Orthodox Septuagint Psalter | Kathisma 4: Psalms 24-31 | Monastic Reading for Relaxation

I have personally found such benefit from making the psalms a part of my life. When I became a Christian, one of my first questions was, "How do I pray?" The psalter showed me how to align life towards God, how turn from monologging with myself to having a dialogue with my Father, my King and my God, my personal Lord and savior Jesus Christ. The Psalter according to the Seventy of Saint David the Prophet and King: Translated from the Greek Septuagint by the Holy Transfiguration Monastery. Available here: https://www.bostonmonks.com/product_i... Order of reading the psalter, in Kathismas: Day Morning Matins Evening Vespers Sunday 2,3 Monday 4,5 6 Tuesday 7, 8 9 Wednesday 10,11 12 Thursday 13,14 15 Friday 19,20 18 Saturday 16,17 1 For an Orthodox Christian, the Book of Psalms (the Psalter) is not just a book of ancient poetry, but the very heartbeat of spiritual, liturgical, and daily life. It serves as the ultimate handbook for prayer, a prophetic mirror of Jesus Christ, and a core component of every church service. The entire structure of Orthodox corporate worship is built upon the Psalms. Psalms form the foundational skeleton of Vespers, Matins, the Hours, and the Divine Liturgy. For instance, Psalm 103 opening Vespers blesses creation, and the "Six Psalms" form the solemn center of Matins. The Church values the Psalter so highly that its monastic tradition mandates reading the entire book of 150 Psalms every single week, and twice a week during Great Lent. Broken up into 20 Kathismas, the psalter is to be read three kathismas a day, roughly 24 psalms a day. Orthodox Christians specifically utilize the Septuagint (LXX) text. This means the numbering and phrasing differ slightly from Western Bibles, preserving the exact Greek translation used by Christ and the Apostles. Orthodox Christians do not read the Psalms merely as historical Jewish prayers. They read them Christologically. Jesus quoted the Psalms extensively during His earthly ministry and while hanging on the Cross. To pray the Psalms is to align one’s mind with the mind of Christ. The references to the "King" point directly to Christ's exaltation, and the descriptions of suffering (like Psalm 22) explicitly prefigure His crucifixion and resurrection. When human words fail, the Psalms provide a divine vocabulary. Church Fathers like St. Athanasius described the Psalms as a mirror reflecting every possible human emotion: joy, depression, anger, fear, and repentance. It teaches believers how to express these feelings honestly before God.God’s Given Words: Instead of relying on spontaneous, self-directed thoughts, Orthodoxy emphasizes praying with the words God provided through the Holy Spirit. In the Orthodox tradition, the Psalms are treated as active spiritual medicine. The violent imagery, curses, and mentions of "enemies" in the text are not applied to other human beings. Instead, Orthodoxy interprets these enemies as demons, sinful passions, and distracting thoughts that assault the soul. St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great taught that chanting the Psalms drives away demons, invites holy angels, calms the intellect, and heals spiritual wounds. If you are near the Portland Oregon area, come and participate in the realities and encounter God Himself at our church! @churchoftheannunciation7562 https://www.annunciationorthodoxchurc... If you are not, and have never been to an Eastern Orthodox Church, feel free to visit one in your area! https://www.oca.org/parishes