Year Zero

CONTEMPLATION Contemplate the Lord Jesus on Golgotha: * How the soldiers removed His garments, and He remained silent and did not defend Himself; * How they nailed Him to the wood with spikes, and He remained silent and did not defend Himself; * How with uproar and tumult they raised the Cross from the ground and placed it upright, and the Lord remained silent. This is a public episode. If you'd l...

I invited Buck Johnson of Counterflow on to have a nice relaxing conversation about things revealed and how it plays into our daily lives and worldview. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tommysalmons.substack.com/subscribe

Continue reading The Life of Saint Pachomios cop 34-43. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tommysalmons.substack.com/subscribe

CONTEMPLATION Contemplate the Lord Jesus, how He carried the Cross to Golgotha: * How He quietly and patiently carried His Cross; * How they took the Cross from Him and gave it to Simon of Cyrene; how Simon carried the Cross, walking after Christ; * How He looked upon the women of Jerusalem, who were weeping, and said to them: Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves, and f...

CONTEMPLATION Contemplate the Lord Jesus when Pilate brought Him out before the Jews: * How the Lord was flogged by the Roman soldiers; * How, after being scourged, He was mocked by them; they placed a thorny crown upon His head and dressed Him in a purple robe; * How Pilate presented Him to the Jews, saying, Behold the man! (John 19:5). This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with...

CONTEMPLATION Contemplate the Lord Jesus before Pilate: * How the Lord was silent before Pilate; * How Judas then threw the pieces of silver into the Temple and hanged himself; * And again, how Pilate questioned and the Lord was silent. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tommysalmons.substack.com/subscribe

CONTEMPLATION Contemplate the Lord Jesus at the judgment before Herod: * How Herod at first was very glad to see Jesus—not out of any spiritual need, but out of curiosity; * How Herod had hoped to see a miracle from Jesus, but was mistaken in that, for the Lord remained silent to all of his questions; * How Herod ridiculed the Lord and clothed Him in a beautiful garment. This is a public episode....

Ben Dixon of the Union of Orthodox Journalists joined me to discuss the UOC and OCU schism, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, and Orthodoxy in America. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tommysalmons.substack.com/subscribe

CONTEMPLATION Contemplate the Lord Jesus before Pilate: * How the Jews accused Him before Pilate and how He did not say anything; * How He did not reply, even to Pilate’s questions; * How our Lord speaks when it is necessary to defend men from the devil, from sin, from disease and death, but is silent when He Who is the Defender of Men is asked to protect Himself from man. This is a public episode...

CONTEMPLATION Contemplate the Lord at judgment before Caiaphas: * How the Jewish high priest detains our Lord in his home, surrounded by men almost as wretched as he himself; * How Peter sits outside in the courtyard by the fire; and how, before the servants, he denies our Lord Jesus three times; * How even today it happens that some Christians, out of fear of the world, deny the Lord in this mann...

CONTEMPLATION Contemplate the Lord Jesus at judgment before Caiaphas: * How the Jewish elders searched everywhere for false witnesses; * How their witnesses did not agree together; * How our Lord listened to all the slanders and remained silent without anger. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tommysalmons.substack....

CONTEMPLATION Contemplate the Lord Jesus in the hands of God’s enemies gathered together in the home of Caiaphas: * How all of them hurriedly sought false witnesses, for they wanted by whatever means to kill Christ; * How they spat in His face and struck Him on the face; * How our Lord endured all with unspeakable dignity and without anger. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this w...

CONTEMPLATION Contemplate the Lord Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane: * How He repeatedly commanded the disciples to watch and pray to God; * How He rose three times from His sweat-inducing prayer, returned to the disciples and found that they were asleep; * How they were all overcome by temptation because they forsook their Teacher and fled, for they were not prepared to overcome their fear of me...

CONTEMPLATION Contemplate the Lord Jesus at prayer in Gethsemane: * How He falls on His face and prays three times, O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me (Matthew 26:39), and again, Thy will be done (Matthew 26:42); * How He sweated at prayer, And His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground (Luke 22:44); * How all of this was because of you and me,...

CONTEMPLATION Contemplate the Mystery of Communion as a life-giving cure for the soul and body: * As a cure that heals and cleanses the soul from sinful maladies, and restores it to life; * As a cure that heals and purifies the body from lust and vice, and restores it to life; * As a cure that enlivens a man and makes him a healthy member of the immortal Body of Christ. But if a man will remain a...

CONTEMPLATION Contemplate the Mystery of Communion as the Mystery of the Perfection of Love: * Because, on the part of Christ, it means giving completely of Himself to His faithful; * Because of this, Christ is received with faith and trust on the part of the faithful; * Because of this, it leads to the joyful, fruitful and saving union of God with man. This is a public episode. If you'd like to d...

CONTEMPLATION Contemplate the Mystery of Communion as the presence of our Lord Jesus in the Church on earth: * As the fulfillment of His promise: Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world (Matthew 28:20). * As His constant support of the faithful, to whom He said: Without me, ye can do nothing (John 15:5). This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscriber...

CONTEMPLATION Contemplate the Lord Jesus at the Mystical Supper: * How He chose bread and wine, two ordinary elements of nourishment, and through them instituted His visible and invisible bond with the Church until the end; * How the Mystical Supper has been preserved until today, and how it will be preserved until the end of time as the Mystery of Communion; * How every day, and almost every hour...

John and I continue reading and commentary on the old revolutionary text, Rule for Radicals. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tommysalmons.substack.com/subscribe

CONTEMPLATION Contemplate the Lord Jesus Christ at the Mystical Supper: * How he told His disciples that one of them would betray Him; * How after all that He had done for Judas and after washing his feet and indicating that He knew his intention to betray, Judas remained obstinate in his desire to sell his Teacher and his own soul for silver; * How our Lord was saddened at Judas’s destruction and...

Reading The Life of Saint Pachomios Chp 24-33 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tommysalmons.substack.com/subscribe

CONTEMPLATION Contemplate the Lord Jesus at the Mystical Supper: * How He washed the feet of His disciples, and how by this act He especially taught them humility and love for one another; * How Peter, one of the most faithful, was ashamed and forbade the Lord to wash his feet; * How Judas, the unbeliever and traitor, was not ashamed and did not forbid the Lord to wash his feet; * How, today also,...

CONTEMPLATION Contemplate the Lord Jesus as the Bread of Life: I am that Bread of Life (John 6:48): * As the Bread by which the soul is nourished and lives; * As the Bread by which the mind is nourished and enlightened; * As the Bread by which the heart is nourished and ennobled. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit t...

CONTEMPLATION Contemplate the Lord Jesus as the Vine: I am the true Vine (John 15:1): * As the Vine from which sprouted numerous fruitful branches in the persons of the saints; * As the Vine Who with His sap, that is, His blood, waters and feeds all the branches with Himself; * As the Vine from Whom the Divine Church has branched out on earth and in the heavens; * As the Vine from Whom I too shoul...

CONTEMPLATION Contemplate the Lord Jesus in the boat with His disciples (Matthew 8:24). * How a tempest arose while the Lord slept; * How the frightened disciples woke Him and sought His help; * How the Lord rebuked the disciples because of their little faith, and calmed the sea and the winds; * How I need not be afraid of any tempest in life if I keep the Lord in my heart as at the rudder of a bo...