Keywords: Psalter, prayers, liturgical manuscripts, anchorites, monastic tradition, liturgical provinces
Abstract:
The custom of reading the so-called “Prayers of the Kathismata” is, according to Cyrille Korolevskij, one of the most ancient and monastic tradition of our Church. The problem raised by the current practice is that of the sections on how to read these prayers, sections that no one today observes as they should, perhaps out of indifference, unawareness or even ignorance. Therefore, the present study reproduces some of the aspects related to this rather delicate situation, in our opinion. Known as “Prayers of the Kathismata” (or, “prayers of the Antiphons”, as in the Constantinopolitan tradition), as they were usually placed after each of the 20 Kathismata of The Psalter (or after the Constantinopolitan “antiphons”), these prayers bore different structures, function of the two established liturgical traditions – The Jerusalemite and the Constantinopolitan one. Related to the present practice (seen as a real continuation of the old, anachoretic customs), it should be mentioned the “usage” of yore of some of the Moldavian monasteries (e.g. “Sihăstria Monastery”) which set a daily liturgical rule from the order of the Psalter reading and the so-called “Prayers of the Kathismata”, a true unceasing prayer. The study is divided into four sections: 1. Short Overview 2. Some Aspects Related to the Introductions of Davidic Psalm in the Liturgical Cult 3. From the David’s Psalms to the so-called “Prayers of the Kathismata” and 4. The so-called „Prayers of the Kathismata” in the printed editions.
Pages: 19-32