Suggested Abbreviations of
the Kathismata
According to the Cycle of
the Eight Tones
The following chart divides all of the
appointed Kathisma readings into eight, so that one reads roughly 1/8 of
a kathisma at a time, which thus abbreviates them to
accommodate parish needs, but also cycles through the reading such that all of
the Psalter would be read over time.
Only two Psalms are omitted from this chart: Psalms 33 and 50. Psalm 50 is the most commonly read Psalm, and
is normally read at Matins elsewhere.
Psalm 33 is sung in part at the end of Vespers, and in full at the end
of the Liturgy. In parishes in which
Psalm 33 is not normally done in full, they might wish to use it under the
column of Tone 2.
At a vigil on Saturday evening, one way
to do it is to sing the select verses of the first Kathisma (Blessed is Man) at
Vespers, as is usual for parish practice, but to do the Psalm from the first
Kathisma corresponding to the tone of the week at Matins, and thus one would do
three Psalms together at Matins. Click here
for a word file, in which these Kathismata are set up to be done this way.
The divisions below for the 2nd
and 3rd Kathisma are attributed to
Kathisma |
Tone 1 |
Tone 2 |
Tone 3 |
Tone 4 |
Tone 5 |
Tone 6 |
Tone 7 |
Tone 8 |
I |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
II |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
III |
17: 1-30 |
17: 31-46 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
IV |
24 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
29 |
30 |
31 |
V |
32 |
32 |
34 |
34 |
35 |
35 |
36 |
36 |
VI |
37 |
38 |
39 |
40 |
41-42 |
43 |
44 |
45 |
VII |
46 |
47 |
48 |
49 |
51 |
52 |
53 |
54 |
VIII |
55 |
56 |
57 |
58 |
59 |
60 |
61 |
62-63 |
IX |
64 |
65 |
66 |
66 |
67 |
67 |
68 |
69 |
X |
70 |
71 |
72 |
73 |
74 |
75 |
76 |
76 |
XI |
77 |
78 |
79 |
80 |
81 |
82 |
83 |
84 |
XII |
85 |
86 |
86 |
87 |
88 |
88 |
89 |
90 |
XIII |
91 |
92 |
93 |
94 |
95 |
96 |
97 |
98-100 |
XIV |
101 |
101 |
102 |
102 |
103 |
103 |
104 |
104 |
XV |
105 |
105 |
106 |
106 |
107 |
107 |
108 |
108 |
XVI |
109 |
110 |
111 |
112 |
113 |
114 |
115- 116 |
117 |
XVII |
118: 1-24 |
118: 25-40 |
118: 41-64 |
118: 65-88 |
118: 89-104 |
118: 105-128 |
118: 129-152 |
118: 153-176 |
XVIII |
119-120 |
121-122 |
123-124 |
125-126 |
127-128 |
129-130 |
131 |
132-133 |
XIX |
134 |
135 |
136 |
137 |
138 |
139 |
140-141 |
142 |
XX |
143 |
144 |
145 |
146 |
147 |
148 |
149 |
150 |
To see the Schedule of Kathismata
during the week, click
here.