S17 E10 - Cultivating Unity
Abiding Together
In this episode, we conclude our series on the garden of our hearts and explore what it means to cultivate unity—which is especially important as we enter the busy and often stressful holiday season. We talk about the difference between anger and contempt and how contempt can not only fracture relationships but also plant seeds of division in our hearts. We also reflect on how we can respond to discord with humility, a holy curiosity, and a genuine desire to understand. Ultimately, unity begins with love, bears good fruit, and reflects the presence of Christ within us. Heather’s One...
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S17 E9 - Cultivating Beauty
Abiding Together
In this episode, we continue our series on the Garden of Our Hearts and talk about the cultivation of beauty. Beauty has the power to transform, heal, and lift us into communion with God, but it must be cultivated with care and intention. We discuss what it means to co-create with God, slow down and savor little moments, and rediscover beauty in the people closest to us. Even when the world around us feels barren or artificial, the Lord invites us to see beauty with new eyes and let the Holy Spirit reveal His presence in unexpected ways. Heather’s One Thing - The designed by Every...
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S17 E8 - Cultivating Peace
Abiding Together
In this episode, we begin a series on cultivating the garden of our hearts and reflect on what it means to cultivate peace–as a fruit that grows from communion with God. The cultivation of peace is not something we control. It comes from learning to rest in God’s presence, even amid life’s storms. We talk practically about how to tend the soil of our hearts, so that peace can take root and grow into a fruit that becomes a visible witness to others. We also discuss how Jesus, the Prince of Peace, invites us to make room for His presence, allowing His breath to bring healing where fear and...
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S17 E7 - Staying Grounded When Storms Come
Abiding Together
In this episode, we talk about what it means to weather the storms of life well. Everyone experiences difficult moments throughout their lives and these storms come in all shapes and sizes. In each one, we have the opportunity to respond from a place of truth and peace instead of fear. We share practical ways we’ve learned to weather the storms in our own lives, from simplifying life to immersing ourselves in Scripture. We also explore how pain, though difficult, can lead us into deeper healing and communion with God. No matter what you’re facing, you are not alone—He is near, and so are...
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S17 E6 - Return to the Heart with Dr. Shane Owens
Abiding Together
In this episode, Dr. Shane Owens, a scholar of St. Augustine, joins us to discuss the power of memory. Together, we explore how memory is a place to where we withdraw to understand our identity, shape our whole self, and begin to see God working in our lives. Memory exists for the purpose of hope and we not only talk about how the Scriptures and Eucharist bear the memories of the Church, but also how our sorrowful memories can become sources of hope. Heather’s One Thing - (A conversation with Fr. Dave Pivonka and Dr. Shane Owens) Heather’s Other One Thing - Franciscan...
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S17 E5 - The Ministry of Presence
Abiding Together
In this episode, we talk about what it means to bring God’s Presence into our relationships with others. Through His life, Jesus shows us how to live at the pace of the Holy Spirit and create space for authentic connection. We explore how easy it is to overlook the significance of ordinary moments and how, through slowing the pace of our lives, we have powerful opportunities to love, listen, and become more attuned to those around us. We also discuss the importance of healthy boundaries, the freedom that comes from not needing to fix others, and how it’s God’s love that shapes how we...
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S17 E4 - Hope in Humanity
Abiding Together
In this episode, we explore the gift of tears and the importance of allowing ourselves to cry. We reflect on our experiences with crying and talk about how tears, especially in painful moments, can be a powerful expression of surrender, lament, and hope when offered to God. With the help of the Holy Spirit, our sensitivity and capacity to cry reflect the way we were beautifully created to respond to what breaks God's heart. We discuss the vulnerability of crying, the pain of resisting it, and how Jesus crying out on the cross reveals the value of our own cries. Whether you're too tired to cry,...
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S17 E3 - The Spirit Awakens Hope
Abiding Together
In this episode, we talk about how God is at work in our lives even when sorrow feels overwhelming. This Jubilee year of hope is still a light for us, especially when we feel stuck, overwhelmed, or tempted to despair. We talk about the “fatigue of living”, what happens when we isolate ourselves, and why the micromovements of our hearts are so important. God has not guaranteed us an easy life, but He abundantly offers us Himself. With Him, we can encounter Jesus deeply, allow the Spirit to help us overcome our fears, and journey through this life with more hope than we thought possible....
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S17 E2 - The Mysteries of Our Lives (Part 2)
Abiding Together
In this episode, we conclude our series by reflecting on the sorrowful and glorious mysteries of our lives. In the midst of our own sorrows, we talk about the mortification of authentic love, what it means to carry our cross, and how to be patient when a particular suffering seems endless. We also share the glorious ways God is working in our lives. From the beauty of color to raising our expectations in faith, we ponder how Jesus’ presence in the sufferings of our lives often restores us more deeply than if He simply just healed our pain. Heather’s One Thing - by Katie...
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S17 E1 - The Mysteries of Our Lives (Part 1)
Abiding Together
Welcome to season 17! In this episode, we continue our tradition of reflecting on the mysteries of our lives based on the mysteries of the Rosary. In every season of our lives, we’re given opportunities to grow in charity and to receive God’s grace. Periodically, it is important to pause and reflect on how God has been working in and through our lives. In our conversation, we model what this looks like and discuss how the virtues of each mystery of the Rosary align with the mysteries of our lives and the fruits God is cultivating. Join us today as we share the Joyful and Luminous mysteries...
info_outlineIn this episode, we begin our Lenten book study “Jesus and the Jubilee” and welcome the author, Dr. John Bergsma, to the podcast! Dr. Bergsma shares his powerful conversion story during the Great Jubilee Year in 2000 and why he felt called to write a book about this Jubilee Year of Hope. We also reflect on this Jubilee year as a time of abundant grace, why Reconciliation is the Sacrament of Jubilee, and how we can engage the virtue of hope this Lenten season.
Heather’s One Thing - Fathering Sons by Dominic Polito
Sister Miriam’s One Thing - Floriani (Chants of Deliverance CD) (Spotify)
Michelle’s One Thing - Jesus and the Jubilee
Dr. Bergsma’s One Thing - Dr. Scott Hahn’s meditations on “The Seven Last Words of Christ”. (Sign up to be sent a weekly video reflection during Lent)
Announcement:
It’s not too late to order your copy of “Jesus and the Jubilee” at the St. Paul Center with promo code “ABIDE15” for 15% off. There are also bulk discounts available.
Journal Questions:
- How does the Lord want to invite me more deeply into the Jubilee Year?
- What am I seeking freedom from this Lent?
- How can I approach Lent with a spirit of hope?
- What do I need to repent of this Lent?
Discussion Questions:
- What is your current understanding of the Jubilee?
- How have you experienced interior miracles from the Lord?
- What stuck out to you from Dr. Bergsma’s statement: “The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a perpetual Jubilee”?
- What is a miracle you want to pray for this Lent?
Quote to Ponder:
“I’m convinced in my heart that the proper response to the announcement of Jubilee 2025 should be joy, hope, and excitement. Lived well, this Jubilee Year can be a moment of miracle and grace for all of us, a kind of yearlong spiritual Christmas season in which we daily awake to open the gifts of grace that God our Father so lovingly gives us.” (Dr. John Bergsma)
Scripture for Lectio:
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.” (Isaiah 61:1-4)
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Timestamps:
00:00 - CORDA
01:34 - Intro
02:26 - Welcome
04:55 - Dr. Bergsma’s Conversion Story
12:58 - The Jubilee Year of Hope is a Time of Grace
16:07 - St. Pope John Paul II
17:35 - The Inspiration to Write Jesus and the Jubilee
21:29 - Why the Jubilee Year is a Personal Experience
28:16 - Reconciliation is the Sacrament of Jubilee
31:38 - Engaging the Virtue of Hope
37:38 - Hope in Prayer
40:12 - One Things