The Last Judgment will last exactly as long as the six-psalm is read in time. Explanations of church and home prayers

29.09.2019

THE PLACE OF THE SIXOPSALMIUS IN THE ORTHODOX SERVICE

In Orthodox worship, it is customary to call the Six Psalms the six selected psalms read sequentially at Matins: 3, 37, 62, 87, 102, 142. This moment of the church service is distinguished by its “minor sound” and the severity of the situation: the Royal Doors are closed in the church, the light is extinguished, extinguished candles; the reader from the middle of the temple, as if on behalf of all the faithful standing motionless around, pronounces the words of the psalms - a prayer of sorrow, repentance and hope. The Six Psalms is read rigorously at every morning service (daily, Saturday and Sunday) throughout the year, except for the days of Bright Paschal Week, which indicates its great importance. Orthodox interpreters, emphasizing the special significance of the Six Psalms in the morning service, see in it a reflection greatest event in the life of mankind - the advent of the Savior into the world. This main idea of the Six Psalms is revealed in the context of Vespers and Matins - two interrelated church services symbolizing, respectively, the Old Testament and New Testament times.

After the fall, humanity found itself cut off from grace-filled communion with God, plunged into the darkness of ignorance and sinful passions; this night of human existence is represented in the Orthodox Divine Liturgy Vespers. Out of the darkness of this night, the suffering soul of the Old Testament people, in intense expectation, prays with the words of the psalmist David for the coming of the Messiah: Lord, I cry to Thee, hear me... (Ps. 140:1), bring my soul out of prison... (Ps. 141:8), from the depths I called to you, Lord, Lord, hear my voice ... (Ps. 129, 1). The Old Testament prophets are preparing the people for the coming of the Savior: I will bless the Lord at all times, I will keep His praise in my mouth ... (Ps. 33, 2), feeling that only those who fear Him, His saints, meek and humble in spirit will recognize Him, accept His Word and find salvation.

But now Vespers is over - the Old Testament time has ended, the new time has come, the Savior was born. Angels proclaim this three times (in honor of the Holy Trinity): glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men (Luke 2:17). Matins begins - the New Testament service. What do the words of the Angelic Song mean? They say that the glory of God is sung first of all by the inhabitants of heaven (glory in the highest), rejoicing in the redemption of mankind; that the Savior brought peace to earth, that is, he reconciled sinful humanity with God (and peace on earth), Who thus showed His love for people (good will towards men). After the Angelic Song, a person already wants to give praise to God and asks Divine assistance for this with the words of the 50th Psalm: Lord, open my mouth, and my mouth will proclaim Your praise (Ps. 50, 17). These words are repeated twice - as a reflection of the ancient antiphonal (that is, two choirs) singing. Then the light goes out, and the reader begins to read the Six Psalms.

This is New Testament time. The Savior was born late at night, came into the world not as an earthly king, but in the form of a slave. He has not yet entered His public ministry (the temple is plunged into twilight), but He is already praying to His Heavenly Father for the whole human race (1 John 2:1, 2). In the service of Matins, this corresponds to the middle of the Six Psalms, when, after reading the first three psalms and a small doxology, a priest, symbolizing Christ, comes out of the altar, stands facing the altar and, with the Royal Doors closed, reads 12 morning prayers, sanctifying every hour of the day. The foregoing makes clear the establishment of strict rules of conduct in the temple when reading the Six Psalms: at this time it is supposed to stand straight and reverently, standing as if standing before Christ Himself, not to be distracted, not to walk around the temple. The following is written about this in the Church Charter: “So we say the Six Psalms with the attention and fear of God, as if conversing with Christ our God Himself is invisible, and praying for our sins.” Reading the Six Psalms, according to the Charter, should be “without wrestling,” that is, evenly, distinctly, feeling the responsibility of the moment. Some selected verses (Ps. 3, 6; 37, 23; 62, 7-9; 87, 2,3; 102, 22; 142, 2, 10) are repeated at the end of the psalm in order to draw our attention to them. In ancient times, these verses were sung by choirs and by all the people.

The Six Psalms in its present form entered church worship no earlier than the 7th century. It is mentioned in the statutes of various monasteries (for example, Studian), is mentioned by John Moschus (the author of the “Spiritual Meadow”) and Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem in the description of the seventh-century matins in Sinai and Palestine. As some interpreters point out, “The Six Psalms, as it were, replaces the entire Psalter, which was read in antiquity at the vigil.” Who established the Six Psalms remains unknown. The riddle is also the question of why, out of 150 psalms, the indicated ones were chosen. However, following Orthodox tradition, it can be argued that this choice is not accidental, it is carried out by the Holy Spirit Himself and carries a deep spiritual meaning. We will try to find this meaning, based on the interpretations of the holy fathers Orthodox Church.

GENERAL REVIEW

The starting point of our consideration is the position that the Six Psalms is not just a sequence of six psalms, but a special liturgical text, which is a single whole, with its own structure, “melody” and characteristic features. On what basis were the psalms chosen? This question is more difficult than it seems at first glance. Let's start with those features of the Six Psalms that lie on the surface:

The Psalms are taken from different places of the Psalter evenly - in this way they represent it all;

All the psalms date back to the time of King David and describe the events of his life;

Psalms of uniform content and tone: they all depict a righteous man persecuted by enemies, and his firm hope in God;

All prayer psalms: 3, 37, 87 and 142 - prayers for deliverance from the persecution of enemies; 62 and 102 - thanksgiving prayers;

These psalms speak of night and morning (Ps. 3, 6; 37, 7,13; 62, 1,7; 87, 2, 13, 14; 102, 15; 142, 8), so reading them is appropriate on Matins;

Sad psalms alternate with joyful ones, and even places are chosen for the former.

Almost all of the listed features of the Six Psalmia were taken by us from M. Skaballanovich's "Explanatory Typicon". They can be regarded as external signs of the spiritual content of the Six Psalms, which is multifaceted and has its own laws. Therefore, by themselves, they cannot serve as a key to understanding it. But they cannot be ignored, just as it is impossible to discard the form, without which the content is impossible. Let's dwell on this issue in more detail.

Life of King David according to the Six Psalms

As follows from the inscriptions, the author of all the psalms of the Six Psalms, except for the 87th psalm, is David, the Hebrew king, prophet and psalmist, who lived a thousand years before the birth of Christ. This wonderful man, beloved and chosen to serve by God Himself (Acts 13:22), all his life from his very youth was subjected to numerous persecutions and dangers, experienced great sorrows and temptations (Ps. 87:16). But never, even in the most difficult circumstances, being on the verge of death, he did not lose his firm hope in God, he turned to Him in sorrow. He was thanked and praised with joy. This high mood of the soul of the psalmist sets the tone for all his psalms. They also reflect specific events in the life of King David. Let us consider these events on the material of the Six Psalms, adhering to the chronological order.

Psalm 62 refers to the time when the psalmist David sought salvation in the wilderness of Judea from the persecution of a formidable enemy, according to most interpreters, King Saul, who envied him and feared for his throne (see 1 Sam. 23, 19; 26, 2; 24, 1– 2). Other researchers, not without reason, attribute this psalm to later times, when David was already king (see Ps. 62, 12), and his own son Absalom rebelled against him, trying to seize power. These events, described in the Second Book of Kings, in chapters 15-18, are reflected in other psalms, except for the 102nd, and constitute the dominant theme of the Six Psalms. The reason for the uprising, according to the interpretation of the holy fathers, was grave sin adultery and murder committed by David (2 Sam. 11). Here is what St. John Chrysostom writes about this: “David fled from his son, because he departed from purity; fled from his son because he violated a chaste marriage; fled from his son, because he fled from the law of God, which says: do not kill, do not commit adultery (Ex. 20, 13-14). He brought a strange lamb into his house, killing its shepherd, and the lamb from his own house began to gore his shepherd; he brought war into another's house, and out of his own house war rose up against him." John Chrysostom emphasizes that this is not his own reasoning, but the immutable law of God: “Where the source of sin comes from, from there comes the scourge of punishment” (“Conversation” on Psalm 3).

David himself understood this: he deeply repented of his deed and accepted the outbreak of rebellion as a punishment sent from God (2 Sam. 12, 10-11). Therefore, knowing about the upcoming uprising, David remained as if deaf, not hearing, and as if he did not open his mouth (Ps. 37, 14). He did not feel in himself the moral right to curb the criminal son and left God to punish him at His own discretion. It is precisely this, and not the small number of people loyal to him, and even more so not the lack of courage, that explains the fact that David did not enter into an open battle with the rebels, but fled, when his son Absalom chased him (Ps. 142, inscription).

The penitential motif is particularly strong in psalm 37: there is no healing in my flesh from the face of your wrath; there is no peace in my bones from the face of my sins (v. 4). This psalm, as well as psalm 87, which is close to it in content, is attributed by interpreters to the time of the preparation of the uprising of Absalom. Experiencing the most severe physical and moral suffering, abandoned by everyone, the psalmist repents before God and cries out to Him alone for help: do not leave me, Lord my God, do not depart from me. Come help me. Lord of my salvation (Ps. 37:22-23). The author of Psalm 87, judging by the inscription, is Eman the Israelite (or Ezrahit - a descendant of Zara), a Levite from the family of Korah, appointed by David as head of one of the choirs. According to the interpreter, this man, who knew the king closely and shared his life's misadventures with him, depicted them in his psalm. Blessed Theodoret sees in Psalm 87 the fate of the Jewish people, taken to the Babylonian captivity. About events related to psalms 3 and 142, their inscriptions speak eloquently: here is described the very uprising of Absalom, who pursued his father, who was running away from him. The main idea of both psalms: a firm hope not in human strength, but primarily in God.

Psalm 102, according to interpreters, was written by David much later, already in his declining years. According to Blessed Theodoret, “this is a song of thanksgiving to God for deliverance from Babylonian slavery.”

N. P. BORISOVA

(To be continued)

Sermon

The Word of God is contained in the prophetic and apostolic books, which in Greek are called the Bible, that is, "books." These books are otherwise called “Scriptures,” as Christ says “search the Scriptures” (John 5:39), and Paul the apostle wrote to Timothy: “from childhood you know the sacred writings,” and so on. (2 Timothy 3:15).

Sermon

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching…” (2 Tim. 3:16). But the Book of Psalms "for the attentive contains something worthy of special reverence," for it, "like a garden, contains the plantings of all other books. Holy Scripture"(St. Athanasius the Great). All Old Testament and New Testament books of Holy Scripture are conventionally divided

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SIX PALMIUS AND ITS SPIRITUAL MEANING

Very often, those who are not “churched” enough, when they come to the evening service, are perplexed why all the candles are suddenly extinguished and prayers are read in almost complete darkness ... . What does it mean???

And this is the SIX PSALMS - six psalms, who read at the beginning of Matins and it begins with a doxology: "Gloria...".

Thus, in the morning, when all nature is renewed and enlivened with the manifestation of light, the Holy Church remembers the appearance on earth of that Light, which shines in darkness and which darkness does not embrace, which renewed our life, glorifies the Lord with that laudatory song that was sung by the Angels at the birth of the Son of God.

Having repeated this song three times, the Church after this proclaims a prayer: "Lord, open my mouth ...", - prays to the Lord to open our mouths so that they can proclaim praise in the likeness of Angels.

The Six Psalms is, as it were, a reflection of a man with himself, having heard about the birth of the Savior. In the psalms, the consciousness of one's sinful state is expressed, many enemies are depicted, seeking to destroy the soul and body, and hopes for the Mercy of the Lord God, for His deliverance. During the reading of the last three psalms, the priest with a frank (uncovered) head stands in front of the closed Royal Doors and, portraying Christ the Intercessor, promised to Adam and the entire human race, secretly (not aloud) reads prayers, which briefly contain the content of the prayers and hymns of Matins .

The Psalms that make up the Six Psalms are so touching, their content is so close to us, that the Holy Church pays special attention to our reading. The charter says that during this reading "do not have anyone with the power to create whispers, spit below: but rather listen to the words of the psalmist, the hands of the possessions are bent to the Persian, the heads are bowed, and the eyes of the possessions are down. The eyes of the heart are sighted to the east, praying for our sins, remembering death and future torment, and eternal life.

So that prying eyes do not interfere with the manifestation of feelings of tenderness in those praying, for this, at the time of the Six Psalms, candles are extinguished in the church, except for a few, and the church remains in twilight. This twilight corresponds to the twilight of the Bethlehem cave during the time of the Nativity of Christ, which is remembered at the Six Psalms. We listen to the reading of the Six Psalms with all the attention and fear of God, as if invisibly conversing with Christ our God Himself and praying for our sins.

The committed reader with reverence and fear of God says to the sit:

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men. (Thrice).

Lord, open my mouth, and my mouth will proclaim your praise. (Twice).

And according to this he reads psalms: 3, 37, 62, 87, 102, 142.

There is a church tradition that the Last Judgment of Christ will last as long as the Six Psalms are read in time. And we, having gathered in the temple as for the judgment of God, standing before the Lord while reading these marvelous psalms, should think about the judgment of God. Following the Psalmist, who speaks of the terrible state of man on earth: Lord, why have you multiplied those who are cold? Many rise up against me, many say to my soul: there is no salvation for him in his God, through thanksgiving to God, who cleanses all your iniquities, heals all your ailments, delivers your stomach from corruption, firmly trusting in the truth of God, mercy at the Judgment and in salvation: hear me in Thy truth and do not enter into judgment with Thy servant, Thy good Spirit will guide me to the land of right, the human soul breaks from slavery to the devil and sin to its Creator and Savior.

The Six Psalms in its present form entered church worship no earlier than the 7th century. It is mentioned in the statutes of various monasteries. As some interpreters point out, “The Six Psalms, as it were, replaces the entire Psalter, which was read in antiquity at the vigil.” Who established the Six Psalms remains unknown. The riddle is also the question of why, out of 150 psalms, the indicated ones were chosen. However, following the Orthodox tradition, it can be argued that this choice is not accidental, it was made by the Holy Spirit Himself and carries a deep spiritual meaning.

We will try to find this meaning, relying on the interpretations of the holy fathers of the Orthodox Church.

State of mind of the psalmist David according to the Six Psalms

Psalm 3

The righteous persecuted by enemies is not only David running away from Absalom. This is the soul of a person who has turned to Christ and is suffering attacks from demons that annoy him from all sides. “Neighbourhood”, according to St. fathers, expresses the following demonic intrigues: demons attack from the front when they try to instill in us hope for a happy outcome of our undertakings and cause carelessness, from behind, when they remind us of our previous sins and thereby defile and bring despondency, from the right, when, assisting, as it were, in good our deeds, cause us vanity, and on the left, when they clearly incline to sin. Enemy forces are trying to tear a Christian away from God, suggesting that he has no salvation in his God (v. 3). But the Christian soul courageously repels demonic attacks with a prayer to God: You, Lord, are my intercessor ecu, my glory and lift up my head (v. 4). The righteous calls to Christ and immediately receives an answer. This is how a novice usually feels, not yet made wise by spiritual experience, but supported by the grace of God.

Psalm 37

In response to a bold challenge to demons, I will not be afraid of those people (Here, under the word “people”, the holy fathers mean hordes of demons (cf. Ps. 139:1); Blessed Theodoret calls the devil “an unrighteous man” - Approx. ed.), around those attacking me (Ps. 3, 7), the enemy responds with an intensified attack: the psalmist, abandoned by everyone (v. 12, 13) and ridiculed, endures the gravest moral sorrows and physical illnesses (v. 6-8, 11), his enemies increase (v. 20, 21), slander him, and seek to destroy him.

How does the persecuted righteous behave in such a situation? He first of all turns his gaze to his own sins (vv. 5, 6) and repents of them before God (v. 19). He does not enter into disputes with enemies, is not justified (vv. 14, 15), but strengthens his prayer to God (v. 10, 16, 22, 23). This psalm refers to the penitent (The following psalms belong to the penitent: 6, 31, 37, 50,101, 129, 142. - Approx. Auth.) And it is not for nothing that it has an inscription: in remembrance of the Sabbath - on Saturday, the Hebrew people offered God a double sacrifice (Num. 28, 9-10), so the psalmist brings pure repentance, as a true sacrifice, pleasing to God (Ps. 50, 19).

Psalm 62

In the signing of this psalm, it is no coincidence that the Judean desert is mentioned: in order to desire God not only with the mind and heart, but with all my essence, my soul thirsts, since my flesh is a multiplicity (v. 2), a Christian needs to go through the wilderness of temptations. For 40 years Moses led the Jews through the wilderness to the promised land; David spent many days in the wilderness, representing Christ; John the Baptist lived in the wilderness; For 40 days the Savior fasted in the wilderness after His baptism and before going out to preach. The desert is a place of spiritual strengthening; it was in the desert that numerous ascetics of Christianity acquired the grace of God.

But the holy fathers also give another meaning to the word “wilderness”: the earth is empty, impassable, and waterless (v. 2)—this is the human soul without God. According to St. Maximus the Confessor, “the wilderness is the nature of people, this world and the soul of every person, which has become barren due to the initial transgression of the commandment.” Only by feeling its emptiness, which is possible only by renouncing the vanity and going “into the wilderness”, the soul becomes ready to accept the word of God. The psalmist longs for God and cries out to Him: Thy mercy is better than life (v. 4), for him spiritual food is more important than life itself. The psalm sounds optimistic due to its spiritual orientation: my soul clings to Thee, but Thy right hand is less pleasant (v. 9), external sorrows (v. 10, 11) recede, as it were, into the background.

Psalm 87

This is the saddest of all the psalms of the Six Psalms: the more the psalmist prays, the more miserable his situation becomes (vv. 2-10, 15-19); nay, he feels the wrath of God upon himself: Thy wrath is established upon me, and all Thy waves have brought the ecu upon me (v. 8). He sees himself abandoned by everyone, and most importantly - by God Himself: like a man without help, like the dead, who are abandoned by Your hand (v. 5, 6). At any rate, this is how this psalm is seen from the outside. The righteous is in mortal danger: lay me in the pit of the underworld, in the darkness and the shadow of death (v. 7); he already imagines himself in the tomb, but does not stop calling on God (vv. 11-15). The Holy Fathers teach that the Lord sends suffering and sorrow to us not in vain: they purify the soul and humble a person. So the psalmist no longer asks for deliverance from enemies, nor for spiritual joys, he only asks God not to turn His face away from him (v. 15) and humbles himself before the will of God (v. 16).

Psalm 102

And this is where the help of God comes: the Lord accepts the prayer of the righteous and sends His grace, cleanses him, heals ailments, delivers him from incorruption (from slavery to sin), crowns him with mercy and bounty (v. 4). The soul, cleansed by suffering and made wise by spiritual experience, receives a second wind: - your youth will be renewed like an eagle (v. 5). And the first movement of the soul, freed from slavery to demons, brought out of the Babylonian slavery of passions, blessed. Theodoret, “thanking God and praising Him” (vv. 1, 2, 20-22).

This psalm speaks of God's providence in the moral world (Psalm 103 speaks of Providence in the physical world. The interpreter calls psalms 102 and 103 "paired" . -Author's note): The Lord, like a loving father, cares for His people who fear Him, that is, those who revere Him (v. 11, 13, 17), are longsuffering towards their iniquities, are not completely angry with them and deal with them not as they deserve it, but according to His mercy, which is from age to age ( that is, from the present age, the present life, to the age to come, v. 17). In the psalm, the spiritual wisdom of the psalmist shines through, who perfectly understands what a man like “thickness” is, whose days are fleeting (vv. . 19). The Psalmist calls on the whole universe, not only people, but also the celestials and all creation in every place to praise God the Creator.

Psalm 142

The jubilant tone of the previous psalm is replaced by a sorrowful one: the psalmist is again attacked by enemies (v. 3) and his state of mind is confused (v. 4). This is how it should be, because as long as the soul of a person is in the body, the enemy will not leave it alone. But before us is no longer a novice, but a fighter hardened in spiritual warfare. He sees how dangerous and insidious the enemy is, and already has experience in dealing with him. He studies history and takes advantage of it for himself: remember the days of old, learn from all your works (v. 6), prayerfully asks God to show him the path of life, teach him to do the will of the Lord (v. 8, 10).

According to St. John Chrysostom, the psalmist “does not want anything sensual here, but seeks the path leading to God, and lays a beginning to it from himself: as if I have taken my soul to You, that is, I strive for You, I turn my eyes to You (v. 8) ; God especially shows the way to such people. The ability to surrender oneself completely to the will of God instills in a person confidence in a happy outcome: Your Good Spirit will guide me to the land of justice (v. 10). The end of the psalm sounds cheerful: the psalmist confesses himself a servant of God and has no doubt that God will bring his soul out of sorrow, free it from attacking enemies.

So, the six considered psalms in their religious and moral illumination appear before us as six successive steps of the spiritual ladder of a Christian. The state of the soul of the psalmist is not just a “change of mood”, which “speaks of the instability of the human consciousness, prone to fractures, temptations and falls”. This is the path of a strong in her faith and courageous soul-Christian in her ascent to God. The Six Psalms shows us how a soul sincerely believing and converted to Christ goes through a difficult path of temptation, grows spiritually, strengthens, overcomes, with the help of God, demonic attacks and reaches the blessed state of true freedom - the freedom to live according to the will of God.

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Six Psalms- one of the most important parts of the morning Orthodox Church, consisting of the following six selected psalms:,,,,, and. The importance of this part of the morning service is evidenced by the fact that the Six Psalms is read without delay at every morning service, everyday, Saturday and Sunday (with the exception of Bright Paschal Week) in almost all seasons of the year.

So that the attention of the listeners is not distracted by anything when reading the Six Psalms and they can delve deeper into the meaning of what is being read, the charter of the Church before the beginning of the reading suggests extinguishing almost all especially bright lamps and leaving the worshipers in twilight. Particular attention is required when reading and listening to the Six Psalms in terms of its content. “These psalms are full of repentance and consolation,” says the Rule.

About prostrations while reading the Six Psalms

1. In the Book of Hours (following Matins) in the middle of the Six Psalms it is indicated: “ Glory, and now; Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, O God. Three times, without bows”, i.e. you can be baptized, but without bows.

2. There is a tradition in Optina not to make the sign of the cross in the middle of the Six Psalms. The monk wrote on this occasion: “That, in accordance with the true traditions of the holy fathers, M. commanded you not to be baptized during the Six Psalms, I advise you to keep this, and therefore you should observe this covenant more, that you fully agree with the advice of our divinely inspired fathers; let someone, as he wants, and philosophize, about this he despises you, such a gap, due to their ignorance, is not important, but the commandment is soul-saving. If someone asks you why you do not imitate them, then you can graciously answer that this is what the truth requires: let him look at the Lenten Triodion and in the Charter about this, and moreover, the old woman commanded everyone.

The same practice was recommended by Rev. :
- Geronda, why don't we sit down for the Six Psalms?
- Because it symbolizes the Last Judgment. Therefore, it is good if, during the reading of the Six Psalms, the mind goes to the hour of the Last Judgment. The Six Psalms takes six to seven minutes. After the first article, we are not even baptized, because Christ will come now not to be crucified, but will appear to the world as a Judge.

The Psalms are taken from different places of the Psalter evenly - in this way they represent it all;

All the psalms date back to the time of King David and describe the events of his life;

Psalms of uniform content and tone: they all depict a righteous man persecuted by enemies, and his firm hope in God;

All prayer psalms: 3, 37, 87 and 142 - prayers for deliverance from the persecution of enemies; 62 and 102 - thanksgiving prayers;

These psalms speak of night and morning (), so reading them is appropriate on Matins;

Sad psalms alternate with joyful ones, and even places are chosen for the former.

All of the listed features of the Six Psalms, except for paragraph 4, were taken by us from the “Explanatory Typicon” by M. Skaballanovich (According to Skaballanovich, “The Six Psalms is not so much a prayer as an outpouring of the feelings of a believer.” Other interpreters, for example, Fr. N. Vishnyakov, these psalms are directly called prayers.This is also indicated by the words of the psalms themselves (see, for example.) - ed.). They can be regarded as external signs of the spiritual content of the Six Psalms, which is multifaceted and has its own laws. Therefore, by themselves, they cannot serve as a key to understanding it. But they cannot be ignored, just as it is impossible to discard the form, without which the content is impossible. Let's dwell on this issue in more detail.

Life of King David according to the Six Psalms

As follows from the inscriptions, the author of all the psalms of the Six Psalms, except for the 87th psalm, is David, the Hebrew king, prophet and psalmist, who lived a thousand years before the birth of Christ. This wonderful husband, beloved (The name David in Hebrew means “beloved.” - Approx. ed.) and chosen to serve by God Himself (), all his life from his youth he was subjected to numerous persecutions and dangers, experienced great sorrows and temptations () . But never, even in the most difficult circumstances, being on the verge of death, he did not lose his firm hope in God, turned to Him in sorrow, thanked and praised Him in joy. This high mood of the soul of the psalmist sets the tone for all his psalms. They also reflect specific events in the life of King David. Let us consider these events on the material of the Six Psalms, adhering to the chronological order.

Psalm 62 refers to the time when the psalmist David sought salvation in the wilderness of Judea from the persecution of a formidable enemy, according to most interpreters, King Saul, who envied him and feared for his throne (see). Other researchers, not without reason, attribute this psalm to later times, when David was already king (see), and his own son Absalom rebelled against him, trying to seize power. These events, described in the Second Book of Kings, in chapters 15-18, are reflected in other psalms, except for the 102nd, and constitute the dominant theme of the Six Psalms. The reason for the uprising, according to the interpretation of the holy fathers, was the grave sin of adultery and murder committed by David (). Here is what St. : “David fled from his son, because he departed from purity; fled from his son because he violated a chaste marriage; fled from his son, because he fled from the law of God, which says: do not kill, do not commit adultery (). He brought a strange lamb into his house, killing its shepherd, and the lamb from his own house began to gore his shepherd; he brought war into another's house, and out of his own house war rose up against him." emphasizes that this is not his own philosophizing, but the immutable law of God: “Where is the source of sin, from there is the scourge of punishment” (“Conversation” on).

David himself understood this: he deeply repented of his deed and accepted the outbreak of rebellion as a punishment sent from God (). Therefore, knowing about the upcoming uprising, David remained as if deaf and not hearing, and as if they did not open their mouths to him (). He did not feel in himself the moral right to curb the criminal son and left God to punish him at His own discretion. It is precisely this, and not the small number of people loyal to him, and even more so not the lack of courage, that explains the fact that David did not enter into an open battle with the rebels, but fled, when Absalom, his son, chased him (, inscription).

The repentant motive sounds especially strong in bringing healing in my flesh from the face of Your wrath, bringing peace in my bones from the face of my sins (v. 4). This psalm, as well as close to it in content, is attributed by interpreters to the time of the preparation of the uprising of Absalom. Experiencing the most severe physical and moral suffering, abandoned by everyone, the psalmist repents before God and cries out to Him alone for help: do not leave me, Lord my God, do not depart from me. Look to my help, O Lord of my salvation (). The author of Psalm 87, judging by the inscription, is Yeman the Israelite (or Ezrahit, a descendant of Zara), a Levite from the family of Korah, appointed by David the head of one of the choirs (Some interpreters, for example, believe that David himself was the author of the psalm, and Yeman was only a performer However, the holy fathers did not attach such importance to authorship as our contemporaries attach to it.—Author's note). According to the interpreter, this man, who knew the king closely and shared his misfortunes with him, depicted them in his psalm. sees in Psalm 87 the fate of the Jewish people taken to the Babylonian captivity (Let this not confuse the reader: the psalmist was a prophet, and what he said could refer to the distant future. - Note ed.). The events related to Psalms 3 and 142 are eloquently spoken by their inscriptions: it describes the very uprising of Absalom, who was pursuing his father, who was running away from him. The main idea of both psalms is: firm hope not in human strength, but first of all in God.

Psalm 102, according to interpreters, was written by David much later, already in his declining years. In the words, "this is a thankful song to God for deliverance from the slavery of Babylon."

Comparative analysis of the content of the psalms

As mentioned earlier, the Six Psalmia is read at extinguished candles. But the morning dawn is already dawning in it. This state of transition from the Old Testament darkness to the Gospel light reflects the content of the Six Psalms. The theme of night and morning is prominent in Psalms 3:62, 87, and 142, and somewhat veiled in Psalms 37 and 102. :8), as well as in Ps. However, if one writes out the verses noted by Skaballanovich in a row, then it is not difficult to see the “wave” passing through the entire Six Psalms - the alternation of darkness and light, going along the growing and ending with a bright hope for the mercy of God. The first psalm of the Six Psalm opens this topic: I fell asleep and spah (night), wake up, as if the Lord would intercede for me - awakening (). Then comes a period of continuous darkness: all day (i.e., always, incessantly), complaining about walking (), flattering all day I will learn (), which is replaced by a joyful, morning aspiration to God: God, my God, to Thee, morning ( ). The theme of night and morning (i.e. constant) turning to God is strengthened, repeating twice in Psalms 62 and 87: if I remember Thee on my bed (night), in the morning I learned in Thee (), in the days I cried out (morning) and in nights are before you, and my prayer will precede you in the morning (). And, finally, the theme of night and morning, darkness and hope sounds with particular force in Psalms 102 and 142: after mournful reflections on the short duration human life, which fades like a wild flower (), the psalmist with a new prayerful upsurge cries out to the Lord: I hear, do me Thy mercy in the morning, as if on Thee hopes ().

Let us now turn to other verses of the Six Psalms. According to Skaballanovich's observation, these psalms are homogeneous in content and tone. This homogeneity comes out especially clearly if we consider the content of the Six Psalms not sequentially - by psalms, but in parallel - by themes, just as we followed the movement of darkness and light (night and morning).

The Psalmist Offers Prayers - The Lord Hears

This theme sounds in four psalms: I called with my voice to the Lord, and heard me from my holy mountain (); as if in Thee, Lord, I hope, You will hear, Lord my God (); let my prayer enter before you: incline your ear to my supplication (); Lord, hear my prayer, inspire (Inspire - accept in your ears, that is, hear. - Approx. Aut.) my prayer in Thy truth (). This “hear” repeatedly repeated throughout the Six Psalm creates a sense of the continuity of prayer and confidence that it is accepted (heard) by God (cf.).

Enemies attack

The theme of the persecuted righteous is the content of many psalms. Hundreds of thousands (darkness) of rebels are pursuing the psalmist (); they are increasing and their number is increasing (). They “seek his soul” (that is, they seek to kill him) - this expression is repeatedly found in the Six Psalms (). Among the persecutors there are many people who were previously close to the psalmist, who were favored by him (). His position is so dangerous that his life literally hangs in the balance: my stomach draws near to hell () planted me to eat in dark, like dead centuries (). This theme is heard in all the psalms of the Six Psalms; even the most joyful 102nd psalm mentions “all the offended” (v. 6), about the Jewish people persecuted by the Pharaoh’s army, led out of slavery by Moses (v. 7).

The psalmist sees in his position the righteous wrath of God

The “wrath” and “wrath” of God are spoken of in two of the saddest psalms: 37 and 87. This is how the psalmist understands the misfortunes that befell him. And if in the first of these psalms he prays that the Lord would not punish him with His wrath (), then in the second he humbly accepts the “wrath and wrath of God” as an expression of His holy will (cf.).

The Psalmist's Firm Trust in God

This theme runs like a red thread through the entire Psalter, through the entire Six Psalms. The psalmist hopes only in God, and not in human strength. Salvation is only in God, He is the Intercessor (), Helper, reliable protection(). Lord, before You all my desire and my sighing is not hidden from You (), cry to You, Lord, all day long, lift up my hands to You () - these words of the psalmist speak of his unceasing prayer (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5: 17). He does not doubt the mercy of God: the Lord is generous and merciful, long-suffering and many-merciful (cf.). The Six Psalms expresses a very important idea that God does not deal with a person in justice, but according to His great mercy: He did not create food for us according to our iniquity, but repaid us according to our sin. Like the height of heaven from the earth, the Lord has affirmed His mercy on those who fear Him (). As St. , “if God came to judge not with mercy and philanthropy, but demand a strict account, then he would certainly find everyone guilty” . Therefore, the psalmist prays to the Lord: do not enter into judgment with Your servant, for every living person will not be justified before You (), firmly hoping that the Lord will not be completely angry () (This thought is repeated in other psalms. For example, in the 50th the psalm, to which the apostle Paul refers (), it sounds like this: as if you were justified in your words, and conquer, when you judge Ty (). The same is said in. - Approx. auth.). The basis for this hope is the certainty sounding in Psalm 102 that “God is incomparably more compassionate and merciful for those who fear Him and keep His commandments than a natural father for a son.”

Given here short review by no means exhausts the entire content of the psalms, it only illustrates the thematic unity of the Six Psalms.

Compositional features of the Six Psalms

The composition of the Six Psalms, according to interpreters, is characterized by the following:

The Six Psalms consists of two parts connected by a small doxology;

There is an alternation of “joyful” (3:62, 102) and “sad” (37, 87:142) psalms (the Interpreter calls them, respectively, “day” or “major” and “night” or “minor” . - Approx. Aut. .), which can be conditionally depicted as a diagram: +, -, +, -, +, -.

The author of the work “The Meaning and Composition of the Six Psalms” notices that the peak of joyful mood falls at the end of the “major odd triad” (), and the peak of sorrow is in the middle of the even triad (). Thanks to such an asymmetrical structure, the Six Psalms as a whole, despite the mournful lamentations of the psalmist, is perceived optimistically, with a sense of hope for God's mercy (). It is also interesting that the first and last psalms are similar in many respects - this creates the compositional unity of the Six Psalms.

I would like to add the following to what has been said. The very division of psalms into “joyful” and “sad” seems to be very simplified, because both joyful and sad notes sound in each of them. So, initial words 3 psalms can hardly be called "major". The same applies to the psalmist's reflections on the transience of human life (). On the other hand, even in the most mournful Psalm 87 one hears words of hope and trust in God (v. 2:14). If we trace the mood of the psalmist in more detail, then a more subtle picture of the alternation of “descents” and “ups” emerges. The Six Psalms begins with disturbing notes (), which are replaced by confidence in God's help (the subsequent verses of the 3rd psalm), goes through a series of cycles of “descent” and “ascent” and ends with the confessional words of the psalmist: for I am Your servant () and the final “major” prayer chord. This course of the “curve” of the Six Psalm corresponds to the scheme: -, +, -, +, ..., -, +, which differs from the previously considered sequence of “pluses” and “minuses” and resembles the change of night and morning. And there was evening, and there was morning - one day () - such an order, established by the Creator Himself, is laid at the basis of the daily liturgical cycle.

The second remark concerns verbal insertions between the psalms. The interpreters of the Six Psalms somehow pay little attention to them, but meanwhile, they are very important not only in the composition, but also in the semantic side of the Six Psalms (This idea is also reflected in. According to legend, this psalm was written by the forefather Moses during the 40th the summer wandering of the Jews in the desert. The words quoted express his grief over the rapid extinction of his compatriots. - Approx. These are the "strings" that connect the individual psalms into a single whole. They focus the attention of the worshiper on the most important places of the Six Psalms, create a special melodic mood, thanks to which it becomes a continuously flowing prayer.

The spiritual meaning of the Six Psalms

Having surveyed as much as possible the historical side, content and composition of the Six Psalms, we remained, nevertheless, on the surface of his understanding. This is not surprising, because the essence of any phenomenon is revealed only at the spiritual level. As St. , “Our teacher should be called the Holy Spirit, as the Lord says: He will teach you everything (); and His main care is to be the guide and mentor of souls to salvation, and everything else is recognized as a matter of secondary importance. Precisely in the same way that matters of secondary importance were treated by St. fathers to authorship, time of writing, to the sequence of historical events reflected in the psalms. Through the seeming historical dispersion, they see in the arrangement of the psalms a harmonious system formed by the Holy Spirit, Who “it is desirable to teach us not a simple history, but to form our souls with virtue according to God.” Psalm, in their understanding, is a “spiritual tool” that affects the soul, and the book of Psalms as a whole is some kind of complete treasury of human salvation” (St.).

In his interpretations of the Holy Scriptures Old Testament and, in particular, the Psalter of St. The fathers singled out as the most important two layers of spiritual consideration:

Spiritual and moral aspect;

Messianic theme (Prophecies about the Savior. - Approx. Aut.).

Both of these topics, being interconnected, are most directly related to the work of our salvation (). It is in these two directions that we will try to trace the course of thought of the psalmist reflected in the Six Psalms. However, before taking on such a responsible task, let us find out how the two indicated topics are related.

King David was a prophet: St. Apostles Peter and Paul (, ). With his prophetic gaze, he penetrated into the distant future, announcing about the Savior, about His Church, about the Last Judgment, about the life of the next century. According to the teachings of St. of the Fathers of the Orthodox Church, the messianic theme runs through the entire Psalter, in each psalm messianic prophecies sound - in a direct or (more often) in a veiled form. So bliss. Augustine believed that “it is impossible to utter separate prophecies about Christ and about the Church, given in the Psalms - there are too many of them; if you take some, then you can omit the more important ones ”(Similar statements can also be found in other holy fathers, for example, in St.. - Approx. Aut.).

Another topic, spiritual and moral, can also be called “prophetic” in a certain sense: describing the state of his soul, the psalmist reveals to us the world not so much of the Old Testament righteous man bound by the law, but of a new man, a Christian (Many aspects of his life, his extraordinary personality, the psalmist David He foreshadowed Christ.We should not forget that the Savior, according to humanity, comes from the seed of David (, , , , . - Approx. auth.). From this it is clear why the Psalter has completely entered the worship of the Orthodox Church: “the book of Psalms, as if in a picture, represents how the soul should behave.” Let's add: "soul-Christian".

So we see that both themes lead us to Christ. Only in the light of Christ's Truth is the hidden meaning of all aspects of human existence revealed, and even more so - of sacred texts.

State of mind of the psalmist according to the Six Psalms

Psalm 3

Psalm 37

On a bold challenge to demons, I will not be afraid of those people (Here, under the word “people”, the holy fathers mean hordes of demons (cf.); Blessed Theodoret calls the devil “an unrighteous husband.” - Approx. ed.), around attacking me ( ), the enemy responds with an intensified attack: the psalmist, abandoned by everyone (v. 12:13) and ridiculed, endures the most severe moral sorrows and physical illnesses (v. 6-8:11), his enemies intensify (v. 20:21), slander against him and seek to destroy him.

How does the persecuted righteous behave in such a situation? He first of all turns his gaze to his own sins (v. 5:6) and repents of them before God (v. 19). He does not enter into disputes with enemies, is not justified (v. 14:15), but intensifies his prayer to God (v. 10:16, 22:23). This psalm refers to the penitent (The following psalms belong to the penitent: 6:31, 37:50, 101:129, 142. - Approx. Auth.) And it is not for nothing that it has an inscription: in remembrance of the Sabbath - on Saturday, the Hebrew people offered God a double sacrifice (), so the psalmist brings pure repentance, as a true sacrifice, pleasing to God ().

Psalm 62

In the signing of this psalm, it is no coincidence that the Judean desert is mentioned: in order to desire God not only with the mind and heart, but with all my essence, my soul thirsts, since my flesh is a multiplicity (v. 2), a Christian needs to go through the wilderness of temptations. For 40 years Moses led the Jews through the wilderness to the promised land; David spent many days in the wilderness, representing Christ; John the Baptist lived in the wilderness; For 40 days the Savior fasted in the wilderness after His baptism and before going out to preach. The desert is a place of spiritual strengthening, it was in the desert that numerous ascetics of Christianity acquired the grace of God.

But the holy fathers also give another meaning to the word “wilderness”: the earth is empty, impassable and without water (v. 2) – this is a human soul without God. According to St. , "the wilderness is the nature of people, this world and the soul of every person, which has become barren due to the initial transgression of the commandment" . Only by feeling its emptiness, which is possible only by renouncing the vanity and going “into the wilderness”, the soul becomes ready to accept the word of God. The psalmist longs for God and cries out to Him: Your mercy is better than life (v. 4), for him spiritual food is more important than life itself. The psalm sounds optimistic due to its spiritual orientation: my soul clings to Thee, but Thy right hand is less pleasant (v. 9), external sorrows (v. 10:11) recede, as it were, into the background.

Psalm 87

This is the saddest of all the psalms of the Six Psalms: the more the psalmist prays, the more miserable his situation becomes (vv. 2-10:15-19); nay, he feels the wrath of God upon himself: Thy wrath is established upon me, and all Thy waves have brought the ecu upon me (v. 8). He sees himself abandoned by everyone, and most importantly by God Himself: he was like a man without help, like the dead, who are abandoned by your hand (v. 5:6). At any rate, this is how this psalm is seen from the outside. The righteous is in mortal danger: lay me in the pit of hell, in the dark and the shadow of death (v. 7); he already imagines himself in the tomb, but does not stop calling on God (vv. 11-15). The Holy Fathers teach that the Lord sends suffering and sorrow to us not in vain: they purify the soul and humble a person. So the psalmist no longer asks for deliverance from enemies, nor for spiritual joys, he only asks God not to turn His face away from him (v. 15) and humbles himself before the will of God (v. 16).

Psalm 102

And this is where the help of God comes: the Lord accepts the prayer of the righteous and sends His grace, cleanses him, heals ailments, delivers him from corruption (from slavery to sin), crowns him with mercy and bounty (v. 4). The soul, cleansed by suffering and made wise by spiritual experience, receives a second wind: - your youth will be renewed like an eagle (v. 5). And the first movement of the soul, freed from slavery to demons, brought out of the Babylonian slavery of passions, blessed. Theodoret, “thank God and praise Him” (vv. 1:2, 20-22).

This psalm speaks of the Providence of God in the moral world (He speaks of Providence in the physical world. The interpreter calls psalms 102 and 103 “paired”. - Approx. Auth.): The Lord, like a loving father, cares for His people who fear Him, that is those who revere Him (vv. 11:13, 17), is longsuffering toward their iniquity, is not completely angry with them, and does not deal with them as they deserve it, but according to His mercy, which is from age to age (i.e., from the present age, the present life, to the age to come, v. 17). In the psalm, the spiritual wisdom of the psalmist shines through, who perfectly understands what a man like “thickness” is, whose days are fleeting (vv. . 19). The Psalmist calls on the whole universe, not only people, but also the celestials and all creation in every place to praise God the Creator.

Psalm 142

The jubilant tone of the previous psalm is replaced by a sorrowful one: the psalmist is again attacked by enemies (v. 3) and his state of mind is confused (v. 4). This is how it should be, because as long as the soul of a person is in the body, the enemy will not leave it alone. But before us is no longer a novice, but a fighter hardened in spiritual warfare. He sees how dangerous and insidious the enemy is, and already has experience in dealing with him. He studies history and benefits from it for himself: remembering the days of old, learn from all your works (v. 6), prayerfully asks God to show him the path of life, teach him to do the will of the Lord (v. 8:10).

And further: “And again, praying to the Father and His God, he says: Arise, Lord, save Me, My God (v. 8). And he well called the teeth of sinners the frantic persecutors of piety, the servants of vile demons ... But God and the Father crushed their pernicious teeth, and He exalted and glorified the pious people who believe in Christ God; therefore it is said: You, O Lord, are my intercessor ecu, my glory and lift up my head; of the Lord is salvation, and on your people is your blessing (vv. 4, 9). From these words it is clear that the monk saw in the uprising of Absalom a prototype of persecution against Christ the Savior and Him.

This psalm is interpreted in the same spirit by other Sts. fathers, understanding, however, verses 8 and 9 as the cry of the Old Testament righteous man to Christ, whom the psalmist saw with prophetic eyes. In the concluding verses of the psalm (v. 9), many St. fathers see a direct reference to the Cross of the Lord, which brings salvation to the world and blessing to Christians

Psalm 37

The suffering of the psalmist David, described in this psalm, depicts the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who took upon Himself the sins and infirmities of all mankind (). Just as King David knew about the conspiracy that was being prepared against him, suffered physically and morally, so the Savior, knowing about the betrayal of Judas, and about the apostasy of the disciples, and about the torments of the Cross coming to Him, experienced the most severe suffering. The words about “sins”, about “iniquities”, about the “madness” of a suffering person must be understood, according to the interpretation of St. fathers, as the sins and iniquities of the whole world taken upon Himself (vv. 4-6, 19). Lord, before You all My desire and My sighing is not hidden from You (v. 10) - these words of St. correlates with the words of the Savior, spoken by Him at the Last Supper to the disciples: “I very much desired to eat this Easter with you before My suffering” (). Verse 11 - my heart is troubled, leave me my strength and the light of my eyes, and that they should not be with me - St. the fathers interpret as the prophetic word of Christ about His disciples, who, although they were faithful to him, like the light of His eyes, nevertheless fled during His sufferings on the Cross (). During the trial of the Sanhedrin and at Pontius Pilate, He was silent and did not make excuses (cf. and). He voluntarily went to the tortures of the cross (v. 18), during which he prayed to his Father: do not leave me, O Lord my God, do not depart from me, come to my help, Lord of my salvation! - these words are so similar to the well-known words of the 21st psalm uttered by Him in the dying hour.

The psalm has an inscription: in remembrance of the Sabbath, that is, the day of rest, the sacred day that the Jews so cherished (). By this day, Jesus Christ has made His saving sacrifice for the whole world, and His most pure body rested in the tomb (,).

Psalm 62

This psalm in its prophetic meaning refers to the Church created by the Savior. So according to the interpretation of St. Cyril and “life,” that is, the Old Testament way of living, is nothing compared to the “mercy of God,” that is, salvation in Christ, revealed to all who resort to Him (v. 4). In the words: as from fat and suit, may my soul be filled and the mouth of joy will praise Thee with my mouth (v. 6) St. The Fathers see an indication of the salvific Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ. “The right hand of the Father”, according to St. Athanasius of Alexandria, the prophet calls Christ the Savior, who accepts all who turn to Him (v. 9). These, according to St. , "brought in by His right hand, that is, by Christ." This is a royal people, Christians, who will be worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven, and therefore are rightly called “kings” (v. 12) (See also. - Approx. Aut.).

Psalm 87

The psalm reveals the persecution of Christ, His passions, death on the cross, position in the tomb (v. 3). “Confusion of the heart” (v. 4), according to St. , “means an extremely great sorrow,” which the Savior himself speaks of ( . And the “right land” (v. 10), into which the righteous enters by the grace of the Holy Spirit, is the Kingdom of Heaven. Thus, this psalm speaks in veiled form of the Holy Trinity.

Conclusion

Let us return to the question posed at the beginning of our work: what determines the set of psalms included in the Six Psalms? If we look for a formal-logical explanation, then the answer may be as follows: this is precisely the sequence of psalms, which, having the features indicated in the Explanatory Typicon, the best way fits into the Matins. The prayer mood, the content of the psalms, their interconnectedness, stylistic homogeneity and internal dynamism - all this wonderfully conveys the state of transition from Vespers to Matins, from the time of the Old Testament to the New Testament. But why these particular psalms and not others? After all, many psalms satisfy the above requirements, so that, sorting through the variants of the “six psalms” in the Psalter, we would get not one, but many solutions. There can be only one answer: the author of the Six Psalms was led by the Holy Spirit. Being an inspired creation, the Six Psalms includes much more than what the human mind can grasp. It prepares us to meet Christ. This key idea of the Six Psalms pervades all of its content, including the symbolism of worship. Nothing in the Six Psalms is accidental. Psalmist David and historical events, reflected in the psalms, represent Christ the Savior and the events of His earthly life. The Messianic theme resounding in the Six Psalms is a concise description of the Savior's suffering on the Cross, His death and resurrection. The Six Psalms speaks of the Church of Christ, of the saving sacraments established by Christ. In its spiritual and moral understanding, the Six Psalms is a summary of the foundations of Christian asceticism: it shows the way to Christ. The laws that appear in the composition of the Six Psalms are the spiritual laws that the Christian soul follows in its movement towards Christ, embodying the entire 7. Explanatory Bible. Stockholm, 1987.

8., St. Conversations on the Psalms. M., 1860.

9. Theodorit, ep. Kirsky. Creations. M., 1856.

10., St. About writing psalms. Creations. M., 1861.

12. . Spiritual meadow. Sergiev Posad, 1896.

13. . Creations, book. II, M., 1994.

fourteen. . Works, part III. Sergiev Posad, 1911.

15. Psalter with a brief interpretation. Kyiv, 1726. (Repr. ed. M., 1994.).

What is the spiritual meaning of the chosen psalms? Why are they not baptized at the Six Psalms? Why don't they bow? What do the Six Psalms and the Last Judgment have in common? Where did the teaching come from that the Last Judgment will last as long as the reading of the Six Psalms? Why are the Six Psalms read not as a Psalter, but as prayers? Why do the selected psalms sound in this order?

Six Psalms - one of the most important parts of the evening service (Mains), consisting of six selected psalms of a special repentant nature: 3, 37, 62, 87, 102 and 142.

The reader, standing in the middle of the temple, reads, as if on behalf of all those present, selected psalms, symbolizing our repentance, our prayer and hope. The Six Psalms is the transition from Vespers to Matins, from the Old Testament to the New Testament, to the joy and hope of the born Savior, which the Angels proclaim in singing: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men."

The Six Psalms is divided into two parts. After the first three psalms, the sign of the cross without a bow is due to the "Alleluia", and only at the end of the entire six-psalm at the final "Alleluia" - three bows.

In the middle of the Six Psalms, at the beginning of the reading of the 4th psalm, the most mournful, filled with mortal bitterness, the priest leaves the altar and before royal doors to himself continues to read 12 special "morning" prayers, which he began to read in the altar, in front of the throne. At this moment, the priest, as it were, symbolizes Christ, Who heard the sorrow of fallen humanity and not only descended, but also shared its suffering to the end, which is spoken of in the 87th psalm being read at that time.The "morning" prayers, which the priest reads to himself, contain a prayer for the Christians standing in the temple, a request to forgive them their sins, give sincere faith in unfeigned love, bless all their deeds and honor the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Six Psalms takes six to seven minutes. The reading of the Six Psalms is very profound and important point evening worship. The peculiarity of following these psalms is emphasized by the ancient tradition do not bow and do not cross yourself while they are being read .

The Six Psalms symbolizes the Last Judgment. There is a tradition in the Church that the Last Judgment will last exactly as long as the time of the reading of the Six Psalms. AND we, standing before God while reading these marvelous psalms, should think about the judgment of God over our souls.

To highlight this importance Six Psalms , his they read in the middle of the temple with the lamps and candles extinguished. Believers remain in the twilight, so that it would be more convenient to delve into the meaning of what they are reading, so that special concentrated attention is not entertained by anything.

The Charter prescribes listening to the reading in silence and reverence, not allowing at this time not only noisy movement or loud conversation, but even a whisper and any other sounds that break the silence. Listen “with all the attention and fear of God, as if conversing with Christ God Himself.”

The six psalms in their religious and moral illumination appear before us as six consecutive steps of the Christian's spiritual ladder.

The state of mind of the psalmist is not just a "change of mood" which "speaks of the instability of human consciousness, prone to fractures, temptations and falls." This is the path of a strong in her faith and courageous soul-Christian in her ascent to God. The Six Psalms shows us how a soul sincerely believing and converted to Christ goes through a difficult path of temptation, grows spiritually, strengthens, overcomes, with the help of God, demonic attacks and reaches the blessed state of true freedom - the freedom to live according to the will of God.

What determines the set of psalms included in the Six Psalms? If we look for a formal logical explanation, then the answer may be this: this is precisely the sequence of psalms that, having the features indicated in the Explanatory Typicon, fits best into the composition of Matins.

The prayer mood, the content of the psalms, their interconnectedness, stylistic homogeneity and internal dynamism - all this wonderfully conveys the state of transition from Vespers to Matins, from the time of the Old Testament to the New Testament. But why these particular psalms and not others? After all, many psalms satisfy the above requirements, so that, sorting through the Psalter variants of the “six psalms”, we would get not one, but many solutions. There can only be one answer: the author of the Six Psalms was led by the Holy Spirit. Being an inspired creation, the Six Psalms includes much more than what the human mind can grasp. It prepares us to meet Christ. This key idea of the Six Psalms pervades all of its content, including the symbolism of worship.

Nothing in the Six Psalms is accidental. The psalmist David and the historical events reflected in the psalms represent Christ the Savior and the events of His earthly life. The Messianic theme resounding in the Six Psalms is a concise description of the Savior's suffering on the Cross, His death and resurrection. The Six Psalms speaks of the Church of Christ, of the saving sacraments established by Christ.

In its spiritual and moral understanding, the Six Psalms is a summary of the foundations of Christian asceticism: it shows the way to Christ. The regularities that appear in the composition of the Six Psalms are the spiritual laws that the Christian soul follows in its movement towards Christ, personifying the entire Church of Christ. During the reading of the Six Psalms, the soul of each one who prays passes this path and, in the joyful expectation of salvation, opens up to meet the Coming Savior, Whom the Church solemnly proclaims: “God is the Lord and appear to us, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

Anatoly Badanov

ABC of Faith

The Six Psalms is one of the most important parts of the morning service of the Orthodox Church, consisting of the following six selected psalms: 3, 37, 62, 87, 102 and 142. The importance of this part of the morning service is evidenced by the fact that the Six Psalms is read without delay on every morning worship, everyday, Saturday and Sunday (with the exception of Bright Easter Week). The church charter testifies to the special significance of the Six Psalms; he commands to read the Six Psalms “with all the attention and fear of God, as if conversing with Christ our God Himself, invisible and praying for our sins” (see the Missal); it is also indicated by the charter to listen to the reading with complete reverence and silence, not allowing at this time not only noisy movement or loud conversation, but even a whisper and any other sounds that break the silence. So that the attention of the listeners is not distracted by anything when reading the Six Psalms, so that they can more conveniently delve into the meaning of what is being read, for this, the charter of the Church, before starting the reading, suggests extinguishing almost all especially bright lamps and leaving the worshipers in twilight. Particular attention is required when reading and listening to the Six Psalms in terms of its content. “These psalms are full of repentance and consolation,” the charter says. And indeed, all of them so touchingly depict the spiritual sorrows of a penitent sinner, suffering in life from his iniquities, and his firm hope in the mercy of God, that they are able to awaken in the greatest sinner a living feeling of repentance and at the same time hope for mercy from God.

In the Six Psalms, while depicting the mournful feelings of the human soul about its sinful state, it recalls (in the order of worship) the time of the coming of Christ the Savior, who announced the need for repentance for salvation and bestowed peace and consolation on the sorrowful soul. Therefore, the reading of the Six Psalms is usually preceded by a threefold repetition of the joyful doxology, sung by the Angels who appeared to the Bethlehem shepherds on the night of the birth of Jesus Christ: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men(Luke 2:14).

After this angelic doxology, the words of the penitential psalm are repeated twice: Lord, open my mouth and my mouth will proclaim your praise(Ps. 50, 17), which contain a brief prayer to God that He Himself, by His grace, open the mouth of a sinful person to a worthy proclamation of His glory. This brief prayer is followed by the very reading of the Psalms that make up the Six Psalms.

There is a church tradition that the Last Judgment of Christ will last as long as the Six Psalms are read in time. And we, having gathered in the temple as for the judgment of God, standing before the Lord while reading these marvelous psalms, should think about the judgment of God. Following the Psalmist speaking of the terrible state of man on earth: Lord, why do you multiply those who are cold? Many rise up against me, many say to my soul: there is no salvation for him in his God, through thanksgiving to God who cleanses all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who delivers your life from corruption, firmly trusting in the truth of God, mercy at the Judgment and salvation: hear me in Thy righteousness and do not enter into judgment with Thy servant, Thy good Spirit will guide me to the land of justice, the human soul breaks through from slavery to the devil and sin to its Creator and Savior.