Abiding Together

In this episode we move beyond the idea of personal holiness and discuss the practicals of how to grow in holiness. Holiness is a unique path of surrender to God and He has provided all that we need to be holy right where we are. We chat about the importance of the will, surrender, fasting, prayer, and being sober and alert. Starting today, we are invited to make the pursuit of holiness - growing towards intimate union with God - a priority. Sister Miriam’s one thing - The sculpture A Quiet Moment by Timothy P. Schmalz Michelle’s one thing - Praying the Rosary for Inner Healing by Fr. Dwight Longenecker Michelle’s other one thing - Praying the Rosary for Spiritual Warfare by Fr. Dwight Longenecker Michelle’s other other one thing - Mighty is Her Call - A Mother’s Rosary Guide Heather’s one thing - Abide in Me - Chris August  Discussion questions:     What struck you from this week’s episode? Holiness is more about being than doing. Who is someone you would describe as “holy” and why? Michelle spoke about

In this episode we talk about how we are finding the Lord and clinging to Him in a time that is uncertain and wrought with suffering and isolation. We discuss how these times of difficulty expose how strong our root systems are and the difference between isolation vs solitude . We also chat about the importance of learning to lament and offer our sorrow to God instead of shutting it down or wallowing in self pity. The invitation is for us to build our foundation on our unshakeable God. Sister Miriam’s one thing - Heather’s new backyard pool!  Michelle’s one thing - Mary's Mantle Consecration by Christine Watkins Michelle’s other one thing - Marian Consecration for Families with Young Children by Colleen Pressprich and illustrated by Rebecca Gorzynska Heather’s one thing - I Surrender - Hillsong and Lauren Daigle  Discussion questions:     What struck you from the podcast? What are you lamenting right now? And if you're not lamenting, is it something you feel free to do? Why or why not? We are the church. W

Welcome to season 8! In this episode we talk about what the Lord has been teaching us over the summer and how we are invited to find our peace by fixing our eyes on Jesus and resting in the gaze of God. If we can look higher to find a kingdom perspective, we can find security in His Sovereignty. We talk about the deep realization that in all that has happened and has been taken away in 2020, there is no other answer, no other way forward, than Jesus Christ himself.   Sister Miriam’s one thing - Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus - Lauren Daigle Michelle’s one thing -  The Life of Elise Angelette: watch her Funeral Mass (homily starts around minute 46) or read more about her life  Heather’s one thing - The One Minute Pause App Book mentioned: Get Your Life Back - by John Eldridge  Discussion questions:     What struck you from the podcast? What does it mean to “fix your eyes on God” every day? What areas have you done this in the last three months and what are areas you have found yourself searching for peace elsewher

Unity and Charity In this last episode of Season 7, we look back at our favorite moments and highlight important conversations from the season. We also talk about unity, using social media wisely, taking a holy pause before we speak, and the invitation to be peacemakers. We must begin with ourselves if we want to be a person of peace and unity. We also check in about how we are doing with our word of the year. Our new season will begin September 14.   Sister Miriam’s one thing - Our benefactors and Patreon supporters Michelle’s one thing - Our Abiding Together “village,” and everyone who makes our Facebook group such a refuge of graciousness and kindness! Heather’s one thing - Also our Patreon supporters, and the Abiding Together team. Discussion questions:     What struck you from the podcast? What is one area in your life that you need to work on so that you can be a person of unity and peace? How are you doing with your word of the year? What will you do this summer to continue on the journey and stay

Spiritual Fatherhood (with Fr. Dave Pivonka) In this episode we interview our dear friend Fr. Dave Pivonka, creator of the Wild Goose Series and President of Franciscan University of Steubenville. We discuss the importance of spiritual fathers, our need for restoration of the image and experience of fatherhood, and a deepening in our understanding of God as Father. We also discuss the characteristics of a good spiritual father.   Sister Miriam’s one thing - Black bean and roasted vegetable salad You can add: Quinoa Fresh lime juice instead of the suggested lemon juice dressing Cumin/Chili power or taco seasoning  Fresh diced jalapeño  All yummy things!    Enjoy!    Michelle’s one thing - My front porch!   Heather’s one thing - Zach and Abby Vestnys on Instagram and Youtube, and an app with deliverance prayers from the St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal (Apple) (Google)   Father Dave’s one thing - Baseball. Bring baseball back!! Discussion questions:     What struck you from the podcast? What does th

In the School of the Holy Spirit Part 3: Chapter Three and Conclusion In this episode we wrap up Part 3 of our book study on Fr. Jacques Philippe’s book In the School of the Holy Spirit. We discuss how to discern between the voice of the Lord and our own voice or the enemy’s voice. We also talk about practical tools for wielding the sword of truth as well as discernment in vocation, ministry, and life. Sister Miriam’s one thing - The new Bible study from Ascension on the book of Hebrews (Available now for preorder!) Michelle’s one thing - Men’s podcasts for Father’s Day (see below!) Heather’s one thing - The Archdiocese of Vancouver’s new website, Behold.   Additional Resources Prayer by Cardinal Mercier - Holy Spirit, soul of my soul, I adore Thee.Enlighten me, guide me,strengthen and comfort me.Tell me what I ought to doand order me to do it.I promise to submitto anything you requirest of me,and to accept everythingthat Thou allowest to happen to me.Just show me what Thy will is.   Kapaun’s Men is dedicat

In the School of the Holy Spirit Part 2: Chapter Two In this episode we continue the 2nd part of our book study on Fr. Jacques Philippe’s In the School of the Holy Spirit. We discuss the practical elements of fostering an environment where the Holy Spirit can inspire and direct us. We also talk about inviting the Holy Spirit to speak the truth into false narratives we believe and to baptize our thought processes. Sister Miriam’s one thing - The podcast Poco a Poco from the CFRs. Thai Green Curry recipe. Meat and quinoa can be added rather than rice or just vegetarian. Super Yummy!  Michelle’s one thing - The CFRs’ new podcast, Poco a Poco with Fr. Mark-Mary, Fr. Innocent, and Fr. Angelus Heather’s one thing - The CFR’s podcast Poco a Poco! And the album Peace by Bethel And collectively... we love you, Fr. Jacques Philippe! Book Study Join this Summer Book Study! We’re spending the next few weeks with In the School of the Holy Spirit by Fr. Jacques Philippe.  This book is going to help you to be more at

In the School of the Holy Spirit Part 1: Introduction and Chapter One In this episode we begin our 3 week book study on In the School of the Holy Spirit by Fr. Jacques Philippe. We talk about how holiness is not something to be gained by human effort, rather it is a complete surrender to the work of the Holy Spirit in us. We also discuss how we should seek to love God with our whole heart because He is good, not because of what we want Him to give us in return.    Sister Miriam’s one thing - good old-fashioned thunderstorms! Michelle’s one thing - a Father’s Day gift guide (see below!), mainly the new Bible from Word on Fire: the beauty, the commentary, the art! Heather’s one thing - The show This Is Us, and musician Sarah Kroger.   Additional Resources Michelle’s Father's Day Gift Guide  Books for Dad: Lift Up Your Heart: A 10-Day Personal Retreat with St. Francis de Sales by Father John Burns  Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father (paperback) by Fr Donald Calloway The Word on Fir

The Fruit of the Holy Spirit In this episode we prepare for Pentecost by discussing the importance of the fruits of the Holy Spirit being manifest in our life. A life in the Spirit must go beyond an experience of spiritual consolation and move to an openness to the refiner’s fire that will burn away all that is not holy. God promised that He would always be with us and sent the Holy Spirit to be our counselor, advocate, and life giver. We are invited to open wide the doors to the Holy Spirit in a new way this Pentecost.   Sister Miriam’s one thing - the song Better than a Hallelujah by Amy Grant Michelle’s one thing - Fr. Josh Johnson’s podcast on the Rosary and racial reconciliation. Heather’s one thing - the show Songland   Additional Resources:Michelle’s booklist on racial reconciliation Join our Summer Book Study! We’re spending June with In the School of the Holy Spirit by Fr. Jacques Philippe! Get your copy today and follow along with us. (Amazon US) (Amazon Canada) (Amazon UK) Reading Schedule: June 1

The Power of Christian Unity In this episode we have the pleasure of chatting with our dear friend Matt Maher! As a devout Catholic in the world of Christian music industry, Matt shares his heart for unity and God’s desire that we would all be one. Matt also talks about his marriage and how he and his wife do life together as a Catholic and Methodist. We also discuss practical steps of how to be a bridge builder with people of other faiths and the gift of the sacraments. Sister Miriam’s one thing - The litany The Magnificat with Mary from the Sisters of Life Michelle’s one thing - The Sanctifier (Amazon US, Amazon Canada, Amazon UK) by Archbishop Luis Martinez, and my husband Chris Heather’s one thing - The podcast Restore the Glory from my husband Jake and Dr. Bob Schuchts, and the song Promises from Maverick City Matt’s one thing - The Consecration to St. Joseph by Fr. Donald Calloway (Amazon US, Amazon Canada, Amazon UK) and the Holy Family as a whole. Additional Resources: Michelle also mentions the boo

Things We Learned From Our Moms In this episode we honour Mother’s Day and talk about some essential things we learned from our mothers. We discuss what they have taught us about joy and suffering, and how they revealed the face of God to us. We also chat about how God wants to heal and restore broken relationships with our mothers.    Sister Miriam’s one thing - Esther Marie Angel! Congratulations to Jackie and Bobby! Michelle’s one thing - The Given Forum is doing a 4-day Online Conference! Discover the Gift, June 10-14th Heather’s one thing - Salmon Wellington, so you can have one, simple, awesome-looking meal! Ingredients: 1 package puff pastry, softened to room temperature1 salmon fillet no skin, bones removed (I get mine from Costco)salt & pepper to tasteFresh lemon juiceOptional fresh dill1 egg, beaten Instructions: Preheat oven to 425 Rinse salmon and pat dry. Lightly flour a large cutting board bigger than the salmon. Roll out the puff pastry wide enough that it will cover both sides of the salm

Seized by Beauty (with Bishop Robert Barron) In this episode, we have the distinct pleasure of having Bishop Robert Barron as our guest. We talk about everything from how he takes his coffee to experiences of beauty that lift us beyond the natural to a transcendent encounter with God. We also discuss how to engage with the culture and extract what is good, true, and beautiful, so that we can not only relate, but be relevant in our mission of evangelization.   Sister Miriam’s one thing - Friends of the Bridegroom: For a Renewed Vision of Priestly Celibacy by Marc Cardinal Oullet (Amazon US, Amazon Canada, Amazon UK) Michelle’s one thing - St. Catherine of Siena: The Mystic by Fr. Paul Murray (Amazon US, Amazon Canada, Amazon UK), and the NFL draft. One of my favorite players went #7 in the draft - Derrick Brown, Auburn  Heather’s one thing - My dear parents and having them move in next door. Bishop Barron’s one thing - The ESPN documentary on the Chicago Bulls: The Last Dance Additional Resources: Civilisa

Living in the Light of Victory (with Fr. Justin Brady) In this episode we have brought back special guest Fr. Justin Brady to talk about how to live in the victory of the resurrection. Fr. Justin is a priest and exorcist and shares some wonderful insights into how to live from a place of friendship with God and find victory in our relationship with Jesus as friend and savior. We also discuss aligning our hearts with the truth of who we are in light of God’s merciful love.   Sister Miriam’s one thing - The garden Michelle’s one thing - Beautiful weather! (and walks) Heather’s one thing - The best sticky buns ever. These sticky buns are amazing! The recipe is from our local bakery Duft and Co. It's a commitment of time, but so worth it. Would love to see a photo of these in our facebook group if you make them. Here are photos from when my son made them.   To watch the tutorial click here. For the dough 3 3/4 cup Flour2 tsp Salt1/2 tsp Baking Powder1/2 tsp Baking Soda1/2 cup Sugar2 Eggs1 cup Milk1/4 cup Veg

Pope Francis’ Easter Message In this episode we talk about Pope Francis’s Easter homily. We discuss the themes of not being paralyzed in the midst of fear, overcoming self protection, the power in choosing to do the next right thing, and practicing resurrection in our lives. Small acts of love and receiving the gift of hope can be the game changers we need in this season.   Sister Miriam’s one thing - Heather Khym’s playlist, “Hallelujah is our Song” Michelle’s one thing - The series The Chosen (Watch the trailer) Heather’s one thing - Stephanie Gretzinger’s new song, “Center of all History”. The song “Peace” by Bethel Resources: The text of Pope Francis’ Easter Vigil Homily   Discussion questions:     What struck you from the podcast? What was a little hidden “Easter egg” that you found this year? In this cloistered time, how will you take silence to hear God speak to you, so you can emerge a resurrected person? What are small gestures of care, affection, and prayer that you can make this week? What are

Divine Mercy In this episode we talk about the incredible gift of Divine Mercy! We talk a little bit about St. Faustina and our Lord’s revelations to her about his ocean of mercy. We also discuss what a lack of trust looks like and what the stumbling blocks are to trusting in the heart of Jesus. Sister Miriam’s one thing - Tacos!  Michelle’s one thing - The Diary of St. Faustina (links below) Heather’s one thing - The Be Not Afraid Conference from Stacey Sumereau   Resources: Purchase The Diary of St. Faustina via US Amazon Link, a Canada Amazon link, and a UK Amazon link. (As an Amazon Associate, Abiding Together earns from qualifying Amazon purchases.) Discussion questions:     What struck you from the podcast? What does a lack of trust look like for you? Do you trust the Lord with yourself? Do you trust him with the people you love? Where do you feel difficulty depending or relying on others? How trustworthy are you? How can you grow in being trustworthy? Journal Questions: Reflect and journal about th

Holy Week: The Stations of the Cross In this episode we decided to pray through the Stations of the Cross, found in St. Faustina’s Diary. During Holy Week, we wanted to take this opportunity to quiet our hearts and reflect on our Lord’s suffering and death, so we can enter in more fully. We hope that you will use this as a prayer resource and pray with your families or on your own. Sponsor: The Hallow app Hallow is a Catholic prayer and meditation app that helps us deepen our relationship with Christ through 5-30 minute, audio-guided contemplative prayer sessions. Think Headspace or Calm, but authentically Catholic. The app includes everything from Lectio Divina on the daily Gospel, to the Rosary, to daily Examens, to meditations focused on preparing for bed in the evening (including Night Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours), to minute meditations for moments of temptation or thanks, and much more. In the app, you'll find a session focused on spiritual communion for the many separated from physical Mass dur

Epilogue: Living the Painting In this episode we finish up our 6 part series on the book The Return of the Prodigal Son and talk about “Living the Painting”. We talk about how much of our healing happens in the context of community and relationship. We also discuss the process of bringing home parts of ourselves that live far away from God. Each of us have places that need to be welcomed home and as we heal, we are able to offer a home coming to the lost places in others.   Sister Miriam’s one thing - Unbreakable Heart by JJ Heller Michelle’s one thing - Mother by JJ Heller, The Greenhouse Collective, and my really big keychain! Heather’s one thing - You Alone by Lauren Daigle   Sponsor: Monk Manual The Monk Manual 90 Day planner is inspired by monks, backed by science, and made for busy women like you. Progress isn’t always gained through new methods and ideas. Sometimes it’s in rediscovering the time-tested and proven methods of the past. Today, science proves that habits practiced by monks lead to human fl

Becoming the Father In this episode, we continue with Part 5 of our book study on The Return of the Prodigal Son and discuss “Becoming the Father”. Many of us have heard the invitation to live as daughters and sons of God, but most of us haven’t heard the invitation to become the father/mother. We will always be children of God, but we are simultaneously invited to mature into becoming a spiritual mother and father, providing, comforting, nurturing others in selfless ways. We also discuss how God wants to heal our idea of who He is and the places we didn’t get what we need so that we can be a more pure example of His love for others.   Sister Miriam’s one thing - The Heart: An Analysis of Human and Divine Affectivity by Dietrich von Hildebrand (Link for Canada. Link for UK.) Michelle’s one thing - True Devotion to the Holy Spirit by Archbishop Luis Martinez (Link for Canada. Link for UK.), Shannon from ChewsLife Heather’s one thing - My new Return to the Father's Love playlist on Spotify. Floodgates by The S

The Father In this episode, we continue with Part 4 of our book study on The Return of the Prodigal Son and talk about God the Father. We discuss the failure of earthly and spiritual fathers and how God wants to restore our understanding of His fatherhood. We also talk about the mercy of the Father, the invitation to receive His blessing, and how the Father's heart burns for us to come home to Him. Sister Miriam’s one thing - Come Out of Hiding - Stephanie Gretzinger and Celebrate Me Home - Kenny Loggins  Michelle’s one thing - Marie Miller’s New Album - Little Dreams (Watch the video here!) and the Mother Teresa sticker from @redeemed_free Heather’s one thing - Family and community   (And hey, Louisiana!!) Sponsor: ChewsLife The mission of Chews Life is to equip all Catholics with the Rosary for life! They create beautiful and practical rosaries with unique features to bring the rosary into your daily life. Chews Life silicone and gemstone products are dreamed, designed, and made by a team of amazing Cat

The Elder Son In this episode we continue with Part 3 "The Elder Son", from our book study on The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen. We discuss how the elder son is also lost and in need of a homecoming because in his heart, he too is far away from the father. The struggles of the elder son are within all of us when we compare, feel like we are owed something, consider ourselves worthy because of our religious actions or adherence to the rules, and when we resist the loving embrace of God the Father.    Sister Miriam’s one thing - Prenatal Development video Michelle’s one thing - Auburn’s men’s basketball Heather’s one thing - Our Quit Talking to the Dang Snake mug! Announcements! The Abiding Together Lenten Book Study is The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen. You can still join us! Purchase the book via US Amazon Link, a Canada Amazon link, and a UK Amazon link. (As an Amazon Associate, Abiding Together earns from qualifying Amazon purchases.)   The Abiding Together shop has new items! We