Abiding Together

Abiding Together

By Heather Khym, Michelle Benzinger, Sr Miriam James HeidlandReligion & SpiritualityChristianity
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Abiding Together episodes

  • S19 E2 - The Mysteries of Our Lives (Part 2)

    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 of restoration and redemption.

    Luminous - Something the Lord brought to the light to and an area of pruning, a longing, and ache

    Glorious - Something you see the Lord redeeming and restoring (it can still be in process)

    Heather's One Thing - The Good Life Hallow Series on Hallow

    Sister Miriam's One Thing - Oremoose

    Michelle's One Thing - Dolly Parton and Wendell Berry

    Journal Questions:

    • What is a Luminous Mystery of your life in this season?
    • What is a Glorious Mystery of your life in this season?
    • Where in my life am I seeking restoration and God's glory?
    • Which of your relationships are in need of repair?

    Discussion Questions:

    • How have the Luminous Mysteries of your life invited you to greater clarity & freedom?
    • How is the Lord bringing deeper integration through your Glorious Mysteries?
    • How have you seen God's glory in the midst of suffering?
    • What's one way that you can tangibly depend more on God this week?

    Quote to Ponder:

    "I often think that the ideal of our perfection that we set up, and often go through torture to achieve, may not be God's idea of how He wants us to be at all. That may be something quite different that we never would have thought of, and what seems like a failure to us may really be something bringing us closer to His will for us." (Caryll Houselander)

    Scripture for Lectio:

    "I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame." (Psalm 34: 4-5)

    Sponsor - The Abiding Together Shop:

    Sweater season is here, and the holidays will be here before we know it! The Abiding Together shop is officially back, and we're celebrating with a special shop sale. Whether you're shopping for yourself or getting a head start on your Christmas list, there's something for every Abiding Together listener—from cozy sweatshirts and long- or short-sleeved shirts to saint story cards, mugs, and leather keychains.

    We have so many new styles making their debut in the shop, along with some of your favorite products that are finally back in stock. And for a limited time, you can get free shipping on orders over $75!

    One of the best ways you can support Abiding Together is simply by spreading the word. Wearing your Abiding Together merch out and about is a fun way to share the podcast with the people around you and let others know about the community we're building together.

    And with free shipping on orders over $75, this is the perfect time to place a group order for your sisters, friends, or small group!

    Head over to the shop (abidingtogetherpodcast.com), find something you love, and get ready to show off your Abiding Together spirit. We can't wait to see you out there in your Abiding Together merch!

    Timestamps: 00:00 The Abiding Together Shop

    01:37 Intro

    03:00 Luminous Mysteries

    12:53 Glorious Mysteries

    19:02 One Things

    26 min
  • S19 E1 - The Mysteries of Our Lives (Part 1)

    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 - Abiding Together and Ascension 2027 Planner

    Sister Miriam's One Thing - The Good News Conference and everyone who plans events

    Michelle's One Thing - College Football and Summer Camps

    Journal Questions:

    • What has God been doing in my life?
    • What are the Joyful Mysteries of my life in this season?
    • What are the Sorrowful Mysteries of my life in this season?
    • How is the Lord inviting me to surrender the pain of my Sorrowful Mysteries?

    Discussion Questions:

    • How is the Lord inviting you to be more awake to Him?
    • How have you experienced deeper integration in your life through your Joyful Mysteries?
    • How is the Lord accompanying you through the Sorrowful Mysteries?
    • How is the Lord transforming your bitter memories into sweetness?

    Quote to Ponder:

    "I often think that the ideal of our perfection that we set up, and often go through torture to achieve, may not be God's idea of how He wants us to be at all. That may be something quite different that we never would have thought of, and what seems like a failure to us may really be something bringing us closer to His will for us." (Caryll Houselander)

    Scripture for Lectio:

    "I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame." (Psalm 34: 4-5)

    Sponsor - CORDA:

    Bring the coziness of candlelight and beautiful scents to your home with CORDA's Catholic candles. These candles are made with clean coconut wax and custom fragrances directly inspired by saints and the faith, and are handcrafted by a husband-and-wife team.

    Each candle comes beautifully packaged and ready for gifting, with the story behind the scent inspiration on the box. The timeless design of the candle leads with beauty, helping you share the faith in a lovely and meaningful way.

    Explore CORDA's beautiful Catholic candles and, through November 15, save 10% with code ABIDING10 at cordacandles.com/abiding

    Timestamps: 00:00 CORDA

    01:21 Intro

    02:03 Welcome

    05:00 Scripture Verse and Quote to Ponder

    09:53 Joyful Mysteries

    20:38 Sorrowful Mysteries

    37:44 One Things

    40:32 Closing Prayer

    44 min
  • S18 E24 - Friendship in the Lord: Covenant Love and Celibacy (Chapters 11 & 12, Epilogue)

    In 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:

    • 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:

    Enjoyed reading Friendship in the Lord this summer? Ave Maria Press has even more spiritual titles you'll love. Explore more Christian classics, find your next small group book study or daily Advent companion, and discover guides to deeper healing and spiritual confidence. Ave Maria Press has curated a collection specifically for Abiding Together listeners—encounter your next meaningful read at avemariapress.com.

    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

    53 min
  • S18 E23 - Friendship in the Lord: Worship and Friendship in the Lord (Chapters 9 & 10)

    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 from Ave Maria Press (or Amazon).

    Journal Questions:

    • Who has accompanied you through the valleys and mountaintops of your life?
    • When do I show up to my friendships from a place of woundedness, deficiency, or insecurity? How is the Lord inviting me into deeper security?
    • What is the Lord inviting me to delight in?
    • How have I turned my unmet expectations into demands in my friendships?

    Discussion Questions:

    • What are you grateful for?
    • Where in your life are you experiencing the Lord's presence in the midst of suffering?
    • When have unmet expectations turned into demands on a relationship?
    • How do you cultivate delight and gratitude in your life?

    Quote to Ponder:

    "Friends in the Lord always turn one another toward the Lord. They are not forever gazing at each other, but together they look to the Lord and to their brothers and sisters in the Lord." (Friendship in the Lord, Page 101)

    Scripture for Lectio:

    "We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love." (Ephesians 4:14-17)

    Sponsor - Word on Fire's new film, Heaven in Stone and Glass, produced in partnership with Spirit Juice Studios:

    Beauty has the power to draw us beyond ourselves and point us toward something more.

    One of our favorite places in the United States is the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. When we are there, beauty has a way of speaking to the ache that we can't name. It is as though our soul knows where it belongs. It feels like a homecoming.

    Word on Fire's Heaven in Stone and Glass is a new film exploring the beauty, meaning, and evangelizing power of sacred architecture.

    Journey across France with Bishop Barron as he explores five of the world's most iconic Gothic cathedrals: Chartres, Notre-Dame, Reims, Amiens, and Saint-Denis. Through soaring arches, stained glass, sacred imagery, and centuries of history, Bishop Barron reveals the theological meaning embedded within these extraordinary spaces and explores why their beauty continues to stir something deep within the human soul.

    Heaven in Stone and Glass invites believers and skeptics alike on a cinematic pilgrimage and asks us to consider what these sacred spaces have proclaimed for centuries: that beauty can reveal something about God and awaken us to the transcendent.

    Word on Fire's Heaven in Stone and Glass, a production of Spirit Juice Studios, is coming to theaters nationwide on September 20th and 23rd.

    Get tickets for yourself or a group here: https://heaveninstoneandglass.com

    Timestamps:

    00:00 Heaven in Stone and Glass

    01:38 Intro

    02:42 Scripture Verse and Quote to Ponder

    05:07 Friendship is Meant to Last Forever

    10:13 Faith as the Foundation of Friendship

    12:05 Mature Love Gives Deepened Life to Others

    13:39 Praising God for Your Friendships

    17:20 Beholding Beauty in Others

    20:11 Asking God for Gratitude

    24:28 Closing Prayer

    29 min
  • S18 E22 - Friendship in the Lord: Intimacy in Friendship (Chapters 7 & 8)

    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 Lord from Ave Maria Press (or Amazon).

    Journal Questions:

    • What makes me feel at home with the Trinity?
    • How has God invited me to be a more faithful friend?
    • Where do I need to grow in self-awareness and be freed from self-preoccupation?
    • What is my disposition when someone lovingly reveals my own weaknesses and shortcomings to me?
    • How have I refused to grow?

    Discussion Questions:

    • What makes you feel at home with other people?
    • How is God inviting you into deeper communion with others?
    • How has the Lord revealed to you your weaknesses and shortcomings? How did you receive that truth from Him?
    • How have you given into sloth by seeking God's lesser gifts and ignoring His greater gifts?

    Quote to Ponder:

    "In a special way, Christian friendship is meant to help us grow in our relationship with the Lord, as one intimately loved by him. It is meant to give us some small experience of what it means to be at home in communion with the Holy Trinity. Only in intimacy with the Lord are we the deepest "who we are." Only in communion with him are we our truest selves." (Friendship in the Lord, Page 77)

    Scripture for Lectio:

    "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15)

    Timestamps: 00:00 Intro

    01:00 Scripture Verse

    02:37 Human Friendship Helps Us Grow In Relationship with God

    05:06 Freedom from Self-Preoccupation

    07:47 Cultivating Self Awareness

    10:15 Giving and Receiving Honest Feedback

    14:36 Pain in Friendship is a Symbol of Our Longing for God

    19:12 What Should We Do with Our Ache?

    22:48 Resting in the Enjoyment of Lesser Gifts

    25:05 A Call to Make Room

    27:22 Closing Prayer

    32 min
  • S18 E21 - Friendship in the Lord: Appreciation and Reconciliation (Chapters 5 & 6)

    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, and sin into the love of Christ, we discover that the very places we fear most can become the biggest places of resurrection.

    Other Resources Mentioned:

    • Restore the Glory Podcast on Confession (Parts 1-3)

    • S18 Forgiveness Meditation (with questions from the book Forgiving as Unity with Christ)

    • S11 Forgiveness Meditation with Sister Miriam

    Announcement:

    • You can buy your copy of Friendship in the Lord from Ave Maria Press (or Amazon).

    Journal Questions:

    • Am I maturing as a friend?
    • What does the Holy Spirit want to teach me through my friendships?
    • Am I currently experiencing conflict or frustration in a relationship? What is the pain or trigger I feel beneath the conflict?
    • Can I receive the gift of beauty without trying to grasp or possess it?
    • How have I failed to uphold the dignity of my friends?
    • Am I experiencing the fullness of who I am?
    • What parts of myself am I hiding from my relationships?

    Discussion Questions:

    • When have you experienced your own uniqueness in a friendship? Did you experience your uniqueness as a gift to give or as an insecurity to hide?
    • How is the Lord inviting you to more freely receive your friends rather than possessing them?
    • How have you participated in belittling or sarcasm in your relationships?
    • How have you participated in or been on the receiving end of judgment within friendships?
    • Where does the Lord want to love you into a place of freedom?

    Quote to Ponder:

    "The intimacy of adult friendship in the Spirit can teach us to aspire to the fullest possible intimacy with the Lord himself. The tenderness of one friend toward another is the image of God's own tenderness, when the friends truly love each other in the Spirit." (Friendship in the Lord, Page 62)

    Scripture for Lectio:

    "Therefore as God's chosen people, holy and dearly beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (Colossians 3:12-14)

    Timestamps: 00:00 Intro

    01:10 Scripture Verse and Quote to Ponder

    02:03 Am I Maturing as A Friend?

    07:57 Our Different Gifts Reveal Facets of God

    11:45 Appreciating Beauty Without Grasping

    14:28 Upholding the Dignity of Another

    16:03 Receiving Ourselves as A Gift

    18:37 Judgement Makes Us Blind

    20:30 Exposing Our Weaknesses to the Light

    22:00 Remaining Faithful to Our Friends

    25:50 Reconciling with God and Others

    33 min
  • S18 E20 - Friendship in the Lord: Friendship is Two People Growing (Chapters 3 & 4)

    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 helping one another become who God created us to be.

    Other Resources Mentioned:

    • Restore the Glory Podcast on Confession

    Announcement:

    • You can buy your copy from Ave Maria Press (or Amazon).

    Journal Questions:

    • When have I experienced healthy and holy friendship between men and women?
    • Where is my gaze within my friendships?
    • Do any of my friendships serve a higher purpose than just the friendship itself?
    • When have I experienced enmeshment or avoidance within friendships?
    • Do I prioritize my most important relationships? Who has the Lord especially entrusted to me?

    Discussion Questions:

    • How are you pursuing a friendship with the Lord?
    • Do you think that men and women can have virtuous friendships?
    • When have you unhealthily looked to a friendship to satisfy all your needs?
    • Have you ever felt spread too thin in your friendships?
    • Which example of holy friendship from the book resonates with you?

    Quote to Ponder:

    "Just as love for neighbor proceeds from love for God, so does faith concerning creatures proceed from this love, whether it be general faith or special faith. As there's a general faith corresponding to the love which we ought to feel in general to every creature, so there is a special faith belonging to those who love one another more intimately, like the faith which has established a close particular love between us two." (St. Catherine of Siena)

    Scripture for Lectio:

    "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:3-9)

    Timestamps: 00:00 Intro

    03:35 Scripture Verse and Quote to Ponder

    05:11 The Friendship of St. Catherine and Bl. Raymond

    08:57 The Order of Friendship

    11:40 Can Men and Women Have Virtuous Friendships?

    16:43 Friendship Ordered Towards Christ

    19:24 Why Friendship with God Comes First

    23:51 Growing Through Different Stages of Friendship

    28:02 Rupture and Repair in Friendship

    31:48 Closing Prayer

    36 min
  • S18 E19 - Friendship in the Lord: What Friendship Means (Chapters 1 & 2)

    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 Friendship in the Lord from Ave Maria Press (or Amazon).

    Journal Questions:

    • How is the Lord inviting me to cultivate deeper community where I live?
    • Where in my life am I trying to love others without being in communion with God?
    • Am I truly allowing the love of Christ to come out within a community?
    • Am I at home with the Lord?
    • How have I been possessive of my relationships within my community?
    • When have I experienced belonging within community?
    • How can I create more reverent space in my relationships to allow others to become?

    Discussion Questions:

    • How is the Lord calling you to mission?
    • When you think about a friendship or marriage that you admire, what qualities of that relationship inspire you?
    • Who are the people in my life that I feel at home with?
    • How have you experienced possessiveness negatively impacting your relationships?
    • Where do you long for a deeper sense of belonging?
    • Which friends and relationships have played a role in helping you become who God has created you to be?

    Quotes to Ponder:

    "The mission of joy and friendship within the Christian community is even more fundamental than the Church's mission to the poor and needy, because love and joy are the source from which all ministry to the sorrowing must flow." (Friendship in the Lord, Page 7)

    "The wonderful mystery which is you is not complete until you are appreciated." (Friendship in the Lord, Page 19)

    Scripture for Lectio:

    "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." (John 15:12-15)

    Sponsor - Ascension:

    For the first time in more than 50 years, the Church in the United States will begin praying with a new translation of The Liturgy of the Hours starting in 2027. This long-awaited update marks a historic moment in the life of the Church and offers the opportunity for a renewed encounter with her daily prayer.

    Chosen by the USCCB as one of the official publishers, Ascension has carefully crafted an edition designed to serve the Church's prayer for generations. Every detail has been thoughtfully considered to provide exceptional readability, lasting durability, and beauty worthy of this sacred tradition.

    Ascension's Edition features:

    • Original commissioned artwork rooted in Catholic Tradition
    • Top-of-the-line typesetting to maximize readability
    • Custom Ascension Serif typeface to support extended prayer
    • Durable Smyth-sewn binding and premium materials crafted for daily use
    • Availability in multiple formats to support individual prayer needs

    Available in both Standard and Large Print formats, with three cover materials to choose from, The Liturgy of the Hours, Second Edition may be preordered as individual volumes or as the complete four-volume bundle. Volume II will begin shipping on January 1, 2027, in time for use beginning on Ash Wednesday, February 10, 2027.

    Experience the beauty of the Church's daily prayer in an edition thoughtfully crafted to support prayer for generations. Preorder The Liturgy of the Hours, Second Edition at www.AscensionPress.com/Abiding.

    Timestamps: 00:00 Ascension

    01:32 Intro

    02:18 Welcome

    02:37 Scripture Verse and Quote to Ponder

    03:31 Mission Comes from Community

    05:26 Abiding in God's Love First

    10:42 The Feeling of Belonging

    14:18 Appreciation is Necessary in Friendship

    17:22 We Help Others Become Themselves

    20:09 Intimacy is Being at Home with Someone

    25:49 Being Attentive to Fear

    26:59 Closing Prayer

    31 min
  • S18 E18 - Friendship in the Lord: Foreword and Prologue

    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:

    • Friendship in the Lord Study Webpage
    • Small Group Discussion Guide

    Announcement:

    If you'd like a copy of Friendship in the Lord, you can buy your copy from Ave Maria Press (or Amazon).

    Journal Questions:

    • How do I self protect and hide myself in my relationships?
    • When have I felt embarrassed by my own need for friendship?
    • Do I allow people to be free in my relationships?
    • How has a friend failed me and how have I failed a friend?

    Discussion Questions:

    • How do you define good friendship?
    • How have your friendships brought you closer to the Lord?
    • How is God inviting you to bring your relationships into closer communion with God?
    • When have you experienced possessiveness in your friendships?
    • What hopes and desires do I have for my friendships?

    Quotes to Ponder:

    "A true friend is a sort of icon of God, an other through whom the Lord's kindness and mercy shine in a manner that binds up and anoints our brokenness." (Forward to Friendship in the Lord, Fr. John Burns, xv)

    "As Fr. Hinnebusch says so well, "What a Christian friend wants above all else for the loved one is his or her communion with the Lord. The one I love, my wife, my husband, my friend, belongs first of all to the Lord. And in that sense, I am only the friend of the Bridegroom. He alone is true Spouse of each and every human heart. He must increase, while I must decrease."" (Forward to Friendship in the Lord, xvii)

    "A friendship is two lives joined in love and lived as one. But friendship in the Lord is never two people closed in upon themselves. Each of the friends is fully open to the Lord and open to other friends in such a way that the friendship is always part of a larger community. The Christian community is a cluster of many friendships knit together." (Preface to Friendship in the Lord, xix)

    Scripture for Lectio:

    "Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

    "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,"

    which means, "God is with us." When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus." (Matthew 1:10-25)

    Sponsor - Ascension:

    For the first time in more than 50 years, the Church in the United States will begin praying with a new translation of The Liturgy of the Hours starting in 2027. This long-awaited update marks a historic moment in the life of the Church and offers the opportunity for a renewed encounter with her daily prayer.

    Chosen by the USCCB as one of the official publishers, Ascension has carefully crafted an edition designed to serve the Church's prayer for generations. Every detail has been thoughtfully considered to provide exceptional readability, lasting durability, and beauty worthy of this sacred tradition.

    Ascension's Edition features:

    • Original commissioned artwork rooted in Catholic Tradition
    • Top-of-the-line typesetting to maximize readability
    • Custom Ascension Serif typeface to support extended prayer
    • Durable Smyth-sewn binding and premium materials crafted for daily use
    • Availability in multiple formats to support individual prayer needs

    Available in both Standard and Large Print formats, with three cover materials to choose from, The Liturgy of the Hours, Second Edition may be preordered as individual volumes or as the complete four-volume bundle. Volume II will begin shipping on January 1, 2027, in time for use beginning on Ash Wednesday, February 10, 2027.

    Experience the beauty of the Church's daily prayer in an edition thoughtfully crafted to support prayer for generations. Preorder The Liturgy of the Hours, Second Edition at www.AscensionPress.com/Abiding.

    Timestamps: 00:00 Ascension

    01:32 Intro

    02:19 Welcome

    07:06 Scripture Verse and Quote to Ponder

    08:32 Becoming an Icon of God

    10:21 Self Protection in Relationships

    12:40 Adult Friendships Must Be Cultivated

    15:11 One Person Cannot Satisfy All Our Desires

    19:55 Christian Community is a Cluster of Friendships

    23:39 The Temptation to Possess

    27:42 Closing Prayer

    33 min

About Abiding Together

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Providing a place of connection, rest and encouragement for women who are on the journey of living out their passion and purpose in Jesus Christ.

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