S18 E13 - Marriage and Meaning with Special Guests Arthur and Ester Brooks
Release Date: 04/27/2026
S19 E4 - Living Organically & Humanly in an Artificial World
Abiding Together
In this episode, we talk about what it means to live an authentically human life in an increasingly digital world. Technology is reshaping the way we live and it affects more than just how we work and play. We reflect on how our thoughts, relationships, and emotions are being influenced, and why we need to be intentional about making space for real, human connection. We share how beauty, creativity, and wonder draw us out of an artificial reality and remind us of the goodness of being human. We also offer practical ideas for finding balance with technology, learning to savor rather than simply...
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S19 E3 - Living Liturgically
Abiding Together
In this episode, we reflect on how to integrate the rhythms of the liturgical year into our everyday lives. We talk about the different graces available to us in each liturgical season, and how by living these seasons year after year, we are slowly being taught how to thrive. We also reflect on the value of our attention, what it means to be human, and how sacramentals can help call our attention back to God. Living liturgically is not simply another thing to do, but an invitation to become the women God created us to be. Heather’s One Thing - Catholic Artists Sister Miriam’s One...
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S19 E2 - The Mysteries of Our Lives (Part 2)
Abiding Together
In this episode, we continue our reflection on the mysteries of our lives by exploring our luminous and glorious mysteries. We talk about how God has been inviting us to trust His plans, especially when they look different from our own. We also share how God has been restoring relationships in our lives, reminding us that He is faithful even when we cannot see the full picture of what He is doing. Through these reflections, we are reminded that when God brings something to light, He is inviting us into a deeper relationship with Him. And that His glory is often revealed through quiet moments...
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S19 E1 - The Mysteries of Our Lives (Part 1)
Abiding Together
Welcome to Season 19! In this episode, we continue our tradition of reflecting on the mysteries of our lives through the mysteries of the Rosary. In every season of our lives, God invites us to grow in charity, receive His grace, and allow Him to work more deeply in our hearts. It’s important to pause from time to time and reflect on how God has been moving in and through our lives. We model what this reflection can look like and share about our joyful and sorrowful mysteries. Joyful - A delight, an area of gratitude Sorrowful - A hurt or obstacle Heather’s One Thing - ...
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A Message From Sr. Miriam James
Abiding Together
To read Sr. Miriam's Letter, visit the .
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S18 E24 - Friendship in the Lord: Covenant Love and Celibacy (Chapters 11 & 12, Epilogue)
Abiding Together
In this episode, we conclude our book study on Friendship in the Lord and welcome Fr. John Burns, Founder of , to the podcast. We reflect on our deep longing to be known and loved and the ways fear can cause us to cling to others or settle for lesser goods. We talk about hoping for the possibility of beautiful friendship, even when our own experience has been marked by loneliness, disappointment, or suffering. We also discuss the beauty of celibate friendship as a witness to the primacy of God’s love, the role of feedback in relationships, and how the limitations we encounter in friendship...
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S18 E23 - Friendship in the Lord: Worship and Friendship in the Lord (Chapters 9 & 10)
Abiding Together
In this episode, we continue our book study on Friendship in the Lord and reflect on the gift of friendship as a foretaste of heaven and a living image of God’s love. We talk about how we are meant to journey through life with each other, how God bonds us together along the way, and how these friendships are meant to last forever. We also discuss the gift of praising God for our friends, what it means to behold and not possess beauty, and how focusing on gratitude allows us to hold joy and sorrow in tension. Announcement: You can buy your copy of Friendship in the Lord...
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S18 E22 - Friendship in the Lord: Intimacy in Friendship (Chapters 7 & 8)
Abiding Together
In this episode, we continue our book study on Friendship in the Lord and discuss how friendship with others leads us into deeper intimacy with God. We talk about our longing for both human and divine communion, how healthy friendships free us from self-preoccupation, and why learning to receive feedback is essential to our growth. We also reflect on how unmet desires in friendship are signs of our longing for the Trinity and the importance of releasing lesser goods so that we can be free to receive God’s greater gifts. Announcement: You can buy your copy of Friendship in the...
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S18 E21 - Friendship in the Lord: Appreciation and Reconciliation (Chapters 5 & 6)
Abiding Together
In this episode, we continue our book study on Friendship in the Lord and reflect on how loving appreciation and reconciliation are the places where friendship matures. We talk about why healthy adult friendships draw us closer to the Lord, how the unique gifts of women and men reveal different facets of God's love, and how learning to behold another's beauty without trying to grasp or possess it calls forth our true identity. We also discuss the importance of recognizing how we've hurt others, expressing sincere sorrow, and allowing others to do the same. As we bring our wounds, suffering,...
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S18 E20 - Friendship in the Lord: Friendship is Two People Growing (Chapters 3 & 4)
Abiding Together
In this episode, we continue our book study on Friendship in the Lord and reflect on the ways God invites us to grow through the relationships He has entrusted to us. We talk about the importance of rightly ordered love, why true friendship always draws our gaze toward Christ, and the beauty of virtuous friendships between men and women. We also talk honestly about the fears, wounds, and misunderstandings that can arise in friendship, and the importance of repair in deepening a friendship. Friendship is not about finding someone to complete us, but about walking together toward holiness while...
info_outlineIn 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 - Franciscan’s Resurrection Party!
Heather’s Other One Thing - 10 Day Pentecost Audio Prayer Plan
Sister Miriam’s One Thing - Heather’s Easter Spotify Playlist
Michelle’s One Thing - Everyone who just came into the Catholic Church!
Ester’s One Thing - Her husband Arthur!
Ester’s Other One Thing - Professional Cycling
Arthur’s One Thing - Opportunities to witness to the Catholic faith during The Meaning of Your Life book launch
Other Resources Mentioned:
- Arthur Brooks’ Website
- Ester Brooks’ Instagram
- The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness by Arthur Brooks
- Other Books by Arthur Brooks
Journal Questions:
- What does it look like to fight well?
- How have I witnessed or experienced a marriage that is an antenna to God?
- What suffering in my life am I resisting?
- What are the discomforts and sufferings I have experienced today that I can thank God for?
Discussion Questions:
- When are you tempted to be led by your feelings?
- When have you had to let go of resisting suffering in the past?
- Where in your life, marriage, or relationships do you feel stalled?
- How is God inviting you to prioritize Him over your marriage, relationships, and responsibilities?
Quotes to Ponder:
"It is Jesus that you seek when you dream of happiness; he is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you; he is the beauty to which you are so attracted; it is he who provokes you with that thirst for fullness that will not let you settle for compromise; it is he who urges you to shed the masks of a false life; it is he who reads in your hearts your most genuine choices, the choices that others try to stifle. It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be grounded down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal." (Pope John Paul II, World Youth Day, Rome, 2000)
Scripture for Lectio:
“Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.” (Romans 12:9-12)
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Timestamps:
00:00 The Inspired Living
00:44 Intro
01:54 Scripture Verse
06:06 Ministering as A Married Couple
10:03 How to Fight and Bring About Deeper Union
15:23 Suffering Helps Us Grow
26:12 Committing to A Prayer Life
32:22 Making Space to Become
36:06 Putting God First and Your Spouse Second
38:10 The Science of Being Happy
41:44 One Things