Psalter about health to read in Russian. We read the Psalter at home: how to read the Psalter correctly to the laity

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 origin in the most remote antiquity. Serving as a prayer to the Lord for the dead, it brings them great comfort both in itself, as a reading of the word of God, and as testifying to the love of their living brethren 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 who are commemorated - just as any prayer, any good deed is accepted by Him.

Psalms should be read with tenderness and contrition of the heart, without haste, delving into what is being read with attention. Greatest Benefit brings the reading of the Psalter by the commemorators themselves: it testifies to a great degree of love and zeal for the commemorated of their living brethren, who themselves personally want to labor in their memory, and not replace themselves in labor by others. The feat of reading will be accepted by the Lord not only as a sacrifice for those who are commemorated, but as a sacrifice for those who bring it themselves, those who labor in reading. Any pious believer who has the skills of error-free reading can read the Psalter.

In the Apostolic decrees, it is commanded to perform psalmody, readings and prayers for the dead on the third, ninth and fortieth days. But for the most part, the custom was established to read psalms for the dead for three days or all forty days. A three-day reading of the Psalter with prayers that make up a special burial rite, for the most part coincides with the time during which the body of the deceased remains in the house.

Order reading of the Undead Psalter in Jerusalem

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

Come, let us worship our King God.

Come, let us bow down and bow down to Christ, our King God.

Come, let us worship and bow down to Christ Himself, the King and our God.

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

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, And now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to Thee, O God! (thrice.),

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

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

Remember, Lord our God, in the faith and hope of the belly of your eternally reposed servant, our brother [name] and as Good and Humanitarian, forgive sins, and consumed injustice, weaken, leave and forgive all his voluntary sins and involuntary, deliver him eternal torment and the fire of Gehenna, and grant him the communion and enjoyment of Your eternal good, prepared for those who love You: if you sin, but do not depart from You, and unquestionably in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Your God in the Trinity glorified, faith, and Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity, Orthodox even until his last breath of confession. Be merciful to him the same, and faith, even in Thee instead of deeds, and with Your saints, as if Generous rest: there is no man who lives and does not sin. But Thou art One, apart from all sin, and Thy righteousness, righteousness forever, and Thou art the One God of mercies and generosity, and love of mankind, and to Thee we send glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.

Then the reading of the kathisma psalms 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 a bow from the waist.)

Prayer to the Holy Trinity

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

Lord have mercy. (thrice);

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen

Lord's Prayer

Our Father, Who art in heaven! Yes, shine your name, may your kingdom come, may your will be done, as in heaven and on earth. Give us our daily bread today; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one

Tropari

(located at the beginning of “Follow-up on the outcome of the soul”)

From the spirits of the righteous who have died, the soul of Your servant, Savior, give rest, keeping me in a blessed life, even with You, Humane

In Thy rest, Lord: where all Thy saints rest, rest also the soul of Thy servant, for Thou alone art the Lover of mankind

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

You are the God who descended into hell and loosed the bonds of the fettered, Thyself and the soul of Thy servant rest

And now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

One Pure and Immaculate Virgin, who gave birth to God without a seed, pray that his soul be saved.

Lord have mercy (40 times)

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

Indestructible Psalter

The indestructible Psalter is read not only about health, but also about repose. From ancient times, the ordering of a commemoration on the Unsleeping Psalter is considered a great almsgiving for the departed soul.

It is also good to order the Indestructible Psalter for yourself, support will be vividly felt. And one more crucial point, but by no means the least important
There is an eternal commemoration on the Indestructible Psalter. It seems expensive, but the result is more than a million 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 read the psalms

Most often among Christians, the Psalter is read when a person has died. To make it clearer, consider an example of how to read the Psalter for the dead.

This custom of reading psalms about the dead goes, like the whole religious rite human burials from 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 the Psalter is read about the dead, in addition to all prayers and reading kathisma, a special prayer is also used - “Glory”, which mentions the names of all the dead associated with the person who died.

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

And how to read the Psalter about health? We will answer that this reading is similar to psalms for the dead, that is, psalms about health are also read. Most often, these psalms go together. That is, we have already mentioned that when a kathisma is read, a prayer for “Glory” is going on, then the names of the deceased and the names of living people are listed, basically it goes in turn: one name is the deceased person, the second is the 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).
• Psalms read only aloud or in a low voice.
• Do not forget about the correct stress in words, because not pronouncing a sacred sentence correctly is equated with sin, be careful.
• Psalms can be read both sitting and standing. Basically, they are read while sitting, and while standing, the names of the dead and the living are pronounced, after prayers and on "Glory".
• Please note that the psalms are read not only aloud, but also monotonously, without any expression of their emotions there - this is not a literary work, but a serious religious text.

The Psalter for the Christian is one of the important books. The name Psalter comes from the Greek "psalo", which means to play on the strings.

Psalms, it is customary to consider a book of prayers for all occasions, even lists are compiled that indicate. They were composed over 8 centuries. Over 80 psalms were written King David(X century BC), in whose life there were sorrow and joy, love and betrayal of loved ones. In addition to his psalms, the book includes the psalms of Solomon, Moses, Asaph and his descendants, Haman, Etham, the sons of Korah, and 41 psalms by unknown writers.

King David was the first to accompany the singing of the prayers he composed to God by playing the "psalterion", musical instrument, very similar to the modern harp.

Very often, during the services, thanksgiving is performed - this is a very beautiful and heartfelt work.

We are used to reading only prayers, but we forget about the psalms. The Church recommends remembering them, therefore many verses from the psalms are included in church services, in modern prayers, and which has already become a classic, is included in the daily morning rule for reading. Knowing what sin the holy prophet David committed, and the words written in the 50th psalm, he expressed his regret and repentance about this, you begin to understand the feelings conveyed in the psalms much better.
These prayer appeals to the Lord are filled with love and gratitude and instill in the hearts of people a feeling of reverence and empathy, repentance and joy in the Lord.

An interesting incident happened to me, the author of the article, at the airport. They postponed our flight. In the same way as they postponed the previous flight of the same airline, which was supposed to fly to the same destination as us, but an hour earlier. We sit and wait for the flight. My wife took out a psalter and began to read the psalms. I read a few psalms and suddenly, the passengers of our flight are asked to go to the landing. Our plane nevertheless left on time, and the departure of the previous flight, unfortunately, was again postponed.

Saint Ephraim the Syrian wrote about the psalms:

Psalm - driving away demons.
A psalm is a weapon against the fear of the night.
A psalm is a relief from daily labors. Psalm - the safety of babies.
A psalm is a consolation for the elders, the most decent decoration for women. He makes the holidays bright, he produces sorrow for God.
Psalm and from a stone heart causes tears.
The psalm is the work of the Angels, the heavenly residence, the spiritual censer. He enlightens the mind, he elevates to heaven, he makes people interlocutors of God, gladdens the soul, stops judgment, humbles the warring. Where there is a psalm with contrition, there is God with the Angels.

ABBREVIATIONS IN PSALTS

The abbreviations written in the text of the Psalms mean the following:

• Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, O God. (Three times).
• Lord have mercy. ( thrice).
• Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

At the end of the kathisma, in the last Gloryreads only:

• Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.

In prayers, at the end of any kathisma, it is written:
Trisagion. Holy Trinity... Our Father…

• Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. ( thrice)
• Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.
• Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Lord, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Your name's sake.
• Lord have mercy. ( thrice)
• Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.
• Our Father, Thou art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done, as in heaven and on earth. Give us our daily bread today; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

After"Our Father" the troparion indicated in the psalter is read, then"Lord have mercy" ( 40 times) and prayer.

• Come, let us worship our King God. (Bow)
• Come, let us bow down and bow down to Christ, our King God. (Bow)
• Come, let us bow down and bow down to Christ Himself, the King and our God. (Bow)

If you finish reading the psalter on this day, then read in sequence:

• Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.
• Lord have mercy. ( thrice)
• Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, by the power of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross and the holy heavenly powers of the incorporeal, and our reverend and God-bearing fathers, and the Holy Prophet David, and all the saints, have mercy and save me, a sinner, as Good and Humanitarian. Amen.

On the Internet, you can find a description of situations in which reading psalms helps - which one will save you from toothache, for a successful marriage, obtaining housing, etc. These are special cases and, perhaps, to whom they helped, but this is not the main point.

The main idea of ​​the psalms, why they exist, it is repentance for one's sins and gratitude to God for His mercy to us, people. The texts of the psalms also often contain prayers to the Lord for help in difficult circumstances and for protection from enemies. At the same time, the holy fathers point out that the enemies mentioned in the psalter are precisely internal enemies of man: pride, anger, hatred etc. Having eradicated them (internal problems), the rest of the troubles, by the grace of God, will leave you alone.

they read a psalm of thanksgiving or glorifying God, then you need to sincerely repent of your sins, perhaps even of some specific ones, for which God teaches you, creating a certain unpleasant situation that you want to resolve. After a penitential psalm, they usually read a psalm about help or intercession, and then again a thanksgiving psalm to the Lord.

Everyone can have their own prayer set for different life occasions. In your choice, it is very useful to read the interpretation of the psalms, the history of their occurrence, and then your soul will help you choose the most understandable and close psalms.

For example, Schema-Archimandrite Vitaly (Sidorenko; † 1992), who is revered as an ascetic, gave the following instructions to his children: before leaving the house, you need to read psalms 26, 50 and 90, and after each psalm you need to read " Virgin Mother of God rejoice“These prayers will help protect you from trouble.

Among the books Holy Scripture The book of the Psalter occupies a special place. Written long before the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is the only one of the books of the Old Testament wholly entered the liturgical charter. 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, it gives a high example of prayerful opposition to sorrows and temptations and glorification of 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 nothing more can be found in a person than what is depicted in it,” says St. Athanasius the Great. The grace of the Holy Spirit, penetrating every word of the Psalter, sanctifies, purifies, supports those who pray with these sacred words, drives away demons and attracts Angels.

The first Christians deeply revered and loved the Psalter. They memorized all the psalms by heart. Already in apostolic times, the Psalter received wide application in Christian worship. In the modern liturgical charter of the Orthodox Church, the Psalter is divided into 20 sections - kathisma. The Psalms are read in the temple daily at every morning and evening service. During the week, the book of Psalms is read in full, and great post- Twice in a week. Psalms are also included in the prayer rule prescribed for the laity.

For simple reading Psalms, if a Christian does not take some kind of vow or a permanent addition to the generally accepted rule, there is no need to take a blessing from the confessor. But it is absolutely necessary to take a blessing from the priest if a layman imposes on himself some special constant prayer rule or some kind of vow.

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

Rev. Seraphim of Sarov advised that it was necessary to read prayers in an undertone or quieter, so that not only the mind, but also the ear would listen to the words of the prayer (“Give joy and joy to my hearing”).

The titles of the psalms are not to be read. You can read the psalms both standing and sitting (the word “kathisma” translated into Russian is “what is read while sitting”, in contrast to the word “akathist” - “not sitting”). It is imperative to get up when reading the opening and closing prayers, as well as at the Glory.

There is no need to lose heart and be embarrassed if at first the meaning of the psalms is sometimes incomprehensible. You can always look at incomprehensible expressions in Russian translation, in the interpretation of the Psalter. As we read and our spiritual maturation, the deep meaning of the psalms will open deeper and brighter.

When reading a strict rule at home, how to read no, it is much more important to tune in to prayer. There are different practices for reading the Psalter. One of them is when you do not depend on the amount of reading, i.e. are not required to read kathisma or two a day. If there is time and a spiritual need for prayer, you start reading from the place where you left off last time, making a bookmark.

If the laity add to the cell prayer rule one or more selected psalms, then only their text is read, as, for example, 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 reading a kathisma or several kathismas

Through the prayers of our holy fathers, 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 fills everything, Treasury of the good and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Blessed, our souls.

Trisagion

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

Prayer to the Holy Trinity

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

Lord have mercy. (Thrice).

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

Lord's Prayer

Our Father, Who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in heaven and on earth. Give us our daily bread today; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not 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 bow down and bow down to Christ, our King God. (Bow)

Come, let us bow down and bow down to Christ Himself, the King and our God. (Bow)

On "Glory"

Where the kathisma is interrupted by the mark "Glory", the following prayers are read:

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, glory to Thee, 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« glory» :

Save, O 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 the departed Thy servants ( names) and all Orthodox Christians, and forgive them all their sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant them the Kingdom of Heaven.

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

After reading the kathisma, they read the prayers and troparia indicated in the kathisma

Prayer"Lord have mercy" read 40 times.

Sometimes, at will, between the second and third ten (between 20 and 21 prayers “Lord, have mercy!”), A believer’s personal prayer is said for the closest people, for the most urgent.

And at the end of the whole prayer:

It is worthy to eat as if truly blessed are Thee, the Mother of God, blessed and immaculate and the Mother of our God. The most honest Cherubim and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, without the corruption of God the Word, who gave birth to the real Mother of God, we magnify Thee.

Glory, and now. Lord have mercy. (3 times)

Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, by the power of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross and the holy heavenly powers of the incorporeal, and our reverend and God-bearing fathers, and the holy prophet David, and all the saints, have mercy and save me, a sinner, as Good and Humanitarian. Amen.

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

Sample Prayer

The special significance of the Psalms lies in the diversity human feelings, spiritual aspirations, praises of the Creator. One of the theologians once said that there is no such feeling in a person that would not be reflected in the psalms. Reading this holy book is a blessed occupation 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 penitential prayer.

The Psalter in Orthodox Liturgy 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 worship, namely the calendar plan for their singing, are specified in a special book called the Typicon.

In addition to church reading, there is also a long-standing Orthodox tradition to read the Psalter outside the church walls, in the circle of family or close friends. Such reading is called secret reading. How to read the Psalter at home? This issue has been considered more than once by various Orthodox theologians, and the saints have repeatedly mentioned the reading of the holy book in their written works. There is a strong opinion that before you start reading like this, you need to get the blessing of a confessor or just a priest who has been confessing for a long time 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 held only in Church Slavonic. However, when reading privately, the use of the Russian-language text is not forbidden.”

There is no specific charter that would regulate how to read the psalter correctly at home. Nevertheless, over the long history of the existence 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

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

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

In liturgical publications, the Psalter consists of special parts called kathisma. Each of which, in turn, is divided by Glories: parts during which there is a prayer for the dead, and a prayer for the health of living people.

Before the beginning of the reading of the Psalter and after its completion, special prayers are said, which, like the 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 at home: out loud or to yourself?” Priest Vladimir Shlykov answers this question in the following way. He says that the reading of this sacred text can also take place silently. However, many holy fathers recommended that, if possible, try to do this out loud. For example, Saint Ignatius speaks of the benefits of reciting psalms.

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

Church reading of the holy book

Read for the dead and the living, the Psalter is often heard in monastic and other churches. Such a church reading can be ordered, thereby helping the soul loved one. This care can be rendered to both living and dead people, whose future fate is being cared for by the person ordering this reading. 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 "Let your left hand not know what your right hand is doing."

Reading the Psalter for the deceased relatives and friends

First of all, you need to remember that reading can not always be done: during the Easter week, reading stops. However, this prohibition is not rigid either, since the "Handbook of the Clergyman" says that if a person died these days, then reading from him can be done.

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 Glories, with such a reading, one should say a prayer for the repose.

Priests say they are often asked similar questions:

1. How to read the Psalter about the repose of the house?
2. Is it possible to read Glory in turn: for the dead and for the living?

These questions are most often answered in the affirmative by the priest.

How to read the Psalter about health?

Accordingly, if the psalms are read for living people, then in the Glory it is necessary to say a salutary prayer.

Another rule regarding Slavs. If a person wants to learn how to correctly read the Psalter of the living at home, then he must accustom himself to get up during the reading of the Glories. While reading the rest of the text of this holy book, the reader is allowed to sit. Only seriously ill people can not get up during Glories, as, indeed, during church services. This rising during the reading of the Glories is necessary, because during it the worshipers demonstrate their love and reverence, which they show to the Lord God.

Quite often the following question arises: how to read the psalter for children? There are no special rules here. For children, the Psalter is read 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 sacred book from early childhood, explaining to them the meaning of individual incomprehensible fragments. It is necessary to prevent the senseless reading of sacred texts by children. This also applies to adults. Therefore, many priests and theologians recommend taking on the reading of the parts of the Psalter that are within their reach. You should not continue reading when attention has already scattered. 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.

As for the various practices of reading the Psalter at home, there are a huge number of them. You can read alone or with other people. In Orthodox literature, there are also reading techniques in which the kathismas of the Psalter are divided between a group of people into an equal or unequal number of texts.

Finally

Despite the fact that many holy fathers recommend reading the Psalter thoughtfully, some of them also say that you should not be embarrassed if the meaning of what is being read is still not always available 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 in reading the psalms is good. Therefore, one should not become discouraged if it is not always possible 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. All services use psalms in large quantities. 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. Psalms 102 and 145 are sung at the Liturgy (or Mass) and these are just the most obvious examples.

2. If you buy a Psalter edition, 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 are inserted short prayers. Usually, the editions of the Psalter already have all the divisions and the opening and intermediate prayers are printed, which is convenient. In principle, such publications are easily googled.

3. Don't Stop Before Difficult Text

What may not be in the acquired Psalter is explanations and translation of the text. Psalms are ancient spiritual poetry. Due to the poetic expressions and the particular style and rhythm that one has to “get into”, the psalms are at first very difficult to hear and read. It is often difficult to understand what a place means in Church Slavonic. Can be dealt with difficult places with the help of a Russian translation or interpretations of the holy fathers. Most famous interpretations- 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 the temple

The Psalter is read in full at services every week. One kathisma is read at Vespers, and two kathismas at Matins. On Saturday evening, a new week begins and a new round of reading the Psalter, so the first kathisma is always read, and on Sunday matins the second and third kathisma are always read. It turns out, such a scheme of reading:

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

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

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

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

You can follow the circle of reading, which is completed in a week, and read those kathismas that are laid 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 certain verses from the psalms for the same purpose.
For example, Ps.117 verse 10-11:
All the Gentiles surrounded me, and in the name of the Lord resisted them
went around me, and in the name of the Lord resisted them
(that is: all the nations, bypassing, 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 the services we hear choral singing or the reading of psalms. The reading of the Psalter in the temple 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 in private (at home). The Holy Book is read either by agreement - several believers, reading the entire Psalter in a day, or individually, according to a kathisma (section of the Psalter) per day. Having taken upon himself the rule of diligently and carefully reading the Psalter at home, a Christian accomplishes a small feat, this 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 developed certain rules, the implementation of which is desirable.

• Without the blessing taken from the priest, it is impossible to start reading the psalter.
• Before reading begins, a candle or lamp is lit. The fire during reading does not ignite only if in this moment are on the road.
• Following the advice of Venerable Seraphim of Sarov, one should read the Psalter aloud, quietly. This facilitates the perception of the sacred text not only by the mind, but also by hearing. “Give joy and gladness to my ears” (Ps. 50:10).
• It is impossible to place stresses in words incorrectly. It is a sin. From the wrong placement of stresses, the meaning of the word changes, the phrase is distorted.
• If it is difficult to stand, then it is allowed to read the Holy Book while sitting. It is necessary to get up when the "Glory" and the 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.
• No need to read the titles of the psalms.
• Do not be discouraged by the fact that at first it is not clear what the psalms are talking about. The beauty of ancient texts is gradually revealed, and their meaning becomes clear.

The order of reading the Psalms at home

• First read "Prayers before reading the Psalter".
• The Psalter is divided into twenty kathismas, which are divided into parts by three Glories. At Glories, when reading the Psalter at home, the living and the dead are commemorated.
• After reading the kathisma, it is obligatory to read the troparia and prayers.
• The Psalter ends with the reading of "Prayers for reading several kathismas or the entire Psalter".
• Do not be afraid to make a mistake in something or read something incorrectly, not according to the charter. Sincere repentance, gratitude for everything will make prayer alive, regardless of any mistakes.

HOW TO READ THE PSALM... Pray for one another (James 5:16). The Psalter is a sacred book of psalms, or Divine hymns, written down by King David under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Reading the Psalter attracts the help of Angels, blots out sins, nourishes the soul with the breath of the Holy Spirit. The way to pray according to the Psalter is much older than the Jesus Prayer or the reading of akathists. Before the appearance of the Jesus Prayer, it was customary in ancient monasticism to read the Psalter by heart (to oneself), and in some monasteries only those who knew the entire Psalter by heart were admitted. 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, in private, and commemorates the names of those who pray with him by agreement. The next day, the Psalter is read again in its entirety, with everyone reading the next kathisma. If someone on one of the days failed to read the kathisma assigned to him, it is read the next day plus the one following it in order. Thus, during Great Lent, the entire Psalter is read at least 40 times. One person cannot do 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 spark” only on the way, outside the home. 2. Psalter, on the advice of St. Seraphim of Sarov, it is necessary to read aloud - in an undertone or quieter, so that not only the mind, but also the ear listens to the words of the prayer (“Give joy and joy 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 whole phrases, and this is a sin. 4. You can read the psalms while sitting (the word "kathisma" translated into Russian is "what 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 at the Glory. 5. Psalms are read monotonously, without expression, a little in a singsong voice - dispassionately, because. God dislikes our sinful feelings. Reading psalms and prayers with theatrical expression leads a person to a demonic state of delusion. 6. One should not lose heart and be 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 the enemies. Regarding the Psalms, there is a statement: "You do not understand - the demons understand." As we grow spiritually, the meaning of the psalms will also be revealed. Prayers before reading the Kathisma In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee! King of Heaven. Trisagion according to our Father. Come, let us worship our King God. Come, let us bow down and bow down to Christ, our King God. Come, let us worship and bow down to Christ Himself, the King and our God. Then the next kathisma is read with the remembrance of 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 to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, glory to Thee, O God! (3 times). Lord have mercy (3 times). Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Save, Lord, and have mercy on the Patriarch (the name of the rivers), then - the name of the ruling bishop and the names on the list are commemorated, and forgive them all sins, voluntary and involuntary, and with their holy prayers, forgive and have mercy on me, unworthy! (After this prayer, prostrations can be made depending on the diligence of the believer). On the first and second “Glory” the names of health are commemorated, on the third Glory - the names of repose: “God rest the souls of the departed Thy servants (according to the list) and forgive them all sins, free and involuntary, and grant them Your Kingdom of Heaven! » (and earthly bows). And now, and forever, and forever and ever. Amen. And then - the following psalms. After the third “Glory”, troparia and prayers written in the next kathisma are read. The prayer "Lord, have mercy" is read 40 times - on the fingers or the rosary. Sometimes, at will, between the second and third ten (between 20 and 21 prayers “Lord, have mercy!”), A believer’s personal prayer is said for the closest people, for the most urgent. After reading the kathisma, it is worthy to eat the closing prayers _____________________________________ Read the Psalter, the Apostle, the Gospel - everything is here. Whoever reads the Psalter at night two kathisma - for the whole Psalter goes. It is more valuable to read the Psalter aloud, to yourself out of necessity. Raise the night Psalter - pray for yourself and those whom you do not know to the seventh generation. Daytime is also valuable. As leaves fall from a tree in autumn, so do sins from a person who reads the Psalter. Read the 17th kathisma - pray for your sins and the sins of your relatives up 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 Ioannikius _____________________________ One ninety-year-old old woman said that on the fortieth day after her death, a familiar psalmist appeared to her in a dream. During her lifetime, she helped him with the housework: she washed floors, dishes, and did laundry. He sadly said: “Why do you pray so little, but for us there is no better help than reading the Psalter." ☦ The story of the village priest ______________________________ My husband and I lived together, but there was no peace and silence in the house. I did not yield to my husband, and he, in turn, proved his case, and so it went on for a long time. Finally, I got tired of all this, and I decided to behave differently. My husband will say an offensive word to me, I feel that I am starting to get annoyed - I take the Psalter and start reading. The husband makes a little noise, then shuts up. And so, little by little, peace and tranquility settled in our house. I came to the temple, my father was passing by, he stopped beside me and said: “I wish it were like this long ago!”. ☦ From the book "The Biography of the Elder Schemagumen 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 is read every day! You won't be able to read it in the evening, so 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 tollhouses, the seventeenth kathisma will already be protected for you". Some people think that the 17th kathisma is read only when the turn comes to it and it is impossible to do otherwise. This is not entirely true. It is good to read it every day, and many pious lay people do so. - For the dead - this is a great help! ☦ Elder schema-nun Anthony ________________________________ The elder advised those whose relatives 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 are troubles 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. Rev. Barsanuphius of Optina said that for everyone Orthodox Christian you need to read at least Glory a day. I want to say that Rev. Alexander, head of the monastery of the Unsleeping Ones, introduced the Order of the Unsleeping Psalter in the monasteries. It is very well written about him in the Cheti-Minei. Some spiritual giants read the entire Psalter a day on an ongoing basis. As, for example, Simeon Divnogorets, Parthenius of Kyiv, and others. Ephraim the Syrian speaks of the psalms so that they are constantly on our lips. It's such a sweetness - sweeter than honey and honeycombs. The law of the Lord is good for us more than a thousand gold and silver. I love your commandments more than gold and topaz (Psalm 119, 127). Indeed, you read and cannot be touched. It's fine! When reading, not everything is clear. But Ambrose Optinsky says that understanding comes with time. Open my eyes, and I will understand miracles from your law (Psalm 119, 18). Let us really hope that our spiritual eyes will be opened. Priest Andrei Uglov