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"). Many relatives and friends of the deceased, referring to the fact that there is no time or do not have a Psalter, or do not know how to read Church Slavonic, entrust this reading to others (readers) for a fee or other reward. But the prayer will be stronger, sincere, purer, if the relative or close to the deceased person himself asks God to have mercy on the deceased.
On the third, ninth, fortieth days one should read according to the deceased 17th kathisma.
This kathisma depicts the blessedness of those who walked in the law of the Lord, i.e. blessedness of righteous people who tried to live according to the commandments of God.
The meaning and significance of Psalm 118 is revealed in the 19th verse: "I am a stranger (stranger) on earth: do not hide your commandments from me." Explanatory Bible, ed. A.P. Lopukhina gives this verse the following explanation: “Life on earth is a wandering, a journey made by a person to reach his fatherland and a permanent, eternal residence. Obviously, the latter is not on earth, but beyond the grave. If so, then earthly life must be prepared to the afterlife and to it can only lead unmistakably chosen path on earth.How and where to find the last one?This path is indicated in the commandments of the Law.Who does not follow them, he is mistaken and will not reach the afterlife, i.e. the afterlife, as a reward for the labors incurred to achieve it. Here is a fairly clear teaching about the purpose of earthly existence, the immortality of the human soul and the afterlife reward.
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- How to bury and commemorate your loved one? What to do if a loved one dies and you need to deal with the funeral? A detailed step-by-step algorithm of actions - Olga Bogdanova
- How to remember the deceased relatives?(answer to the question) - Maxim Stepanenko
- Drunken wakes are unacceptable!- Archpriest Sergei Bulgakov
- Orthodox Church and sectarians. Prayers for the Dead- Archpriest Dmitry Vladykov
- Wake: does the dead need food?- Alexander Moiseenkov
- Metropolitan Sergius Stragorodsky on the funeral of the heterodox, suicides, drunkards and those of little faith- Church and time
- See also our section "Orthodox doctrine of death"
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Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.
Heavenly King... Trisagion. Holy Trinity... Our Father...
Troparion: 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. Your honorable prophet, O Lord, triumph, heaven, the Church of display, angels rejoice with men: with prayers, Christ God, rule our belly in the world, let us sing to You: Alleluia.
And now and forever and forever and ever, amen. Many of my many, Mother of God, sins, I have resorted to You, Pure, demanding salvation: visit my infirm soul, and pray to Your Son and our God to give us remission, even the fiercest deeds, Blessed One.
Lord have mercy. (forty times)
And bows in strength.
Come, let's bow... (Three times)
And the psalms:
Psalm 118
Blessed are the blameless in the way that walks in the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who try His testimonies, with all their hearts they will seek Him, who does not do iniquity, walking in His ways. Thou hast commanded that Thy commandments be kept green. That my ways may be corrected, keep thy justifications. Then I will not be ashamed, sometimes look upon all Thy commandments. Let us confess to Thee in the uprightness of our hearts, at times we shall learn the destinies of Thy righteousness. I will keep your justifications: do not leave me to the ground. In what way will he correct his youngest path? Always keep your words. With all my heart I seek You, do not reject me from Your commandments. Thy words are hidden in my heart, as if I would not sin with Thee. Blessed are you. Lord, teach me your justification. My mouth will proclaim all the fate of your mouth. On the path of Your testimonies, enjoy, as if about every wealth. I will sneer at Your commandments, and I will understand Your ways. In Thy justifications I will learn; I will not forget Thy words. Reward Your servant: live me, and I will keep Your words. Open my eyes, and I will understand miracles from Your law. I am a stranger on earth: do not hide your commandments from me. Love my soul, desire Your fate for all time. Thou hast rebuked the proud: Curse those who deviate from Thy commandments. Take away from me diarrhea and humiliation, as if your testimonies were sought. For the princes are sedosha, and they slander me, but Thy servant mocking at Thy justifications. For Thy testimonies are my instruction, and advise me Thy justifications. Cling to the earth, my soul, live me according to your word. I have made known my ways, and thou hast heard me: teach me thy justification. Teach me the way of Thy justifications, and I will be mocked at Thy wonders. My soul slumbers from despondency, confirm me in Thy words. Put the way of unrighteousness away from me, and have mercy on me by Your law. I have chosen the path of truth, and I have not forgotten your fate. I have clung to Thy testimonies, O Lord, do not shame me. The way of your commandments is tekoh, when you have expanded my heart. Make law for me, O Lord, the way of Thy justifications, and I will seek and endure. Give me understanding, and I will test Your law, and I will keep it with all my heart. Guide me in the path of Thy commandments, as I desire. Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to covetousness. Turn away my eyes, if you do not see vanity, live me in your way. Place Your word in Your fear for Your servant. Take away my reproach, hedgehog, for Thy fate is good. Behold, I have desired Thy commandments, live me in Thy righteousness. And may Thy mercy come upon me, O Lord, Thy salvation according to Thy word; And do not take away from my mouth the word is true to the ground, as if I trusted in Your fate. And I will keep Thy law unto the ages and to the ages of the ages. And I walk in breadth, as if I were seeking Your commandments, and I spoke about Your testimonies before the kings, and I was not ashamed. And I learned in Thy commandments, even though I loved deeply: and I lifted up my hands to Thy commandments, even though I loved, and mocked at Thy justifications. Remember your words to your servant, whose hope you gave me. Then comfort me in my humility, as your word live me. Proudly transgressing the law to the very end, but I did not deviate from Your law. I have remembered Thy fate from time immemorial, O Lord, and have been comforted. Sorrow is pleasant to me from sinners who leave Your law. Peta hath given me Thy justification in the place of my arrival. Remember your name in the night, O Lord, and keep your law. This be to me, as if your justifications are demanding. Thou art a part of me, O Lord: rech keep thy law. I prayed to Your face with all my heart: have mercy on me according to Your word. Consider Thy ways, and turn my feet to Thy testimonies. Get ready and do not be embarrassed, keep your commandments. Already a sinner is obligated to me, and I have not forgotten Your law. At midnight I wake up to confess to You about the fate of Your righteousness. I am a partaker of all who fear You and keep Your commandments. Thy mercy, O Lord, fill the earth, teach me Thy justification. Thou hast done goodness with Thy servant, O Lord, according to Thy word. Teach me goodness and punishment and reason, as if by Your commandment of faith. Before we even humble ourselves, I have sinned, for this sake I have kept Your word. Thou art good, O Lord, and teach me Thy goodness in Thy justification. Multiply the falsehood of the proud by me, but with all my heart I will test Your commandments. Let their hearts dry up like a little milk, but let them learn Thy law. Good for me, for thou hast humbled me, for I may learn thy justification. Blessed is the law of thy mouth, more than a thousand gold and silver.
Kathisma is divided into 3 "Glories", on each "Glory" read:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, O God (Thrice).
Lord have mercy ( thrice).
Prayer request for the deceased See at the end of the kathisma).
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
Thy hands make me and make me, give me understanding, and I will learn Thy commandment. Those who fear You will see me and rejoice, as if they were hoping for Your words. Understand, Lord, as the truth of Your fate, and truly humbled me. Wake up Your mercy, may it comfort me according to the word of Your servant. May Thy bounties come to me, and I will live, for Thy law is my teaching. Let pride be ashamed, as if unjustly lawless against me, but I will mock at Your commandments.
May those who fear You and see Your testimonies convert me. Be my heart blameless in Your justifications, for I will not be put to shame. My soul disappears for Your salvation, I hope for Your words. My eyes have disappeared into your word, saying: when will you comfort me? Forget it like a fur on a slan, I didn’t forget your excuses. How many days is your servant? When will you create me from those who persecute me? Told me the criminals of mockery, but not like Your law, Lord. All your commandments are truth; chasing me unrighteously, help me. Little did I die on earth, but I did not leave Thy commandments. Live me according to Thy mercy, and I will keep the evidence of Thy mouth. For ever, O Lord, Your word abides in Heaven. In generation and generation Your truth. Thou hast founded the earth, and abides. The day remains by Thy teaching: as all things are workable for Thee. As if it were not for your law, my teaching was, then, then, they would perish in my humility. I will never forget your justifications, for in them you revived me.
I am yours, save me: as if your justifications are exacting. I'm waiting for the sinners to destroy me, your testimonies are mind. Every death has seen the end, your commandment is wide. If I love Your law, O Lord, I have my teaching all day long. More than my enemy has made me wise by Thy commandment, as in my age is. More than all the minds that teach me, as if your testimony is my teaching. More than an old man, mind, as if Thy commandments were sought. From every evil way I have rebuked my feet, so that I will keep your words. I did not deviate from Thy judgments, for Thou hast ordained me. If your words are sweet to my throat: my mouth is more than honey. From Thy commandments of understanding: for this reason I hated every way of unrighteousness. The lamp of my feet is Your law, I am the light of my paths. I swear, and set to save the fate of Your truth. Humble yourself to the ground, Lord, live me according to your word. Free my mouth favor, O Lord, and teach me your judgments. I will take my soul into Your hand, and I will not forget Your law. Lay down the net of sinners for me, and I will not go astray from Thy commandments. I have inherited Your testimonies forever, as the joy of my heart is. Bow down my heart, make Thy justifications forever for recompense. I hate the transgressors, but I love your law. Thou art my helper and intercessor, I trust in thy words. Deviate from me, evil ones, and I will test the commandments of my God. Intercede for me according to Thy word, and I will live, and do not shame me from my aspiration. Help me, and I will be saved, and I will learn from Your justifications. Thou hast despised all those who deviate from Thy justifications, for their thought is unrighteous. The sinners of all the sinful earth transgressing, for this sake I love Thy testimonies. Nail my flesh to Thy fear: I am afraid of Thy judgments. Create justice and justice, do not betray me to those who offend me. Accept Thy servant for good, so that pride does not slander me. My eyes have disappeared into Your salvation and into the word of Your righteousness: do with Your servant according to Your mercy, and teach me by Your justification. I am Thy servant: give me understanding, and we will hear Thy testimonies. It is time for the Lord to create: destroying Your law. For this sake I will love Your commandments more than gold and topaz. For this reason I have directed myself to all by Your commandments, I have hated every path of unrighteousness. Wonderful is Thy testimony: for this sake I have tried my soul. The manifestation of Your words enlightens and instructs infants. My mouth was opened, and I attracted the spirit, as if commanding Your desires.
Look upon me and have mercy on me, according to the judgment of those who love Your name. Direct my steps according to Your word, and let no iniquity possess me. Deliver me from human slander, and I will keep Your commandments. Enlighten Your face on Your servant, and teach me Your justification. My eyes have come out of water: for I have not kept Thy law. Thou art righteous, Lord, and judge Thy right. Thou hast commanded the truth of thy testimony, and the truth is great. Thy zeal has melted away from me: as if I had forgotten Thy words, strike me. Thy word is inflamed, and love Thy servant. Truth is Your righteousness forever, and Your law is truth. Sorrows and needs have found me: Thy commandments are my teaching. The truth of Your testimonies is forever: give me understanding, and I will live. Cry out with all my heart, hear me, O Lord, I will seek Your justification. Call to Thee, save me, and I will keep Thy testimonies. Preliminary in lack of goodness and crying out, I hoped for Your words. Wait before my eyes unto the morning, learn thy words. Hear my voice, O Lord, according to Your mercy: live me according to Your destiny. He who persecutes me with iniquity draws near; but I have departed from your law. Thou art near, O Lord, and all Thy ways are true. From the first I know from Thy testimonies, as if I founded for ever. See my humility, and redeem me, as I have not forgotten Your law. Judge my judgment, and deliver me: for your sake, live me. Salvation is far from the sinner, for they did not seek Your justifications. Thy mercies are many, O Lord; live me according to Thy destiny. Many are those who cast me out and those who make me sick: I have not shied away from Your testimonies. I have seen those who do not understand and are true: for I have not kept your words. See, I love Thy commandments: Lord, live me according to Thy mercy. The beginning of Thy words is truth, and forever is the whole destiny of Thy righteousness. The princes drove me to the tunnel: and my heart was afraid of your words. I will rejoice in Thy words, as if I were gaining a lot of self-interest. I have hated iniquity and loathed it; but I have loved your law. Seven days of praise to Thee about the destinies of Thy righteousness. Peace to many who love Your law, and there is no temptation for them. I look forward to Your salvation, O Lord, and I love Your commandments. Save my soul Thy testimonies, and I love deeply. I have kept Thy commandments and Thy testimonies, for all my ways are before Thee, O Lord. May my supplication draw near before Thee, O Lord: according to Thy word give me understanding. May my petition enter before Thee, O Lord, deliver me according to Thy word. My mouth will vomit out singing, when you teach me your justification. Thy words enlighten my tongue, for all Thy commandments are truth. May Your hand be the hedgehog to save me, as I have pleased Your commandments. I have desired Thy salvation, O Lord, and Thy law is my teaching. My soul will live, and praise Thee: and Thy judgments will help me. I have gone astray, like a lost sheep: seek Thy servant, for I have not forgotten Thy commandments.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee God. (Three times)
Lord have mercy ( thrice).
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 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 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).
Prayer
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 thou hast not betrayed me to my enemy to the end, cast me out of the seekers into the abyss of hell, below left me to perish with my iniquities. Now, O Lord, many-merciful and loving, do not want the death of a sinner, but expect and accept the conversion: Even the overthrown, heal the contrite, turn me to repentance, and correct the overthrown, and heal the contrite: remember Your bounty, and even from the age of Your incomprehensible goodness and my immeasurable forget iniquity, even in deed, and in word, and in thought I committed: resolve the blindness of my heart, and give me tears of tenderness to cleanse the filth 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 hold me for someone: let the demon fighter be lower on me, let him lead me lower to his desire, but with your mighty hand, his dominion, stealing me, you reign in me, Good and Humane Lord, and all of Your being, and living me the rest according to Thy good will. And give me the ineffable goodness of the heart, cleansing, keeping the mouth, the righteousness 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 fill me with all the good fruits with talent Your Holy Spirit. And do not raise me up 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 Your unapproachable glory, unspeakable kindness, with all your saints, in them be sanctified and glorified your all-honorable and magnificent name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
In the Orthodox Church, there is a pious custom of reading after the deceased both before burial, and in memory of him after burial, on the days of remembrance, and especially strenuously in the first forty days after death.
This custom has existed since ancient times, and not without reason. Saint Athanasius of Alexandria wrote that the book of Psalms is a mirror in which the human soul with all its passions, sins, iniquities, and ailments is not only reflected in its present form, but also finds healing.
“In my opinion,” wrote St. Athanasius, “in the book of Psalms, all human life and spiritual dispositions and movements of thoughts are measured and described in words, and nothing more can be found in a person beyond what is depicted in it. Is repentance and confession necessary, have they comprehended anyone sorrow and temptation, whether we persecute or are delivered from misfortunes, whether they become sad and embarrassed and endure anything like the above, or see themselves prosperous, and the enemy brought to inactivity, or intend to praise, give thanks and bless the Lord - for all this there is instruction in the divine psalms ... Therefore, even now, every one, pronouncing the psalms, let him be sure that God will hear those who ask with the psalm word.
“Reading the psalter for the dead undoubtedly brings them great consolation - both in itself, as reading the word of God and as evidence of love for them and the memory of their living brethren. It also brings them great benefit, since it is accepted by God 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.
There is a custom to ask the clergy or persons who are specially engaged in this to read the psalter in memory of the departed, and this request is combined with the giving of alms for those who are commemorated. But it is very important to read the psalter by the commemorators themselves. For those who are commemorated, this will be even more comforting, since it testifies to the great degree of love and zeal towards them of their living brethren, who themselves personally want to work in their memory, and not replace themselves in work by others.
The feat of reading will be accepted by the Lord not only as a sacrifice for those who are commemorated, but also as a sacrifice for those who bring it, laboring in reading. (Priest Alexander Kalinin).
Any pious layman can read the Psalter for the departed. The Psalter is read while standing, and only in special cases is seating allowed out of condescension to the infirmity of the reader.
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Trisagion
(Three times)
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
Troparion, tone 6
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us, bewildering any answer, we offer this prayer as the Master of sin: have mercy on us.
Glory: Honest of Your prophet, Lord, triumph, Heaven, the Church of the show, Angels rejoice with people. With prayers, Christ God, rule our belly in the world, let us sing to You: Alleluia.
And now: Many of my multitudes, Mother of God, of 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 to the fierce deeds, Blessed One.
Lord have mercy, (40).
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 the Holy Spirit will burp the mouth of David, even now I want to speak az, unworthy, understanding my ignorance, falling down I pray to Thee, and asking for help from You: Lord, direct my mind and strengthen my heart, not about the verbal speech of the mouth, but to rejoice in the mind of the verbs, and get ready to do good deeds, I am learning, and I say: yes, enlightened by good deeds, judge I will be a partaker of the right hand of the country with all Your chosen ones. 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.
Before reading a kathisma or several kathismas, one readsprayers:
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of Truth, Who is everywhere and fills everything, Treasury of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Blessed, our souls.
Trisagion
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.(Three times)
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
Lord have mercy (12 times)
Come, let us worship our King God. (Bow)
Come, let us bow down and bow down to Christ, our King God. (Bow)
Come, let us bow down and bow down to Christ Himself, the King and our God.(Bow)
When reading a kathisma on every Glory» reads:
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to Thee, O God! (thrice).
Lord have mercy (thrice)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
Then a prayer petition is read for the deceased, “Remember, Lord our God ...”, located at the end of the “Following the Exodus of the Soul”, and the name of the deceased is commemorated on it with the addition (until the fortieth day from the date of death) of the word “newly reposed”:
Remember, Lord our God, in the faith and hope of the life of the eternal reposed of your servant, our brother[Name] and as a Good and Humanitarian, forgive sins, and consume iniquity, weaken, leave and forgive all his voluntary and involuntary sins, 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: even more 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 the Unity in the Trinity and the Trinity in Unity, Orthodox even until the 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 truth, truth 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 continues .
At the end of the kathisma
reads:
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).
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.
Tropari
(located at the beginning of the Exodus of the Soul Follow-up)
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.
Lord have mercy (40 times)
Then read a prayer laid down at the end of the kathisma.
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 a great favor for me, and you yourself will receive a great reward 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 "". 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).
Trisagion, and according to our Father. "Lord have mercy" (12 times).
Glory, and now. "Come, let's bow..." (3 bows to the waist).
Psalm 90 “Alive in the help of the Most High…”
Glory, and now. "Alleluia..." (three times, with bows to the waist).
"Lord have mercy"(thrice).
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 ..."
Psalm 50 "Have mercy on me, God..."
"Come, let's bow..." (three times, with bows to the waist)
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)
Voice 8th. Song 1, irmos "Water passed ..."
Chorus: Rest, Lord, the soul of the deceased (s) of your servant (s) (s)(the name of the rivers), (bow at the waist). "Open my mouth..."
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.
Tone 4 "With the Spirits of the Righteous...". Glory "You are God and descended into hell...". And now "One Pure...". "Lord have mercy" (40 times). Glory, and now.
“The most honest cherub…” (bow at the waist)
"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)
“The most honest cherub…” (bow at the waist). Glory ( bow). And now ( bow)
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)».
"Lord have mercy" (thrice). Initial offerings.
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 to cleanse the sins of those who are commemorated - just as any prayer, any good deed is accepted by Him in general.
Psalms should be read with tenderness and contrition of the heart, without haste, delving into what is being read with attention. Reading 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. The three-day reading of the Psalter with prayers, which constitute a special burial rite, for the most part coincides with the time during which the body of the deceased remains in the house.
Order reading of the Undead Psalter in Jerusalem
Psalter consists of 20 sections - kathisma, each of which is divided into three " Glory". Before the reading of the first kathisma, the 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:
Come, let us worship our King God.
Come, let us bow down and bow down to Christ, our King God.
Come, let us worship and bow down to Christ Himself, the King and our God.
(When reading a kathisma for each “Glory” (which reads as “Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, And now and forever and forever and ever Amen”), it is pronounced:
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, And now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to Thee, O God! (thrice.),
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
(Then a prayer petition is read for the deceased “Remember, Lord our God ...”, located at the end of the “Following the Exodus of the Soul”, and the name of the deceased is commemorated on it with the addition (until the fortieth day from the date of death) of the word “newly reposed):
Remember, Lord our God, in the faith and hope of the belly of your eternally reposed servant, our brother [name] and like a good and philanthropist, forgive sins, and consumed injustice, weaken, leave and forgive all his voluntary sins and involuntary, deliver him eternal torment and the fire of Gehenna, and grant him the communion and enjoyment of Your eternal good, prepared for those who love You: if you sin, but do not depart from You, and unquestionably in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Your God in the Trinity glorified, faith, and Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity, Orthodox even until his last breath of confession. Be merciful to him the same, and faith, even in Thee instead of deeds, and with Your saints, as if Generous rest: there is no man who lives and does not sin. But Thou art One, apart from all sin, and Thy truth, truth forever, and Thou art the One God of mercies and generosity, and love of mankind, and to Thee we send glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.
Then the reading of the kathisma psalms continues). At the end of the kathisma it reads:
Trisagion
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.(Read three times, with the sign of the cross and a bow from the waist.)
Prayer to the Holy Trinity
Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Lord, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Your name's sake.
Lord have mercy.(thrice);
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen
Lord's Prayer
Our Father, Who art in heaven! 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
Tropari
(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 Thy rest, Lord: where all Thy saints rest, rest also the soul of Thy servant, for Thou alone art the Lover of mankind
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit:
You are the God who descended into hell and loosed the bonds of the fettered, Thyself and the soul of Thy servant rest
And now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
One Pure and Immaculate Virgin, who gave birth to God without a seed, pray that his soul be saved.
Lord have mercy (40 times)
(Then the prayer laid down at the end of the kathisma is read.)
Why read the psalms
Most often among Christians, the Psalter is read when a person has died. To make it clearer, consider an example of how to read the Psalter for the dead.
This custom of reading psalms about the dead goes, like the entire religious rite of human burial, from ancient times. Sometimes there are even special people who read these psalms, they are invited to the house where the person died and continuously, for 40 days, read the psalms at the request of the relatives of the deceased.
When the Psalter is read about the dead, in addition to all prayers and reading kathisma, a special prayer is also used - “Glory”, which mentions the names of all the dead associated with the person who died.
The reading of the Psalter for the departed gives remembrance and consolation to relatives. These special psalms testify to the love, respect of relatives for the deceased and for God, because only by reading these songs, you get closer to our creator.
And how to read the Psalter about health? We will answer that this reading is similar to psalms for the dead, that is, psalms about health are also read. Most often, these psalms go together. That is, we have already mentioned that when a kathisma is read, a prayer for “Glory” is going on, then the names of the deceased and the names of living people are listed, basically it goes in turn: one name is the deceased person, the second is the living one.
I would also like to highlight some rules or tips for those who want to read the psalms.
- In order to know how to read the Psalter correctly, you must always have a candle or lamp with you (this is for prayer at home).
- Psalms read only aloud or in a low voice.
- Do not forget about the correct stress in words, because not pronouncing a sacred sentence correctly is equated with sin, be careful.
- Psalms can be read both sitting and standing. Basically, they are read while sitting, and while standing, the names of the dead and the living are pronounced, after prayers and on "Glory".
- Please note that the psalms are read not only aloud, but also monotonously, without any expression of their emotions there - this is not a literary work, but a serious religious text.
- If you do not understand the meaning of the psalms, do not be especially discouraged, because this is the essence - you develop in spiritual understanding in stages. Growing up spiritually, the meaning of the psalms will also be revealed.
Why read the Psalter for the dead? Where did this tradition come from? What are the stories of writing Psalms 50 and 90? Is it true that earlier in Rus' they learned to read not from the primer, but from the Psalter? You will find answers to these questions in this article. You will also learn how to create psalms about repose and understand what you read.
What is the Psalter and what is the secret of its popularity?
One of the most beloved and popular books of all Christians can be called the Psalter - the book of psalms. Among the Jews, psalms were called prayer hymns dedicated to the Lord and performed to accompaniment.
The ability to compose psalms was considered a great gift, and King David possessed it in full, to whom they attribute the authorship of the Psalter - 151 psalms (in some translations 150). Most of these hymns were actually written by David. The king put all shades of emotions into them: he thanked the Lord, tearfully prayed for help, repented of his sins, prophesied about the fate of the Israeli people.
How was Psalm 50 written?
This psalm is a song of repentance. What did the king regret? One day he was seduced by the beauty of Bathsheba, the wife of his warrior Uriah. In order to "remove" the lawful husband, he gave the order to put a warrior in the battle with the Ammonites in the place where he would definitely be killed. When Bathsheba became a widow, David took her to his palace and married her. But the king sincerely repented of his wicked deed, and the prophet Nathan accused him of sin. The Lord also punished David: the first son from Bathsheba was born dead. After the endowment, the king prayed and fasted for a long time. The result of this intimate prayer was the 50th psalm.
Which psalm protects from unclean spirits?
No less famous is the 90th psalm, to which the holy fathers advise to protect themselves from unclean spirits. The main meaning of the anthem is that the Lord will surely protect those who trust in God. So it was in the story of King David. Through prayers, the Lord delivered from a three-day pestilence, from the epidemic of which tens of thousands of people died.
These are just two examples of famous hymns. In fact, there are many more. Believers use them in church and personal prayer, they read the Psalter for the dead and for the living. How did this tradition come about?
Instead of the first prayer book and ... primer
We often hear hymns during the Liturgy, at the evening service, memorial service and do not even know that they are actually taken from the Psalter.
In both Jewish and Christian traditions, the love of the psalms has been passed down from generation to generation.
According to legend, over the tomb of the Virgin, the apostles sang the hymns of King David. Children and adults in Rus' learned to read not from the primer, but from the Psalter. The famous saint, Sergius of Radonezh, in his childhood was very worried because he could not read the psalms smoothly, clearly, without errors and hitches.
Today, children no longer learn to read and write from the Book of the Psalmist David. But over time, as adults, they often come to faith and realize the importance of hymns of praise. Reading and deeply delving into the texts of King David, we accumulate the prayer experience of many generations of Christians.
Such a prayer, if it is done with faith, sincerely, with a desire to penetrate and understand, is pleasing to God. That is why it is customary to pray according to the Psalter for both the dead and the living.
Why read the Psalter for the dead?
Such a prayer is useful not only for the deceased, but also for those who turn to hymns. If this is a relative grieving from the loss, then during reading he calms down, is distracted from the bustle of life and thinks about salvation.
At the time of the first Christians there were no such solemn services as we have, there were no many prayers, canons, akathists. There were no prayer books. The only thing they had was the Psalter and fervent prayer from the bottom of their hearts.
Over time, various prayer orders appeared, but the hymns of King David did not lose their importance. In cell (home) prayer, Orthodox Christians usually read the Psalter, pray for the living and the dead, and add various petitions (what they ask God for).
How to read the Psalter for the dead?
For ease of reading, the Psalter is divided into 20 parts - kathisma. In each kathisma, besides the psalms, there are also three "Glories". Glories are used to commemorate the names of the living and the dead. You will learn more about why and how to pray for the dead with the words of David's psalms in the article "Psalms for the Dead - Read Correctly".
When to start and how long to read kathismas for the deceased? There is no definite answer here, but we can give a general recommendation: start as early as possible, pray hard for the first 40 days (in Orthodoxy, it is believed that during this time it will be determined whether the soul will stay in heaven or hell until the Second Coming, so the prayer of relatives can help the deceased) .
How many psalms or kathismas to read? Usually believers read one kathisma a day. On the repose, it is customary to read 17 kathisma first of all. It is she who is used in funeral services. But if there are a lot of people who want to pray for the deceased, then it is possible to divide the kathismata so that the Psalter is read in full in a day for the deceased. Whether this will work out depends on the desire of the believers.
After 40 days, do not interrupt the prayer. The dead need our spiritual support, of which the psalms are a part. If you continue to read a kathisma a day, then remember the names of health on the first two "Glories", and on the third - about the repose.
How to learn to understand the psalms?
A popular question that worries many believers: how to understand the Psalter, especially if you read it in Church Slavonic?
Usually the answers of priests and theologians are somewhat different.
- Someone advises all the same to read the Psalter for the dead and about health, even if you don’t understand. The main argument is that you don't understand, but the evil spirits understand everything and run away. In time, the one who prays earnestly will also begin to understand. God opens.
- Others recommend using translations into Russian, writing out individual words, and using a dictionary from the Church Slavonic language, translate them into Russian. It is best to read the historical information about the writing of each hymn and use the interpretations of the holy fathers and theologians.
You can find such explanations both in the church shop and on useful Christian sites. Also, to understand the meaning of the hymns, one must study the Holy Scriptures. What David experienced before he wrote Psalm 50 is told in the Second Book of Kings.
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