In Orthodox churches, you can order the commemoration of both the living and the dead. Believing Christians are commemorated at various divine services, such as liturgy, prayer services, and memorial services. A special kind of commemoration is the reading of the unbroken Psalter.
First of all, it is necessary to define the concept of the Psalter. This book is sacred for Orthodox believers. It is included in the Old Testament part of the Bible (it is published in a separate collection for prayer use). The Psalter consists of twenty kathismas with psalms. There are 150 psalms in total (plus one final psalm). Many consider the prophet King David to be the author of the sacred Old Testament texts of the Psalter, but in the book itself there are psalms, the authorship of which is attributed to others. For example, the psalmist Asav or the sons of Koraev.
The reading of the Psalter can be heard at the services of the daily circle, as well as at prayer services and memorial services. Psalms are read at Vespers, Matins, Hours and other services. For believers, the Old Testament psalms are one of their favorite prayers. The Holy Fathers spoke of the great benefits of reading the Psalter and the need to use these sacred words in prayer.
Nowadays there is a practice of ordering the reading of the indefatigable Psalter. This practice is largely in line with the monastic tradition. The very term "indefatigable" indicates that the reading of the Psalter should take place constantly and continuously - both day and night. That is why the indefatigable Psalter is most often read in monastic cloisters, because it is there that there is the possibility of continuous prayer by different monks who are able to replace each other.
Orthodox Christians are commemorated on the unbroken Psalter. This applies to both living people and those who finished their earthly path and departed for eternity. The names of Orthodox people are read at certain prayers, which are inserted between the kathismas or even in the middle of several psalms. For living people, God's health, well-being, help in various everyday needs, and the salvation of the soul are being corrected. Reading the indefatigable Psalter about the departed presupposes a prayerful remembrance of the dead people with a request for the last remission of sins.
It is especially worth noting that during the reading of the Unsleeping Psalter, believers are remembered not once, but several times. In monasteries, you can order the reading of such a Psalter both for several months (three months, six months), and for several years. In addition, there is an opportunity to order an eternal commemoration on the unbroken Psalter. Thus, monks will pray for relatives and friends continuously without any time limits.
