S18 E14 - Prophetic Motherhood
Abiding Together
In this episode, we reflect on the beautiful call of women to prophetic motherhood. We talk about how Our Lady models for us a motherhood that speaks life and calls forth goodness to all those she encounters. We also ponder what it means to be a spiritual mother, how Mary can help heal our wounded experiences of motherhood, and the difference between affirmations and prophetic words. As Pentecost draws near, we invite you to ask for Our Lady’s intercession to prepare your heart for a fresh outpouring of grace and to help you become a woman who brings life wherever she goes. ...
info_outline
S18 E13 - Marriage and Meaning with Special Guests Arthur and Ester Brooks
Abiding Together
In this episode, we welcome Arthur and Ester Brooks to talk about marriage, suffering, and the path to lasting love. Arthur and Ester share what it’s like to minister together, revealing both the grace needed and the hard work it takes to love each other faithfully over decades. We also reflect on suffering as an invitation for growth, why pain is fruitful, and how the hardest places in life are where love is purified. Whether you are married, single, or in religious life, intimacy with God is our source of strength for every situation we encounter in life. Heather’s One Thing...
info_outline
S18 E12 - The Way of Trust and Love: Enduring Trials
Abiding Together
Happy Easter! In this episode, we conclude our Lenten book study on “” and focus on Chapter 6: Enduring Trials. We talk about how even in the light of Easter, we may still experience suffering and how we can choose to rejoice in God’s goodness when His ways remain hidden. We also reflect on why trials are not signs of God’s absence, how we learn to recognize God at work in the present moment, and how to embrace suffering as a necessary path to share in the fullness of Easter. Friends, in this Easter octave, we invite you to reflect on how God has transformed your heart this past Lent....
info_outline
S18 E11 - The Way of Trust and Love: God’s Infinite Mercy
Abiding Together
In this episode, we continue our Lenten book study on “” and focus on Chapter 5: God’s Infinite Mercy. We reflect on the paradox of true strength—how becoming little, dependent, and surrendered before the Lord is the very place where His strength takes root in us. We also talk about what it means to live with a pure heart, not by striving harder, but by bringing every part of ourselves into honest communion with Christ and allowing His kindness to call us higher. This week, as we wrestle with fear, worry, and the temptation to rely on ourselves, we encourage you to be reminded that it...
info_outline
S18 E10 - The Way of Trust and Love: Trusting More and More
Abiding Together
In this episode, we continue our Lenten book study on “” and focus on Chapter 4: Trusting More and More. We reflect on the tender places where our trust in the Father has been wounded—especially in the disappointments we carry with ourselves, our children, and the circumstances in our lives—and how God gently invites us to bring those disappointments to Him. We also talk about the lies that quietly erode our trust in God, the temptation to carry life’s burdens alone, and the way simple rhythms of prayer allow God to personally reveal to us His goodness. This week, we invite you to...
info_outline
S18 E9 - The Way of Trust and Love: Being Reconciled to Our Weakness
Abiding Together
In this episode, we continue our Lenten book study on “” and focus on Chapter 3: Being Reconciled to Our Weakness. We talk about how our struggles with ourselves often spill over into our relationships with others and how learning to accept our own weakness can soften our hearts towards the weakness we see in those around us. We also reflect on the tension between accepting our littleness and desiring real conversion, how we become more aware of our imperfections as we draw closer to the Lord, and the gift of community in helping us clearly see our lives. This week, we invite you to...
info_outline
S18 E8 - The Way of Trust and Love: An Elevator for Small Children
Abiding Together
In this episode, we continue our Lenten book study on “” and focus on Chapter 2: An Elevator for Small Children. We talk about the quiet places of discouragement, and self-reliance that keep us striving instead of surrendering. We also reflect about how radical dependence on God is not laziness, the subtle ways we resist being little before a loving Father, and how our poverty is a doorway into deeper trust. This week, we invite you to fall into the Father’s arms, allow Him to pick you up, and rest in the One who delights in you. Heather’s One Thing - The Prince of Egypt...
info_outline
S18 E7 - The Way of Trust and Love: A Completely New Way
Abiding Together
In this episode, we continue our Lenten book study on “” and focus on Chapter 1: A Completely New Way. We reflect on the “little way” of St. Thérèse, the invitation to become spiritual children before the Father, and how weakness becomes the very place where Christ comes to meet us. We also talk about the difference between being childish and childlike, why true maturity in faith begins with admitting our own poverty, and how small acts of courage open the door to deep healing. This week, we invite you to name the desires stirring in your heart and let the Holy Spirit awaken a new...
info_outline
S18 E6 - The Way of Trust and Love: Introduction
Abiding Together
In this episode, we begin our Lenten book study on “” and focus on the Introduction. We talk about how St. Thérèse’s “little way” offers hope to weary hearts who feel small, fragile, or poor. We discuss how the Lord can transform our lives in a moment, how to boast in our poverty instead of bemoaning it, and the power of a listening heart. This Lent, we invite you into a gentler, deeper journey—one rooted not in striving, but in trust and love. Heather’s One Thing - and everyone who put together this experience Sister Miriam’s One Thing - Michelle’s One...
info_outline
S18 E5 - Entering the Desert
Abiding Together
In this episode, we reflect on Lent as a Holy Spirit led journey through the desert to bring us into a deeper union with God. We talk about the resistance many of us feel to fasting, why Lent is not a self-improvement project, and the importance of discerning our Lenten practices. We also discuss how, through Lent, our true identity as beloved daughters is revealed, tested, and healed. Before Lent begins on Wednesday, we invite you to notice where your heart may feel numb, distracted, or defensive, and ask the Holy Spirit what He desires to restore. Our Lenten book study “” will begin next...
info_outlineIn 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 - Pope Leo XIV: Son of St. Augustine (A conversation with Fr. Dave Pivonka and Dr. Shane Owens)
Heather’s Other One Thing - Franciscan University’s Festival of Praise
Sister Miriam’s One Thing - The Archdiocese of Sydney, Australia
Michelle’s One Thing - Return to the Heart: The Biblical Spirituality of St. Augustine’s Confessions by Dr. Shane Owens
Michelle’s Other One Thing - Heaven for Me! by St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Dr. Shane Owens’ One Thing - Bible Across America from the St. Paul Center
Other Resources Mentioned:
- Return to the Heart: The Biblical Spirituality of St. Augustine’s Confessions by Dr. Shane Owens
- Bible Across America
Journal Questions:
- Am I savoring or swallowing the gifts God has given me?
- What core memories of my life have been rewritten by God?
- What sorrowful mysteries of my life feel too complicated to ponder?
- Where in your memory do you need to ask Jesus where He was present in it?
Discussion Questions:
- How can you hone your spiritual palate to be present to the good that God is doing in your life?
- When have you experienced the living power of memories?
- How have your memories been a source of hope?
- How are you being invited to slow down and ponder?
Quote to Ponder:
“The heart is the dwelling-place where I am, where I live; according to the Semitic or Biblical expression, the heart is the place "to which I withdraw." The heart is our hidden center, beyond the grasp of our reason and of others; only the Spirit of God can fathom the human heart and know it fully. The heart is the place of decision, deeper than our psychic drives. It is the place of truth, where we choose life or death. It is the place of encounter, because as image of God we live in relation: it is the place of covenant.” (CCC 2563)
Scripture for Lectio:
“But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19)
Sponsor - Hallow:
Get 3 months free of Hallow at hallow.com/abide and enjoy over 10,000 audioguided prayers, meditations, and music. Hallow can help you find peace, build a daily habit of prayer, and grow closer to God.
Chapters:
00:00 Hallow
01:00 Intro
01:50 Welcome
05:35 Scripture Verse and Guiding Quote
07:07 Who is St. Augustine?
09:30 What Inspired this Book?
11:18 Entering into Our Memories
13:20 How We Write Our Own Stories
15:34 Scripture and the Eucharist Help Us Understand Our Own Story
17:37 Chewing the Cud
20:47 Wondering vs Pondering
24:30 Hope in Our Sorrowful Mysteries
30:30 Finding Jesus in Painful Memories
38:59 Setting Aside Time to Hope
43:46 One Things