. From the capital of the Byzantine Empire, the rite of round-the-clock reading of the Psalter spread throughout the surrounding Orthodox lands.

In Rus', this spiritual practice appeared in the middle of the 11th century thanks to the Monk Theodosius of Pechersk, who adopted the charter of the monastic hostel of the Studio monastery for the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery. The Lord blessed this great spiritual endeavor in our lands. For a thousand years now, in Russian Orthodox monasteries it has been possible to submit notes of health and repose for commemoration on the Undying Psalter.

You can order commemorations, including the Indestructible Psalter, by personally coming to the service at the St. Nicholas Monastery, as well as on the official website of the monastery

By submitting remembrances to the Everlasting Psalter, you are joining a time-tested prayer practice, almost as ancient as monasticism itself.

HOW WILL READING THE UNSLEEPING PSALMTER HELP ME AND MY LOVED ONES?

Reading the Incessant Psalter joins us to the incessant angelic choir praising God together with the saints. The power of this continuous monastic prayer is confirmed by the experience of past centuries and our contemporaries.

Schema-abbot Savva (Ostapenko), who passed away to the Lord in 1980, as stated in his
biography, even in the world before monasticism, he “never stopped reading the Psalter, and later began to lead the reading of the Indestructible Psalter in the Pskov-Pechersk Monastery and far beyond its borders.” In his testament to his spiritual children, the venerable elder wrote: “According to the special revelation of the Lord and the Mother of God, there is no need to abandon the reading of the Incessant Psalter. The Lord will reward all those who are zealous for this pious deed and will punish the lazy and careless.” And again: “I ask and pray you, beloved, do not abandon your hour of reading the Incessant Psalter and pray more diligently for each other, for relatives, for everyone you know and for the whole world, for all the departed who thirst for our prayers, for this is a great help for their souls."

Bishop Tikhon (Shevkunov), already mentioned above, recalls one of the ascetics of the Pskov-Pechersk Monastery, Archimandrite Antipas: “At night, the priest took up his most cherished work - prayer (most of all he loved to read the Psalter and Akathists) and the endless commemoration of the synodics - living and the dead. He told us, young novices, how important church commemoration is: “If only you could die in such a way that you are remembered in the Church! Prayer for the living and the dead, both at the liturgy and at kathisma, when the Indefatigable Psalter is read, has unprecedented power, which crushes demons, softens hearts, and appeases the Lord so that he raises sinners from hell.”
Father Antipas was the head of the Undying Psalter. If it happened that someone, due to illness or obedience, missed the scheduled hour of reading the Psalter (and the prayer did not stop for an hour), then Father Antipas himself read the Psalter and commemorated the synodics in place of the absent monk. And he himself had, it seems, four hours of reading the Psalter at night.”

WHY SUBMIT NOTES TO THE MONASTERY IF MY FAMILY CAN INDEPENDENTLY READ THE UNSLEEPING PSALTER?

The historical experience of the Orthodox Church clearly demonstrates that the reading of the Indestructible Psalter should be carried out only in monasteries. It is the monks who voluntarily take upon themselves the heavy cross of prayer for the whole world. When tonsured, they forever renounce this world in order to stand in prayer for it every day and hour.

Your spiritual duty, the prayer work of your family, is not to abandon the daily morning and evening rules.

I WANT TO SUBMIT A REMEMBRANCE TO THE ENDLESS PSALMTER AND ALSO READ THE PSALMS MYSELF AT HOME. HOW TO DO IT?

The incessant Psalter in the monastery, supplemented by personal prayer (church and home), is a tireless knock on the door of the Kingdom of Heaven. Our Lord Jesus Christ said: “ Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you, for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."(Luke 11:9,10).

Many Orthodox Christians themselves or with their households prayerfully read one kathisma every day. The Psalter consists of 150 psalms, divided in church use into twenty parts - kathisma (this word is translated from Greek as “sitting”, since it is allowed to sit while reading the psalms) or in Russian sedalnov of approximately the same length.

In turn, each kathisma is divided into three parts, usually called “Glories” or “articles” (from the Greek “chapter, subsection”). The word “Glory” indicates that after reading this passage the doxology is pronounced “Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen”, etc. (see the chapter “The procedure for private reading of the Psalter” in your prayer book). You can remember both the living and the deceased after each “Glory”; you can read the first “Glory” for health, the second for repose, and the third as usual, or after reading the first and second “Glory”, pray for the living, and after the third remember the deceased Orthodox Christians Christian.

Of course, home prayer is an area of ​​personal freedom, but it is better if you ask for the priest’s blessing to read the Psalter, so that this holy prayer becomes an invisible shield protecting your family from all evil.

HOW IS THE READING OF THE UNSLEEPING PSALMTER IN THE MONASTERY?

After the blessing of the clergy, the reading of the Undying Psalter can begin in the monastery. Depending on the number of brethren of the monastery, its abbot (abbot) sets the order of reading the Undying Psalter. Each monk knows his own schedule, which includes both daytime and nighttime hours.

The Unfailing Psalter is read either in the church or in a prayer cell designated for this purpose not far from the temple. There, next to the Psalter, there are special journals in which the names of all living and deceased Orthodox Christians are written down, for whom they asked to pray by ordering the Indestructible Psalter. After each "Glory" the monk opens these journals and lists the people mentioned there. It is worth mentioning that for the Undying Psalter, like any church requirement, you can submit notes with the names of those who were baptized in the Orthodox Church and, if we are talking about prayer for the repose, did not commit suicide.

At the St. Nicholas Monastery you can order the Indestructible Psalter for forty days or a year. You can do this on the Internet on the page

MY RELATIVES ARE REMEMBERED BY READING THE NON-SLEEPING PSALMTER, CAN I WRITE THEIR NAMES WHEN SUBMITTING NOTES TO THE PROSKOMEDIA?

Certainly. You can find out more about commemoration at the Divine Liturgy in the article about proskomedia.

HISTORICAL REFERENCE

In the multi-volume work “Lives of the Saints”, compiled by St. Demetrius of Rostov, there is an instructive story about the first Monastery of the Never-Sleeping of St. Alexander:

“In this monastery, for the first time, a new order of the vigilant, never seen before, was established. The Monk Alexander first established that the brethren should go to church to praise God seven times a day, according to the word of the prophet, who said: Seven times a day I glorify You for the judgments of Your righteousness(Ps 119:164).

Then, paying attention to other words of the same prophet: Blessed is the man who meditates in the law of the Lord day and night(Ps 1:1-2), the monk pondered whether it was actually possible for a person to fulfill the prophetic word, so that day and night he could continually study the law of God’s praise.

If, he told himself, this were not possible, then the Holy Spirit would not have spoken this with prophetic lips. And he wished to establish such an order in his monastery that there would be incessant and vigilant psalmody in the church both day and night.

If, he said, this is not possible for one person due to the weakness of the flesh in a cell, then it is possible for many to do this in church, taking turns by the hour. So he thought with himself, but did not dare to begin such a thing without notification from God.

And remembering the word of Christ: Ask and it will be given to you, knock and it will be opened to you(Matthew 7:7), began to earnestly pray to the Lord, that He might reveal His revelation to Him, whether His intention would be pleasing to Him and whether such an order would be pleasing to Him, so that, as always, the angels in heaven, and the people on earth, staying in His monastic vision in the rank of angels, in the church, which is the earthly heaven, they glorified God day and night with psalmody. The monk prayed about this for three years, all night, depressing himself with repeated fasting.

Finally the Lord appeared to him and said: “ Start what you want - it pleases Me". And the monk told about the appearance of the Lord to some of the most spiritual of his brethren, but he did not announce it to them in his own name, in this case being likened to the holy Apostle Paul, who said about himself: I know a man who was caught up to the third heaven(2 Cor 12:2).

After this, the monk began to establish the desired and God-blessed order. According to the number of hours of the day and night, he divided the brethren into twenty-four turns, so that everyone, knowing the hour of his turn, would appear at the place of singing by this time. David's psalms were assigned for singing; They were supposed to be sung in verse, in two verses, without haste, except at the time at which ordinary church services were performed. During the performance of these services, the newly established rite of psalmody was interrupted.

Thus, in the church of the monastery, both day and night, they incessantly praised God, from which this monastery itself began to be called the abode of the sleepless.

During psalmody, the monk established the number of bows for each day, according to the number of those forgiveness with which the Lord commands to forgive the sinner - seventy times seven, which was four hundred and ninety. In addition, he instituted that at the end of every church and monastery service and after every activity they should say: Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will to men.”

Order of reading the Psalms

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, during the period of Great Lent, twice a week.

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 the general rules are similar to the 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, giving a high example of prayerful resistance to sorrows and temptations and praising 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...

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Question to the priest

Number of entries: 16441

Good afternoon Some time ago I dreamed of my mother’s death several times, after the last such dream my mother died (a month ago). Now I dream that my husband is dying (I have dreamed about this twice already). I also often dream that my mother seems to have come to life. I don't understand anything. Help me understand what this is all about. What should I do??? I'm very worried about my husband.

Dear Mary, do not be afraid of dreams, but trust all your fears to the Lord God in prayer. Since you began to worry about your husband, pray especially for him, it’s good to read the Holy Gospel. God bless you!

Priest Sergius Osipov

Hello, priests! I want to thank you, and in your person the entire Orthodox priesthood, for your invaluable help and blessed work! Glory to the Lord for his care for people with your hands and words! A question. In my prayer book...

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 single model for reading 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 the 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 divine services. 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 kindled 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 the Christian church, the Psalter has also become the main book of worship; believers sing and pray in a new way by 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 102. 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 to all areas of 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...

Number of entries: 76

Irina

Irina! In church practice, there is a tradition of commemorating the dead on the third, ninth, fortieth day and anniversaries. There is no such thing as a “twentieth day”. Your father spoke about the most important thing that the deceased needs now - church prayer. The Holy Fathers consider remembrance during the Liturgy to be the greatest help to dead Christians. “Anyone who wants to show their love for the dead and give them real help can best do this by prayer for them and especially by remembrance at the Liturgy, when the particles taken for the living and the dead are immersed in the Blood of the Lord with the words: “Wash, Lord, the sins of those who were remembered here by Your honest Blood, by the prayers of Your saints." eternal villages... the soul feels the prayers offered for it, is grateful to those who offer them, and is spiritually close to them. Oh, relatives and friends of the deceased, do what is necessary for them and what is in your power, use your money. not for the external decoration of the coffin and grave, but to help those in need, in memory of their deceased loved ones, in the Church, where prayers are offered for them, be merciful to the deceased, take care of their souls,” writes St. John (Maksimovich) Thus, the main thing now is to pray for your relative and give alms for him, and not to organize memorial meals for relatives and friends. Reading the Psalter is also a laudable desire.

Priest Vladimir Shlykov

Hello! A year ago, our son Artemy died due to severe heart disease; he lived for 2 weeks from birth. Yesterday I ordered a Psalter of Repose from the church for the year. Tell me, please, what is the difference between the magpie about repose and the Psalter about repose? Thank you.

Andrey

The difference is more than significant: the magpie is a daily commemoration at the Liturgy, the Sacrament of the Eucharist, thanks to which a person is honored with the cleansing of sins, and reading the Psalter for repose is simply a prayer, albeit a special, intense one, but a prayer, not a Sacrament.

Hegumen Nikon (Golovko)

Hello, please clarify, is it possible to read the Psalter to help a loved one? She is going through very difficult circumstances in her life right now. And one more thing - should you read all the kathismas in a row (as I do), or only those psalms that are recommended in difficult circumstances?

Anna Pavlovna

Hello, Anna Pavlovna. You can read the Psalter while praying for a loved one; it is good to ask for the blessing of your confessor. Reading psalms especially selected for the circumstances is justified when a person carries out a lot of prayer work, in addition to the morning and evening rules, reads the Holy Gospel and the Psalter separately, and wants to pray especially in his difficult life circumstances. Then a psalm suitable for the right occasion will be his strengthening. When we pray for someone, it is good to simply read the Psalms in a row, as they are located in the book, just as you are doing. After all, what is important is our love, manifested in prayerful work, and not that the psalm is “recommended in difficult circumstances.” May the Lord strengthen you in your prayer!

Priest Sergius Osipov

Hello. On November 15, my mother died suddenly. After the funeral, she began to read the Psalter to help her soul. Now they tell me that it is impossible to read the Psalter without a blessing. If you really need to take a blessing, then bless me, please. I read the Psalter in Russian, and the prayers in Church Slavonic. Is this possible?

Evgeniya

Evgenia, there is no need to be embarrassed, just as you read the Psalter, read it. There is no need to take a blessing to read the psalter for the dead. They take blessings for other occasions. You can read in Russian. Don’t forget to go to church and pray there too, confess and receive communion yourself. With God blessing.

Hieromonk Victorin (Aseev)

Hello! My dad died on December 4th, I would like to order him the Indestructible Psalter for 9 days. Please tell me whether it can be ordered for up to 40 days and whether it is possible to order it in a nunnery to pray for a man? Thank you!

Marina

Marina, it makes no difference in which monastery you ask to pray for a man, in a women’s or men’s monastery. In all monasteries they pray for all Orthodox Christians. On days 9 and 40, you must first of all pray in church and serve a memorial service. The indestructible Psalter can also be ordered, preferably up to 40 days.

Hieromonk Victorin (Aseev)

Hello. The other day I bought a Psalter with a parallel translation into Russian, is it possible to read it like this, read it completely once in Church Slavonic, and read it completely the next time in Russian? I really liked reading in Russian, because the text is clear, but I have seen many times on the Internet that priests still insist on reading in Church Slavonic, but due to a lack of understanding of what I am reading, the desire to read the Psalter at all quickly disappears. Tell me something.

Andrey

Andrey, of course, it is better to read prayers and the Psalter in Church Slavonic. You can also read Russian for knowledge and understanding. I think that after some time you will fully understand the Church Slavonic language with the translation. So read in Russian for now, but I’m sure that over time you yourself will want to switch only to Church Slavonic.

Hieromonk Victorin (Aseev)

Hello! Please tell me, I read the Psalter in ordinary light, without a lamp or candle. Is this a sin? I am very worried. Waiting for an answer.

Anton

Anton, while reading the Psalter, it’s good to light a candle at home, but if this is not possible, then it’s okay - it’s not a sin, the main thing is the prayer itself.

Hieromonk Victorin (Aseev)

Hello! Please tell me, is it possible to treat schizophrenic psychosis by reading the Psalter? This is a mental illness that may have arisen from witchcraft, that is, damage or overexertion. The question remains open.

Anton

Anton, I would generally be afraid to pose the question like this: to treat something by reading the Psalter. Prayer, and reading the Psalter in particular, of course, cleanses and sanctifies the soul, but as for mental illnesses, then it would be necessary to seek the help of specialists.

Hegumen Nikon (Golovko)

Good health, father! Question about reading the Psalter. If I just want to read 1 psalm a day for myself, do I need to read prayers before and after reading the psalm? And in what cases, and what prayers are read? Question about alms. If I give alms not from a pure heart, but for the sake of the future fate of my soul, does such alms count?

Alexy

Alexey, when reading the Psalter, prayers are read only once - before the reading begins (the prayers are indicated in the Psalter). You don't need to read them every time. Just as we have read the entire Psalter, we need to read our prayers again. After reading the kathisma, prayers are read only for the deceased; these prayers are not read for health. Giving alms is very useful for ourselves: “Alms save from death and cover a multitude of sins.” Not everyone can give alms from a pure heart, and this must also be cultivated in oneself. It’s very good that you give at all, and this is also useful and counts as a good deed: “Every giving will be good.”

Hieromonk Victorin (Aseev)

Hello! Tell me, please, is it possible to order an indestructible Psalter for a person if he drinks and is crazy, even to the point of psychological disorders? This man curses my family, I believe, due to delusions and addiction to alcohol. Since then, my family has been full of failures: ruin, illness, accidents... Although before that everything was fine. I pray myself, light candles, ordered a magpie for my father... Does it make sense to order an indestructible Psalter both for this person and for your entire family?

Elina

Yes, Elina, you can order and it makes sense. The most important thing is to treat the Psalms correctly, spiritually correctly: there is no need to perceive this reading, as some do today, as some kind of super-miraculous remedy from which everyone will be immediately healed, and life will immediately go smoothly. Reading the Psalter is prayer, and prayer can help a person come to an awareness of his plight, as if to stop his fall, to sober up. And then you can try to talk to the person, he will hear, you can try to bring him to the temple and help him get stronger on his feet. In this regard, the indefatigable Psalter, as, indeed, any fervent prayer for a person in general, brings great benefit.

Hegumen Nikon (Golovko)

Hello! On November 11, after a very long and serious illness, my husband (31 years old) died. During his illness, all my strength went into caring for him around the clock, I prayed to the Lord all the time for his health, and ordered prayer services and magpies in churches. I prayed in my own words. Now after his passing I really want to help his soul. He died without repenting, without receiving communion, since he was not conscious for 4 months. I want to read the Psalter, I’ve already been reading it for several evenings, but it’s very difficult because I don’t quite understand what I’m reading, I don’t understand Church Slavonic. Tell me, is it worth reading the Psalter in this case? Is it available in another publication, in Russian? And what prayers, akathists should I read daily?

Olesya

Hello, Olesya! The Psalter can be read in Russian translation, but only in order to understand the meaning of what is written. You need to pray in Church Slavonic, because it conveys the full depth of Holy Scripture. You need to read the Psalter for the Dead with a blessing, and already know at least a little how to read Church Slavonic. You'd better start by reading your morning and evening prayers every day. And for your husband, order an everlasting Psalter for forty days, six months or a year. It is usually read in monasteries and some churches. It will be better for his soul. Go to church more often and pray at the liturgy, submitting a note of repose for your husband at the proskomedia.

Priest Vladimir Shlykov

Good evening, fathers! Please tell me, when you read one kathisma a day, what prayers should you read after it? At the back of the psalter there are prayers read after reading one kathisma, but as I understand it, this is for those who read more than one kathisma, and after each one they say these prayers, then after every third, there are also corresponding prayers at the back. In general, how can I finish reading the Psalter if I read only one kathisma a day?

Elena

Elena, the Psalter can be read both for the dead and for the living, or just for yourself. Prayers at the end of kathisma are read only when we read for the repose of someone’s soul; in other cases these prayers are not read. After kathisma, pray in your own words as best you can.

Hieromonk Victorin (Aseev)

Hello, father! I ask for your advice. On November 9, my mother died. I want to help her with all my might in her new life, so I pray at every opportunity and remember her in church. In one church, I ordered the reading of the Psalter of Repose, and then I read that the Indestructible Psalter is read only in monasteries. Did I do something wrong, or are these two different forms of commemoration - simply reading the Psalter and the Indestructible Psalter for the deceased? God bless you.

Olga

Olga, any prayer is good for the departed. If you have received an order to read the Psalter, then there is no need to doubt that it will be read. You did everything right. Just please, pray yourself and participate in church sacraments - confess and receive communion. Lead a church lifestyle, and then, through your prayer, your mother will feel better.

Hieromonk Victorin (Aseev)

Hello! Six months ago my daughter died. I would like to make an album with her photographs in memory of her. But friends say that you shouldn’t do this. Tell me, please, is it possible to create an album or not? I also read the Psalter for the Dead in the evening. Tell me, how often should I read it, and at what time of day? Thank you in advance for your answer!

Svetlana

Hello Svetlana. May God give you consolation. We ask for “Eternal memory”, but it is our memory that we are talking about. We know that our memory needs material expression and embodiment. In some objects that remind us of what we want to remember throughout our lives. So there is nothing wrong with making a photo album. The Church also has such memorials about its saints, these are icons, lives, works and liturgical sequences. Balance your reading of the Psalms with your capabilities and your time with your convenience. God help you.

Priest Alexander Beloslyudov

Good afternoon I am sure that my husband is damaged, will ordering an indestructible Psalter help with this? Where in Moscow can I order?

Anna

"Damage"? Who diagnosed your husband with this?! Could you explain what is happening to him: does he drink, get sick, sin? Then we will discuss what to do. Otherwise, we write off many voluntary sins as “damage” from evil people, so as not to have to answer for ourselves. And read the Psalter yourself, you can order magpies in churches.

Archpriest Maxim Khizhiy