Abiding Together

In this episode, we continue our series on sacred elements as we explore the significance of oil as a symbol of intimacy with God, anointing, and preparation for the Bridegroom. Mary broke open her costly perfume and poured it all out at Jesus' feet, holding nothing back. We talk about the beauty of that kind of love, the posture of gazing up into the face of the One who loves us, and why a heart given entirely to Him is never wasted. We also share how to keep our lamps filled as we wait for the Bridegroom and why no one can lend us the oil that comes from our own time with Him. The same Spirit who anointed us at our baptism longs to fill us again with the oil of His love, so that our lamps are burning bright when the Bridegroom comes.

 
Heather's One Thing - Make Me A Bethany by Jesus Image
Sister Miriam's One Thing - The New Translation from the Liturgy of the Hours (Find Ascension's Version Here) (Find Word on Fire's Version Here)
Sister Miriam's Other One Thing - The Spirit of the Liturgy of the Hours by Fr. Boniface Hicks
Michelle's One Thing - Italian Gnocchi Soup and the Auburn vs Georgia game
 
Journal Questions:
Where is the Lord drawing me into deeper intimacy?
How can I love God more extravagantly?
What parts of yourself are you holding back from the Lord?
How can I make space in my life to fall more in love with God?
What places of my heart are dry and in need of encounter?
 
Discussion Questions:
What are you attached to other than God that pulls you away from a deeper relationship with Him?
How might God be inviting you to break from routine and love Him more generously?
When have you seen an outpouring of intimacy with the Lord draw others (or yourself) closer to Jesus?
What is bearing fruit in your life and in the lives of those around you?
What are you filling your life with while you wait when it feels like Jesus is delayed?
 
Quote to Ponder:
"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'  Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'  'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'  But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
Later the others also came. 'Lord, Lord,' they said, 'open the door for us!' But he replied, 'Truly I tell you, I don't know you.' Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." (Matthew 25:1–13)
 
Scripture for Lectio:
"Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.  There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him.  Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.  But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said,  "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?"  (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial.  You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."" (John 12:1–8)

 
Sponsor - Aging with Dignity:
Aging with Dignity is a national non-profit organization founded 30 years ago by Jim Towey, who was legal counsel and friend to Saint Teresa of Calcutta for 12 years until her death.  
The mission of Aging with Dignity is to defend the rights of all people as they approach the end of life. Mother Teresa urged Jim in a letter, "bring God's love and compassion to the elderly poor."
Aging with Dignity is best known for its advance directive, Five Wishes. Five Wishes helps families start and guide advance care planning conversations and then document their wishes. Five Wishes also deals with heart-and-soul issues, like comfort, forgiveness, maintaining dignity and ensuring that your loved ones know what is most important to you. It is available in 33 languages and Braille.
Aging with Dignity recently launched a new resource called, Finishing Life Faithfully, A Guide for Catholics on End-of-Life Care. Finishing Life Faithfully is a companion guide for Five Wishes that offers clear guidance on how to follow the moral teachings of the Catholic Church when making important healthcare decisions. Like Five Wishes, it's written in everyday language that's easy to understand. The guide has been endorsed by Cardinals O'Malley and Dolan as well as numerous Bishops and church leaders.  
During the Holiday Season, they have a featured product called, "The Gathering Kit." It has multiple Five Wishes and their Five Wishes Conversation Guide to help you start the sometimes difficult, but important conversation about end-of- life care with the ones you love. Not only will your family know your wishes, but they can take this important step themselves.
For Abiding Together podcast listeners, they're making a special offer.  Twenty percent off on any Five Wishes resource.  Order at fivewishes.org and use the code "abiding20" at check out to get 20 percent off.  That's fivewishes.org and use the code "abiding20" at check out for 20 percent off all Five Wishes resources.
 
Timestamps:

00:00 Aging with Dignity
01:30 Intro
02:12 Welcome
04:27 The Costly Oil of Intimacy
07:42 Oil in the Sacraments
09:36 Not Holding Anything Back
11:21 Falling in Love with God
14:41 Oil Leaves A Mark
18:53 The Oil of Preparation
20:56 Setting Aside Times for Prayer
27:14 What Are We Filling Our Lives with When We Feel Jesus is Delayed?
31:42 One Things
34:03 Closing Prayer

In this episode, we begin a three part series about different elements found in Scripture and today focus on the Potter and clay in Jeremiah. God is constantly forming us, meeting us in the ordinary moments of life and inviting us to trust that His hands are always shaping and building us up. We reflect on how being unfinished is not the same as being abandoned, the ways we can become more open to the Lord's work in our hearts, and how even difficult seasons can reveal the growth He is bringing about in us. The image of the Potter and clay invites us to bring our wounded and unfinished places to the Lord, trusting in His desire to restore us with great care.

 
Heather's One Thing - 2026 Hallow Summit
Sister Miriam's One Thing - Her Pilgrimage to Medjugorje
Michelle's One Thing - UNC vs Chapel Hill Game and the Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral in Raleigh
 
Journal Questions:
What does the Lord want to reveal to us in the ordinary moments of our lives?
Where do you notice God's fingerprints in your life?
In what areas of your life do you feel unfinished? 
What areas of my life am I hiding from the Lord or others?
Where in your life are you struggling to see good fruit?
 
Discussion Questions:
How is the Lord shaping you in this season?
How is the Lord holding you in your brokenness?
Where in your life are you trying to do too much without God's help?
What empty promises are you believing?
 
Quote to Ponder:
"Let us hold on firmly to this basic principle of Catholic cosmology: The devil doesn't have his own clay. All he can do is take God's clay—all of which is "very good" (Gen 1: 31)—and twist it, distort it. The good news is that Christ came into the world to untwist the clay that sin and the devil twisted up. While our understanding of eros is badly in need of rehabilitation, the good news, as papal preacher Raniero Cardinal Cantalamessa reminds us, is that Christ has "come to save the world, beginning with eros, which is the dominant force." (Eating the Sunrise: Meditations on the Liturgy & Our Hunger for Beauty by Christopher West)

 
Scripture for Lectio:

"The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: "Come, go down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear my words." So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him.  Then the word of the Lord came to me: "Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done?" says the Lord. "Just like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel."" (Jeremiah 18: 1-6)


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Timestamps:

00:00 Pink Salt Riot
01:30 Intro
02:11 Welcome
05:50 Scripture Verse and Quote to Ponder
07:08 Clay Retains the Fingerprints of the Creator
11:23 Humanity is A Gift
13:29 Being Unfinished Doesn't Mean Being Abandoned
19:00 The Areas We Try to Hide from God
22:21 Trying to Find A Way Around the Cross
25:59 Seeing Fruit Amidst the Work
28:53 Firing the Clay
30:27 One Things

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 consume, and allowing the Lord to rightly order our lives.
 
Heather's One Thing - Humanality's Digital Detox Program
Heather's Other One Thing - Ave Maria Press and Spoonful of Comfort
Sister Miriam's One Thing - Therese of Lisieux: Secrets of Joy by Fr Pierre Descouvemont
Michelle's One Thing - Ella Langley Shirt from her friends in Auburn and Farmers Markets
 
Journal Questions:
What am I giving my attention to?
Where do I need more human formation?
How can I create more separation from my phone?
What boundaries do I need with technology?
 
Discussion Questions:
What does it look like to interact with technology and not be dominated by it?
How is the Lord inviting you to engage your humanity?
How have you given into fear about the state of the world?
How is God inviting you to live more intentionally?
 
Quote to Ponder:
"The deeper a soul is bound to God, the more completely surrendered to grace, the stronger will be its influence on the form of the Church. Conversely, the more an era is engulfed in the night of sin and estrangement from God the more it needs souls united to God. And God does not permit a deficiency. The greatest figures of prophecy and sanctity step forth out of the darkest night." (Edith Stein) 

 
Scripture for Lectio:
"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." (Ephesians 1:17) 
 
Sponsor - Camp Wojtyla:
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Timestamps:

00:00 Camp Wojtyla
01:31 Intro
02:13 Welcome
03:37 What Does it Mean to Embrace Our Humanity?
07:14 AI Will Change the Way We Live
10:40 Embodied Living
15:38 Experiencing Community in Person
20:13 Beauty is an Antidote to Artificiality
23:16 Making Time for Human Experiences
25:40 Recapping Practical Ways to Live Humanly
27:33 One Things

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 Thing - All Our Abiding Together Sponsors
Michelle's One Thing - Brie and Cheddar Beer Soup
 
Other Resources Mentioned:
Ascension 2027 Planner

 
Journal Questions:
How is the Lord inviting me to embrace liturgical living?
Who is the Mother Church inviting you to become in our season of Ordinary Time?
What have I been meditating on in daily life and how can I savor the Gospel?
Is there somebody or something that has taken God's place at the center of my life?


Discussion Questions:
How do the Church's liturgical rhythms and practices differ from how you live your life?
What holds your attention throughout the day?
What would it look like to embody the rhythms of the Church?
What's one way you'd like to embrace liturgical living in this season?
 
Quotes to Ponder:
"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring)
"Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. It is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love." (J. R. R. Tolkien, Hobbit Movie) 
"The word "liturgy" originally meant a "public work" or a "service in the name of/on behalf of the people." In Christian tradition it means the participation of the People of God in "the work of God." Through the liturgy Christ, our redeemer and high priest, continues the work of our redemption in, with, and through his Church." (CCC 1069)
 
Scripture for Lectio:
"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
 
Sponsor - Rooted for Good:
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Timestamps:

00:00 Rooted for Good
01:17 Intro
02:18 Welcome
05:36 The Circular Rhythm of Life
09:07 We Need Holy Order
13:04 What Does it Mean to Be Human?
15:32 God is Meant to Be at the Center
19:15 The Gift of Attention
23:17 Sacramentals to Help Us Remember the Divine
26:58 Where is the Holy Spirit Calling Us?
28:11 One Things

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