A Resounding Yes!

Paloma & Fig

A Resounding Yes! is a podcast produced by Catholic creative agency Paloma & Fig centered around Mary's Fiat and how we can say YES to the Lord. Visit www.palomaandfig.com to learn more.

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S2 · E34
Yesterday · 51 min
The God Who Cheers Us On: Astronaut Tom Jones on Wonder and Creation
Christina Sabo and co-host Fr. John Johnson welcome veteran astronaut and planetary scientist Dr. Tom Jones, who flew four space shuttle missions and made three spacewalks helping build the International Space Station. Tom traces the yeses that carried a fourth grader's dream all the way to the launch pad, and tells the story of the Sunday in April 1994 when three Catholic astronauts received the Eucharist aboard Endeavour. He also describes the sunrise that broke into the cockpit moments after communion, and the five minutes on a spacewalk he calls the best he has spent in space. What We Talk About: Growing up during the space race, and the parents, teachers, and nuns who kept telling a fourth grader he could be part of it someday A failed Air Force Academy medical exam, a bomber assignment instead of fighters, and the five years of graduate school that followed Three hours strapped in on the launch pad, the prayers said during the wait, and the eight and a half minutes to orbit The Sunday aboard Endeavour when three Catholic astronauts shared the Eucharist, and the sunrise over the Pacific that followed Wonder, beauty, and what Tom and Fr. John offer anyone who believes faith has no place in science Resources Mentioned: Sky Walking: An Astronaut's Memoir by Tom Jones: Tom's Website | Smithsonian Jesus in Space: A True Story That's Out Of This World Turn Left at Orion by Guy Consolmagno and Dan M. Davis Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial? by Guy Consolmagno, SJ and Paul Mueller, SJ Vatican Observatory Chapters: 00:00: Welcome and introducing Dr. Tom Jones 02:31: Mary's fiat and the yeses that led to space 05:33: Asthma, a bomber assignment, and the long road to the astronaut corps 09:32: What a shuttle launch feels like from the inside 16:51: Fear, prayer, and an engine shutdown on the pad 20:03: Explorers or active participants in creation? 24:04: How the Eucharist came aboard Endeavour 27:07: Sunrise over the Pacific and the blue of the Virgin's veil 30:14: Beauty as a language for God that science cannot give 34:13: The view from orbit and the best five minutes of a spacewalk 40:10: Faith and science: Georges Lemaître and Brother Guy Consolmagno 47:29: What brings Tom the most joy now Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios Send us Fan Mail Support the show Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn. Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com. Join in the conversation by joining our Facebook group, A Resounding Yes!
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S2 · E33
August 21 · 54 min
How to Find Relics Near You w/ Brian O'Neel
Christina Sabo talks with writer, editor, and publicist Brian O'Neel about SaintsTombs.com, the twenty-three-year project that maps where servants of God, venerables, blesseds, and saints are buried across 133 countries. Brian traces it back to a 2003 trip to Rome, where he visited the tomb of Saint Monica without knowing that Venerable Giuseppe Minocchio lay beneath a small square of black marble in the same church. He and Christina talk about pilgrimage, relics, forgotten martyrs, and what happens when a person goes to pray where the saints are laid. What We Talk About: The 2003 Rome trip, a guidebook that raised more questions than it answered, and the venerable buried steps from Saint Monica What a pilgrimage actually is, and why medieval penitents were sent to the Holy Land and Rome to make one Venerable Patrick Peyton, the reopening of his center in Massachusetts, and what a visit to a tomb can stir up in an ordinary person The 300-plus people who have died for the faith on US and Canadian soil—and the anti-Catholic history most Americans were never taught Twenty-three years of daily research: Google alerts, tombs that get moved, cloistered nuns who ask for privacy, and the three question marks that mark an unknown grave Resources Mentioned: SaintsTombs.com 39 New Saints You Should Know Saint Who? 150 North American Martyrs You Should Know Hagiography Circle Chapters: 00:00: Introduction 02:01: Opening Prayer 03:53: The Yes Behind SaintsTombs.com 11:17: The Aha Moment in Rome 13:20: Praying at the Tomb of a Saint 15:45: What a Pilgrimage Is—and Why It Matters 20:28: Writing About the Saints No One Remembers 23:02: The North American Martyrs and Catholic America 29:16: Twenty-Three Years of Research 32:58: How the Site Is Organized 38:34: The Camps and a Litany of the Unknown 45:29: What's Next for SaintsTombs.com Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios Send us Fan Mail Support the show Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn. Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com. Join in the conversation by joining our Facebook group, A Resounding Yes!
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S2 · E32
August 14 · 44 min
Not a Cry Room, but a Training Room: Author Steve Walton on Children at Mass
Steve Walton is an author, former Army Ranger, father of four, and grandfather of five. Steve joins Belle Meade to talk about converting to Catholicism at fifteen, a career built on writing, and his new board book, Loving God: A Mass Book for Little Hands. Steve describes finding illustrator Claudia Corrales in Savannah, why he set out to make the Mass book he never found as a young parent, and how the finished book is reaching parishes and Catholic bookstores. He also covers the free coloring sheets on his website, the Mass book for older children now in progress, and twenty years as a Scout leader. What We Talk About: The yes at fifteen: converting to Catholicism in southern Louisiana, meeting one-on-one with a priest before the RCIA program existed Why Brother Lawrence's The Practice of the Presence of God is the book Steve keeps returning to Finding illustrator Claudia Corrales in Savannah, and what her artwork brought to the board book What Steve says to the parent whose child is loud at Mass—and why his parish calls it a training room, not a cry room Where the book is available now, the free downloadable coloring sheets, and the Mass book for older children in progress Resources Mentioned: Loving God: A Mass Book for Little Hands The Practice of the Presence of God (TAN Books) Steve's Substack Paloma&Fig Chapters: 00:00: Introduction 00:30: Welcome and Opening Prayer 02:28: The Yes at Fifteen 04:33: Louisiana, Oscar Romero, and the Road to Writing 10:10: The Practice of the Presence of God 13:04: The Book and Its Illustrator, Claudia Corrales 17:59: Bringing the Book to Mass 20:36: Why Mass Came First 22:56: The Parent Just Getting Through Sunday Morning 30:41: Where to Buy the Book 33:56: Coloring Sheets and a Book for Older Children 38:59: Twenty Years as a Scout Leader Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios Send us Fan Mail Support the show Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn. Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com. Join in the conversation by joining our Facebook group, A Resounding Yes!
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S2 · E31
August 7 · 59 min
Signs of Hope in a Pornography-Filled Culture w/ Fr. Carter Griffin
Belle Meade welcomes Fr. Carter Griffin for a conversation about chastity as the power to love well rather than a list of restrictions. Fr. Carter is a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington, a former Navy line officer, and the author of Reclaimed: Win the War of Freedom, Self-Mastery, and Holy Purity. Fr. Carter recounts his conversion at Princeton, the four years at sea that shaped how he understands discipline and fatherhood, and the dissertation that grew into Why Celibacy? He then walks through the practical battle plan behind his new book: honest limits on screens, real boundaries, friendship, and a daily habit of prayer. What We Talk About: Why chastity is the virtue that enables us to love well as body and soul—and why angels have no need of it Where to begin when someone feels stuck: screen usage, boundaries around the near occasions of sin, building real friendships, and three Hail Marys at night Why Fr. Griffin could not disagree more with the counsel that occasional falls will always be part of the picture How a doctoral dissertation on the theology of celibacy became Why Celibacy?, and the part the Amazon Synod played in bringing it to a popular audience The Gerasene demoniac as an image of what chastity restores: clothed, in his right mind, and no longer harming himself Resources Mentioned: Reclaimed: Win the War of Freedom, Self-Mastery, and Holy Purity by Fr. Carter Griffin Why Celibacy?: Reclaiming the Fatherhood of the Priest by Fr. Carter Griffin Forming Families, Forming Saints by Fr. Carter Griffin Covenant Eyes Paloma&Fig Chapters: 00:00: Intro 00:31: Meet Fr. Carter Griffin and Reclaimed 04:38: Raised Presbyterian, Reading His Way into the Church 08:29: The Navy, Discipline, and a First Taste of Fatherhood 15:51: How Why Celibacy? Began as a Dissertation in Rome 20:15: What Chastity Actually Means 23:42: Freedom From and Freedom For 26:51: Signs of Hope in a Pornography-Soaked Culture 32:38: Where to Start: Screens, Boundaries, and Friendship 39:26: Why a Field Manual for a Real Battle 47:20: What It Means to Be a Herald of Freedom 54:28: One Field Order: Never Surrender Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios Send us Fan Mail Support the show Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn. Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com. Join in the conversation by joining our Facebook group, A Resounding Yes!
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S2 · E30
July 31 · 1 hr 11 min
The Only Wrong Way to Pray: Tanner Kalina on Prayer, Heartbreak, and Wholeheartedness
Christina Sabo is joined by co-hosts Fr. Kevin Braski and Belle Meade for a conversation with Catholic evangelist, author, and speaker Tanner Kalina about his new book, All Your Heart: How to Live for Christ Without Holding Back. Tanner traces the yes that took him from chasing acting and comedy in Los Angeles to campus ministry in Colorado, then opens the question at the center of his book: what the heart actually is, and why loving God with all of it depends on the intellect and the will as much as the affections. Fr. Kevin brings a priest's perspective on daily prayer, discipline, and the kind of witness that reaches people when arguments cannot. What We Talk About: Tanner's yes: the pull between the faith he professed and the life he was building while pursuing acting and comedy in Los Angeles Why the word "heart" kept surfacing—in Scripture, in ordinary speech, and in a season of heartbreak—and what it led him to write Dietrich von Hildebrand's case for the heart as its own spiritual center: the intellect tells us what something is, the will what to do with it, the heart how deeply to value it Fr. Kevin on putting a peg in the day: the holy hour, the link between disciple and discipline, and why starting small beats attempting everything at once Why witness reaches people where argument cannot, and why Tanner says the first step in prayer is admitting you don't know how to pray Resources Mentioned: All Your Heart: How to Live for Christ Without Holding Back by Tanner Kalina (Ascension Press) Paloma&Fig review of All Your Heart by Teagan Byrne Tanner Kalina's website Tanner Kalina on Instagram Chapters: 00:00: Welcome and Opening Prayer 03:30: Summer Check-In and Time Outdoors 11:04: Tanner's Yes: Los Angeles, Conversion, and Campus Ministry 15:37: Putting a Peg in the Day 19:11: Training to Become Like Christ 25:50: What Inspired All Your Heart 31:29: Common Misunderstandings of the Heart 35:19: A Threefold Conversion of Intellect, Will, and Heart 43:09: The Lukewarm Heart, Stars, and Black Holes 51:36: Scripture, the Saints, and Protestant Voices 59:51: The Only Wrong Way to Pray 01:05:39: What Brings You Joy Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios Send us Fan Mail Support the show Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn. Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com. Join in the conversation by joining our Facebook group, A Resounding Yes!
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S2 · E29
July 24 · 38 min
Holiness in the Ordinary: Meg Hunter-Kilmer on The Everyday Yes
Guest host Belle Meade welcomes Catholic author, speaker, and Notre Dame campus minister Meg Hunter-Kilmer to talk about her own everyday yes and her new twelve-week Bible study, Who Is Jesus? Discovering Christ in the Gospels, published by Ave Maria Press. Along the way she shares the moment a familiar parable broke her open in the middle of Mass and why she thinks fifteen minutes a day of silence — one percent of your life — is within reach of almost anyone. What We Talk About: The daily habit for growing closer to God that Meg hopes every reader walks away with The two distortions of God people bring to Scripture: the disinterested God and the God of wrath How the humanity of Christ consecrates our grief, our fear, and even our mistakes Why the big yes is only ever built on a thousand ordinary ones What makes Who Is Jesus? different from most Catholic Bible studies — and who it's actually for Chapters: 00:00: Introduction 00:16: Welcome and Opening Prayer 02:31: The Everyday Yes 05:20: Why Meg Wrote Who Is Jesus? 09:08: Meeting Jesus as Someone Alive Now 12:12: The Gift of the Incarnation 15:09: Two Misunderstandings About God 18:11: When Scripture Feels Difficult 25:33: The Prodigal Son and Her Father 27:53: Scripture as a Love Letter 31:31: A Daily Habit in the Word 34:14: Holy Hour and the Source of Joy Resources Mentioned: Who Is Jesus? Discovering Christ in the Gospels (Ave Maria Press) Eyes Fixed on Jesus, Vol. 1: A Journey into the Gospels Held By His Pierced Hands The Chosen Magnifica Humanitas (Pope Leo XIV) Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios Send us Fan Mail Support the show Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn. Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com. Join in the conversation by joining our Facebook group, A Resounding Yes!
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S2 · E28
July 17 · 42 min
The Only Approved Apparition in America: The Story of Our Lady of Champion
Guest host Kaylee Stoll sits down with Father Tony Stephens, CPM, rector of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, for a conversation about his own yes to God and the only Church-approved Marian apparition in the United States. From a farm in western Kansas to the Fathers of Mercy, Father Tony traces the series of yeses that shaped his vocation, then tells the story of Adele Brice, the 1859 apparitions, the Miracle of the Fire, and the annual Walk to Mary pilgrimage. What We Talk About: Father Tony's path from a Kansas farm to the Fathers of Mercy and the priesthood The 1859 apparitions of Our Lady of Champion to Adele Brice, now a Servant of God The four-part message of Our Lady and why it still speaks to Catholics today The "Miracle of the Fire" during the 1871 Peshtigo Fire Making a pilgrimage to the Shrine and the annual Walk to Mary Chapters: 00:00: Welcome and Introduction 01:32: Opening Prayer 03:04: Father Tony's Journey to the Priesthood 07:03: The History of Our Lady of Champion 11:45: The Message and Its Relevance Today 15:16: The Miracle of the Peshtigo Fire 20:42: Opening Adele Brice's Cause for Canonization 22:59: Stories of Healing and Answered Prayer 26:17: Making a Pilgrimage to the Shrine 29:07: The Walk to Mary 35:38: Upcoming Events and the American Saints Project 39:06: The Joy of the Priesthood Resources Mentioned: Servant of God Adele Brice National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion Walk to Mary Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios Send us Fan Mail Support the show Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn. Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com. Join in the conversation by joining our Facebook group, A Resounding Yes!
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S2 · E27
July 10 · 1 hr 13 min
Jeff Cavins on Walking Through Every Door God Opens
This episode is a re-air. Jeff Cavins never planned any of it. A confirmation Bible at thirteen, a stack of colored markers and a sheet of butcher paper at twenty-six, and a habit of walking through whatever door opened. That is how the Great Adventure Bible Timeline was born and how a former Protestant pastor became one of the most recognized voices in Catholic media. In this conversation, Jeff traces his yes across five decades, from Mother Angelica's studio to the Holy Land to the balcony of St. Peter's, and lands on the single priority that orders everything else. What We Talk About: How a Bible received at confirmation set the course of a life that had comedy and broadcasting in view The 48-hour stretch in which Jeff drafted the entire Bible Timeline chart—and the fifteen years it sat before taking off What Emily's archaeology and 69 Holy Land pilgrimages taught the Cavins family about walking where Jesus walked The morning The Bible in a Year hit number one, and why Jeff and Fr. Mike Schmitz say they would have ruined it had they aimed for that Why Jeff refuses to describe popes as liberal or conservative, and what he heard echoing when Pope Leo XIV stepped onto the loggia Resources Mentioned: When the White Smoke Clears: A Guide to Pope Leo XIV's Early Days Jeff Cavins The Jeff Cavins Show The Bible Timeline: The Story of Salvation Paloma&Fig Chapters: 00:00: Welcome and opening prayer for Pope Leo XIV 01:40: Comedy, radio, and a confirmation Bible at thirteen 03:31: Walking through open doors—Steubenville, Mother Angelica, EWTN 09:04: Emily, archaeology, and 69 pilgrimages to the Holy Land 12:23: Butcher paper, markers, and 48 hours that made the Bible Timeline 18:42: Coming home to the Catholic Church and filling in the silent years 20:59: Scott Hahn, Matt Pinto, and the birth of Ascension's Great Adventure 24:50: The phone call that said The Bible in a Year was number one 28:19: Advice to young Catholics—incubation, passion, and a sixth-grade verdict 35:28: Catholic media, ideological gladiators, and doing what Jesus said 45:00: Pope Leo XIV in Rome and the echoes of John Paul II 1:00:34: One priority, not twelve—and the story of Jeff's last ride Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios Send us Fan Mail Support the show Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn. Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com. Join in the conversation by joining our Facebook group, A Resounding Yes!
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S2 · E26
July 3 · 59 min
Sharks, Street Gangs, and the Making of a Monk w/ Fr. Augustine Wetta, O.S.B.
Father Augustine Wetta, O.S.B.—Benedictine monk, teacher, surfer, and former professional juggler—joins the show to talk about Georges Bernanos's classic novel Diary of a Country Priest and the new unabridged translation that restores it to its full power. Along the way he traces his own half-hearted, failure-strewn "yes" to God: riding waves at the beach that inspired Jaws, blessing a Los Angeles street gang at two in the morning, and praying the rosary beside the very protesters he came to disagree with. What We Talk About: How Father Wetta describes his own "yes" to God as a half-hearted, tentative string of failures—and why that puts him in the good company of saints like Moses the Black and John the Baptist What surfing and juggling taught him about patience, silence, and learning to laugh at yourself, and how both became unlikely preparation for monastic life Why Diary of a Country Priest reads like the opposite of an action movie, delivering small, quiet bursts of grace instead of explosions What the new unabridged translation restores: the more Catholic passages cut from the English edition readers have had since 1937 How the novel speaks to loneliness, distraction, and despair by recovering silence, boredom, and true leisure Resources Mentioned: Diary of a Country Priest by Georges Bernanos, translated by Michael R. Tobin Story of a Soul by St. Thérèse of Lisieux Leisure: The Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper Paloma&Fig Chapters: 00:00: Welcome and Monk Camp Chaos 01:28: A Half-Hearted Yes to the Lord 03:51: Surfing, Sharks, and the Contemplative Life of Failure 09:37: The Flying Fettuccine Brothers and Learning to Laugh at Yourself 13:21: Shut Up, Keep Your Head Down, and Listen 16:37: Praying the Rosary at a Black Lives Matter Protest 22:10: Fourth of July and Blessing a Gang in LA 28:13: Diary of a Country Priest: Quiet Bursts of Grace 36:10: The Restored Translation and the Passages You've Never Read 39:43: Silence, Boredom, and Leisure in a Distracted Age 44:19: Failure, the Atheist, and a Faith Deeper Than Argument 55:05: Grumbling, Priesthood, and the Joy of the Eucharist Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios Send us Fan Mail Support the show Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn. Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com. Join in the conversation by joining our Facebook group, A Resounding Yes!
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S2 · E25
June 26 · 47 min
What Kids Know That We Forget: The Grace of Yes w/ Lisa Hendey of Chime Travelers
Lisa Hendey, founder of CatholicMom.com and bestselling author of fiction and nonfiction for adults and children, joins the show to share her own yes to the Lord and discuss Chime Travelers — the animated children's series based on her beloved books. Geared toward ages six to eleven, the series follows twins Katie and Patrick as they travel back in time to walk alongside saints like Saint Patrick, Saint Clare, Saint Francis, and Saint Joseph. Along the way, they face real-life struggles and discover how faith forms us into the people God is calling us to become. What We Talk About: Lisa's yes to the Lord — what it means to give God your yes at every stage of life, including transitions, health journeys, and the everyday moments of motherhood and ministry The origin of Chime Travelers: from a backyard conversation before a godson's First Communion to a book series, and now an animated show How the characters, animals, and locations in the series are drawn from people in Lisa's own life — and how personal devotion shaped the choice of each saint What makes Chime Travelers unique among faith-based children's entertainment: modern kids encountering ancient saints and learning to apply those lessons to real struggles How families can engage with the series beyond the screen using discussion guides, prayers, activities, and the companion resources at chimetravelers.org Chapters: 3:21: Lisa reflects on her yes to the Lord and writing The Grace of Yes 6:03: The origin of Chime Travelers 8:02: Characters and locations named for people in Lisa's family and life 9:56: Francis the frog and the joy of bringing animals to life in the series 11:34: Choosing which saints to include and an unexpected devotion to Saint Kateri 14:59: Children as saints in the making and what they can teach the rest of us 17:30: How storytelling helps children understand and live the virtues 22:39: What makes Chime Travelers unique among faith-based entertainment for children 24:24: Companion resources and how families can go deeper 26:46: Where to watch — available now on Hallow and Formed 34:06: Seeing the animated characters come to life: from animatics to the finished series 42:47: One small way families can help children see themselves as saints in the making Resources Mentioned: Lisa Hendey CatholicMom.com The Grace of Yes by Lisa Hendey Chime Travelers Watch Chime Travelers on Formed Watch Chime Travelers on Hallow Paloma&Fig Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios Send us Fan Mail Support the show Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn. Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com. Join in the conversation by joining our Facebook group, A Resounding Yes!
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S2 · E24
June 19 · 27 min
What No One Taught You in CCD: Steve Hemler on the Apologetics Gap
Steve Hemler traded a 33-year engineering career—including 13 years living inside a gated oil compound in Saudi Arabia—for full-time Catholic ministry, and the journey shaped everything he now teaches. In this conversation with Kaylee, he unpacks the apologetics gap in how most Catholics were formed, explains the "stages of faith" research behind his work, and shares how his newest book, The Busy Parent's Guide to the Catholic Faith, gives parents the tools they've been missing. What We Talk About: How Steve went from structural engineering and Saudi Aramco to founding the Catholic Apologetics Institute of North America The two stages of faith—"searching faith" and "owned faith"—and why passing through the searching stage is the only path to a personal, committed faith Why Catholic parents feel unprepared to answer their children's big questions, and what The Busy Parent's Guide to the Catholic Faith does about it Three pieces of scientific evidence for God's existence: the Big Bang, the mathematical laws of nature, and the fine-tuning of the universe How the questions young Catholics are asking have shifted—and why "spiritual but not religious" is the new frontier apologetics needs to address Chapters: 00:00: Welcome and Introduction 01:00: Steve's Engineering Background and Life in Saudi Arabia 04:33: Teaching CCD in Aramco and the Call to Apologetics 06:55: Founding CAINA and 600+ Presentations Worldwide 07:26: How the Books Came About 10:06: The Busy Parent's Guide: Imprimatur, Endorsements, and Who It's For 12:11: Searching Faith and Owned Faith—The Stages of Faith 14:02: The Saint Monica Problem: Preventing Children from Leaving the Church 15:16: Why Catholic Parents Feel Unprepared to Answer Hard Questions 17:05: How Faith Questions Have Changed Over the Years 19:28: Scientific Evidence for God: Big Bang, Laws of Nature, Fine Tuning 20:12: The Role of Grandparents, Godparents, and Catechists 22:21: Hope for the Next Generation and Online Evangelization 24:13: What Brings Steve the Most Joy Resources Mentioned: The Busy Parent's Guide to the Catholic Faith by Steve Hemler (Scepter Publishers) Catholic Apologetics Institute of North America Paloma&Fig Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios Send us Fan Mail Support the show Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn. Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com. Join in the conversation by joining our Facebook group, A Resounding Yes!
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S2 · E24
June 12 · 40 min
The Role That Changed Everything: Michael Iskander of House of David on Saying Yes to the Lord
Michael Iskander plays David in Prime Video's House of David—but his real story begins with a restless search for truth that led him, step by step, to a breakfast with a priest and an answer he couldn't give lightly: yes. Christina is joined by co-host Fr. John R. Johnson, STL to walk through Michael's conversion, his calling to play David, and what his journey reveals about the kind of faith this generation is desperately looking for. Together they take up Pope Leo XIV's new encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, reflecting on how sacred storytelling, silence, and an unfiltered encounter with the Church can become the answer to a world that's lost its footing. What We Talk About: How Michael's conversion began with one question—"how does God want me to worship Him?"—and arrived at a breakfast table where a priest asked him: do you want to be Catholic? Why Michael says the Eucharist isn't just the center of his faith—it's the only thing in the world he'd live the rest of his life for, and what that conviction has to offer every truth-seeker What it means to approach a calling like David from a place of surrender—giving the gift back to the One who gave it, and why Michael believes the story was never really about David at all How Fr. Johnson reads Magnifica Humanitas pastorally: why the Church's claim to speak on all things genuinely human isn't overreach—it's the logic of the Incarnation Why both Michael and Fr. Johnson believe this generation doesn't need to be curated to—what they need is silence, unfiltered truth, and an encounter with something that doesn't move Chapters: 00:00: Introduction 03:52: Opening Prayer 04:46: Michael's Conversion Story 08:20: God Opens the Door — Playing David 13:07: Storytelling as Vocation — Purpose Beyond the Role 18:17: Magnifica Humanitas — The Church Speaks to the Digital Age 24:49: What Young People Are Searching For 31:58: What the Church Must Offer 35:35: Joy, Silence, and Music Resources Mentioned: House of David — Prime Video Magnifica Humanitas — Full Text (Vatican) A Complete Guide to Magnifica Humanitas — Ascension Press The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis — Catholic Gifts and Books Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios Send us Fan Mail Support the show Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn. Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com. Join in the conversation by joining our Facebook group, A Resounding Yes!
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S2 · E23
June 5 · 30 min
How Fairy Tales Carry What Sermons Can't: E.P. Cowley on Tolkien and Lewis
E.P. Cowley is a retired homeschooling mother and author living in southern British Columbia whose debut novel, Tales from Wakken Wood, published by Ignatius Press, draws on the folklore of the Isle of Man to tell an enchanted story of courage, virtue, and wonder. In this conversation with Kaylee Stoll—part of the Tolkien and Lewis series—E.P. shares how entering the Catholic Church transformed her writing, how Tolkien's vision of sub-creation shaped every scene of the novel, and how wonder at Marian apparitions quietly shaped the book's spiritual heart. What We Talk About: E.P.'s conversion journey from Protestantism into the Catholic Church and how it unlocked her sacramental imagination The origin of Tales from Wakken Wood—writing for her children, asking God for help scene by scene, and how the story surprised even its author Tolkien's influence on the novel, from Lord of the Rings to Smith of Wootton Major and his essay on fairy stories The unique mythological DNA of Manx folklore from the Isle of Man, and how E.P.'s research shaped the creatures of Wakken Wood Marian apparitions—Fatima, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and others—and how wonder at Our Lady shaped the spiritual atmosphere of the novel Chapters: 00:00: Introduction and Welcome 03:34: E.P.'s Yes to the Lord 06:20: The Making of Tales from Wakken Wood 09:04: Tolkien, Sub-Creation, and Fantasy 11:47: Why Modern Readers Still Need Fairy Tales 16:19: Manx Folklore and the Isle of Man 18:47: Spiritual Symbolism vs. Allegory 20:54: Peter, Pixel, and the Power of Children in Story 24:00: Marian Apparitions and the Heart of the Book 26:28: Consolation, Wonder, and What Readers Take Away Resources Mentioned: Tales from Wakken Wood by E.P. Cowley (Ignatius Press) Tales from Wakken Wood — Review Paloma&Fig Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios Send us Fan Mail Support the show Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn. Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com. Join in the conversation by joining our Facebook group, A Resounding Yes!
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S2 · E22
May 29 · 37 min
What C.S. Lewis Teaches Us About Heaven, Hell, and the Choices We Make Now w/ Andrew Swafford
Andrew Swafford, professor of theology at Benedictine College and author of Next Stop: The Afterlife, joins us to explore how C.S. Lewis's The Great Divorce illuminates the reality of heaven, hell, and purgatory and why every ordinary choice we make is quietly shaping our eternal destiny. Andrew also shares the pivotal yes that changed his own life: a football scholarship to Benedictine College, an unexpected encounter with Christ, and the discovery that going all in with Jesus never costs you who you are—it makes you more fully yourself. What We Talk About: How a football scholarship became the setting for Andrew's conversion and why he says the risk of faith always produces a deeper, truer version of who you already are What makes The Great Divorce such a powerful entry point into thinking about heaven and hell, including Lewis's insight that heaven is more real than earth, and what that means for how we love and live right now The unforgettable characters in The Great Divorce—Pam the grieving mother and the man with the lizard—and why even the highest loves in us must be surrendered to God if they are to be transfigured in glory Why the small, ordinary choices we make at home—in marriage, parenting, and the hidden moments no one sees—are where eternity is truly won or lost, and why repair matters far more than perfection How to stay rooted in Jesus when the culture feels heavy and overwhelming: think local, pray more than you worry, and keep the Eucharist at the center of your life Chapters: 00:00: Welcome and Introduction 02:24: Andrew's Journey to Yes: Football, Conversion, and Going All In 04:17: Introducing Next Stop: The Afterlife 06:39: The Great Divorce, Purgatory's Joy, and the Transformation God Desires 07:22: What Makes The Great Divorce Such a Powerful Entry Point 09:42: Why C.S. Lewis Chose Story Over Straight Theology 11:22: Heaven Is More Real Than Earth 14:43: Recognizing Our Own Attachments: Pam and the Man with the Lizard 18:38: Small Daily Choices and Eternal Destiny 21:29: The Gift of Repair in Family Life 25:01: Heaven, Hell, and the Choices We Make Now 29:32: Staying Centered on Jesus in a Heavy Culture Resources Mentioned: Next Stop: The Afterlife by Andrew Swafford The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis The Swaffords Paloma&Fig Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn. Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com. Join in the conversation by joining our Facebook group, A Resounding Yes!
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S2 · E21
May 22 · 31 min
The Spiritual Wisdom of J.R.R. Tolkien w/ Kaitlyn Facista (Tea with Tolkien)
Kaitlyn Facista is the founder of Tea with Tolkien, an online community celebrating the life, writings, and Catholic faith of J.R.R. Tolkien and the author of Into the Heart of Middle-earth, published by Ave Maria Press. In this episode, she shares her journey from Protestant roots to Catholicism, how Tolkien's fiction was woven into her conversion story, and why the spiritual depth of Middle-earth is anything but accidental. What We Talk About: How Kaitlyn's winding path through medical school moves, a search for truth, and life in England led her and her husband into the Catholic Church The discovery that Tolkien's Catholic faith is not allegory but something woven into the very fibers of Middle-earth, and what "applicability" means versus allegory What characters like Samwise, Aragorn, and the hobbits reveal about humility, discernment, and the power of the small How Tolkien's villains warn us against isolation while his heroes model fellowship, counsel, and communal discernment The one spiritual insight Kaitlyn hopes readers carry away from her book: that small, daily choices are how we bring ourselves—and the world—closer to goodness Chapters: 00:00: Introduction and Guest Background 02:48: Kaitlyn's Yes—Converting to Catholicism 07:02: What Drew Her to Tolkien and When the Spiritual Depth Clicked 09:30: How Tea with Tolkien Began 14:38: Why Now Was the Right Time to Write Into the Heart of Middle-earth 16:13: Allegory vs. Applicability: How to Read Tolkien's Faith Without Forcing It 17:49: The "Ever-Present Person"—Providence Hidden in Plain Sight 19:57: Samwise Gamgee, True Hero? Loyalty and Holiness 21:08: Aragorn, Humility, and the Long Road to Kingship 24:15: Connecting Tolkien's Characters to the Saints 25:21: Fellowship as a Model for Faith, Family, and Parish Life 27:02: The One Takeaway from Into the Heart of Middle-earth Resources Mentioned: Tea with Tolkien Into the Heart of Middle-earth — Ave Maria Press Paloma&Fig Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios Send us Fan Mail Support the show Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn. Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com. Join in the conversation by joining our Facebook group, A Resounding Yes!
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S2 · E20
May 15 · 51 min
Reluctant Converts and Quiet Heroism: Joseph Pearce on Tolkien, Lewis, and Mary's Fiat
In this episode of A Resounding Yes!, Christina Sabo and co-host Franci Revel Eckensberger welcome back the internationally acclaimed Catholic author and literary biographer Joseph Pearce for a rich conversation on imagination, conversion, and the Marian threads woven through the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. What We Talk About: How Joseph Pearce's journey from neo-Nazi politics to Catholicism was shaped by the writings of Chesterton, Belloc, Tolkien, and Lewis—and what his conversion reveals about the slow, grace-filled nature of saying yes Why Christ Himself sanctified story through the parables, and how the Christian imagination reaches hearts in ways that argument alone cannot The Marian echoes in Tolkien's Galadriel and the surprising complexity of Lewis's relationship with Our Lady How Tolkien and Lewis reimagine heroism as humility and inner victory rather than domination, and why that matters for souls striving toward holiness today The dangerous "golemization" of the self in a distraction-saturated culture, and how the timeless worlds of Middle-earth and Narnia can reorient us toward wonder, contemplation, and the final victory found only in heaven Chapters: 00:00: Welcome & Opening Prayer 05:27: Joseph Pearce's Conversion Story 07:37: Mary's Fiat and the Slow Yes 08:51: Why Story Reaches Hearts More Deeply Than Argument 11:00: Inner Heroism in Tolkien and Lewis 12:30: Marian Themes in Tolkien and Lewis 18:13: Lewis's Longing and the Marian Path to Heaven 20:02: Imagination, Reason, and Lewis's Conversion 24:27: The Providential Friendship of Tolkien and Lewis 30:00: Wonder, Enchantment, and the Danger of Distraction 39:56: Raising Children with Tolkien and Lewis 47:06: Humility, Gratitude, and the Power of a Simple Yes Resources Mentioned: Race With the Devil by Joseph Pearce (Tan Books) Joseph Pearce's Inner Sanctum Paloma&Fig Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios Send us Fan Mail Support the show Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn. Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com. Join in the conversation by joining our Facebook group, A Resounding Yes!
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S2 · E19
May 8 · 46 min
Finding God in the Sacred Chaos of Motherhood with Jennifer Stavinoha
In this special Month of Mary episode, Christina Sabo is joined by Jennifer Stavinoha — ministry leader, theologian, and author of Sacred Chaos: Finding Joy and Jesus in the Messiness of Motherhood — to explore what it looks like to say yes to God in the beautiful, exhausting reality of motherhood. Recorded in honor of Our Lady of Fatima and timed for Mother's Day, this conversation is a gift for every mother who has ever wondered where God went when the quiet prayer life disappeared. What We Talk About: Jennifer's conversion moment at Eucharistic Adoration as a teenager and how it set the direction of her entire life How motherhood dismantled everything she thought she knew about prayer — and what she discovered on the other side of that The structure of Sacred Chaos as a three-week mini-retreat built around desire, encounter, and joy — and why these three themes arise from her own experience as a mom Practical tools for praying with small children, including the "basket technique" and the gift of toddler adoration How turning to Our Lady of Fatima in the middle of the night became a doorway to deeper intimacy with Mary as both mother and sister Chapters: 00:00: Introduction & Opening Prayer 03:50: Jennifer's Yes 08:48: Introducing Sacred Chaos 10:35: Inside the Book — A Three-Week Mini-Retreat 14:44: Finding God in the Chaos of Ordinary Moments 20:23: Practical Prayer Tools for Moms 25:16: The Structure Behind Desire, Encounter, and Joy 34:38: Playlists, Videos, and How They Support Prayer 35:00: The Most Surprising Thing Motherhood Has Revealed About God 38:24: When a Mom Feels Far from God: Start with Mary Resources Mentioned: Sacred Chaos: Finding Joy and Jesus in the Messiness of Motherhood by Jennifer Stavinoha Jennifer Stavinoha's Website Abandonment to Divine Providence by Jean-Pierre de Caussade Drink the Still Water: Jennifer Stavinoha's Sacred Chaos — Paloma&Fig blog Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios Send us Fan Mail Support the show Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn. Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com. Join in the conversation by joining our Facebook group, A Resounding Yes!
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S2 · E18
May 1 · 49 min
Tell Them About Me: How Maria Eva Jacobs Overcame Bipolar Disorder Through Faith, Music, and Surrender
Maria Eva Jacobs is a national recording artist, published author, and vocal jazz professor at Kent State University whose yes to God has unfolded over decades of struggle, surrender, and extraordinary fruit. In this episode, Christina and Maria trace the arc of her faith journey—from her Byzantine Melkite roots and a life reshaped by bipolar disorder, to a supernatural encounter with God that set her on a path of ministry through music and writing. What We Talk About: Maria's background as a cradle Catholic in the Byzantine Melkite Greek Catholic Church and how music became the center of her faith life from childhood Her journey through bipolar disorder, the lies the disease told her about God, and the supernatural encounter that planted the seed of her yes Why surrender isn't a one-time event—and how learning to love the Giver more than the gift transformed her career and her life The interplay between faith and proper medical treatment in her healing journey, and why she's a passionate advocate for both Her debut Christian album Perfect Is Your Will and what sets it apart from her nine previous jazz recordings Chapters: 00:00: Welcome and Introduction 03:06: Embracing Lent and Easter Through Prayer 04:39: Maria's Story: Byzantine Roots and a Musical Beginning 07:20: The Slow Yes: Surrender as a Daily Practice 11:39: A Musical Upbringing: Her Father's Influence 18:55: Perfect Is Your Will: Her First Christian Album 26:34: Faith and Mental Health: Why Both Matter 32:40: Sustained in the Darkness 38:34: What She Hopes Listeners Take Away 42:08: Maria's Perfect Day Resources: Maria Eva Jacobs Perfect Is Your Will — stream the album Tell Them About Me — Amazon | Barnes & Noble Paloma&Fig Follow Maria's Work on Social Media: www.Facebook.com/mariaevajacobs www.Facebook.com/mariajacobsmusic www.Facebook.com/tellthemaboutmeauthor www.instagram.com/mariaevajacobs https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariaevajacobs/ Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios Send us Fan Mail Support the show Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn. Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com. Join in the conversation by joining our Facebook group, A Resounding Yes!
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S2 · E17
April 24 · 45 min
The Voice the Church Forgot: Translating Ida Görres w/ Dr. Jennifer Bryson
Dr. Jennifer Bryson joins Christina to discuss her translation of Bread Grows in Winter, a collection of essays and lectures by the largely forgotten mid-20th-century Catholic writer Ida Görres. Together they explore why Görres's voice—marked by unflinching honesty, poetic depth, and a long view of the Church—speaks with remarkable urgency to Catholics navigating confusion and upheaval today. What We Talk About: Jennifer's journey from a secular upbringing in the San Francisco Bay Area to entering the Catholic Church, sparked by an encounter with God in communist East Germany Who Ida Görres was—her life, her literary gifts, her marriage, and why her works were swept from prominence after 1971 How Görres interpreted the post-Vatican II crisis: neither reactionary nor progressivist, but deeply rooted in love for the Church and a clear-eyed view of its problems The meaning behind the title Bread Grows in Winter and Görres's image of invisible martyrdom as seeds overwintering in the soil Görres's message for women, her fierce critique of feminism, and her effort to present a rich Catholic vision of womanhood through hagiography and literature Chapters: 00:00: Welcome & Introduction 01:24: Opening Prayer 02:41: Jennifer's Yes: Faith Found in East Germany 05:17: Who Was Ida Görres? 13:53: Görres and the Post-Vatican II Upheaval 15:48: The Meaning of Bread Grows in Winter 20:08: Comparing Görres, Hildebrand, and Guardini 24:09: Ratzinger's Eulogy and Her Theological Influence 30:33: Insights for Catholics Facing Church Challenges 34:21: Görres on Women, Our Lady, and the Church Resources Mentioned: Bread Grows in Winter by Ida Görres — Ignatius Press The Hidden Face by Ida Görres — Ignatius Press Jennifer Bryson's Website Paloma&Fig Blog Review Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios Send us Fan Mail Support the show Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn. Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com. Join in the conversation by joining our Facebook group, A Resounding Yes!
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S2 · E16
April 17 · 34 min
A Once-in-a-Generation Moment: Jonathan Strate on the New Liturgy of the Hours
Jonathan Strate, President and CEO of Ascension, shares the personal yes that led him from aerospace engineering to leading one of Catholic media's most impactful organizations. He opens up about the projects now reshaping how Catholics encounter the faith, including the historic second edition of the Liturgy of the Hours and the new K–8 religious education curriculum, Pillars of Faith. What We Talk About: How Jonathan went from aerospace engineer to CEO of Ascension—and what made him say yes What the Liturgy of the Hours is and how laypeople can weave it into daily life What's new in the long-awaited second edition, and when it arrives How Bible in a Year and the Liturgy of the Hours work together to form understanding and prayer Pillars of Faith: Ascension's new K–8 curriculum combining evangelization, catechesis, and Scripture Chapters: 00:00: Introduction 01:34: Jonathan's Path to Ascension 06:08: What Is the Liturgy of the Hours? 08:28: How Laypeople Can Pray the Hours 10:01: What's New in the Second Edition 12:11: Bible in a Year and the Culture of Daily Prayer 13:37: Pre-Orders and Launch Timeline 15:16: Introducing Pillars of Faith 21:51: Evangelization and Catechesis in Practice 28:20: What Brings Jonathan Joy Resources Mentioned: Liturgy of the Hours – Second Edition Pillars of Faith Curriculum The Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz The Catechism in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz Ascension Press Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios Send us Fan Mail Support the show Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn. Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com. Join in the conversation by joining our Facebook group, A Resounding Yes!
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