The Significance of the "Six Psalms" of the Orthodox Matins Service

 

The Significance of the "Six Psalms" of the Orthodox Matins Service

by Tyler Dykstra

The Six Psalms (Psalms 3, 37, 62, 87, 102, and 142) are a regular part of nearly every Orthros (Matins) service in the Church. Taken as a single unit, they are never omitted, except during Paschaltide (the 39 days after Pascha) [Or in other traditions, during Bright Week.]

  

The Six Psalms (in Greek, Hexapsalmos) is one of the most important parts of Orthros. It is “a time when all should put aside other thoughts, stand quietly, and concentrate on these penitential prayers.”1 Truly, it is one of the holiest moments in the Orthros service.

These Psalms are a summary of the Christian life, highlighting the sorrow that we so often meet along the way to our eternal joy.

In some traditions, all the candles or lights in the church are extinguished while these Psalms are read. This, along with the phrase “Glory to God in the highest,” calls to mind the dark night when Christ was born. It also affords us concentration on the Psalms’ words.

According to Archbishop Benjamin of Nizhegorod and Arzamas:

This is done so that we, able to see nothing with our eyes, might listen to the Six Psalms attentively and with fear [of God] and so that everyone standing in the dark might shed a tear and release a tender sigh. For at night, and if there is no lighted candle nearby, it is difficult for people to see one another. It is for this reason that the ustav (rubric) directs: thus we pronounce the Six Psalms with all attentiveness and fear of God, as conversing with our invisible Christ God Himself, and praying over our sins.2

During the reading of the most bitter of the Psalms, Psalm 87, the priest leaves the altar to read his twelve morning prayers, which include intercessions for those standing in the church and for the forgiveness of their sins. This act symbolizes Christ, who heard the mourning of mankind and left his heavenly throne to rescue us, and ultimately shared in the suffering that Psalm 87.

There is also a tradition in the Church which says the Six Psalms will be read to each of us by our guardian angels at the Last Judgment, and during the time of the reading the whole world will be judged.

 

[St. Paisios the Athonite on the Six Psalms

Once, we were housing a priest at Stavronikita Monastery, and at the Six Psalms he lowered the stasidi (stall) and sat down!

"Father," I told him, "They are saying the Six Psalms."

"This way I will enjoy them better!" he replied.

What I told him seemed strange about the Six Psalms. And there were other Fathers who were old that were standing. They were holding onto the stasidi and didn't rock at all.

It is one thing to be tired, to be sick, for your feet to shake and for you to sit--Christ will not condemn him--but it is another thing to think that it is better to say: "I enjoy it better sitting." How will he justify this? The spiritual life is not enjoyment. If you feel pain, sit, Christ is not a tyrant. And Abba Isaac says: "If you can't stand, sit." He doesn't say: "If you can, sit!"

-Elder, why don't we sit at the Six Psalms?

-Because it symbolizes the Judgment.

Because of this, when the Six Psalms are read, it is good for our nous to go to the hour of Judgment.

The Six Psalms last 6-7 minutes. In the first stasis we don't even do our cross, because Christ will not come to be crucified, but He will come as Judge.

-St. Paisios the Athonite

Thanks for sharing!Thank you!Very interesting!