Read the Psalter sitting or standing. What is the Psalter and why should you read it?

It 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, the Psalter was widely used in Christian worship. In the modern liturgical charter of the Orthodox Church, it is customary to divide the Psalter into 20 sections - kathisma. Psalms are read in the church daily during every morning and evening service. During the week, the book of Psalms is read in its entirety, and Lent is read twice during the week. Psalms are also included in the prayer rule prescribed for the laity.

For a simple reading of the psalms, if a Christian does not accept some kind of vow or permanent addition to the generally accepted rule, there is no need to take a blessing from the confessor.

Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) explains:

“There is no need to take a special blessing from the priest to read the Psalter. The Church has blessed us for this: be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourself in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (Eph. 5:18-19).”

But you must definitely take a blessing from the priest if a lay person takes upon himself some kind of special permanent prayer rule or some kind of vow.

Priest Vladimir Shlykov says why this is necessary:

“Before you take upon yourself any prayer rules, you need to consult with your confessor or the priest with whom you regularly confess. Having assessed your life situation and the degree of spiritual success, the priest will bless (or not bless) you to read. It often happens that a person takes on an unbearable burden, and as a result he has spiritual problems. If you pray obediently and with blessings, then such problems can be avoided.” “The priest is a conductor of God’s grace. Therefore, when they take a blessing, they apply it not to the hand of the priest, but to the Hand of the Lord. Let's say we want to receive God's blessing, but how will we know whether He blessed or not? For this, the Lord left a priest on earth, gave him special power, and the grace of God descends on believers through the priest. In addition, during personal communication, you will be able to ask the priest all your questions about what you are taking the blessing for. And the priest will advise what will be useful for you. You can only give general advice via the Internet, but you can only receive grace, as well as hear something specific from the priest, only in church.”

St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) writes: “Say the words a little out loud when you pray in private, and this helps to maintain attention.”

Rev. Seraphim of Sarov advised that it is necessary to read prayers 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”).

There is no need to read the titles of the psalms. You can read the psalms both standing and sitting (the word “kathisma” translated into Russian means “that which is read while sitting”, in contrast to the word “akathist” - “not sitting”). It is imperative to stand up when reading the opening and closing prayers, as well as during the “Glories”.

There is no need to be discouraged and embarrassed if at first the meaning of the psalms is sometimes unclear. You can always look up incomprehensible expressions in . As we read and grow spiritually, the deeper meaning of the psalms will be revealed more and more deeply.

Priest Anthony Ignatiev advises those who wish to read the Psalter: “To read the Psalter at home, it is advisable to take a blessing from the priest. When reading at home, there are strict instructions on how to read, it is much more important to tune in to prayer. There are different practices for reading the Psalter. It seems to me that reading is most acceptable when you do not depend on the amount of reading, i.e. are not required to read kathisma or two a day. If you have time and a spiritual need for prayer, you begin reading from where you left off last time, making a bookmark.”

If the laity adds one or more selected psalms to the cell prayer rule, then they read only their text, such as the fiftieth psalm in the morning rule. If a kathisma, or several kathismas, is read, then special prayers are added before and after them.

Before starting to read a kathisma or several kathismas

Through the prayers of the saints, our father, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, Treasure of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, our souls.

Trisagion

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.(Thrice)

Prayer to the Most Holy Trinity

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.

Lord, have mercy. (Three times).

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

Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Lord have mercy (12 times)

Come, let us worship our King God. (Bow)

Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King God. (Bow)

Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our King and our God.(Bow)

On "Slava"

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

Prayers for health and peace at Slavy:

Save, Lord, and have mercy on my spiritual father ( Name), my parents ( names), relatives ( names), bosses, mentors, benefactors ( names) and all Orthodox Christians.

Give rest, O Lord, to the souls of your departed servants ( names) and all Orthodox Christians, and forgive them all sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant them the Kingdom of Heaven.]

And now, and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.

After reading the kathisma, the prayers and troparia indicated in the kathisma are read.

Prayer « Lord have mercy» read 40 times.

Sometimes, at will, between the second and third tens (between 20 and 21 of the prayer “Lord, have mercy!”), a personal prayer of the believer is said for the closest people, for the most vital.

Reading the Bible occupies a special place in the life of the Church. Almost every Christian knows what the Psalter is. This is the only book of the Old Testament, written long before the coming of Jesus Christ, which was fully included in the liturgical charter of the Orthodox Church. It is read continuously in all churches, monasteries and houses of lay believers.

Athanasius the Great, one of the most revered Greek Fathers of the Orthodox Church, Archbishop of Alexandria, who lived in the 4th century, said that all books of Holy Scripture are replete with instructions and teachings, but in any of them a certain distance is felt between the narrator and the reader. The book of Psalms is written completely differently. First, the psalmist composed the texts in the first person, thanks to which the reader can use them as prayers, turning to the Lord and talking about all his experiences. Secondly, this book contains various cases of turning to God, applicable in all cases of life.

Psalms for reading on various occasions (breviary)

All books of Holy Scripture are divided into teaching, historical and prophetic. The collection of psalms is the only section that covers texts of different types: laudatory, repentant, consolatory, grateful, petitionary, etc. This is a kind of biblical prayer book.

The teacher of the Athonite elder Paisius the Holy Mountain, the Monk Arsenios of Cappadocia, used psalms for blessings. He sets out a list of texts with explanations on what occasions it is advisable to reread them.

Monastic reading of the Undying Psalter

In Orthodoxy there is such a form of prayer as the “Unfailing Psalter” (in monasteries). Every parishioner can order it. This tradition was formed at the turn of the 4th-5th centuries. under the influence of the Monk Alexander in a monastery near the Euphrates River. It received this name due to the continuity of round-the-clock reading. Like the constant praise of the angels in heaven, almost all the monks of the monastery take part in it, taking turns replacing each other. Some monastic ascetics tried to read the entire book in a day.

But do not forget to turn to the Lord yourself and listen to His voice, which also sounds through the lines of the Holy Scriptures. One of the important conditions, without which forgiveness of sins and salvation is impossible, is faith.

Cell reading

This part of the Bible is one of the most important. Therefore, it is advisable to devote at least a small passage to reading at home every day. Some monks read this part of the Holy Scripture in its entirety every day. But you can also memorize individual passages of the book of Psalms, read by kathisma or by chapter.

Kathisma (kathisma)- poetry, a certain part of the Psalter, covering one or several chapters.

Reading order

The entire book is divided into 20 kathismas, each of which includes several psalms. The exception is kathisma 117, which includes the longest song - Psalm 118. There are 150 or 151 psalms in total. The whole book is divided into three parts, between which the words are spoken: “Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

Inscriptions before each Psalm

Psalm captions are not always clear when attempting to establish historical background, authorship, origins, significance, and explanations for the performers. Significant difficulties arise during interpretation, since the Hebrew language, from which the collection of Psalms was translated, is replete with polysemantics, that is, polysemantic words.

In some cases, it was not possible to establish the exact translation of individual words at all. As a result, there are different options. For example, there are significant differences between the Septuagint and the Masoretic text. When compared with Church Slavonic texts, some features can also be noticed. It was in this translation that the indication “Psalm of David” appeared, which was reflected in numerous Russian interpretations, including the Synodal translation.

Genre and guidelines for musicians

Before each song, special instructions have been added to explain the nature of the performance, genre and musical instrument to accompany.

Authorship of the Psalter

There is an opinion that the authorship of the book belongs to one person and this book can safely be called the Psalter of David. However, the names preceding most psalms can have several meanings: to show authorship, to indicate to whom the text is dedicated or who will be discussed. It is quite difficult to differentiate meanings. In the Masoretic manuscripts, such inscriptions are not attached to all songs, but are present in the ancient Greek version, that is, in the Septuagint.

Use in worship

The Psalter is used not only as home reading, an addition to the prayer rule, but is also widely used during services in churches. Over many centuries of the existence and development of the Orthodox Church, certain traditions have developed. For example, each evening service begins with Psalm 103. After the end of the service, 33 psalms must be heard. And the morning service opens with the sixth psalm, including 3, 37, 62, 87, 102 and 142. Before the canons, you must listen to the 50th psalm of repentance. By the way, it is also included in the mandatory morning prayer rule.

In the modern world, it can be difficult for people to find free time to read the Bible and follow the prayer rules prescribed by the Church. But don't be sad. What is most important to the Lord is living prayer, a pure open heart, sincere repentance and the desire to change for the better. Seeing a person's good intentions, God shows mercy and helps. The main thing is to believe and rely on God!

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, who work in reading. Any pious believer who has the skills to read accurately can read the Psalter.

In the Apostolic Decrees it is commanded to perform psalmody, readings and prayers for the departed on the third, ninth and fortieth day. But mainly the custom has been established of reading psalms for the departed for three days or all forty days. The three-day reading of the Psalter with prayers, which constitute a special burial rite, for the most part coincides with the time during which the body of the deceased remains in the house.

Order a reading of the Unending Psalter in Jerusalem

Psalter consists of 20 sections -kathisma , each of which is divided into three "Glory "Before the reading of the first kathisma, the initial prayers laid before the beginning of the reading of the Psalter are said. At the end of the reading of the Psalter, the prayers laid down after reading several kathismas or the entire Psalter are said. The reading of each kathisma begins with a prayer:

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.

(When reading the kathisma for each “Glory” (which reads as “Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, And now and ever and unto ages of ages Amen”) it is said:

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

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to Thee, O God! (three times)

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

(Then the prayer petition for the deceased is read “Remember, O Lord our God...”, located at the end of the “Following the Exodus of the Soul”, and the name of the deceased is remembered on it with the addition (until the fortieth day from the day of death) of the words “newly deceased”):

Remember, O Lord our God, in the faith and hope of the life of Thy eternally departed servant, our brother [name], and as the Good One and the Lover of Mankind, forgiving sins and consuming untruths, weaken, forsake and forgive all his voluntary and involuntary sins, deliver him from eternal torment and the fire of Gehenna, and grant him the communion and enjoyment of Your eternal good things, prepared for those who love You: even if you sin, do not depart from You, and undoubtedly in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, God glorified by You in the Trinity, faith, and Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity, Orthodox even to his last breath of confession. Be merciful to the same, and faith, even in You instead of deeds, and with Your saints, as You generously rest: for there is no man who will live and not sin. But You are the One besides all sin, and Your righteousness is righteousness forever, and You are the One God of mercies and generosity, and love for mankind, and to You we send glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Then the reading of the psalms of kathisma continues.) At the end of the kathisma it reads:

Trisagion

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Read three times, with the sign of the cross and bow from the waist.)

Prayer to the Most Holy Trinity

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.

Lord, have mercy. (three times);

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

Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one

Tropari

(located at the beginning of “Followers of the Exodus of the Soul”)

From the spirits of the righteous who have passed away, give rest to the soul of Your servant, O Savior, preserving it in the blessed life that belongs to You, O Lover of Mankind.

In Thy chamber, O Lord: where all Thy saints rest, give rest also to the soul of Thy servant, for Thou art the only Lover of mankind.

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit:

You are God, Who descended into hell and loosed the bonds of the bound, May You Himself and the soul of Your servant give rest

And now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

One Pure and Immaculate Virgin, who gave birth to God without a seed, pray for the salvation of his soul.

Lord have mercy (40 times)

(Then the prayer prescribed at the end of kathisma is read.)

The everlasting psalter

The indefatigable Psalter is read not only about health, but also about peace. Since ancient times, ordering a commemoration on the Everlasting Psalter has been considered a great alms for a departed soul.

It is also good to order the Indestructible Psalter for yourself; you will feel the support. And one more important point, but far from the least important,
There is eternal remembrance on the Indestructible Psalter. It seems expensive, but the result is more than millions of times more than the money spent. If this is still not possible, then you can order for a shorter period. It's also good to read for yourself.

Why are psalms read?

Most often, Christians read the Psalter when a person has died. To make it more clear, let's look at an example of how to read the Psalter for the dead.

This custom of reading psalms about the dead, like the entire religious rite of human burial, dates back to ancient times. Sometimes there are even special people who read these psalms; they are invited to the house where the person died and continuously, for 40 days, read the psalms at the request of the relatives of the deceased.

When reading the Psalter about the departed, in addition to all the prayers and reading kathismas, a special prayer is also used - “Glory”, which mentions the names of all the deceased associated with the person who died.

Reading the Psalter for the departed gives memory and consolation to relatives. These special psalms testify to the love and respect of relatives for the deceased and for God, because only by reading these songs do you get closer to our creator.

How to read the Psalter about health? We will answer that this reading is similar to the psalms for the departed, that is, the psalms about health are also read. Most often these psalms go together. That is, we have already mentioned that when the kathisma is read, there is a prayer for “Glory”, then the names of the deceased and the names of living people are listed, basically this goes in turn: one name is a deceased person, the second is a living one.

I would also like to highlight some rules or tips for those who want to read the psalms.

• In order to know how to read the Psalter correctly, you must always have a candle or lamp with you (this is for prayer at home).
• Read the psalms only out loud or in a low voice.
• Do not forget about the correct emphasis in words, because incorrectly pronouncing a sacred sentence is equivalent to a sin, be careful.
• Psalms can be read both sitting and standing. Basically, they are read while sitting, and the names of the dead and living are pronounced while standing, after prayers and at “Glory”.
• Please note that the psalms are read not only aloud, but also monotonously, without any expressions of one’s emotions - this is not a literary work, but a serious religious text.

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 Typicon - 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. “Give joy and gladness to my hearing” (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 by the fact that at first it is not clear what is said in the psalms. 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 obligatory to read the troparions 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.

I always read Psalm 31 before leaving the house. In addition, I try to read daily: three times “Rejoice to the Virgin Mary” -3 times, then psalms: 26, 50 and 90, and finally three times “Rejoice to the Virgin Mary”. I am interested in the following question: “What time of day is it better to read the psalter?” I read somewhere that it is best at night.

I also especially remember this psalm. There are very important petitions in lines 6, 7, 8.
6 For this reason, every saint will pray to You at the right time: otherwise, in the flood of many waters, they will not come close to him.
7 You are my refuge from the sorrow that besets me: my joy, deliver me from those who have passed around me.
8 I will admonish you, and teach you in this way, whichever way you go: I will fix my eyes on you.

This helps us to persevere even in the most desperate circumstances and fulfill the will of God.

Yes, 26, 50 and 90 are especially important to highlight. Here, for example, is one interesting case
Psalms. Psalm 26 and Psalm 90

I don’t recommend it regarding the night commemoration. It's better to get up in the morning and start the next morning. If you read at night, then there will be very great temptations, which will not seem enough. Especially if you remember others. This is beautiful in words. I know that many people say this. However, when you ask about these experiences, they only say what they heard. And I have not only heard it, but I know it from my own experience. It’s better not to... In any case, they start reading during the day or in the morning. Only when you become stronger can you think about something else. And having previously been blessed for this matter. In general, the saints often read the entire Psalter overnight, and often by heart. But we are not them. Often, until strong temptations come, you still don’t remember how weak you are. Even in the early days of my conversion to faith and regularity in prayer, I thought that I could move mountains. There was a greater sense of God's protection. And there was confidence that it would always be like this.
But I have died in my abundance: I will not move forever (Psalm 29:7)
And then, when grace receded, I realized that it could be difficult even despite the fact that there is regular prayer, reading the lives of saints, going to church and leading a spiritual life. Then I had to earn blood and sweat in order to strengthen myself against temptations, since the enemy, seeing my zeal, strengthened his position many times over - and I eventually came to the Psalter. And regarding the Psalter, there were also temptations when I started. There were temptations, but there was also God's help. But night reading is fraught with special temptations and you don’t just approach it; it requires a lot of strength and blessing. So it is better to read during the daytime. And, of course, when you wake up in the middle of the night, it’s also good to say a prayer, read psalms for memory, but getting up specifically to remember is another thing. You can overstrain yourself. Better not. Night commemoration is not the goal. Even if it works out, they will find thoughts of vanity and pride that will suggest that you are doing something special, unlike others. And here it is important not to fall for it. The more a person leads a spiritual life and works on himself, the more subtle the abuse. And here we need gradualism. There is no need for haste here. And one more thing. A lot of things stand the test of time. It’s better to start small and progress little by little than to take a lot, overextend yourself and have fatal consequences.
Unauthorized exploits are dangerous
Is it worth reading the entire Psalter in a day?
May the Lord help us all!!!

At the same time, we should remember that the days are evil (Eph. 5:16). We need to do something, at least small, but do it!!! Today I spoke with the priest. He confirmed an idea that is especially close to me. He said that you shouldn’t think that you have achieved something, but you need to move on and take stronger, saints as a model. And not the weaker ones.. He also said that we are called to holiness. And we must be Christians! And I love the Judgment of God because it is righteous. You can pretend to be anyone or anything during your life, you can seem righteous, pious, but God knows the truth. And vice versa, the humble and humiliated will then be exalted:
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted (Luke 14:11)
Death will judge everyone; It will become clear who is right and who is wrong:
The death of sinners is cruel, and those who hate the righteous will sin (Psalm 33:22)
God's judgments are righteous!!! I just want to praise God more for everything!!! Thank God for everything!!!
I didn’t have illnesses before, I had fewer enemies, and I didn’t particularly thank God, didn’t appreciate the days of serenity and prosperity, and didn’t act out of Christian love. Over time, I realized how all-good the Lord is. And how can you not thank!!! Always - both in joy and in sorrow!!! And especially for sorrows and illnesses, since they cleanse me, I can have more compassion for other people, I appreciate more what the Lord gives - I become better, I think more that death is inevitable and that I need to be prepared for it. And the Lord will help, you just need to be strong. The Lord will strengthen, as the priest said in parting words:
My grace is sufficient for you (2 Cor. 12:9)
May the Lord strengthen us all!!!