S16 E12 - Jesus and the Jubilee: Chapter Nine and Conclusion
Release Date: 04/07/2025
S17 E15 - The Four Places of Advent: The Stable (Part 4)
Abiding Together
In this episode, we end our journey at the Stable, the humble place where God chose for us to meet His Son. We reflect on the stable of our own hearts, how Jesus chooses to meet us in our own poverty now, and why His very presence brings healing. We also talk about how when we sit in our emptiness, release control, and surrender each part of our lives to God, He is able to work more powerfully in our lives. Finally, we ponder Mary’s quiet and loving gaze upon the Christ Child and how we are invited to slow down and notice Jesus smiling back at us. Friends, we’ve deeply enjoyed...
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S17 E14 - The Four Places of Advent: Elizabeth’s House (Part 3)
Abiding Together
In this episode, we journey to Elizabeth’s house, the place of the Visitation. We reflect on Mary’s haste as she makes the journey to visit Elizabeth and how Elizabeth creates space for Mary as the mystery of the incarnation unfolds. We also ponder Elizabeth’s years of longing for a child, how God fulfills our desires in ways different than we expect, and why we should hold onto hope instead of disappointment. Finally, we talk about cultivating a deeper sensitivity to God’s presence, trusting that even when His work is hidden, beauty is unfolding within our lives. Heather’s...
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S17 E13 - The Four Places of Advent: Loreto (Part 2)
Abiding Together
In this episode, we journey to the house of Loreto, a simple home where the Annunciation took place. We reflect on how God meets us in the quiet, ordinary places of our own lives and how He meets us where we are, no matter how isolated we may feel. We also explore Mary’s free and wholehearted yes, given without a request for details, and consider where the Holy Spirit may be inviting us to trust and surrender in our own hidden spaces. As Advent is a time to rest in stillness, we talk about making room for God in our schedules, noticing His gentle invitations in the everyday, and allowing His...
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S17 E12 - The Four Places of Advent: Eden (Part 1)
Abiding Together
In this episode, we begin our Advent journey in Eden, a place of freedom, communion, and life without shame. Eden is not only a moment in history, but also an interior garden within each of our hearts. We talk about the deep ache we all feel for union, rest, and peace, and how this longing reveals our original design for communion with God. We also reflect on the shame that often accompanies this desire for communion with others, especially when our desires are left unmet, and how bringing these places of poverty to Jesus opens us up to real, lived communion with Him. Heather’s One...
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S17 E11 - A Moment of Gratitude
Abiding Together
In this episode, we reflect on the importance of giving thanks to the Lord for all He has done in both the beautiful and difficult moments of life. We talk about how practicing gratitude can change our perspective of reality and helps us recognize where God has been present even in moments we do not understand. We also name the fears that can sometimes keep us from giving thanks and discuss how gratitude becomes an act of surrender that opens us to God’s steady, faithful presence. As a gift to you, we end today’s episode by doing Lectio Divina with Psalm 34 and invite you into a time of...
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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...
info_outlineIn this episode, we continue our Lenten book study and focus on chapter 9 and the conclusion. We reflect on the goodness of God and why we need not be afraid even when we do not understand what He is doing or how He is working in our lives. We also talk about how the Holy Spirit is like a salve to the wounds in our life, the importance of taking the authority we’ve been given by God, and why hungering and thirsting for God allows us to grow in intimacy with Him.
Heather’s One Thing - Healing Prayers and Renunciations by Dr. Bob Schuchts
Sister Miriam’s One Thing - Mango Salsa Recipe
Michelle’s One Thing - The Way of Love by Marie Miller
Journal Questions:
- How can I make Jubilee a lifestyle?
- How does my heart respond to the unexpected works and movements of the Holy Spirit?
- Where in my life do I need to welcome the Holy Spirit?
- Where does the Lord want to liberate me?
Discussion Questions:
- How can you embrace the spirit of Jubilee and not the letter of Jubilee?
- How will you embrace the sacraments, pilgrimages, and indulgences this year?
- Where in your heart do you feel like you need to be cautious and protective with the Lord?
- What are the things in your life filling you with a false satiation?
- What are the graces you’ve received this Lent?
Quote to Ponder:
“For that reason, the Jubilee 2025 is a highly appropriate time for individuals and communities to enter more deeply into the life of the Holy Spirit.” (Jesus and the Jubilee, John Bergsma, Page 111)
“What are some practical steps to bring jubilee into our hearts? How do we embrace the Spirit of jubilee and not the letter of jubilee? How do we make good use of 2025 and the years following? How do we make jubilee a lifestyle? How do we sustain liberty? There are three simple answers: sacraments, pilgrimages, and indulgences.” (Jesus and the Jubilee, John Bergsma, Page 113)
Scripture for Lectio:
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17)
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Timestamps:
00:00 - West Coast Catholic
01:30 - Intro
02:06 - Welcome
05:20 - Scripture Verse and Guiding Quote
06:20 - The Holy Spirit
08:40 - A Salve to Our Wounds
10:28 - He is Good
12:28 - In the School of the Holy Spirit
14:23 - Sacraments, Pilgrimages, and Indulgences
18:31 - Taking Authority
20:30 - Are We Hungry Enough?
22:44 - Stirring Up Hunger
24:44 - The Price of Liberation
27:40 - Graces Received During Lent
29:09 - One Things