A Resounding Yes!

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 [https://www.teawithtolkien.com] * Into the Heart of Middle-earth — Ave Maria Press [https://www.avemariapress.com/products/into-the-heart-of-middle-earth] * Paloma&Fig [https://palomaandfig.com] Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios [https://saintkolbestudios.com] Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2457003/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2457003/support] Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/palomaandfig], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/palomaandfig/] & LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/palomaandfig]. Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com [https://palomaandfig.com]. Join in the conversation by joining our  Facebook group, A Resounding Yes! [https://www.facebook.com/groups/1439498403851978]

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 [https://tanbooks.com/products/books/race-with-the-devil-my-journey-from-racial-hatred-to-rational-love/] (Tan Books) * Joseph Pearce's Inner Sanctum [https://jpearce.co/members-area/?wlfrom=%2Fthe-inner-sanctum%2F] * Paloma&Fig [https://palomaandfig.com/blog/] Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios [https://saintkolbestudios.com/] Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2457003/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2457003/support] Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/palomaandfig], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/palomaandfig/] & LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/palomaandfig]. Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com [https://palomaandfig.com]. Join in the conversation by joining our  Facebook group, A Resounding Yes! [https://www.facebook.com/groups/1439498403851978]

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 [https://www.avemariapress.com/products/sacred-chaos] * Jennifer Stavinoha's Website [https://www.jenstavinoha.com/] * Abandonment to Divine Providence by Jean-Pierre de Caussade [https://www.avemariapress.com/products/abandonment-to-divine-providence] * Drink the Still Water: Jennifer Stavinoha's Sacred Chaos — Paloma&Fig blog [https://palomaandfig.com/sacredchaos/] Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios [https://saintkolbestudios.com/] Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2457003/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2457003/support] Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/palomaandfig], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/palomaandfig/] & LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/palomaandfig]. Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com [https://palomaandfig.com]. Join in the conversation by joining our  Facebook group, A Resounding Yes! [https://www.facebook.com/groups/1439498403851978]

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 [https://mariajacobs.com] * Perfect Is Your Will [https://open.spotify.com/album/2H5Qg2mEoroXRQcMGJFG1h] — stream the album * Tell Them About Me [https://mariajacobs.com/christian-author] — Amazon [https://a.co/d/05JGiZ8r] | Barnes & Noble [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tell-them-about-me-maria-eva-jacobs/1148690442] * Paloma&Fig [https://palomaandfig.com] Follow Maria's Work on Social Media: * www.Facebook.com/mariaevajacobs [http://www.facebook.com/mariaevajacobs] * www.Facebook.com/mariajacobsmusic [http://www.facebook.com/mariajacobsmusic] * www.Facebook.com/tellthemaboutmeauthor [http://www.facebook.com/tellthemaboutmeauthor] * www.instagram.com/mariaevajacobs [http://www.instagram.com/mariaevajacobs] * https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariaevajacobs/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariaevajacobs?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app] Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios [https://saintkolbestudios.com/] Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2457003/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2457003/support] Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/palomaandfig], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/palomaandfig/] & LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/palomaandfig]. Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com [https://palomaandfig.com]. Join in the conversation by joining our  Facebook group, A Resounding Yes! [https://www.facebook.com/groups/1439498403851978]

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 [https://ignatius.com/bread-grows-in-winter-bgwp/] * The Hidden Face by Ida Görres — Ignatius Press [https://ignatius.com/the-hidden-face-hfsstp/] * Jennifer Bryson's Website [https://jenniferbryson.net] * Paloma&Fig Blog Review [https://palomaandfig.com/idagorres/] Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios [https://saintkolbestudios.com/] Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2457003/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2457003/support] Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/palomaandfig], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/palomaandfig/] & LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/palomaandfig]. Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com [https://palomaandfig.com]. Join in the conversation by joining our  Facebook group, A Resounding Yes! [https://www.facebook.com/groups/1439498403851978]