S18 E24 - Friendship in the Lord: Covenant Love and Celibacy (Chapters 11 & 12, Epilogue)
Release Date: 08/17/2026
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...
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S18 E19 - Friendship in the Lord: What Friendship Means (Chapters 1 & 2)
Abiding Together
In this episode, we continue our book study on Friendship in the Lord and reflect on what it means to be truly known, deeply loved, and fully at home with another. We talk about why we must first learn to abide in the love of God, how appreciation helps others become who they were created to be, and what it looks like to grow in friendship over time. Whether friendship feels life-giving or challenging in this season of your life, we invite you to bring every desire, wound, and longing before the Lord, who first calls you His friend. Announcement: You can buy your copy of...
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S18 E18 - Friendship in the Lord: Foreword and Prologue
Abiding Together
In this episode, we begin our summer book study on Friendship in the Lord by Fr. Paul Hinnebusch, OP. We focus on the foreword and prologue and reflect on the difference between prudence and fear, the ways we self-protect in relationships, and our longing for authentic communion. We also talk about what it means to love without possessing, how to receive others as a gift, and why friendship is a foretaste of heaven. Other Resources Mentioned: Announcement: If you’d like a copy of Friendship in the Lord, you can buy your copy from (or ). Journal Questions: How...
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S18 E17 - The End of A Season
Abiding Together
In this episode, we conclude season 18 by reflecting on the grace-filled moments this past season and the quiet ways the Lord continues to invite us into deeper communion with Him. We share who our favorite guests were, which episodes deeply ministered to us, and what we are hoping for in this next season. Thank you for spending this season with us, friends. It has been such a gift to walk alongside you in every conversation, prayer, and story shared. We’ll be holding you close in prayer over the summer and look forward to gathering with you again on July 6th, 2026 for our summer book...
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S18 E16 - Preparing for Pentecost
Abiding Together
In this episode, we reflect on how Pentecost is more than just an event of the past, but can be an ongoing outpouring of God’s love and grace in our lives today. We discuss how the Holy Spirit helps heal our wounds, restores communion with God, and teaches us how to live with power and boldness, even in the places where we feel unable to love the Lord. As we prepare our hearts for Pentecost, we talk practically about cultivating a posture of receptivity, learning to invite the Holy Spirit more deeply into our hearts, and how to allow His fire to illuminate our identity and transform us from...
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S18 E15 - Sacred Wounds
Abiding Together
In this episode, we reflect on the sacred wounds of Jesus, the reality of our own woundedness, and Jesus’ invitation to make us well. We talk about how our wounds, so often hidden in shame or self-protection, when transformed, can actually become places of communion and grace. We also share about our personal experiences of facing fear or disappointment and how the slow, often painful, process of healing reminds us that God’s ways are not our own. Jesus tenderly meets us in every broken place within our hearts and ardently desires to make all things new. Heather’s One Thing - ...
info_outlineIn this episode, we conclude our book study on Friendship in the Lord and welcome Fr. John Burns, Founder of Friends of the Bridegroom, 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 ultimately reveal the deeper truth that we were made for God.
Friends, we feel so blessed to have been able to journey with you this summer. We will see you on September 28th for the start of Season 19! Sign up for our newsletter or follow us on Instagram to receive updates!
Announcement:
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You can buy your copy of Friendship in the Lord from Ave Maria Press (or Amazon).
Journal Questions:
- How has God moved my heart through this book study?
- Where in my heart am I longing for more hope in my relationships?
- How has this book study given me more hope for more friendships?
- How am I avoiding suffering?
- What are my relational patterns when I experience joy? Shame? Suffering?
- How have I been tempted to idolize friendship by seeing a friend as my savior?
Discussion Questions:
- What has resonated with you in the book?
- How do you want to show up to your friendships differently?
- What would it look like to have hope in difficult or painful relationships?
- How are you seeking to grow in maturity in your friendships?
Quote to Ponder:
“There is no true love without reverence. And reverence is always tender.” (Friendship in the Lord, Page 115)
Scripture for Lectio:
“He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled.” (John 3:29)
Sponsor - Ave Maria Press:
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Timestamps:
00:00 Ave Maria Press
01:24 Intro
03:03 Scripture Verse and Guiding Quote
06:10 Appreciation and the Fear of Being Alone
10:19 Hope for What Friendship Can Be
14:01 The Fear of Suffering
20:14 Becoming Who We Are Meant to Be
28:05 Self-Knowledge in Friendship
30:24 The Beauty of Celibate Friendships
38:47 Encountering Loneliness
43:52 Seeing Another’s Potential
48:17 Closing Prayer