Concerning this psalm, St. Athanasius of Alexandria writes: "The new people of the pagans are taught by this psalm to sing songs to God, the great benefactor. And these good deeds are the efface of sin and the glory of the Resurrection" [8]. This is a psalm about the New Testament Church, about those spiritual gifts that the Savior brought to mankind: "cleansing from iniquity" (that is, the remission of sins in the sacrament of repentance), "healing from infirmities" (v. 3), "deliverance from incorruption," that is, from the power of the devil and the passions, and granting His children "mercy and bounty" (v. 4) and the fulfillment of their "good desires" (v. 5). The Saviour, trampling down death by His death, opened to people the way to salvation, the possibility of the renewal of the soul (v. 5) in the sacrament of baptism. As Blazh. Theodorite, "and this renewal in holy baptism was also granted to us by the Lord, and, having cut off the decrepitude of sin, He made young from those who were old (see Is. 40,31)” [11]. The theme of God's mercy to sinful mankind runs like a red thread through the entire psalm (verses 4, 6, 8, 11, 13, 17).

St. The Fathers see in this psalm both an indication of the future resurrection of the dead and the granting of a new incorruptible body to man (vv. 3-5). In comparing the soul of man with a soaring eagle, which "can openly look at the light of the sun," St. Eusebius sees an indication of "the future life in its extreme light" [7]. And then he writes: "And this eagle is Christ, Who after His ascension sat down in Heaven on the throne at the right hand of the Father, and His kingdom possesses all" (v. 19). The messianic theme of the psalm introduces us to the New Testament. For this reason, this psalm is sung on feast days at the Liturgy (it is part of the pictorial antiphons).

Psalm 142

According to the interpretation of St. Athanasius of Alexandria, this psalm opens with the prayer of the prophet, who "in the presence of all mankind, persecuted and oppressed by the prevailing Satan, beseeches God the Father to deliver him by the coming of the Only-begotten" [8]. The prophet reminds us of the ancient promises of the Messiah (v. 5), "prays that the morning Resurrection of Christ may come, by whom we have mercy" (v. 8). Morning is the time of the Resurrection of the Savior, who showed us the path that every Christian should follow (v. 8). This "path," in the words of St. Athanasius, is the teaching of the Gospel, but Christ Himself is also called by this word (John 14:6).

The psalm covertly shows the persecution of Christ, His passion, death on the cross, and the entombment (v. 3). "Confusion of the heart" (v. 4), in the words of St. St. John Chrysostom, "signifies an exceedingly great tribulation," of which the Saviour Himself speaks (John 12:27; Mark 14:33-34), and v. 7 — the spirit has disappeared. Mine, turn not Thy Face away from Me — the Holy Fathers interpret it as "the voice of Christ to God the Father in the time of passion" [18] (cf. Psalm 21:2-3).

The psalm is framed by the theme of God's righteousness and truth (vv. 1, 11). In addition to their direct meaning, these are the names of the Son of God; and the mercy of God, in the messianic understanding, is "the most pure passion of Christ" [18]. The 142nd Psalm also contains the teaching about the Holy Spirit. St. Basil the Great, explaining verse 10 of the Psalm, emphasizes that the grace of the Holy Spirit is "not acquired, but is in His very nature" [7]. And the "right land" (v. 10), into which the righteous enter by the grace of the Holy Spirit, is the kingdom of heaven [18]. Thus, this psalm in a hidden form speaks of the Holy Trinity.

CONCLUSION

Let us return to the question posed at the beginning of our work: what determines the set of psalms included in the Six Psalms? If we are looking for a formal-logical explanation, then the answer may be as follows: this is precisely the sequence of psalms which, possessing the features indicated in the Explanatory Typikon, fits best into the composition of Matins. The prayerful mood, the content of the Psalms, their interconnectedness, stylistic homogeneity and internal dynamism – all this remarkably conveys the state of transition from Vespers to Matins, from the time of the Old Testament to the New Testament. But why these Psalms and not others? After all, many Psalms satisfy the above requirements, so that if we were to go through the Psalter in the versions of the "Six Psalms," we would get not one, but many solutions. There can be only one answer: the author of the Six Psalms was led by the Holy Spirit. As an inspired creation, the Six Psalms include much more than what the human mind can grasp. It prepares us to meet Christ. This key idea of the Six Psalms permeates all its content, including the symbolism of the divine services. In the Six Psalms, everything is not accidental. The Psalmist David and the historical events reflected in the Psalms prefigure Christ the Savior and the events of His earthly life. The messianic theme in the Six Psalms is a concise description of the Savior's sufferings on the Cross, His death and resurrection. The Six Psalms speak of the Church of Christ, of the saving sacraments established by Christ. In its spiritual and moral understanding, the Six Psalms are a brief exposition of the foundations of Christian asceticism: it shows the path to Christ. The laws manifested in the composition of the Six Psalms are spiritual laws that the Christian soul, which personifies the entire Church of Christ, follows in its movement towards Christ. During the reading of the Six Psalms, the soul of each worshipper passes this path and, in joyful expectation of salvation, opens up to meet the Coming Saviour, of Whom the Church solemnly proclaims: "God the Lord hath appeared unto us, blessed is He who cometh in the name of the Lord!"

LITERATURE

[1] Skaballanovich M. Tolkovyy typikon [Tolkovyy typikon]. Kiev, 1913.

[2] Commentary on Shestolsalmie. Moscow, 1996.

[3] P. V-sky. The Meaning and Composition of the Six Psalms / ZhMP, No10, 1968.