Using the Psalter as a Book of Needs
St. Arsenios of
Cappadocia: BLESSING-PSALTER
THE PSALTER AS A
BOOK OF NEEDS, according to the usage of St. Arsenios of Cappadocia, as
transmitted by the Athonite Elder Paisios.
translated for the St. Pachomius Library by Vassilios
Kollias
edited by Karen Rae Keck
EDITOR'S NOTE: Saint Arsenios
used to use the Psalms for blessings, especially when there was no prescribed
blessing for a particular occasion. Here in Part One is the correspondence
between the psalms and different occasions. The original Greek list can be
found in -O Geron Paisios- by the Hieromonk Christodoulos, Agion Oros, 1994. In
Part Two, we have provided a (rather poor) index; perhaps someone else would
care to fashion a better.
Apart from all religious
considerations, this "Book of Needs" is a fascinating portrait of
village life in Anatolia at the beginning of the Twentieth Century: whether it
reflects more the "longue duree" of Byzantine history or the
particular difficulties of St. Arsenios' time we do not feel well enough
informed even to speculate. There is certainly no idealization of rural conditions
here: particularly noteworthy is the extreme concern for alleviating
psychological as well as physical pain, and the mention of what we would
nowadays call "post-traumatic stress disorder".
To us, at least, the exact
reasoning behind the saint's choice of a particular psalm for a given need is
not always obvious; perhaps this is by design, to encourage close reflection on
the words. Orthodoxy is not magic, and a document like this one is not an
endorsement of "peasant superstition"; it is rather a channel through
which the Love of God can enter into every aspect of human society.
PART ONE: A LIST OF PSALMS FOR USE AS BLESSINGS,
ARRANGED BY ORDER IN THE PSALTER:
[IMPORTANT NOTE: The FIRST number is the number of the
psalm in the Greek Septuagint Bible. The SECOND number is the number of the
psalm found in the Masoretic text and in most English language Bibles, such as
the King James!]
1 (1) When a tree or a vine is planted, so that it may
bring forth fruit.
4 (4) So that God
heals the sensitive people who fell ill from depression because of the
behaviour of hard-hearted people.
10 (11) For
hard-hearted couples that argue and divorce (when the hard-hearted man or woman
torments their sensitive wife or husband).
14 (15) So that
robbers or thieves change their mind and return having done no harm, and having
repented.
19 (20) For the
couples who for medical reasons cannot have children, so that God heals them
and that they do not divorce.
24 (25) For people
who temptation troubles a lot and so brings continual problems into their
lives, making them lose their peace and complain.
25 (26) When
somebody asks something good from God so that He gives it without the person
getting harmed.
26 (27) So that
God protects the peasants from the enemy army, so that they do not harm the
people or their fields.
29 (30) For those
that are in danger far away, in the territory of barbarous and unbelieving
people, so that God guards them and illumines the people there to become
peaceful and to come to know God.
32 (33) So that
God reveals the truth to those who were unjustly imprisoned, and so that they
are set free.
33 (34) For those
on the edge of death, when they are tormented by demons. Or, for the enemy army
when it brings danger and enters the borders with ominous intentions.
34 (35) So that
God frees the good people from the traps of the bad people, who take advantage
of the people of God.
38 (39) So that
the people who are abandoned and depressed find work, so that they stop being
in sorrow.
39 (40) So that
the love between employer and employee comes back when there has been exchange
of heavy words.
41 (42) For young
people when they get ill from falling in love, and one person gets wounded and
is in sorrow.
43 (44) So that
God reveals the truth to couples when there has been a misunderstanding, so
that they come into mutual peace and love again.
45 (46) For the
young people that the enemy because of envy prevents from making a family (i.e.
from getting married).
46 (47) So that
the employee or the employer find peace, when the employee leaves offended by
the employer, and so that the employee finds work.
47 (48) When gangs
of criminals go robbing and grave disasters are happening: to be continually
read for 40 days.
50 (51) When,
because of our sins and in order to correct us, comes the punishment of God
(epidemics of illness and deaths for people or animals).
51 (52) So that
the hard-hearted masters repent and become compassionate and do not torment the
people.
57 (58) So that
things come in a helping way for those who work with good intention, so that
God prevents every perverse action of demons or crooked people.
61 (62) So that
God relieves from troubles the person who is weak, so that he is not dominated
by the urge to complain.
63 (64) When a
person is bitten by a dog or wolf that had rabies. (He was also for giving them
blessed water to drink).
64 (65) So that
merchants prosper, so that they do not speak too much and take advantage of
simple people.
65 (66) So that
the evil one does not bring obstacles in the homes and cause families to be in
sorrow.
69 (70) For
sensitive people that get sad from little things and come to despair, that God
gives them strength.
70 (71) For
deserted people who become uninteresting to others [lit. "boring"]
because of the devil's envy and come to despair, that they may find mercy and
healing from God.
71 (72) So that
God blesses the gatherings of the new agricultural production that the peasants
bring home.
73 (74) So that
God protects the peasants that work in their fields when the enemy have
surrounded the village.
74 (75) So that
the barbarous employer becomes peaceful and does not torment his fellow human
beings, the empoloyees.
75 (76) For a
mother who is scared during her giving birth, so that God gives her braveness
and protects her.
76 (77) When there
is no mutual understanding between parents and children, that God illumines
them, so that the children listen to the parents and the parents show love.
77 (78) So that
God illumines those who lend so that they do not press their fellows for their
debt, and so that they are compassionate.
80 (81) So that
God takes care of the poor who are in need and sorrow and are depressed because
of poverty.
81 (82) So that
people buy the products of the peasants, so that the peasants are not sad and
depressed.
83 (84) So that
God preserves all that is kept in the house, and the animals, and the products
of the producers.
84 (85) So that
God heals those who were wounded by robbers and moreover got psychologically
damaged from terror.
86 (87) So that
God extends the lives of those members of the family that are still urgently
needed by the rest of the family.
87 (88) So that
God protects all those who have no protector and are suffering from
hard-hearted fellows.
88 (89) So that
God gives strength to those who easily fall sick and are physically weak, so
that they can work without getting tired and depressed.
89 (90) So that
God brings rain when there is a drought, or that the wells bring forth water
again if they have stopped doing so.
92 (93) So that
God protects the ship when it is in great danger at sea. (He was also for
throwing blessed water at the four corners of the ship).
93 (94) So that
God illumines the disorderly people who cause problems to the nation and bring
commotion to the people, causing trouble by disorder and divisions.
98 (99) So that
God blesses and gives grace to those young people who want to leave everything
and follow God. [I do not know how succesful is my translation here. To my
Greek ear the exact phrase that is used would make me think of people who
follow the monastic life but I am not sure. --Trans.]
99 (100) So that
God blesses and makes real the desires of the people that are in accordance
with His will.
101 (102) So that
God blesses the people who hold offices of power so that they help the people
with kindness and understanding.
103 (104) So that
God blesses the possessions of the people that they are not sad and depressed,
but glorify God.
105 (106) So that
God gives illumination to people so that they do not move away from the way to
salvation.
108 (109) So that
God cures the epileptics. Or, so that God has mercy on those who accuse
unjustly and they repent.
112 (113) So that
God gives blessings to the poor widow, so that she pays her debts and is saved
from going to prison.
114 (116:1-9) So
that God gives blessings and comfort to the sad poor little children, so that
they are not looked down upon by the children of the rich and consequently feel
depressed.
117 (118) So that
God humbles the barbarians when they surround the village and bring fear, and
that He reverses their bad intentions.
118 (119) So that
God shatters the barbarians and humbles their action when they slay innocent
women and children.
119 (120) So that
God gives patience and forbearance to those people who have to live together
with crooked and unjust people.
120 (121) So that
God protects the slaves from the hands of the enemy so that they are not
mutilated before they are set free.
127 (128) So that
the badness of the enemy never approaches the homes, and that there is the
peace and blessing of God in the family.
128 (129) So that
God cures the people who suffer from migraines, or, so that God shows mercy to
the hard and indiscreet people who bring sorrow to the sensitive.
129 (130) So that
God gives braveness and hope to those who start a new job and do not know it
well yet, so that they do not find extreme difficulty in their work.
135 (136) So that
God protects the immigrants when they abandon their homes and leave so that
they are saved from the barbarians.
137 (138) So that
God illumines the masters of the place so that people's requests are treated
with understanding.
139 (140) So that
God makes peaceful the head of the family who has a very difficult character
and brings suffering to all the family.
141 (142) So that
God makes peaceful the rebel who is doing bad; then even if he is a Kurd he
becomes a lamb. [St. Arsenios was living in Asia Minor. Kurds, who were often
soldiers, had a reputation among other ethnic groups for being brutal fighters.
--Trans.]
142 (143) So that
God protects the mother throughout the pregnancy so that she does not loose the
child.
146 (147:1-11) So
that God heals the people who have been bitten and wounded in the jaws by bad
people.
147 (147:12-20) So
that God brings peace to the wild animals so that they do not harm people or
farm produce.
[These were from St. Arsenios. The following two are
from Fr. Paisios of the Holy Mountain.]
149 (149) From
gratefulness and thankfulness to God for His many kindnesses and for the
plenitude of His love, that knows no limit and bears with us.
150 (150) So that
God gives happiness and comfort to our sad brothers and sisters who are in far
places, and to those of our brothers and sisters who are sleeping and are even
farther away. Amen.
------------------------------------
PART TWO: TOPICAL INDEX
AGRICULTURE: 1,
26, 30, 50, 52, 62, 66, 71, 83, 124, 147, 148
ANIMALS,
Unfriendly: 63, 123, 147
CHILDREN: 22, 76,
109, 113, 114
DEATH AND
DEPARTED: 33, 150
DISASTERS: 17, 21,
30, 50, 62, 68, 85, 89
HEALTH, Physical:
5, 12, 28, 36, 37, 44, 56, 58, 63, 79, 86, 88, 95, 102, 108, 122, 125, 128,
145, 146
HEALTH,
Psychological: 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 24, 27, 41, 55, 56, 60, 61, 69, 70, 80, 81, 84,
97, 100, 103, 128, 136, 138
HEALTH, Women's:
18, 19, 40, 67, 75, 106, 142, 145
LAW AND
GOVERNMENT: 14, 16, 32, 36, 47, 51, 59, 72, 82, 84, 93, 101, 108, 110, 137,
140, 141, 143
MAGIC AND DEMONS:
5, 6, 8, 9, 13, 33, 57, 65, 90, 94, 96, 121
PEACE AND WAR: 26,
33, 42, 73, 78, 93, 107, 111, 117, 118, 120, 127, 131, 132, 135, 140, 141, 143
PEACE (among
friends and family): 10, 19, 22, 35, 41, 43, 45, 54, 65, 76, 86, 94, 109, 116,
126, 127, 139
PROPERTY: 14, 15,
23, 47, 83, 103, 124
PROTECTION: 9, 13,
34, 47, 48, 57, 90, 133
SOCIAL CONCERNS:
20, 32, 35, 38, 51, 53, 59, 77, 80, 81, 87, 93, 101, 110, 112, 113, 114, 119,
124, 137, 140
SPIRITUALITY: 3,
9, 24, 25, 29, 49, 50, 57, 72, 91, 98, 99, 100, 104, 105, 108, 115, 119, 130,
134, 136, 149
TRAVEL AND
EMIGRATION: 28, 29, 31, 92, 135, 150
WORK: 2, 38, 39,
46, 48, 51, 52, 57, 60, 64, 74, 81, 83, 100, 101, 103, 129, 137, 140,144
THE END, AND TO
GOD BE THE GLORY!
Source: http://www.voskrese.info/spl/arsenios.html
