Year Zero

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate God’s miraculous aid to the Israelites in battle (Deuteronomy 2-3): * How Moses defeated the pagan kings, Sihon of the Amorites and Og, king of Basan, for it was God’s will that they perish; * How Moses was unable to take the land of Moab, for God did not want this, for the sake of the descendants of the righteous Lot; * How victory and defeat in wars do not occur with...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the wondrous prophesying of Balaam (Numbers 23, 24): * How Balaam came to curse the people of Israel at the invitation of Prince Balak; * How instead of cursing, Balaam blessed the people, being directed to do so by the Spirit of God; * How Balaam prophesied about Christ saying: A star shall rise out of Jacob and a rod will rise up out of Israel (Numbers 24:17). This i...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the miraculous experience of Balaam (Numbers 22): * How Balaam came to prophesy to Balak, the prince of the Moabites; * How an angel appeared on the road with a sword and prevented Balaam from advancing; * How the ass saw the angel before Balaam did, and spoke to his master. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the miraculous bronze serpent in the wilderness (Numbers 21): * How all the people would have died from the bite of the serpents, until Moses raised the bronze serpent on a pole; * How all who were bitten by a serpent were made whole as soon as they gazed upon the bronze serpent; * How the bronze serpent prefigures Christ on the Cross. This is a public episode. If you'...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the miraculous bringing forth of water from the rock in Kadesh (Numbers 20): * How Moses, at God’s command, struck the rock with his rod, but without faith; and how, through the will of God, water flowed forth; * How God punished Moses and Aaron for their little faith by not permitting them to enter the Promised Land; * How this shows that even a great righteous one li...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the miraculous blossoming of Aaron’s rod (Numbers 17): * How God, in order to quiet the murmuring against Moses and Aaron, ordered that the rods of all the elders of the tribes be placed in the tabernacle of the congregation; * How, overnight, only the dry rod of Aaron became green and blossomed and brought forth fruit; * How God can enliven even the soul of man, dead...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the just punishment which God sent upon Korah, Dathan, and Abiram (Numbers 16): * How these three incited the people against Moses and Aaron, and sought to become their leaders; * How the earth opened and swallowed up Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and others with them; * How the earth of the flesh swallows up the souls of all those who think in a fleshly way and, thinking thu...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the exceedingly great patience of God toward the unbelieving Jewish people, and their deserved punishment (Numbers 14): * How God worked a multitude of miracles before the eyes of the Israelites, and how they remain stubborn in their unbelief and murmured against Moses; * How God punished them, making them wander for forty years in the wilderness, and all of them peris...

I read chapters 1 and 2 of The Voyage of Saint Brendan the Navigator 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 To contemplate the miraculous punishment and healing of Miriam [Mary], the sister of Moses (Numbers 12): * How Miriam spoke against Moses, who was very meek, above all the men on the face of the earth (Numbers 12:3); * How God punished her with sudden leprosy, and how God healed her through the prayer of Moses; * How God’s punishment strikes those who cry out against the men of God e...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the miraculous illumination of the face of Moses (Exodus 34): * How, after his conversation with God on Mt. Sinai, the face of Moses shone with brilliant light; * How the people saw, and dared not approach Moses, and he placed a veil over his face; * How, through sincere prayer and communication with God, the face of a God-pleaser is illuminated. This is a public episo...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the miraculous appearance of God to Moses on Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19): * How Moses climbed to the top of Mt. Sinai and entered the darkness where God was: I am coming to you in a dense cloud [Exodus 19:9]; * How the light of God is so great that, before it, all of nature and her light become darkness; * How the heart of man is like Mt. Sinai: in the darkness of the heart,...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the miraculous victory over Amalek (Exodus 17): * How the people prevailed against Amalek as long as Moses prayed to God with upraised hands; * How Moses, with upraised hands in prayer, prefigured the victorious Crucifixion of Christ; * How, through the power of the Cross and prayer, I too can conquer the dark passions that Amalek represents. This is a public episode....

John and I finish reading Rules 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

Col Chris Wyatt joined me to discuss South Africa and the refugees from South Africa entering the US. Col Chris Wyatt YouTube Tommysalmons.com YouTube @YearZeroPod 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 To contemplate the miraculous changing of bitter water into sweet water (Exodus 15): * How the thirsty Israelites came upon bitter water in Marah and were unable to drink it, and the people began to murmur against Moses; * How God commanded Moses to cast a tree (wood) into the water, and the water became sweet; * How this tree foreshadowed the Cross of Christ, by which the bitterness...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the miraculous bringing forth of water from the rock in Horeb (Exodus 17): * How the thirsty Israelites doubted that God was with them, and murmured against Moses; * How, by God’s command, Moses struck the rock with his rod, and water flowed from the rock; * How my heart has been turned to stone by doubt, and how streams of tears begin to flow from it when it is touche...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the miraculous falling of manna from heaven for the feeding of the people in the wilderness (Exodus 16): * How for forty years the Lord gave the Israelites in the wilderness manna from heaven—a heavenly food, sweet as honey; * How this manna from heaven prefigured the Lord Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life, Who came down from heaven that He Himself might feed the spiritu...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea by the Israelites (Exodus 14): * How Moses waved the rod according to the command of God, and the sea was divided, and the people of God passed over on the dry bottom of the sea; * How the Egyptians pursued the Israelites along the same path, but Moses waved the rod, and the sea closed over them; * How this teaches me that God can...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate all the miracles that the Lord performed at the hands of Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: And Aaron and Moses went in unto Pharaoh and they did as the Lord had commanded (Exodus 7:10): * How great and awesome were those miracles; * How the heart of Pharaoh remained obstinate before all the miracles of God; * How my heart is also hard before the countless miracles...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the miraculous transformation of the rod into a serpent, and again, the serpent into the rod (Exodus 4): * How the Lord, Who created the serpent and the rod from dust, can—by His own power, and for the sake of higher goals—transform the dead into the living, and the living into the dead; * How the Lord can, according to my faith and prayer, return my soul (withered and...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the burning bush on Horeb (Exodus 3): * How the bush was completely engulfed by flame, but was not consumed; * How the All-pure Virgin, carrying the Lord within herself, also bore the divine fire—but was not consumed; * How the grace of the divine fire also rejuvenates, heals and illumines my sinful soul. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with oth...

John and I continue reading and commentary on Rules 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 To contemplate the miraculous changing of water into wine (St. John 2:1-11): * How the Lord, at the marriage at Cana, changed the water into wine; * How even my soul, if it is wedded to the Living God, transforms its earthly wateriness into a divine beverage. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tommysal...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the miraculous repentance of the thief on the Cross: But the other one rebuked him: “Have you no fear of God seeing you are under the same sentence?” (St. Luke 23:40): * How the wise thief sensed God’s closeness in his suffering, repented and prayed to God for salvation, while the suffering of the foolish thief incited him to blaspheme God; * How I, who am also a thief...