The Psalter is a book of laudatory church hymns, the psalms from which are read in different situations by a believer. Excerpts from the church collection are also read at death.
Orthodox commemoration of the dead
In Orthodoxy, it is customary to commemorate deceased relatives on the anniversary of their death and on major church holidays. Prayers for the dead are read on the days allotted for this and subject to the established rules.
The fact that the afterlife exists and the soul of the newly deceased within 40 days independently reaches its destination, passes various tests, was learned thanks to Blessed Theodora. After death, the Saint went to Paradise and got 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 shown by the apostles, who prayed for the soul of the Virgin for 3 days and sang prayers from the Psalter near her tomb.
Every person who has lost his 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 prayer calms down and tunes in to a future 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 pronounce chants of praise for the departed up to 40 days is considered to be help to the wandering soul, and the more words are said in her honor, the more likely the newly deceased will go to Paradise. In addition, the words from the Psalter, spoken from the heart, help to overcome the difficulties that the deceased faces on the way to their destination.
The Church recommends reading the Psalter for the Dead continuously, starting at the time of a person's death and ending on the 40th day after his departure. In special cases, holy words are read 80 days from the date of death of a person. There is an Orthodox custom to read the Psalter in full 3 days after the departure of a relative to another world, and this is recommended to be done before his burial.
You need to start pronouncing 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 proceeds to fulfill the duty assigned to him, observing the continuity of prayer.
The word "Psalter" in translation into Russian from ancient Greek means the name of a musical instrument. This church book consists of 150, 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 an almost equal number of hymns.
When a person dies, his relatives, in addition to verbal assistance to the departed, must prepare kutya from wheat and honey and consecrate the dish in the church at the morning service. After that, 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 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 wave with the Higher powers and calms down.
Reading the Holy Book requires observance of order, which organizes the mourner and does not allow him to fall into deep sadness. In addition, a person understands that by his actions he helps the soul of the newly deceased to pass the test and get to Heaven.
Reading scheme of the Psalter
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 the holy songs at home, you can take a direct part in the service, glorifying the powers of heaven 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 in the period from Holy Thursday of Holy Week to St. Thomas Sunday, popularly called "Anti-Pascha". During this period, the study of the Psalter is banned for 10 days.
In order to commemorate a relative or other close person, it is necessary, in addition to reading at least 1 kathisma daily, to adhere to a spiritual fast for 40 days. If the ceremony is performed at home, then it is not necessary to read the prayers written after each chapter. In this case, the ritual of commemoration will proceed correctly.
When reading laudatory hymns at home, you need to remember that after each pronunciation of the glory of the Holy Trinity, you need to read a prayer for the dead. These 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 canon for the dead. This order was established in 1973 by the Moscow Patriarchate.
Prayer readings are performed with a lit candle, when thoughts are calmed and tuned in a spiritual way. 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.
Reading order of 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 allocates 3, 9 and 40 days, during which the Holy Word must be uttered without fail.
The introductory text for the commemoration of the newly deceased is located before the first chapter of the Psalter. Before each of the 20 chapters of the book, a prayer must be said 3 times, beginning with the words “Come, let us worship ...”, and after each “Glory”, the prayer “Remember, Lord our God ...”, the text of which is placed at the end of “Following the outcome 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. The name of the holy songs can be omitted - it will not be a mistake.
If for some reason there is no introductory text in the publication, then before reading the kathisma, you can recite “Through the prayers of our holy fathers” as a keepsake. At the next stage, they read "Glory", and after - "To the King of Heaven." Then they act according to the described scheme.
Kathismas are read while sitting, you need to get up during the glorification of the Lord. If health allows, then the Psalms are studied standing up, which will be additionally counted both for the one who prays and for the deceased. It is forbidden to utter 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 stays 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 sacred book that does amazing things. Before the New Testament, with the help of psalms, demons were cast out of the possessed and the soul was cured.
Variants of prayer according to the Psalter for the repose
There is a prayer in the Holy Book, which is considered the most powerful and effective. Kathisma 17 is suitable for both a one-time commemoration and ritual reading for 1.5 months. The clergy note that such a one-time commemoration of the soul of the deceased can replace the reading of the entire Psalter.
17 kathisma, according to many, is a beautiful song that has a beneficial effect not only on the soul of the 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 is rooted in ancient times. People who experienced the loss of relatives or close people, at any opportunity, remembered them and mentally turned to deities and other objects of belief to help the deceased and make it easier for them to find their last resting place.
In Christianity, it is believed that by pronouncing the words for the dead, 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 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 commemoration of the dead is the commander Judas. For the fact that he and his subordinates believed in God, the Creator rewarded 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 carried 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 such sincerity of Judas, and he forgave the dead, sending their souls to Paradise. It is believed that from that moment the tradition of commemoration of the dead appeared.
Prayer for the deceased 40 days
The importance of prayer for the dead is reported by various Christian sources. Theodora was the first person to tell the living that it takes 40 days to get to the gates of Paradise after death. At the same time, the woman noted that as soon as the living remembered her on Earth, it became easier to overcome the afterlife.
The fact that the soul exists is also reported by modern science, and scientists have even determined the weight of this integral component of a human being - 21 years. In addition, often after death, people dreamed of relatives and asked 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 during life a person sinned a lot, 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 not be initially clear to him if the study of holy songs takes place in Latin. Some priests are sure 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 proceed to reading 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.
The 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 the inner desire is capable of much. A prayer uttered from the heart will be heard by those to whom it was intended.
The order of reading the Psalter for the dead
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 request 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 Lover of mankind, forgive sins, and consume iniquities, 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 is read):
Trisagion Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (It is 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; 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.
(located at the beginning of the Soul Exodus Follow-up)
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 Your chambers, Lord: where all Your saints rest, give rest to the soul of Your servant, as You alone are the Lover of mankind Glory to the Father and the Son and To the Holy Spirit: Thou art God, descended into hell and loosed the bonds of the fettered, Thyself and the soul of Thy servant rest 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).
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Reading the Psalms 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 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. The reading of the Psalter by the commemorators themselves brings the greatest benefit: it testifies to the great degree of love and zeal for the commemorated of their living brethren, who themselves personally want to work in their memory, and not replace themselves in labor with 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.
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.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to Thee, O God!(thrice.)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Then the reading of the kathisma psalms continues. At the end of the kathisma it reads:
From the spirits of the righteous who have died, the soul of Your servant, Savior, rest in peace, keeping me in a blessed life, even with You, Humane.
In Thy rest, O 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.
Then the prayer laid down at the end of the kathisma is read.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and lean not on your own understanding.
Psalm, psalm 3, 5
Among the books of Holy Scripture, the book of Psalter occupies a special place. Written long before the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is the only book of the Old Testament that has completely entered the liturgical charter of the Christian Church and occupies a prominent place in it.The Psalter consists of one hundred and fifty prayer hymns 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 hymns were called psalms. The most famous author of these prayers is King David. He owns most of the psalms, so their collection is also called the Psalter of David.
All books included in the canon of the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament are revered as inspired by God, that is, written by pious men under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and are useful for reading. But the book of Psalms is worthy of special veneration, for, according to St. Athanasius the Great, "like a garden, it contains the plantings of all the other books of Holy Scripture." It miraculously combines the doctrine 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 hidden from the Old Testament man until the time.
The psalms that prophesy about the promised Savior are striking in the accuracy and clarity of their revelations. “... They pierced my hands and my feet ... They divide my robes among themselves and cast lots for my clothes” - sounds in a psalm written a thousand years before the death of Christ on the Cross. “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 lips of the authors of the psalms, said everything that our heart experiences at different moments of 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 nothing more can be found in a person beyond what is depicted in it,” says St. Athanasius.
The Psalter can be likened to a mirror in which a person cognizes himself, cognizes the movements of his soul. The Psalms, judging by what the soul of a person suffers, 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.
Not surprisingly, the favorite book of ancient Christians was the Psalter. They accompanied their whole lives with psalmody, inspiring themselves to the exploits of piety. The psalm was on the lips of both the martyr going to his death and the hermit who retired from the world. Yes, and in everyday life, Christians did not leave the Psalter. “A farmer,” writes Blessed Jerome, following the plow, he sings “Alleluia”; the reaper, covered with sweat, sings psalms, and the vinedresser, cutting off the vine branches with a crooked knife, sings from David.
In the ancient Church there was a custom to memorize all the psalms by heart, so loved and revered this book. Already in apostolic times, the Psalter was especially widely used 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 Lent is read twice during the week.
As already mentioned, in ancient times, in the Old Testament Church, during worship and prayer, musical instruments were used: percussion - cymbals, wind - pipes and strings - a psalter. 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 a man sounds - this God-creating instrument, renewed by the Holy Spirit and bringing to God "a new song." His vocal cords are the sweetest strings to God's ears, his tongue is 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 person can, together with King David, exclaim to God: “How sweet are your words 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 committed the body of the deceased to the earth, the Church does not leave his soul without care. The Holy Liturgy is considered the highest and most useful form of intercession for the deceased:
There is a lot of help for faithful souls, hedgehog for these give to the weak and hedgehog for their souls priests and deacons pray and often perform services, i.e. divine liturgy. St. John Chrysostom, sl. 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 ordeals. According to this legend, the soul “ascends” to the throne of God for forty days, passing 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, a great thing for every Christian is the reading of the Psalms.
No other books glorify God like that, as the Psalter is soul-beneficial: it glorifies God with the angels together, and exalts and sings with a great voice, and the angels imitate, when the demons slander and drive away, and great weeping and plagues creates: for kings and princes and prays to God for the whole world...
John Chrysostom says that a Christian should not, under any circumstances, abandon the singing of psalms:
Une to stop the sun from its course rather than leave the Psalter: it is very useful to eat ...
Reading the Psalter for the Dead
The custom of reading the Psalter for the dead dates back to ancient times. The reading of the Psalms undoubtedly brings great comfort to Christians who have ended their earthly life, 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 who read the Psalter for those who had departed to the Lord with housing and food, and sometimes even with money. Women who read the Psalter after the deceased were called canons. 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 life of the Trans-Volga Old Believers.
In the preface to the canon for the one who died, it says:
My spiritual father and lord, (name of the rivers). Create with me for the sake of God the last love and mercy of Sitzev. Have mercy on me for God's sake, sing this canon for me, for thirds, for nines, for forties, if it doesn't happen to sing like that, and you on other days, or on one day, but exactly up to forty, three times. If it doesn’t happen, sing tacos, and you on other days, or on one day, but exactly up to the shirts, three times. If you are more than good enough to sing this canon for me, then you will do great good for me, and you yourself will receive a great bribe from God, rekshago, measure it to the same measure, it will be measured to you, and you will have mercy and 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 measure you for this, and have mercy on you, as if you are merciful ...
In this word, a Christian, who has ended his earthly life, asks his spiritual father to “make the last love”, asks for prayer, for that is the only thing he needs now. However, such a prayer is useful not only for the deceased, it also brings no less benefit to the soul of the one who prays, 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 the death of a Christian, you need to pray the Psalter, coupled with a prayer follow-up for the deceased person. In the Old Believer tradition, such a following is called the "Canon for the One Who Died (th)". It consists of 9 songs, but the 2nd song is usually missing. Each song 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 before the fortieth day (Sorokoust)
The seven-bow began. Publican's Prayer "God, merciful..." (3 bows to the belt, if several people pray, then only the elder puts these bows, namely - one who prays).
Song of Jesus: (bow at the waist).
Then the troparion is read, voice, 8 "Beyond the depths of wisdom..."
Glory, and now. Bogorodichen "You have a city and a haven of Imams ..."
Then all 20 kathismas of the Psalter are read, before each kathisma they read "Come, let's bow..." (three times, with bows to the waist). Each kathisma has three "Glory" ("Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever, amen"), and for each "Glory" read "Alleluia. » (three times, with bows to the waist), then read for the deceased troparion three times with bows (the name of the rivers), (bow). (bow). Deliver eternal torment (bow). Make a communicant (tsu) to the Heavenly Kingdom (bow). And create useful things for our souls (bow)».
Scheme for reading the canon for the one who died
"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner (us), amen" (bow)
According to the 3rd song, a saddle is read, voice 5th "Peace Savior ..."
According to the 6th song, kontakion is read, voice 8th Peace with the saints.... Ikos “Thou art from the beginning alone immortal…”.
According to the 9th ode of the canon is read “Worthy to eat…” (bow to the earth). Trisagion, and according to our Father. Prayer of Jesus.
"Bless the Father in the name of the Lord."
Chorus “For the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner (us), amen” (bow at the waist)
Vacation "Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God..."
“To the servant (e) of God (her) reposed (s) (name of the rivers), we also create remembrance of him (her): eternal memory, eternal memory, eternal memory.”
Then they pray for the deceased troparion three times with bows “Rest, Lord, the soul of the deceased (s) servant (s) of His (her) (the name of the rivers), (bow). And the fir-tree in this life, like a man, have sinned. You are like a philanthropist God forgive him (th) and have mercy (bow). Deliver eternal torment (bow). Make a communicant (tsu) to the Heavenly Kingdom (bow). And create useful things for our souls (bow)».
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How to read the psalter for the dead
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The Psalter is a book that is part of the body of the Holy Scriptures 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, however, some prayer books were compiled by other rulers of ancient Israel.
The Psalter was widely used for use even in apostolic times. In Russia, since ancient times, this Old Testament book has been used as prayer books both in divine services and in home prayer. At present, the services of the Church also include prayers from the hymnal.
In Orthodox culture, there is a pious tradition of reading the hymnal for the dead, in memory of them. The entire Old Testament book is divided into twenty kathismas, a complete reading of it can take up to five hours, so praying 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 by the laity and by the deacons and monks. Any devout Christian can read.
It is customary to read the psalter before the burial of the deceased. It is desirable that prayers last continuously, but in the absence of such an opportunity, one can read at least a few kathismas a day or change readers. In the prayers of the psalter, one can trace the hope of a person 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 being paid to the days of commemoration: the ninth and fortieth. In addition, the psalter for the dead can be read on the anniversary 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 order of reading the psalter for the dead is simple. In the prayer books, before reading the psalter, special initiatory prayers are laid, after which “Come, let us worship” and the text of the kathisma are read. All kathismas are divided into three "Glories". A feature of reading the psalter for the dead is the addition of a special prayer for the dead on 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 the psalms from the kathisma continues. There is a practice according to which, after the prayer for the dead, the Mother of God prayer is pronounced “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice.” On the last third “Glory” only “Glory” “And now”, three times “Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia glory to Thee, O God” and a prayer for the deceased are pronounced. After that, the Lord's Prayer is read, special troparia written at the end of the kathisma, as well as a certain 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, special prayers are laid down, published in the prayer book “after reading the Psalter or several kathismas.”
It should be especially noted that if a person does not have the opportunity to read the psalter for the dead in full, one should work at least in reading the 17th kathisma, since it is this part of the psalter that is read at the funeral service (it is used during prayers for the remembrance of the dead).
The position of the worshiper when reading the psalter should be standing. The rest of the people during prayer can sit if they experience physical weakness.
If the psalter is read before the coffin of the deceased, then the reader stands at the feet of the deceased. When reading the psalter, it is customary to light candles or a lampada in front of the icons. During the reading of the psalter, it is necessary to fully concentrate on prayer and turn to the Lord with humility, reverence and pious attention to the sacred texts.
17th kathisma (funeral), read on the days of special commemoration of the dead (read daily for 40 days after death)
The meaning of the 17th kathisma
During all forty days after the death of a person, his relatives and friends should read the Psalter. How many kathismas a day depends on the time and strength of the readers, but reading must certainly be daily. When the entire Psalter has been read, it is read from the beginning. Just do not forget that after each "Glory ..." one must read a prayer request for the commemoration of the deceased (from "Following the Exodus of the Soul from the Body").
Prayer for the deceased
Remember, Lord, our God, in the faith and hope of the belly of your eternally reposed servant, our brother (name), and as a Good and Humane person, forgive sins and consume iniquity, 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 things, prepared for those who love You: if you sin, but do not depart from You, and undoubtedly in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Your God in the Trinity glorious faith, and the Unity in the Trinity and Trinity in Unity, Orthodox even until his last breath of confession. The same be merciful to that, and faith, even in Thee instead of deeds, and with Your saints, like the 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 we glorify You, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.
According to the 17th kathisma:
Trisagion, according to our Father...
And troparia, voice 2
I have sinned against You, Savior, like a prodigal son: accept me, Father, who repents, and have mercy on me, O God.
Glory: I call to You, Christ the Savior, with a publican's voice: cleanse me as it is, and have mercy on me, God.
And now: Mother of God, do not despise me, demanding Thy intercession: my soul has hoped in Thee, and have mercy on me.
Lord have mercy (40 times).
Variants of prayer according to the Psalter for the repose
Sometimes for a one-time, but strong, that is, tangible for the deceased, commemoration, there is a tradition (and for good reason) to read one kathisma from the entire book, which, as it was realized through rich church experience, is most suitable for expressing the feelings and moods of the deceased himself.
Such a kathisma, unique and the most extraordinary, beautiful not only in its content, but also in artistic expression, language, is the 17th kathisma. She is not only one of the most beautiful, but also one of the longest of the entire text of the book. The reader of this chapter gets the opportunity to truly, albeit relatively briefly, commemorate the dear deceased, to work for him (to bring God not only a word, but also an action, labor), 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 the reading of the first kathisma, the preparatory prayers are said, set 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:
Prayers before reading the Psalter
Say tenderly: Through the prayers of our holy 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 fills everything, Treasury of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Blessed, our souls.
Trisagion
Prayer to the Holy Trinity
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
Tropari
Have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us, bewildering any answer, we offer this prayer as the Lord of sin: have mercy on us.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit: The honor of Your prophet, Lord, triumph, Heaven, the Church of the show, Angels rejoice with the people. With prayers, Christ God, rule our belly in the world, let us sing to You: Alleluia.
And now, and always, and forever and ever. Amen: Many of my many, Mother of God, sins, I have resorted to You, Pure, demanding salvation: visit my weak soul and pray to Your Son and our God to give me remission, even the fiercest deeds, Blessed One.
Lord, have mercy, 40 times. And bow, eliko powerfully.
The same prayer of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity: All-holy Trinity, God and Creator of the whole world, hasten and direct my heart, start with reason and finish good deeds inspired by this book, even though the Holy Spirit will burp the mouth of David, now I want to speak az, unworthy, understanding my own ignorance, falling down, I pray to You, and ask you for help: Lord, direct my mind and strengthen my heart, not about the verbal speech of the mouth, but to be glad about the mind of the verbs, and get ready to do good deeds, I am learning, and I say: yes Enlightened by good deeds, I will be a partaker with all Your chosen ones at the judgment of the right hand of You. And now, Vladyka, bless, yes, sighing from the heart, and with my tongue I will sing, saying to this: Come, let us bow down to our Tsar 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.
Just wait a little, until all feelings subside. Then create the beginning not soon, without laziness, with tenderness and a contrite heart. Rtsy quietly and reasonably, with attention, and not struggling, as if to understand the verb with the mind.
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 the kathisma for each "Glory" 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)
Remember, Lord our God, in faith and hope of the life of the eternally reposed (until the 40th day from the date of death - “newly reposed”) Thy servant [or: Thy servant], our brother [or: our sister] [name] and as Good and Humanitarian , forgive sins, and consume iniquities, weaken, leave and forgive all his free [or: her] sins and involuntary, deliver him [or: u] eternal torment and the fire of Gehenna, and grant him [or: her] communion and enjoyment of eternal Your good things, prepared for those who love You: even if you sin, but do not depart from You, and undoubtedly in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Your God in the Trinity glorified, faith, and the Unity in the Trinity and the Trinity in Unity, Orthodox even to its last breath of confession.
The same, be merciful to that [or: that] wake up, and faith, even in Thee instead of deeds, and with Your saints, as if generously 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.
And 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.)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
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.
Troparion the deceased
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.
Then the prayer laid down at the end of the kathisma is read:
According to the 1st kathisma
Lord Almighty, Incomprehensible, the beginning of light and superintelligent power, even the Hypostatic Word, the Father and the only power of Your Spirit, the emitter: merciful for the sake of mercy and inexpressible goodness, do not despise human nature, my sin content, but the Divine lights of Your sacred teachings, the law and the prophets shining to the world, follow but to us that Thy only-begotten Son, who is well-willed to exalt the flesh and instruct us in the illumination of Thy enlightenment: may Thy ears be heedful to the voice of our prayer, and grant us, O God, in a vigilant and sober heart, to pass the whole night of this life, awaiting the coming of Thy Son and God ours, the judge of all, but not reclining and sleeping, but awake and exalted in the doing of Your commandments, we will find ourselves and in His joy we will live, where we celebrate the unceasing voice, and the inexpressible sweetness of those who see Your face, kindness unexpressed. Yako God is Good and Humanitarian, and we send glory to You, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever, amen.
According to the 2nd kathisma
Lord Almighty, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Only Begotten Son, give me an undefiled body, a pure heart, a cheerful mind, an unforgotten mind, an invasion of the Holy Spirit, to the acquisition and contentment of the truth in Your Christ: with Him glory befits You, honor and worship, with the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever, amen.
According to the 3rd kathisma
Lord Almighty, the Word of the Father without beginning, Self-perfect God Jesus Christ, for the sake of Thy unapplied mercy, do not separate Your servants, but rest in them forever, do not leave me, Thy servant, All-Holy King, but give me, unworthy, the joy of Thy salvation and enlighten bind my mind with the light of the knowledge of Thy Gospel, bind my soul with the love of Thy Cross, adorn my body with Thy passionlessness, die thoughts and keep my feet from creeping, and do not destroy me with my iniquities, O Good Lord, but tempt me, O God, and enlighten my heart mine, test me and make my paths clear, and see if the way of iniquity is in me, and turn away from it, and guide me to the path of eternity. You are the Way, and the Truth, and the Life, and we send glory to You with Your Father without beginning and the Most Holy, and the Good, and the Life-giving Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever, amen.
According to the 4th kathisma
To You, Lord, the only Good and Unmemorable, I confess my sins; But, my Lord, Lord, grant me tears of tenderness, the one Blissful and Merciful, as if I beseech Thee with them, be cleansed before the end from all sin: it is a terrible and terrible place for the imam to pass, the bodies parted, and a multitude of gloomy and inhuman demons will hide me, and no one to help accompany or deliver. Thus, I fall down on Your goodness, do not betray those who offend me, let my enemies boast about me, Good Lord, let them say below: Thou hast come into our hands, and Thou hast been betrayed to us. Neither, Lord, forget Thy bounties and repay me according to my iniquities, and do not turn Your face away from me: but Thou, Lord, punish me, both with mercy and bounty. May my enemy not rejoice over me, but quench his punishments against me and abolish all his action, and give me a path to Thee, O good Lord: having sinned, I did not resort to another doctor, and did not stretch my hand to a strange god , therefore, do not reject my prayer, but hear me with Your goodness and confirm my heart with Your fear, and may Your grace be on me, Lord, like a fire burning unclean thoughts in me. Thou art, O Lord, a light, more than any light; joy, more than any joy; rest, more than any rest; true life and salvation enduring forever and ever, amen.
According to the 5th kathisma
God the Righteous and Praiseworthy, God the Great and Strong, God the Eternal, hear the prayer of a sinful man at this hour: hear me, who promised to hear you in truth, those who call on you, and do not loathe me, unclean in the mouth and content in sin, the hope of all the ends of the earth and wanderers far. Take up arms and a shield and stand up for my help: pour out your sword and make a stand against those who persecute me. Rebuke the unclean spirit from the face of my madness, and let the spirit of hatred and malice, the spirit of envy and flattery, the spirit of fear and despondency, the spirit of pride and all other malice be absent from my thoughts; and may every kindling and movement of my flesh, composed of the devil’s action, be extinguished, and may my soul and body and spirit be enlightened with the light of Your Divine knowledge: yes, with the multitude of Your bounties, I will achieve the union of faith, perfect in a husband, to the extent of age, and glorify with Angels and by all your saints, your all-honorable and magnificent name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever, amen.
According to the 6th kathisma
We thank Thee, O Lord our God, for all Thy good deeds, even from the first age to the present in us, unworthy, former, about them we know and not know, about those who were revealed and not manifested, even if they were deeds, and in a word: loving us, as if they were the Only Begotten Give your Son for us, willing. Make us worthy to be Your love. Give by Your word wisdom and Your fear, inhale strength from Your strength, and if you want or not want to sin, forgive, and do not blame and save our holy soul, and present it to Your Throne, I have a clean conscience, and the end is worthy of Your humanity. And remember, Lord, all those who call on Your name in truth: remember all who are good or opposing us who want to: all are men, and every man is in vain. Therefore, we pray to Thee, O Lord: grant us Thy benevolence and great mercy.
According to the 7th kathisma
Lord, my God, as a Good and Humanitarian, Thou hast done many mercies with me, even if I do not want to see, and what will I repay Your goodness, my Lord, Lord? I thank Your many-sung name, I thank Your inscrutable kindness on me, I thank Your unapplied long-suffering. And from now on, intercede, and help me, and cover me, Master, from everyone, if no one sins before You: You, for the weight of my nature, are crawling, You weigh my madness, You weigh what I have done, even in the knowledge and not in the knowledge, even voluntary and involuntary, even in nights and days, and in the mind, and thoughts, as if God is Good and Humane, cleanse me with the dew of Thy mercy, O Good Lord, and save us for the sake of Thy holy name, in the image of destinies. You are the Light and the Truth and the Life, and we send glory to You, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever, 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: do with me a sign for good, guide me on Your path, to walk in Your truth, rejoice my heart, to fear Your Holy name, and work wonders. You are the One God, and there is nothing like You in boseh, Lord, Strong in mercy, and Good in strength, in a hedgehog to help and comfort, and save all who trust in Your name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and in forever and ever, amen.
According to the 9th kathisma
Master Lord, our God, Who is the only sickness of my soul, and sowing healing, heal me, as if weigh, for the sake of the multitude of Thy mercy and Thy bounty, because of my deeds there is no plaster to apply to her, below oil, below duty, but You, come call not the righteous, but sinners to repentance, have mercy, have mercy, forgive me, tear up the handwriting of many of my and studish deeds and guide me on Your right path, yes, walk in Your truth, I will be able to avoid the arrows of the evil one and I will stand unjudged before Your 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 bounties, One by nature Sinless, and for the sake of us, apart from sin, being a Man, hear this painful prayer of mine at this hour, as I am poor and wretched from good deeds, and my heart is troubled inside me. You, the Most High King, Lord of heaven and earth, as if all my youth were in sin and walked in the footsteps of the lusts of my flesh, all the laughter was a demon, all the devil followed, take out in thyme of sweets wallow, darkened by the thought from infancy, even Until now, I never wanted to do Your holy will, but I was captivated by all the passions that slander me, laughter and reproach by the demon, never think in my mind, like unbearable anger even on the sinners of Your rebuke, and lying fiery hell. As if from everywhere I fell into despair, and in no way in the feeling of conversion I was, empty and naked from Your friendship. What kind of sin did you not commit? What is the devil's business? What act of cold and fornication have I not performed with advantage and diligence? Remember the mind with carnal defilers, the body with a mixture of scales, the spirit with the composition of defilers, I love every cursed flesh of my flesh and work with sin. And who else does not mourn me, accursed one? Who will not mourn me, the condemned one? I am the only one, Master, your wrath is angry, I am the only one kindling Your anger on me, I am the only crafty one before You, having surpassed and defeated all sinners from time immemorial, incomparably sinful and unforgiven. But you are much more merciful, merciful, benevolent, and you are waiting for human conversion, and I throw myself before Your terrible and unbearable judgment, and as if touching Your most pure feet, from the depths of my soul I cry out to You: cleanse, Lord, forgive, Benefactor, have mercy on my weakness bow down to my bewilderment, heed my prayer and do not stop my tears, accept me who repents, and convert the one who has erred, who turns in volume and prays for forgiveness. You did not put repentance on the righteous, you did not put forgiveness on those who did not sin, but you put repentance on me, a sinner, in them in Your indignation, I stand naked and naked before You, Lord of the Heart, confess my sins: I can’t look and see the height Heavenly, from the weight of my sins we sing. Enlighten the eyes of my heart and give me compunction to repentance, and contrition of heart to correction, and 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 forever, and forever and ever, amen.
According to the 11th kathisma
Shine in our hearts, O Lord of mankind, your imperishable light of theology, and open our eyes mentally, in your gospel sermons understanding, put fear in us and your blessed commandments, so that carnal lusts are all right, we will go through spiritual life, all, even to your pleasing and wise and active. You are the enlightenment of our souls and bodies, Christ God, and we send glory to You, with Your Father without beginning and the All-Holy, and the Good, and Your Life-giving Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever, amen.
According to the 12th kathisma
Lord my God, the One Good and Humane-loving, the One Merciful and Meek, the One True and Righteous, the One Generous and Merciful our God: may Thy power come upon me, Thy sinful and indecent servant, and may my temple be strengthened by the Gospel of Thy Divine teaching, Master and Lover of mankind, Lover, Kinderhearted, enlighten my wombs and all my souls by Your will. Cleanse me from all malice and sin: keep me undefiled and blameless from all influx and action of the devil, and grant me according to Your goodness, Your understanding, Your wisdom, and in Your desires to live, fear Your fear, even if You do pleasing to my last sighs, as if, by Your inscrutable mercy, you will keep my body and soul, mind and thoughts, any temple that resists the network is not tempted. My Lord, Lord, cover me with Your mercy, and do not leave me, a sinner, and an unclean, and unworthy servant of Yours: as You are my Protector, Lord, and I will take out my singing about You, and we send glory to You, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever, amen.
According to the 13th kathisma
Holy Lord, Who lives in the highest, and with Your all-seeing eye look at all creation. We bow our souls and bodies to you, and we pray to you, Holy of Holies: stretch out your invisible hand from your holy dwelling, and bless us all: and if we sin against you, willingly and unwillingly, as God is Good and Lover of mankind, forgive us, grant us peace and good Yours. Yours is a hedgehog to have mercy and save, our God, and we send glory to You, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever, amen.
According to the 14th kathisma
We thank Thee, Lord God of our salvation, as if you do everything for the good deeds of our life, as if Thou didst give us rest in the past night time, and raised us up from our beds, and placed us in worship of Your honorable and glorious name. The same we pray to Thee, O Lord: give us grace and strength, that we may be able to sing wisely to Thee, and pray unceasingly: and I will look to Thee, the Savior and Benefactor of our souls, with fear and trembling, our salvation is active. Hear, then, and have mercy, O Merciful One, on us: crush our invisible warriors and enemies under our feet: accept even according to the strength of our thanksgiving: give us grace and strength to open our mouths, and teach us Thy justification. As if we were praying, as it befits, we do not know, if not You, Lord, instruct us with Your Holy Spirit. But if you have sinned even up to the present hour, in word, or deed, or thought, willingly or unwillingly, weaken, leave, forgive. If you see iniquity, Lord, Lord, who will stand? As you have purification, you have deliverance. You are the One Holy, Strong Helper, and Defender of our life, and we will bless Thee 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 mistaken, 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 my sins, do not leave me, Lord, do not depart from me, as if I have resorted to You, teach me to do Your will, as You are my God. Heal my soul, for I have sinned Thee, save me for the sake of Thy mercy, for before Thee are all those who are afflicted, and there is no other refuge for me, except Thou, Lord. Let all those who rise up against me and seek my soul to consume it be ashamed, for You are the only Strong One, 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 at all creation, We bow our souls and bodies to You, 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 on Your world and on us, Your unworthy servants. For blessed and glorified is your name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever, amen.
According to the 17th kathisma
Lord God Almighty and Creator of all, generous Father, and God of mercy, creating man from the earth, and showing him in Your image and likeness, and by this Your magnificent name will be glorified on earth, and torn out because of the transgression of Your commandments, again recreating for the best him in Thy Christ, and elevating him to Heaven: I thank Thee, for thou hast multiplied Thy majesty on me, and hast not betrayed me to my enemy to the end, cast me out looking for the abyss of hell, left me below to perish with my iniquities. Now, O Lord, many-merciful and loving, do not want the death of a sinner, but expect the conversion, and accept: even the overthrown, correct, heal the contrite, turn me to repentance, and correct the downcast, and heal the contrite: remember Your bounty, and even from Your age Forget my incomprehensible goodness and my immeasurable iniquity, even if I have done deed and word and thought: allow the blinding of my heart, and give me tears of tenderness to cleanse the defilement of my thoughts. Hear, O Lord, beware, Lover of mankind, purify, Merciful, and from the torment of the reigning passions in me, free my damned soul of freedom. And let sin not hold me to anyone, let the demon fight against me below, let him lead me below to his desire, but by Your sovereign hand, his dominion, stealing me, You reign in me, Good and Humane Lord, and all Your being, and let me live the rest according to Your good will. And give me the ineffable goodness of the heart, cleansing, keeping the mouth, the rightness of deeds, humble wisdom, peace of thoughts, the silence of my spiritual strength, spiritual joy, true love, long-suffering, goodness, meekness, unfeigned faith, restraint, restraint, and fulfill all of me good fruits, the gift of your Holy Spirit. And do not elevate me in the middle of my days, below my uncorrected and unprepared soul, delight me, but perfect me with Your perfection, and bring me out of this life, as if I had gone through the beginning and power of darkness unhindered, I will see Your grace and I am unapproachable Your glory, unspeakable kindness, with all your saints, in them be sanctified, and glorify your all-honorable and magnificent name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever, amen.
According to the 18th kathisma
Lord, do not rebuke me with Your wrath, but punish me with Your anger. Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner, a beggar, a naked, lazy, negligent, slanderous, accursed, fornicator, adulterer, malakiy, a sodomist, filthy, prodigal, ungrateful, unmerciful, cruel, drunkard, burnt conscience, impersonal , impudent, unrequited, unworthy of Your philanthropy, and worthy of all torment, and hell, and torment. And not for the sake of a multitude of my sins, put on a multitude of torments, Deliverer; but have mercy on me, for I am weak, both in soul and flesh, and in mind, and in thought, and in the image of fate, save me, Thy unworthy servant, with the prayers of Our Most Pure Lady, the Theotokos, and all the saints who have pleased you from the ages: as blessed are you in forever and ever, amen.
According to the 19th kathisma
Lord Christ God, even with Your passions healing my passions and healing my ulcers with Your ulcers, grant me, who have sinned much to You, tears of tenderness, dissolve my body from the smell of Your life-giving Body, and delight my soul with Your Honorable Blood from sorrow, with which my adversary drink . Raise my mind to Thee, attracted to the valley, and raise me from the abyss of perdition, as if I do not imam repentance, I do not imam tenderness, I do not imam tears of consolation, raising children to their inheritance. Having darkened my mind in worldly passions, I cannot look to You in illness, I cannot warm myself with tears, even love for You, but, Master Lord, Jesus Christ, Treasury of the Good, grant me complete repentance, and a heart that is industrious for Your exaction, grant me grace Yours, and renew in me the images of Your image. Leave Thee, do not leave me, go out to my reckoning, lead to Your pasture, and count me among the sheep of Your chosen flock, raise me with them from the cereal of Your Divine sacraments, with the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all Your saints, amen.
According to the 20th kathisma
Lord Jesus Christ my God, have mercy on me, a sinner, and forgive me, Thy unworthy servant, the fir-tree I have sinned through all my life, and even to this day, and if I have sinned like a man, my voluntary sins and involuntary, in deed and word, even in mind and thought, even from co-admiration and inattention, and many of my laziness and neglect. And if I swear by Your name, if I swear, or blaspheme with thought, or whom I reproach, or slander, or grieved, or in anger, or stealing, or fornication, or lying, or secretly poison, or a friend reached me, and despised him, or a brother insulted and grieved, or standing by us at prayer and psalmody, my crafty mind went around crafty, or more lepago enjoyed, or laughing madly, or blasphemous verbs, or conceited, or proud, or I saw vain kindness and deceived from it , or ridiculous mock me. If in the future I neglected my prayer, or I didn’t keep the commandments of my spiritual father, or idle talk, or otherwise, I did something crafty, for all this and the greatest of these deeds, I remember them below. Have mercy, Lord, and forgive me all, that I may sleep and rest in peace, singing, and blessing, and glorifying Thee, with Your Father without beginning and with the Most Holy, and Good, and Life-giving Your Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.
The custom of reading the Psalter for the dead goes back to ancient times, reading this undoubtedly brings them great comfort in itself, as reading the word of God, and as testifying to the love for them and the memory of them 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 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. The reading of the Psalter by the commemorators themselves brings the greatest benefit: it testifies to the great degree of love and zeal for the commemorated of their living brethren, who themselves personally want to work in their memory, and not replace themselves in labor with 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.
Of course, one who is capable of this and has certain knowledge appropriate for serving a sacred cause can take over the reading of the Psalter at the tomb of the deceased. The sacrificial impulse of commemorating relatives or friends of the deceased can in many ways, but not in everything, make up for their poor preparedness. In addition, the reading of the Psalter at the tomb should be as continuous as possible, and this requires several successive readers. Therefore, there is a custom to invite for sacred reading people capable of it, adding to this invitation the giving of alms for those who are commemorated. However, in any case, the duty of attention to the word of God and prayer for the soul of the deceased lies not with one reader of the Psalter, but also with the relatives of the deceased.
The very reading of the Psalter for the dead is of two kinds. The first is a purely reading of the Psalter over the coffin of the deceased in the coming days and weeks after his death - for example, until the 40th day.
Reading the God-inspired psalms of David should ideally be a daily private activity for Orthodox Christians, so it is common to combine cell (home) reading of the Psalter with commemoration of the living and the dead - this is another kind of reading of the Psalter with commemoration.
If the Psalter is read only for the deceased, before the first kathisma, the Canon must be read for the one who died. After the canon - "It is worthy to eat .." and further to the end, as indicated in the rank of the private reading of the Canon for the one who died.
This section contains three options for reading the Psalter for the dead 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" kathisma. After reading the kathisma, troparia for the dead and a prayer for repose are given, instead of the usual troparia and prayers of the Psalter. Such a commemoration is called a special one (special, only about repose), often this reading option is used in the first forty days after the death of the deceased. For convenience, all texts are translated "on a row" (without abbreviations).
In this exposition, the Psalter for the Repose of the Dead includes only prayers for repose at each "Glory" of the kathisma. After reading each kathisma, the troparia and prayer of the kathisma from the Psalter are given. With such a reading, the beginning and end of the reading of kathismas remains ordinary, without euphoric troparia. For convenience, all texts are translated "on a row" (without abbreviations).
The most common way to read the Psalter with commemorations of health and repose on each "Glory" kathisma. After reading each kathisma, the troparia and prayer of the kathisma from the Psalter are given. For convenience, all texts are translated "on a row" (without abbreviations). This option is usually read for cell commemoration of living and deceased relatives.
When the psalter is read at the tomb of the deceased, the Priest present first performs the Follow-up on the exodus of the soul and body. After that, the reader begins reading the Psalter
At the end of the entire Psalter, the reader again reads the Canon for the deceased, 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 Rule of the Orthodox Church,” “there is no need to read the troparia and prayers assigned to the usual cell rule in kathismas. It will be more appropriate in all cases , and after each "Glory:", and after the kathisma, read a special memorial prayer. The practice of Ancient Russia consecrated 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," moreover during the reading, five bows are due, the troparion itself 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 reading of the first begins again kathisma. This order continues throughout the reading of the Psalter for the dead."
Now a slightly different tradition of reading the Psalter at the tomb has also become widespread: according to the first and second "Glory:" kathismas, the prayer "Remember, Lord our God ..." is read, and at the end of the kathisma, the troparia are read at rest (and not the troparia at the end of this kathisma) and the prayer after the kathisma. This reading order is recommended in the Psalter of the edition of the Moscow Patriarchate (1973) and some other editions.
When reading the Psalter at the grave 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 remains only to add that it is more fitting for any reader of the Psalter (experienced or inexperienced) to stand like a person praying (at the feet of the coffin of the deceased), if a special extreme does not force 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, in case of carelessness, is read as if inconsistent with the intention and feeling of the praying Christian.
For every believing Christian, reading the Psalter for the dead is a tribute to the memory of those who 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 in biblical terms, the rest are written by other ancient Israelite rulers.
What is a kathisma?
The Psalter itself is divided into twenty chapters or kathisma. Kathismas represent several psalms gathered together (usually three or four), 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 in succession and at the end it is said “And now, and forever, and forever and ever. Amen".
The well-known Bishop Athanasius believed that during the reading of the Psalter for the deceased, after each "Glory" and "Now" one should say a special prayer for the dead and make five bows to the earth. Before and after reading the Psalter for the Dead, it is necessary to read the Canon for the Dead.
The Psalter divided into kathismas 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 it.
In the text itself, one can feel the hope of a person in God's mercy. Thoughtful reading and listening to the Psalter consoles loved ones and relatives of the deceased.
It is not only allowed, but also encouraged to read the Psalter for the dead up to 40 days. It is often practiced to read the Psalter forty days before the date of death, and then the reading is repeated for another forty days. As a result, eighty days pass.
Seventeenth kathisma
This book has long been included in the list of liturgical books, since almost half of the text of the All-night Vigil service and the Liturgy consists of its passages. The Psalter for the Dead can be read while sitting, but not lying down. The Holy Fathers believe that prayers uttered without the burden of the body do not bear worthy fruits. Only sick and weak people are allowed to read the Psalter, the Gospel, and so on lying down.
People who are far from the church, but who want to become true believers in the future, often ask: what Psalter is read for the dead at home? Indeed, it happens that the clergy give their blessing to read not the entire Psalter, but one of 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 a difficult and honorable responsibility to remember the deceased, to work for him before God, which is why the Psalter, read for the dead, 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 come out victorious in all wars, even if the number of enemies exceeded several times, 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 him in battle. However, the Old Testament commander Judas once suffered a crushing defeat on the battlefield. This happened for the first time and the remaining soldiers, led by the commander, 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 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, first thanking the Creator for not hiding the truth from them. In an appeal to God, the pious warriors asked for forgiveness for the dead brothers who had departed from His covenant. The Lord accepted their prayer and highly appreciated the act of Judas.
There are several other Old Testament stories in which ancient people showed concern for the dead.
Why should one read the Psalter?
Even before the Lord Jesus Christ revealed himself to people and before the appearance of the New Testament, pious Old Testament 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 terms, songs, he showed the highest qualities of a person, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. The 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.
Another opinion is a thoughtful reading of the psalms, with an extract of incomprehensible words and with a translation into Russian.
Of course, conscious reading is a priority, but the first option is acceptable. If you wish, you can find explanations for the collection of psalms both on the Internet and in books devoted to this topic, which are many in church shops.
It is useful to study the Holy Scriptures, both New Testament and 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 penitential psalm in heavy 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. While reading the words of Scripture, it is necessary to pronounce them with reverence, since casually spoken words are an insult to both the sacred rite and the Word of God.
