The Psalter is a sacred book of psalms, or Divine hymns, written by King David under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It consists of 150 psalms, essentially being prayers written in poetic language. For many Orthodox Christians, the Psalter holds the second place in significance after the Gospel.

There is no prayer rule higher than the Psalter. St. Basil the Great says that the Psalter is greater and higher than all books, as it praises God together with the angels and drives away demons.

St. Athanasius the Great spoke of the Psalter as follows: "I think that in the words of this book, all human life, all states of the soul, and all movements of thought are measured and embraced, so that nothing more can be found in man. All can find guidance in the divine psalms." Thus, the benefit of reading this great book lies in the possibility of the closest and most lively prayerful communion of man and God. And the very possibility of communion with God is what the soul of every Christian strives for.

The Psalter is also a liturgical book: the psalms are part of every prayer service in the Church. In the words of Saint Augustine, "love for psalmody gave birth to monasteries". According to the ancient monastic tradition, the entire Psalter is recited consecutively within one week.

Monks of Mount Athos read the Psalter daily with commemoration of the names of believers for health or repose. Now you have the opportunity to submit notes for commemoration while reading the Psalter. On this page you, can choose a monastery and submit notes with the names of your loved ones.