The Psalter is a book of church songs of praise, psalms from which are read in different situations by a believer. Excerpts from the church collection are read even at death.
Orthodox commemoration of the departed
In Orthodoxy, it is customary to remember deceased relatives on the anniversary of their death and on major church holidays. Prayers for the deceased are read on the designated days and in compliance with the established rules.
The fact that the afterlife exists and the soul of the newly deceased reaches its destination on its own within 40 days and undergoes various tests was learned thanks to Blessed Theodora. After death, the saint went to Paradise and had the opportunity to inform those living on Earth about how long it takes the soul after death to get to its destination. In addition to Theodora, the benefits of reading the psalm were demonstrated by the apostles, who prayed for the soul of the Mother of God for 3 days and sang prayers from the Psalter near her tomb.
Every person who has lost a loved one needs to read prayers for the repose. It is believed that in this way thoughts of loss recede into the background, and the person praying calms down and prepares for further life without the deceased. Prayer is a special language in which a person speaks with God and with those who are in Heaven.
The need to recite songs of praise for the departed for up to 40 days is considered to be a help to the wandering soul, and the more words spoken in its honor, the greater the likelihood of the newly deceased entering Paradise. In addition, words from the Psalter, spoken from the heart, help to overcome the difficulties that befall the deceased on the way to their destination.
The Church recommends reading the Psalter for the Dead continuously, starting at the moment of a person’s death and ending on the 40th day after his departure. On special occasions, holy words are read 80 days from the date of death of a person. There is an Orthodox custom to read the entire Psalter 3 days after the departure of a relative to another world, and it is recommended to do this before his burial.
You need to start pronouncing the holy words near the coffin of the deceased while standing, and finish without his physical presence at home or in the temple. If it is not possible to read the holy book directly over the body, then the relatives of the deceased divide the chapters of the Psalter among themselves and at the appointed time, each in turn begins to fulfill the duty assigned to him, observing the continuity of prayer.
The word “Psalter” translated into Russian from ancient Greek means the name of a musical instrument. This church book consists of 150 songs, or songs, which can be read both in church and at home. The psalms are divided in the book into chapters called "kathismas", each of which contains almost an equal number of chants.
When a person dies, his relatives, in addition to verbal assistance to the deceased, must prepare kutya from wheat and honey and consecrate the dish in church at the morning service. After which sweet porridge is fed to those who came to honor the memory of the deceased. In addition, it is recommended to order a magpie in the temple so that the monks pray for the deceased for 40 days.
Why do they read the Psalter?
It is believed that the words that the Psalter contains for the dead up to 40 days find a response in the soul of the mourner. By reciting chants in the original language, a person tunes in to the same wavelength with the Higher powers and calms down.
Reading the Holy Book requires maintaining order, which organizes the mourner and prevents him from falling into deep sadness. In addition, a person understands that by his actions he helps the soul of the newly deceased pass the tests and get to Heaven.
Scheme for reading the Psalms
The study of holy texts is a daily ritual of every truly believing Christian. In addition, the texts of the Psalter are used in divine services, and if you read holy songs at home, you can take a direct part in the service, glorifying the Heavenly Powers together with the priest. The scheme for reading the psalms looks like this:
- on Sunday – Psalm 23;
- on Monday – 47;
- on Tuesday – 66;
- on Wednesday – 93;
- on Thursday – 49;
- on Friday – 92;
- on Saturday – 91.
It must be remembered that kathismas are not read during the period from Maundy Thursday of Holy Week to St. Thomas Sunday, popularly called “Anti-Easter.” During this period, the study of the Psalter is prohibited for 10 days.
In order to remember a relative or other loved one, you need, in addition to reading at least 1 kathisma daily, to adhere to spiritual fasting for 40 days. If the ceremony is carried out at home, then it is not necessary to read the prayers written after each chapter. In this case, the ritual of remembrance will take place correctly.
When reading chants of praise at home, you need to remember that after each utterance of glory to the Holy Trinity, you need to read a funeral prayer. The same words are pronounced at the end of each chapter of the Psalter. When the reading of the holy psalms comes to an end, you need to read the funeral Canon. This order was established by the Moscow Patriarchate in 1973.
Prayer readings are performed with a lit candle, when thoughts are calmed and in a spiritual mood. The holy lines are read in a calm voice, slowly and without interruptions in words and stress. If the emphasis is placed in the wrong place, then the prayer may be interpreted incorrectly, which is undesirable.
Order of reading the psalms
The first rule of psalm reading is the continuity of the event. If it is not possible not to break away when commemorating the deceased, then the church sets aside 3, 9 and 40 days, during which the Holy Word must be pronounced.
The introductory text for commemorating the newly deceased is located before the first chapter of the Psalter. Before each of the 20 chapters of the book, you need to say a prayer 3 times, beginning with the words “Come, let us worship...”, and after each “Glory” the prayer “Remember, O Lord our God...” is read, the text of which is placed at the end of “Following the exodus of the soul from body", where the deceased is called by name. When any of the kathismas ends, you need to read “” and troparia for the deceased. You don’t have to pronounce the names of the holy songs - this will not be a mistake.
If for some reason the publication does not have an introductory text, then before reading the kathisma you can recite the “Prayers of the Holy Fathers” from memory. At the next stage they read “Glory”, and after that “To the Heavenly King”. Then they act according to the described scheme.
Kathismas are read while sitting; you need to get up while glorifying the Lord. If health permits, the Psalter is studied standing, which will additionally count for both the person praying and the deceased. It is forbidden to recite holy songs while lying on the bed, because such a position is disrespectful towards the Higher powers and the deceased. It is believed that the soul of the deceased remains next to the body for up to 3 days, so it can listen to prayers and psalms.
In addition, the Psalter has long been considered a holy book that does amazing things. Before the New Testament, with the help of psalms, demons were cast out from the possessed and the soul was healed.
Options for prayer according to the Psalter for the repose
There is a prayer in the Holy Book that is considered the most powerful and effective. Kathisma 17 is suitable for both a one-time commemoration and ritual reading for 1.5 months. Church workers note that such a one-time commemoration of the soul of the departed can replace the reading of the entire Psalter.
17 Kathisma, according to many, is a most beautiful song that has a beneficial effect not only on the soul of the person commemorated, but also on the reader himself. Chapter 17 includes opening and closing prayers and Psalm 118.
Prayer for the dead and the emergence of tradition
The emergence of the tradition of commemorating the dead goes back to ancient times. People who experienced the loss of relatives or loved ones, at any opportunity, remembered them and mentally turned to deities and other objects of belief so that they would help the deceased and make it easier for them to find their final resting place.
In Christianity, it is believed that by pronouncing funeral words, a person receives consolation and releases the soul of the deceased into another world. Believers know that the one who loves is able to reconcile, but is not able to forget, and reading the psalms helps to communicate with Heaven and remember the loss.
The first person who believed in the power of commemorating the dead is considered to be the commander Judas. Because he and his subordinates believed in God, the Creator awarded their army with invincibility. But somehow the army was defeated, and many soldiers died in the battle. During the burial, Judas saw that many of the dead were carrying with them figurines of idols that were not associated with Christianity.
In order to direct at least their souls to the Kingdom of God, the commander began to pray, asking the Lord to forgive the ignorance of the soldiers. The Almighty liked Judas’s sincerity, and he forgave the dead, sending their souls to Paradise. It is believed that from this moment the tradition of commemorating the dead began.
Prayer for the deceased 40 days
Various Christian sources report on the importance of prayer for the deceased. The first person to inform the living that it takes 40 days to reach the gates of Paradise after death was Theodora. At the same time, the woman noted that as soon as the living on Earth remembered her, it became easier to overcome the path beyond the grave.
Modern science also reports that the soul exists, and scientists have even determined the weight of this integral component of the human being - 21 years. In addition, often after death people dreamed of relatives and asked them to pray for them or fulfill requests, which once again proves the fact of the existence of the soul and that it needs the help of the living.
The clergy note that for 1.5 months an invisible substance walks the earth, accompanied by a Guardian Angel, who shows the deceased his deeds. If a person sinned a lot during his lifetime, then active commemoration of him by people will tip the scales of the Supreme Court towards Paradise.
Understanding the Psalms
The text of the psalms that a beginner reads may initially not be clear to him if the study of holy songs takes place in Latin. Some priests are confident that it is possible to read the Psalter without understanding its meaning, which will be revealed later.
Other experts on holy texts recommend studying ritual chants in Russian and only then proceeding to read the holy book in the original language. In each case, attempts to study kathismas are already considered a good deed and will become a plus in the scale of righteous deeds of any person.
Servants of God recommend communicating with the Creator through prayer every day. They note that it is never too late to come to faith, and inner aspiration is capable of much. A prayer said from the heart will be heard by those for whom it was intended.
The order of reading the Psalter for the dead
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 “Remember, O Lord our God.”, located at the end of the “Following the Exodus of the Soul,” is read, 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 departed”):
Remember, O Lord our God, in the faith and hope of the eternal life of Your departed servant, our brother [name], and as Good and 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 him, and faith, even in You instead of deeds, and with Your saints, as You give generous 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 kathisma it is read:
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 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.
(found at the beginning of “Sequence on the Exodus of the Soul”)
From the spirits of the righteous who have passed away, give rest to the soul of Thy servant, O Savior, preserving it in the blessed life that is with Thee, O Lover of Mankind. In Thy chamber, O Lord: where all Thy saints rest, rest also the soul of Thy servant, for Thou art alone the Lover of Mankind. Glory to the Father and the Son and To the Holy Spirit: Thou art God, Who descended into hell and loosed the chains of the bound, Give rest to Thy servant Himself and the soul, 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.)
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Reading the Psalter for the Dead
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.
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.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to Thee, O God!(three times)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Then the reading of the psalms of kathisma continues. At the end of the kathisma it reads:
With the spirits of the righteous who have passed away, rest the soul of Your servant, O Savior, preserving it in the blessed life that belongs to You, O Lover of Mankind.
In Thy resting place, O Lord: where all Thy saints rest, rest also 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.
Then the prayer prescribed at the end of kathisma is read.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
Psalter, psalm 3, 5
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 Psalter consists of one hundred and fifty prayer chants addressed to God. In ancient times, most of these chants were performed in the temple to the accompaniment of a stringed instrument like a harp. It was called the psalter. From him these chants received the name psalms. The most famous author of these prayers is King David. Most of the psalms belong to him, which is why their collection is also called the Psalter of David.
All books included in the canon of Holy Scripture of the Old Testament are revered as inspired, that is, written by godly men under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and are useful for reading. But the book of psalms is worthy of special veneration, for, in the words of St. Athanasius the Great, “like a garden, it contains within itself the plantings of all other books of Holy Scripture.” It miraculously combines the teaching of a pious life, and reminders of the law given by God, and the history of the people of God, and prophecies about the Messiah and his Kingdom, and mysterious indications of the Trinity of God, the mystery of whose existence was until time hidden from Old Testament man.
The Psalms, prophesying about the promised Savior, are striking in the accuracy and clarity of their revelations. “...They pierced my hands and my feet...They divide my garments among themselves and cast lots for my clothes,” sounds in a psalm written a thousand years before Christ’s death on the Cross. “And those who crucified Him divided His garments, casting lots,” we read in the Gospel.
But the most important and most valuable thing is that it describes and depicts the movements of the human soul, yearning for God. The shackles of sin, like a stone, pull a person to the bottom, into the darkness of hell, but he, overcoming this weight, rushes to the mountain peaks, towards the divine light.
The Holy Spirit, through the mouth of the authors of the psalms, said everything that our heart experiences at different moments in life, said it in a way that we could not say. “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 Psalter can be likened to a mirror in which a person knows himself, knows the movements of his soul. The Psalms, judging by what a person’s soul suffers from, teach him how to act in order to heal his weakness.
The one who trusts in God and lives, keeping His commandments, will remain forever, will find salvation and bliss already in earthly life. This is one of the most important spiritual testaments of the Psalter, which helps a person survive the most difficult moments of his life.
It is not surprising that the favorite book of ancient Christians was the Psalter. They accompanied their entire lives with psalmody, inspiring themselves with deeds of piety. The psalm was on the lips of both the martyr going to his death and the hermit who had withdrawn from the world. And in everyday life, Christians did not abandon the Psalter. “The farmer,” writes Blessed Jerome, walking behind the plow and singing “Hallelujah”; the reaper covered with sweat sings psalms, and the vinedresser, cutting off the grape branches with a crooked knife, sings from David.”
In the ancient Church there was a custom of learning all the psalms by heart, so this book was loved and revered. Already in the times of the apostles, the Psalter received particularly wide use 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.
As has already been said, in ancient times, in the Old Testament Church, musical instruments were used during worship and prayer: percussion - cymbals, wind instruments - trumpets and string instruments - psalms. But in the Orthodox Church there is no instrumental music, the voice of man-made instruments is not heard. In an Orthodox church, only the voice of man is heard - this God-created instrument, renewed by the Holy Spirit and bringing a “new song” to God. His vocal cords are the sweetest strings to God's ears, his tongue the best cymbal. When a person sings or reads psalms, he becomes a mysterious harp, the strings of which are touched by the skillful fingers of the Holy Spirit. And this man can, together with King David, exclaim to God: “How sweet is Your word to my throat. More than honey to my lips."
© 2017 Russian Orthodox Church Krefeld
About prayer for the dead. Reading the Psalter until the fortieth day
Having consigned the body of the deceased to the earth, the Church does not leave his soul without care. The highest and most useful form of intercession for the deceased is considered to be the Holy Liturgy:
There is much help for faithful souls, who give for these to the weak and for their souls, priests and deacons pray and perform services often, i.e. divine liturgy. St. John Chrysostom, lyrics. 76
Pious Christians usually ask to do for the deceased St. Liturgy within 40 days from the date of death (Sorokoust). The basis for this forty-day commemoration is the figurative depiction of the fate of the human soul after death in the church legend about the ordeal. According to this legend, the soul “ascends” to the throne of God within forty days, going through the so-called “ordeals”, where it is tested in its sins, and on the 40th day it appears at the judgment of God.
Undoubtedly, reading the Psalter is a great task for every Christian.
No other book glorifies God as much as the Psalter is beneficial to the soul: it glorifies God together with the angels, and exalts, and sings with a great voice, and imitates the angels, when it casts down demons and drives away, and creates great lamentation and plagues: for kings and princes , and prays to God for the whole world...
John Chrysostom says that a Christian should under no circumstances abandon the singing of psalms:
The sun should not cease from its course rather than abandon the Psalter: for it is great that it is useful...
Reading the Psalter for the Dead
The custom of reading the Psalter for the dead dates back to ancient times. Reading the Psalter undoubtedly brings great consolation to Christians who have ended their earthly existence, and testifies to love and memory. In the old days, reading the Psalter for the dead was considered obligatory. In some cases, the relatives of the deceased themselves read the Psalter. In others, they hired people who read the Psalter after the deceased for forty days, a year, or even more. In turn, relatives provided those reading the Psalter for those who had gone to the Lord with housing and food, and sometimes even monetary payment. Women who read the Psalter for the deceased were called canonons. Such prayer books are often mentioned in the famous novel by A. Melnikov (Pechersky) “In the Forests and on the Mountains,” dedicated to the life and everyday life of the Trans-Volga Old Believers.
The preface to the canon for the one who died says:
My spiritual father and lord, (name of the rivers). For God's sake, create with me the last love and mercy. Have mercy on me for God's sake, sing this canon for me, on thirds, on nines, on forties, if you don't happen to sing like this, and you on other days, or on one day, but exactly up to forties, three times. If it doesn’t happen to you, you will sing on other days, or on one day, but exactly up to forty times, three times. If, even more than that, you deign to sing this canon for me, then you will do great good for me, and you yourself will receive a great reward from God, who, if you measure in any measure, it will be measured to you, and again you will be merciful and have mercy, and you, Father Lord, for God’s sake have mercy on my sinful soul, pray to the Lord for it, and the Lord our God will repay you for this, and have mercy on you, for He is merciful...
In this word, a Christian who has ended his earthly life asks his spiritual father to “create his last love”, asks for prayer, because that is all he needs now. However, such a prayer is not only useful for the deceased; it brings no less benefit to the soul of the person praying, since this is a great good deed. And at every opportunity a Christian should pray for his relatives who have already departed to the Lord.
It should be said that before the expiration of 40 days from the moment of repose of a Christian, you need to pray the Psalter together with a prayer service for the deceased person. In the Old Believer tradition, such a follow-up is called the “Canon for the One Who Died.” It consists of 9 songs, but the 2nd song is usually missing. Each hymn of the canon consists of an irmos (the first verse of the song) and troparia (the verses of the song following the irmos).
Scheme of reading the Psalter for the deceased until the fortieth day (Sorokoust)
Semipoklonny began. Publican's Prayer “God, be merciful...” (3 bows to the waist, if several people are praying, then only the eldest makes these bows, namely - the one who prays).
Chant to Jesus: (bow to the waist).
Then the troparion is read, tone 8 "Like the depths of wisdom..."
Glory, even now. Theotokos “For you is the city and refuge of the imams...”
Then all 20 kathismas of the Psalter are read, before each kathisma they read “Come, let us worship...” (three times, with bows to the waist). In each kathisma there are three “Glory” (“Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever, Amen”), and for each "Glory" read “Hallelujah. » (three times, with bows to the waist), then the troparion is read for the deceased three times with bows (river name), (bow). (bow). Deliver us from eternal torment (bow). Give to the Kingdom of Heaven a partaker (tsu) (bow). And do something useful for our souls (bow)».
Scheme of reading the canon for one who died (s)
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner (us), amen” (bow)
According to the 3rd song the sedalen is read, voice 5th "Rest in peace..."
According to the 6th song, the kontakion is read, tone 8 "Rest with the saints...". Ikos “From time immemorial you alone are immortal...”.
According to the 9th song of the canon it is read “Worthy to eat...” (bow to earth). Trisagion, and Our Father. Prayer of Isusov.
“Bless the Father in the name of the Lord.”
Chorus “For the prayers of our saints, our father, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner (us), amen.” (bow to the waist)
Vacation “Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God...”
“To God’s departed servant (name) (name of the rivers), we make remembrance of him (her): eternal memory, eternal memory, eternal memory.”
Then they pray the troparion for the deceased three times with bows “Rest, Lord, to the soul of His departed servant(s) (river name), (bow). And the tree in this life is like a man who has sinned. You, as a lover of mankind, God forgive him and have mercy (bow). Deliver us from eternal torment (bow). Give to the Kingdom of Heaven a partaker (tsu) (bow). And do something useful for our souls (bow)».
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How to read the psalter for the departed
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The Psalter is a book included in the corpus of Holy Scripture of the Old Testament. It contains 150 psalms (hence the corresponding name), which are prayers to the Lord. King David is considered the author of the psalter, but some prayer books were also compiled by other rulers of ancient Israel.
The Psalter was widely used for use back in apostolic times. Since ancient times in Rus', this Old Testament book has been used as a prayer book both at divine services and in home prayer. Currently, the Church's services also include prayers from the psalter.
In Orthodox culture, there is a pious tradition of reading the psalter for the deceased, in memory of them. The entire Old Testament book is divided into twenty kathismas, its complete reading can take up to five hours, so prayer for the deceased with the help of this book is a special work of living people in memory of the deceased. The reading of the psalter is performed both for the laity and for the deacons and monks. Any pious Christian can read.
It is customary to read the psalter before burying the deceased. It is desirable that the prayers last continuously, but in the absence of such an opportunity, you can read at least several kathismas a day or change readers. The prayers of the psalter trace a person’s hope for God’s mercy; the sacred texts console the loved ones and relatives of the deceased person.
The Psalter can be read for forty days after death, with special attention paid to the days of remembrance: the ninth and fortieth. In addition, the psalter for the dead can be read on anniversaries of death or on any other day, because prayers to the Lord for the forgiveness of the sins of the dead can be offered by a Christian at any time.
The procedure for reading the psalter for the departed is simple. In the prayer books, before reading the psalter, there are special opening prayers, after which “Come, let us worship” and the text of the kathisma are read. All kathismas are divided into three “Glories”. A special feature of reading the psalter for the dead is the addition of a special funeral prayer for each “slavnik”. Thus, when the reader sees the inscription “Glory” in the text of the kathisma, it should be read as follows:
After this, the reading of psalms from the kathisma continues. There is a practice according to which, after the funeral prayer, the Mother of God prayer is said, “Rejoice to the Virgin Mary.” On the last third “Glory” only “Glory” “And now” is pronounced, three times “Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia glory to Thee, O God” and a prayer for the deceased. After this, the trisagion according to the Our Father is read, special troparia written at the end of the kathisma, as well as a specific prayer.
The beginning of each new kathisma is again accompanied by the reading “Come, let us worship”:
At the end of the reading of the psalter or several kathismas, there are special prayers published in the prayer book “after reading the Psalter or several kathismas.”
It is worth especially noting that if a person does not have the opportunity to read the psalter for the departed in full, one should at least work on reading the 17th kathisma, since it is this part of the psalter that is read at the funeral service (used during the prayer for the remembrance of the departed).
The position of the person praying when reading the psalter should be standing. Other people can sit during prayer if they experience physical weakness.
If the psalter is read in front of the coffin of the deceased, then the reader stands before the feet of the deceased. When reading the psalter, it is customary to light candles or a lamp in front of the icons. While reading the psalter, you must fully concentrate on prayer and turn to the Lord with humility, reverence and pious attention to the sacred texts.
17th Kathisma (memorial), read on days of special remembrance of the dead (read daily for 40 days after death)
The meaning of the 17th Kathisma
During the entire forty days after the death of a person, his family and friends must read the Psalter. How many kathismas per day depends on the time and energy of the readers, but reading must certainly be daily. When the entire Psalter has been read, it is read first. Just don’t forget that after each “Glory...” you need to read a prayer request for the remembrance of the deceased (from “Following the departure of the soul from the body”).
Prayer request for the 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 and Lover of mankind, forgiving sins and consuming iniquities, 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 Thy eternal good things prepared for those who love Thee: even if Thou sin, yet do not depart from Thee, and undoubtedly in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Thy God in the Trinity of the glorified faith, and the One in the Trinity and Trinity in Unity, Orthodox even until his last breath of confession. Be merciful to the same, and faith, even in You instead of deeds, and with Your saints, as you are Generous, give 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 unto the ages of ages. Amen.
According to the 17th Kathisma:
Trisagion, according to Our Father...
And troparia, tone 2
Those who have sinned against You, O Savior, like the prodigal son: accept me, Father, who repents, and have mercy on me, O God.
Glory: I call to You, Christ the Savior, with the publican’s voice: cleanse me as she did, and have mercy on me, O God.
And now: Mother of God, do not despise me, demanding Your intercession: for my soul trusts in You, and have mercy on me.
Lord, have mercy (40 times).
Options for praying according to the Psalter for the repose
Sometimes for a one-time, but strong, that is, tangible for the deceased, mention, there is a tradition (and for good reason) to read from the entire book one kathisma, which, as was realized through rich church experience, is most suitable for expressing the feelings and moods of the deceased himself.
Such a kathisma, unique and most extraordinary, beautiful not only in its content, but also in artistic expression and language, this is the 17th kathisma. It is one of not only the most beautiful, but also one of the longest in the entire text of the book. The one who reads this chapter gets the opportunity to truly, albeit relatively briefly, remember the dear deceased, to work for him (to bring God not only a word, but also an action, work), and the person praying himself receives great benefit from this for his soul.
The Psalter consists of 20 sections - kathisma, each of which is divided into three “Glories”. Before reading the first kathisma, the pre-initial prayers are said before starting the reading of the Psalter. At the end of the reading of the Psalter, prayers are said after reading several kathismas or the entire Psalter. The reading of each kathisma begins with a prayer:
Prayers before reading the Psalter
Verbs with tenderness: 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, 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
Prayer to the Most Holy Trinity
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
Tropari
Have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us, bewildered by any answer, we offer this prayer to You as the Master of sin: have mercy on us.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit: The honor of Thy prophet, O Lord, is a triumph, Heaven shows the Church, the Angels rejoice with men. By your prayers, O Christ God, guide our belly in peace, so that we may sing to You: Alleluia.
And now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen: My many and many sins, Mother of God, have come to You, O Pure One, demanding salvation: visit my weak soul and pray to Your Son and our God to grant me forgiveness for the evil deeds, O Blessed One.
Lord have mercy, 40 times. And bow down, so powerfully.
The same prayer to the Holy Life-Giving Trinity: All-holy Trinity, God and Creator of the whole world, hasten and direct my heart, begin with reason and finish the good works of these God-inspired books, even the Holy Spirit will vomit the lips of David, which I now want to say, I, unworthy, meaning my own ignorance, falling down, I pray to Thee, and ask You for help: Lord, guide my mind and confirm my heart, not about the words of the lips of this cold, but about the mind of those who say, rejoice, and prepare to do good deeds, even as I learn, and I say: yes Enlightened by good deeds, at the judgment of the right hand of Your land I will be a partaker with all Your chosen ones. And now, Vladyka, bless, and, sighing from my heart, I will sing with my tongue, saying to my face: 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.
Just wait a little, until all your feelings calm down. Then make the beginning not quickly, without laziness, with tenderness and a contrite heart. Rtsy quietly and intelligently, with attention, and not struggling, as the verb is understood with the mind.
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” the following 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)
Remember, O Lord our God, in the faith and hope of the eternal life, Thy servant [or: Thy handmaid], our brother [or: our sister] [name], who reposed (before the 40th day from the day of death - “newly reposed”), and who is Good and Lover of Mankind , forgive sins and consume untruths, weaken, forsake and forgive all his [or: her] sins, voluntary and involuntary, deliver him [or: yu] eternal torment and the fire of Gehenna, and grant him [or: her] communion and eternal pleasure Your 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 glorify You in the Trinity, faith, and the Unity in the Trinity and the Trinity in Unity, Orthodox even to its last sighs of confession.
In the same way, be merciful to him [or: to that] and have faith in You instead of deeds, and with Your saints as You give generous 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.
And now and forever, and forever and ever. 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.)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
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.
Troparia deceased
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.
Then the prayer prescribed at the end of kathisma is read:
According to the 1st kathisma
Master Almighty, Incomprehensible, the beginning of light and the supreme power, like the Hypostatic Word of the Father and the One-Powered Emitter of Your Spirit: merciful for the sake of mercy and ineffable goodness, not despising human nature, the darkness of sin contained, but the Divine lights of Your sacred teachings, the law and prophets shining to the world, follow and let us, O God, grant us, in a vigilant and sober heart, to pass through the whole night of this present life, awaiting the coming of Thy Son and God. ours, the judge of all, let us not recline and sleep, but be awake and lifted up in the doing of Thy commandments, and let us find ourselves in His joy, where those who celebrate the unceasing voice and the ineffable sweetness of those who behold Your face, the unspeakable kindness. For You are a Good and Lover of Mankind, and we send glory to You, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages, amen.
According to the 2nd kathisma
Master Almighty, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Only Begotten Son, grant unto me an undefiled body, a pure heart, a vigorous mind, an unlost mind, the influx of the Holy Spirit, to the acquisition and contentment of the truth in Thy Christ: with Him is due to Thee glory, honor and worship, with the Holy Spirit now and ever and unto ages of ages, amen.
According to the 3rd kathisma
Lord Almighty, Word of the Eternal Father, Self-perfect God Jesus Christ, for the sake of Thy unconditional mercy, do not part from Thy servants, but rest ever in them, do not forsake me, Thy servant, O All-Holy King, but give me, unworthy, the joy of Thy salvation and enlighten my mind with the light of the knowledge of Your Gospel, bind my soul to the love of Your Cross, adorn my body with Your dispassion, calm my thoughts and keep my nose from creeping, and do not destroy me with my iniquities, Good Lord, but tempt me, O God, and enlighten my heart mine, test me and guide me in my paths, and see if the path of iniquity is in me, and turn me away from it, and guide me on the eternal path. For You are the Way, and the Truth, and the Life, and we send up glory to You with Your Beginning Father and the Most Holy, and Good, and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages, amen.
According to the 4th kathisma
To You, Lord, the only Good and Unmemorable Evil One, I confess my sins, I fall down crying to You, unworthy: I have sinned, Lord, I have sinned and am not worthy to look up to the heights of heaven from the multitude of my untruths. But, my Lord, Lord, grant me tears of compunction, the only Blessed and Merciful One, for with them I beg You to be cleansed before the end from all sin: for it is a terrible and menacing place for the Imam to pass through, our bodies being separated, and a multitude of dark and inhuman demons will bury me, and no one can help or deliver. Thus I bow down to Your goodness, do not betray those who offend me, below let my enemies boast about me, Good Lord, below let them say: you came into our hands, and you are betrayed to us. Neither, Lord, do not forget Your bounties and do not repay me for my iniquity, and do not turn Your face away from me: but You, Lord, punish me, both with mercy and bounty. Let my enemy not rejoice over me, but extinguish his reproaches against me and abolish all his actions, and give me a reproachful path to You, Good Lord: even though I have sinned, I have not resorted to another doctor, and I have not stretched my hand to a foreign god. , do not reject my prayer, but hear me with Your goodness and strengthen my heart with Your fear, and may Your grace be upon me, Lord, like fire that burns up unclean thoughts in me. For you are, Lord, light, more than any light; joy, more than any joy; peace, more than any peace; true life and salvation that endures forever and ever, Amen.
According to the 5th Kathisma
Righteous and Praiseworthy God, Great and Mighty God, Eternal God, hear the prayer of a sinful man at this hour: hear me, who promised to hear those who call on You in truth, and do not hate me, having unclean lips and containing sins, the hope of all the ends of the earth and those who wander. far away. Take the weapon and the shield and rise up to help me: pour out the sword and make a stand against those who persecute me. Ban the unclean spirit from the face of my madness, and let the spirit of hatred and resentment, the spirit of envy and flattery, the spirit of fear and despondency, the spirit of pride and all other malice be separated from my thoughts; and may all kindling and movement of my flesh, caused by the devil’s action, be extinguished, and may my soul and body and spirit be enlightened by the light of Your Divine knowledge: may I, through the multitude of Your bounty, achieve the union of faith, in a perfect husband, according to the measure of my age, and glorify with the Angels and by all Your saints, Your most honorable and magnificent name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.
According to the 6th Kathisma
We thank Thee, Lord our God, for all Thy good deeds, even from the first age to the present in us, the unworthy, the former, those known and unknown, those manifested and unmanifested, those who were in deed, and in a word: having loved us as He loved the Only Begotten You are willing to give your Son to us. Make us worthy of Your love. Grant with Your word wisdom and with Your fear inhale strength from Your power, and whatever we want or don’t want to sin, forgive, and not impute, and preserve our holy soul, and present it to Your Throne, having a clear conscience, and the end is worthy of Your love for mankind. And remember, O Lord, all who call upon Thy name in truth: remember all who desire good or evil against us: for all are men, and every man is in vain. We also pray to You, Lord: grant us Your great mercy.
According to the 7th Kathisma
Lord, my God, as you are Good and Lover of Mankind, you have done many mercies with me, even more than you expected, and what will I repay to your goodness, my Lord, Lord? I thank Your much-sung name, I thank Your inscrutable kindness towards me, I thank Your unconditional long-suffering. And from now on, intercede, and help me, and cover me, Master, from everyone who has no one to sin before You: for You weigh my favored nature, You weigh my madness, You weigh what I have done, even in knowledge and not in knowledge, even voluntary and involuntary, even in the night and in the days, and in the mind, and thoughts, for God is good and a lover of mankind, cleanse me with the dew of Thy mercy, Most Good Lord, and save us for the sake of Thy holy name, in the image of destinies. For You are Light and Truth and Life, and to You we send glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages, amen.
According to the 8th Kathisma
Lord, Generous and Merciful, Long-suffering and Many-merciful, inspire prayer and listen to the voice of my prayer: create a sign for good with me, guide me on Your path, to walk in Your truth, make my heart glad, in fear of Your Holy Name, who art Thou before great. , and work miracles. You are the One God, and there is no one like You in God, O Lord, Mighty in mercy, and Good in strength, to help and comfort, and to save all who trust in Your name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever forever and ever, amen.
According to the 9th Kathisma
Master Lord, our God, who is the only ailment of my soul that is accursed and knows how to sow healing, heal you as if you were weighed, for the sake of the multitude of your mercy and your generosity, since there is no plaster to apply to it from my deeds, lower than oil, lower than duty, but you who have come call not the righteous, but sinners to repentance, have mercy, be generous, forgive me, tear up the handwriting of many of my and cold deeds and guide me on Thy right path, so that, walking in Thy truth, I will be able to avoid the arrows of the evil one and I will appear uncondemned before Thy terrible throne , glorifying and singing Your Most Holy Name forever, amen.
According to the 10th Kathisma
Lord our God, Rich in mercy and Incomprehensible in generosity, One by nature Sinless, and for our sakes except for sin, having been a Man, hear this painful prayer of mine at this hour, for I am poor and wretched because of good deeds, and my heart is troubled within me. For you weigh, the Highest King, Lord of heaven and earth, for all my youth I lived in sins and followed the lusts of my flesh, all the laughter was a demon, all the devil followed, I will take out in the time of pleasures wallow, darkened by thoughts from infancy, even Until now, I never wanted to do Your holy will, but I was captivated by the passions that plagued me, I was filled with laughter and reproach by the demon, not even thinking in my mind like the unbearable anger of a hedgehog at the sinners of Your rebuke, and the lying fiery Gehenna. As if from here I fell into despair, and as though I had no feeling of conversion, I was empty and naked from Your friendship. What kind of sin have you not committed? What deed has the demon not done? What cold and prodigal deed have you not accomplished with advantage and diligence? The mind has been desecrated by the memories of the flesh, the body has been desecrated by the confusion, the spirit has been desecrated by the combination of defilements, I have loved all the pleasures of my damned flesh to serve and work with sin. And who else will not weep for me, the accursed one? Who will not weep for me, condemned? I am the only one, O Lord, who has provoked Your wrath, I am the only one who has kindled Your anger against me, I am the only one who has created evil before You, having surpassed and conquered all sinners from the ages, who have sinned incomparably and unforgivenly. But since you are the Most Merciful, the Compassionate One, the Lover of Mankind, and waiting for human conversion, I bring myself before Thy terrible and unbearable judgment, and as if I touched Your most pure feet, I cry to Thee from the depths of my soul: cleanse, Lord, forgive, Benefactor, have mercy on my infirmity , bow to my bewilderment, listen to my prayer and do not silence my tears, accept me who repents, and convert the erring one, who turns around and prays, forgive me. You have not ordained repentance for the righteous, you have not ordained forgiveness for those who do not sin, but you have ordained repentance for me, a sinner, for the same things I did in Your indignation, naked and naked before You, O Lord of the Heart, confess my sins: for I cannot look up and see the height Heavenly, from the severity of my sins we dance. Enlighten the eyes of my heart and give me tenderness for repentance, and contrition of heart for correction, so that with good hope and true assurance I will go to the world there, praising and blessing I will take out Your all-holy name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever and ever, amen.
According to the 11th Kathisma
Shine in our hearts, O Lord who loves mankind, of Your imperishable knowledge of God, and open our mental eyes, in the understanding of Your gospel sermons, put fear in us and in Your blessed commandments, so that all carnal lusts may be overcome, we will pass through spiritual life, all that is for Your good pleasure. both wise and active. For You are the enlightenment of our souls and bodies, O Christ God, and we send up glory to You, with Your Originless Father and Your All-Holy, Good, and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.
According to the 12th Kathisma
Lord my God, One Good and Humane, One Merciful and Meek, One True and Righteous, One Generous and Merciful our God: may Thy power come upon me, Thy sinful and indecent servant, and may He strengthen my temple with the Gospel of Thy Divine teaching, Master and O Lover of Mankind, O Lover of Bliss, O Lover of Compassion, enlighten my wombs and all souls with Thy will. Cleanse me from all malice and sin: keep me undefiled and blameless from every inspiration and action of the devil, and grant me, according to Your goodness, Your understanding, Your wisdom, and in Your desires to live, To fear Your fear, to do what is pleasing to You until my last sighs, because by Your inscrutable mercy You have preserved my body and soul, and my mind and thoughts, and have not been tempted by any opposing network of the temple. My Lord, Lord, cover me with Your compassion, and do not forsake me, a sinner, and an unclean, and an unworthy servant of Yours: for You are my Protector, Lord, and I sing about You, and we send up glory to You, the Father and the Son and the Holy One. To the Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.
According to the 13th Kathisma
Holy Lord, Who liveth in the highest, and with Thy all-seeing eye look down upon all creation. We bow our necks to You, soul and body, and we pray to You, Holy of Holies: stretch out Your invisible hand from Your holy dwelling, and bless us all: and if we have sinned against You, willingly or unwillingly, for God is Good and Lover of Mankind, forgive us, and grant us peace and blessings. Yours. For it is Thine to have mercy and to save, our God, and to Thee we send glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages, amen.
According to the 14th Kathisma
We thank Thee, O Lord God of our salvation, for Thou hast done everything for the good deeds of our life, for Thou hast given us rest in the past night time, and raised us up from our beds, and placed us in the worship of Thy honorable and glorious name. We also pray to You, Lord: give us grace and strength, so that we may be worthy of You to sing wisely and pray unceasingly: and I will look to You, the Savior and Benefactor of our souls, with fear and trembling, our salvation working. Hear now and have mercy, O Compassionate One, on us: crush under our feet the invisible warriors and enemies: accept according to the strength of our thanksgiving: give us grace and strength to open our mouths, and teach us by Your justification. As if we would not pray as we should, except You, Lord, guide us with Your Holy Spirit. If you have sinned even before the present hour, in word, or deed, or thought, willfully or involuntarily, relax, forgive, forgive. If you see iniquity, Lord, Lord, who will stand? For You have purification, You have deliverance. You are the only Holy One, the Mighty Helper, and the Protector of our life, and we bless You forever, amen.
According to the 15th Kathisma
Master Lord Jesus Christ, You are my Helper, I am in Your hands, help me, do not leave me to sin against You, for I am lost, do not leave me to follow the will of my flesh, do not despise me, Lord, for I am weak. You weigh what is useful to me, do not leave me to perish in my sins, do not forsake me, Lord, do not depart from me, as I have come running to You, teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. Heal my soul, as those who have sinned by You, save me for the sake of Your mercy, as before You we are all who suffer, and I have no other refuge but You, Lord. Let all those who rise up against me and seek my soul be ashamed to consume it, for You are the only Mighty One, O Lord, in all, and Yours is the glory forever and ever, Amen.
According to the 16th Kathisma
Holy Lord, Living in the Highest, and with Your all-seeing eye look upon all creation, We bow to You, soul and body, and we pray to You, Holy of Holies: stretch out Your invisible hand from Your holy dwelling, and bless us all, and forgive us every sin, voluntary and involuntary, in word or deed. Grant us, Lord, tenderness, grant spiritual tears from the soul, for the cleansing of many of our sins, grant Your great mercy to Your world and to us, Your unworthy servants. For blessed and glorified is Your name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.
According to the 17th Kathisma
Master, Lord Almighty and Creator of all, the Father of generosity and mercy, God, who created man from the earth, and showed him in Your image and likeness, so that Your magnificent name may be glorified on earth, and that which was uprooted by the transgression of Your commandments, again creating something better him in Thy Christ, and raised up to Heaven: I thank Thee, for Thou hast increased Thy greatness upon me, and Thou hast not betrayed me to the end as my enemy, to cast me out into the abyss of hell by those who seek me, and left me below to perish through my iniquities. Now, O most merciful and most merciful Lord, do not want the death of a sinner, but wait for conversion, and accept: He who has corrected the downtrodden, who has healed the contrite, turn me to repentance, and correct the overthrown, and heal the contrite: remember Thy mercies, and even Thy since the ages incomprehensible goodness and my immeasurable forget the iniquities that I have committed in deed, word, and thought: resolve the blindness of my heart, and give me tears of tenderness to cleanse the filth of my thoughts. Hear, O Lord, listen, O Lover of mankind, cleanse, O Compassionate One, and free my accursed soul from the torment of the reigning passions within me. And let no one keep me from sin, let the demon fighter be able to attack me, let him lead me to his desire, but by Thy mighty hand, having snatched me away from His dominion, Thou reign in me, O Good and Humane-loving Lord, and of all Thy being, and May I live otherwise according to Your good will. And grant me with the indescribable goodness of my heart, purification of the heart, guarding of the mouth, rightness of actions, humble wisdom, peace of thoughts, silence of my spiritual strength, spiritual joy, true love, long-suffering, kindness, meekness, unfeigned faith, self-control, and fill me with all good fruits, by the gift of Your Holy Spirit. And do not bring me to the end of my days, delight my uncorrected and unprepared soul below, but complete me with Your perfection, and thus bring me to the present life, as if I had passed through the beginnings and powers of darkness without restraint, by Your grace I will see and I, unapproachable to Your glory, unspeakable kindness, with all Your saints, in them be sanctified, and glorified is Your all-honorable and magnificent name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages, amen.
According to the 18th Kathisma
Lord, do not reprove me with Your wrath; do not punish me with Your wrath. Master Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner, a beggar, a naked, lazy, careless, backbiting, accursed, fornicator, adulterer, malak, sodomite, filthy, prodigal, ungrateful, unmerciful, cruel, drunkard, seared with conscience, impersonal naked , daring, unrequited, unworthy of Your love for mankind, and worthy of all torment, and Gehenna, and torment. And not for the sake of my many sins, do you inflict torment on the Redeemer; but have mercy on me, for I am weak, both in soul, and in flesh, and in mind, and in thought, and through your destinies save me, Thy unworthy servant, through the prayers of our Most Pure Lady Theotokos, and of all the saints who have pleased You from the ages: for blessed art Thou in forever and ever, amen.
According to the 19th Kathisma
Master Christ God, Who healed my passions with Your Passion and healed my ulcers with Your ulcers, grant to me, who have sinned much against You, tears of tenderness, dissolve my body from the smell of Your life-giving Body, and delight my soul with Your Honest Blood from sorrow, with which I was given a drink by the enemy. . Raise my mind to You, which has been drawn down below, and lift me from the abyss of destruction, as I am not the imam of repentance, not the imam of tenderness, not the imam of comforting tears, leading children to their inheritance. My mind has been darkened by worldly passions, I cannot look to You in illness, I cannot warm myself with tears, even love for You, but, Master Lord Jesus Christ, Treasure of the Good, grant me complete repentance, and a heart laboring to seek Yours, grant me grace Yours, and renew in me the eyes of Your image. Forsaken Thee, do not forsake me, go out to seek me, lead me to Thy pasture, and number me among the sheep of Thy chosen flock, educate me with them from the grain of Thy Divine mysteries, through the prayers of Thy Most Pure Mother and all Thy saints, amen.
According to the 20th Kathisma
Lord Jesus Christ my God, have mercy on me, a sinner, and forgive me, Thy unworthy servant, for those who have sinned throughout my whole life, and even to this day, and even if I have sinned like a man, my voluntary and involuntary sins, in deed and word, I think with my mind and thoughts, with admiration and inattention, and much of my laziness and negligence. If I have sworn by Your name, or have sworn falsely, or have blasphemed my thoughts, or have reproached anyone, or slandered, or been saddened, or in wicked anger, or stolen, or committed fornication, or lied, or secretly poisoned, or a friend approached me and despised him, or my brother who was insulted and bitter, or who stood by me in prayer and psalmody, my wicked mind went around the crafty one, or I enjoyed myself more than foolishly, or I laughed madly, or I spoke blasphemously, or I was vain, or proud, or I saw vain kindness and was deceived by it. , or ridiculous mocked me. If I was negligent in my prayers, or did not keep the commandments of my spiritual father, or idle talk, or did other evil things, I remember all these deeds, which I remember below. Have mercy, O Lord, and forgive me everything, so that I may sleep and rest in peace, singing, blessing, and glorifying Thee, with Thy Beginning Father and with Thy Most Holy, Good, and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The custom of reading the Psalter for the departed dates back to ancient times; reading this undoubtedly brings them great consolation in itself, as reading the word of God, and as testifying to the love for them and the memory of their living brethren. 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.
Of course, anyone who is capable of this and has certain knowledge appropriate for serving the sacred cause can take on the reading of the Psalter at the tomb of the deceased. The sacrificial impulse of remembering relatives or friends of the deceased can largely, but not entirely, make up for their poor preparedness. In addition, the reading of the Psalter at the grave should be as continuous as possible, and this requires several changing readers. Therefore, there is a custom to invite people capable of it for sacred reading, adding to this invitation the giving of alms for those commemorated. However, in any case, the duty of attention to the word of God and prayer for the soul of the deceased lies not only with the reader of the Psalter, but also with the household relatives of the deceased.
The reading of the Psalter for the departed is of two types. The first is a strict reading of the Psalter over the tomb of the deceased in the coming days and weeks after his death - for example, until the 40th day.
Reading the divinely inspired Psalms of David should ideally be a daily private activity for Orthodox Christians, therefore it is a common custom to combine the cell (home) reading of the Psalter with the remembrance of the living and the dead - this is another type of reading of the Psalter with remembrance.
If the Psalter is read only for the deceased, before the first kathisma the Canon must be read for the same deceased. After the canon - “It is worthy to eat..” and further until the end, as indicated in the rite of the private reading of the Canon for the same deceased.
This section contains three options for reading the Psalter for the departed in accordance with the tradition of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Unlike others, this version of the reading of the Psalter for the repose of the dead includes only the commemoration of the requiem at each “Glory” of kathisma. After reading the kathisma, funeral troparions and a prayer for repose are given, instead of the usual troparions and prayers of the Psalter. Such a commemoration is called a special commemoration (special, only about the repose), often this version of the reading is used in the first forty days after the death of the deceased. For convenience, all texts are presented side by side (without abbreviations).
In this presentation, the Psalter for the repose of the dead includes only prayers for the repose of each “Glory” of kathisma. After reading each kathisma, the troparia and prayer of the kathisma from the Psalter are given. With this reading, the beginning and end of the reading of the kathisma remains ordinary, without funeral troparions. For convenience, all texts are presented side by side (without abbreviations).
The most common way of reading the Psalter with remembrances of health and peace at each “Glory” of kathisma. After reading each kathisma, the troparia and prayer of the kathisma from the Psalter are given. For convenience, all texts are presented side by side (without abbreviations). This version is usually read for private commemoration of living and deceased relatives.
When the psalter is read at the tomb of the deceased, the priest present first performs the Sequence on the outcome of soul and body. Then the reader begins reading the Psalter
At the end of the entire Psalter, the reader again reads the Canon for the one who died and after it the reading of the Psalter begins again, and this is repeated throughout the reading of the Psalter for the deceased.
“When reading the Psalter at the tomb of the deceased,” writes Bishop Afanasy (Sakhorov) in his exhaustive study “On the Commemoration of the Dead according to the Statute of the Orthodox Church,” “there is no need to read the troparia and prayers prescribed for the usual cell rule according to kathismas. It will be more appropriate in all cases , and after each “Glory:”, and after kathisma, read a special memorial prayer. The practice of Ancient Russia sanctified the use in this case of that funeral troparion, which should end the cell reading of the funeral canons: “Remember, Lord, the soul of your departed servant,” and During the reading, five bows are required, on the troparion itself it is read three times. According to the same ancient practice, the reading of the Psalter for the repose is preceded by the reading of the Canon for the deceased, after which the reading of the Psalter begins. After reading all the psalms, the funeral Canon is read again, after which the first reading begins again "kathisma. This order continues throughout the reading of the Psalter for the repose."
Nowadays, a slightly different tradition of reading the Psalter at the tomb has become widespread: after the first and second “Glory:” of the kathisma, the prayer “Remember, O Lord our God...” is read, and at the end of the kathisma, the troparions of the deceased are read (and not the troparia at the end of this kathisma) and the prayer prescribed after kathisma. This reading order is recommended in the Psalter published by the Moscow Patriarchate (1973) and some other publications.
When reading the Psalter at the tomb of the deceased, one should take into account the tradition and each time precede the reading of the 1st kathisma with the reading of the funeral canon.
In conclusion, it only remains to add that it is more fitting for any reader of the Psalter (experienced or not) to stand as if he were a person praying (at the feet of the tomb of the deceased), unless a particular extremity forces him to sit down. Negligence in this matter, as in the observance of other pious customs, is offensive both to the sacred rite, blessed by the Holy Church, and to the word of God, which, if carelessly, is read as if in conflict with the intention and feeling of the praying Christian.
For every Christian believer, reading the Psalter for the dead is a tribute to those who have left this world. According to tradition, the Psalter is read continuously over the body of the deceased from the moment of his death until burial.
The Psalter is a book that is part of the Holy Scriptures. There are only 150 psalms. Most of them are written biblically, the rest are from the pen of other ancient Israeli rulers.
What is kathisma?
The Psalter itself is divided into twenty chapters or kathismas. Kathismas represent several psalms (usually three or four) collected together, separated by three “Glories”. In other words, after reading, for example, two psalms, the reader encounters the word “Glory” in the text. This means that in this place one should say: “Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,” then other prayers are read sequentially and at the end it is said, “And now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.” Amen".
The famous Bishop Athanasius believed that while reading the Psalter for the deceased, after each “Glory” and “Now,” a special funeral prayer should be said and five prostrations should be made. Before and after reading the Psalter for the dead, it is necessary to read the funeral Canon.
Divided into kathismas, the Psalter is much easier to read, and the reading of the book itself can last only five hours. It is advisable to read the Psalter for the dead continuously, especially before burial. This can be done by close people of the deceased, those who are able to do this.
The text itself conveys a person’s hope for God’s mercy. Thoughtful reading and listening to the Psalter comforts loved ones and relatives of the deceased.
It is not only permitted, but also encouraged to read the Psalter for the departed for up to 40 days. It is often practiced to read the Psalter forty days before the date of death, and then repeat the reading for another forty days. As a result, eighty days pass.
Seventeenth Kathisma
This book has long been included among the liturgical books, since almost half of the text of the All-Night Vigil and Liturgy service consists of excerpts from it. The Psalter for the Dead can be read while sitting, but not lying down. The Holy Fathers believe that prayers said without straining the body do not bear worthy fruits. Only sick and infirm people are allowed to read the Psalter, Gospel, and so on while lying down.
People who are far from the church, but who want to become real believers in the future, often ask: what Psalter is read for the dead at home? Indeed, it happens that clergy give their blessing to read not the entire Psalter, but only its kathisma. This is the seventeenth kathisma. She was chosen because the content of the Divine text is most suitable for expressing the feelings of the deceased himself.
The seventeenth kathisma is not only the longest of all, but also the most beautiful. The reader has the difficult and honorable responsibility to remember the deceased, to work for him before God, which is why the Psalter, read for the deceased, brings great benefit to the soul of the one who reads it.
How did the tradition of commemorating the dead come about?
The story after which the tradition of commemorating the dead appeared is recorded in the Old Testament, in the second book of Maccabees. After Abraham showed deep devotion to God, the Almighty promised the Jewish people that they would emerge victorious in all wars, even if the number of enemies was several times greater, but only if they kept His Covenant.
Indeed, as long as the people kept the Divine covenant written on the tablets, no one could defeat them in battle. However, the Old Testament military leader Judas once suffered a crushing defeat on the battlefield. This happened for the first time and the remaining soldiers, led by the military leader, were at a loss, realizing that the Almighty had refused His word. The alarmed warriors decided to examine the bodies of their dead friends in order to send some of their clothes to their relatives and friends. On some they found pagan amulets and other signs of idol worship. This opened their eyes to the wrath of God.
Judas gathered the surviving soldiers, and they all stood up for prayer, having first thanked the Creator for not hiding the truth from them. In their appeal to God, the pious soldiers asked for forgiveness for the dead brothers who had departed from His covenant. The Lord accepted their prayer and highly appreciated Judas’s deed.
There are several other Old Testament stories in which ancient people showed concern for the dead.
Why should you read the Psalter?
Even before the Lord Jesus Christ revealed himself to people and before the appearance of the New Testament, Old Testament pious people read the Psalter. King David, who wrote it, was a humble man with a meek heart, which was unusual in those cruel times.
Through his psalms or, in modern language, songs, he showed the highest qualities of man, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. A collection of psalms, read for the soul of the deceased, protects it from persecuted evil spirits.
How to read the Psalter?
Usually they read it, which causes some bewilderment and inconvenience. The reader may not fully understand the meaning of words and expressions. There are two opinions on this matter.
Another opinion is a thoughtful reading of the psalms, with incomprehensible words written out and translated into Russian.
Of course, conscious reading is a priority, but the first option is also acceptable. If you wish, you can find explanations for the collection of psalms both on the Internet and in books devoted to this topic, of which there are many in church shops.
It is useful to study the Holy Scriptures, both the New Testament and the Old Testament. The fiftieth psalm, most often used during Divine services, has its own explanation, which can be found in the Second Book of Kings. David wrote this repentant psalm in severe contrition, so it is useful to know it by heart for the repentance of the soul.
If the Psalter is read in front of the coffin of the deceased, then the reader should stand at his feet with a burning candle. When reading, the words of Scripture must be pronounced with reverence, since words spoken carelessly are an insult to both the sacred rite and the Word of God.
