Christina Sabo (00:03)
Thank you for joining us for a resounding yes podcast. A resounding yes is a show centered around Mary's fiat and reflecting upon how we say yes to the Lord. We are a podcast produced by creative agency, Paloma and Fig. Visit palomafig.com to learn more about our creative agency, including lots of engaging creative content all through a Catholic and artistic lens. Welcome, my name is Christina Sabo and today I am joined by Joelle Maryn.

Catholic award-winning actress, international TV host, published author, and one of America's top 100 keynote speakers. Welcome, Joelle.

Joelle Maryn (00:39)
Thank you so much for having me. Thank you.

Christina Sabo (00:42)
Thank you. So as always at the start and end of every episode, let us pray. In the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, amen. Dear Lord and loving Father, we come to you today with heartfelt thanks for the opportunities you present before us to spread light to others around us. Hold us by the hand as you do so well to show us even in times of darkness that you have beautiful.

grand plans for us to transform the light into fire that spreads to all hearts. Thank you for allowing Joelle to join us today and for all that she does as a follower of Christ in a world where seeking him isn't always what is easy. We pray for all of our listeners today and always in Jesus's name, amen. St. John Paul II and St. Ignatius pray for us. In the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, amen.

Joelle Maryn (01:30)
See you then.

Christina Sabo (01:37)
All right, well, we are thrilled to chat with you, me personally, selfishly, I'm extremely excited to speak with you. And I'm a huge fan of your work and your story. To give a little background to listeners on Joelle, and not to take too much away from her, but she modeled for many national brands, was on a billboard in Times Square, graced the covers of numerous books and publications, and is a published author.

Joelle Maryn (01:37)
Thanks for watching!

you

Christina Sabo (02:04)
Joelle has co-hosted several shows and over the years she has been blessed to interview many celebrities and public figures. So today's episode on a resounding yes, we will talk about Joelle's new book, Become the Fire and learn more about Joelle's conversion and how much she lives the faith day to day.

Not to give too much away, several years ago, Joelle had a miraculous conversion experience and now shares her message of God's healing love that has inspired millions around the world. She also engages in faith-based and inspirational films and TV shows to help lead others closer to Christ. So before I share way too much, I will let Joelle share her story and her background with all of you today. Thank you again for being here.

Joelle Maryn (02:48)
Thank

Yeah, thank you. It's just amazing and I feel like everywhere God sends me is where I'm supposed to be. And I'm actually a fan of yours because I saw the article that you wrote about the book and it was just so clear to me how you took it in and just even your writing style and how beautiful you write. And it just reminds me, you know,

I never thought I'd be an author or write, and this is my third book, so it's only by the grace of God, and hopefully it's His words, you know, and belongs to Him. But it just goes to show you, we just all have something different to offer and different, you know, gifts and graces, and you can have a million different writers, and they all sound different, and to just, I mean, it's a big part of my ministry is to raise other people up and to acknowledge the gifts in them. So I just want to tell you, like, I enjoyed your article.

I'm just completely honored to be on the show with you.

Christina Sabo (03:46)
Thank you so much. Thank you.

So share a little bit about your background, Joelle. We read the book and it's a beautiful book and we'll kind of dive into that, but share about your conversion story and just what led you to write Become the Fire.

Joelle Maryn (04:04)
Yeah, well to become the fire, I have to go back to the first tragic fire of my life, which is when I was six years old. I barely escaped a house fire and sadly lost everything I knew that day, including my only sibling, my sister Maria. So it was devastating.

can imagine what that did to my family. go more into details in this book as well as Master of the Pieces, my first book, but it was just the first of many fires. And what I learned over the years is that we all have, maybe you didn't have a house fire, but we all have different fires and trials and tragedies and things that happen in life that consume us, you know, and sometimes we don't, we wonder like, where is God in the midst of all this, these flames. And so sadly the flames of despair,

consumed my parents, especially my father. And up until about a week before his death, he would scream at night, it's not my fault, it's not my fault. And it wasn't his fault, he tried to save my sister but couldn't. But he lived in that. And so I think when he was dying, I just kept thinking to myself, like, here's a man that God had such big plans for, but he didn't get to be who he was supposed to be because he let the fire consume him instead of becoming the fire.

you know, that's within, you know, and letting God work through us. So that's become kind of at the heart of my mission. But my story starts with that. And then I just get caught up in the things of the world. 13 years ago this month, I had a miraculous encounter with the Lord, where there was like really nowhere else for me to go but back to Him. Because I checked the boxes of everything the world said was going make me happy and successful and this and that. And maybe it looks like that on the outside. I was really good on.

putting on a show, know, look, I attained what the world said would make me happy, you know, but it didn't because I didn't have God in it and he needs to be the center of everything. So I had what's known as the illumination of conscience, kind of like a near death experience where we, I saw my whole life flash before my eyes and I saw that I had it loved.

And that was really, really painful, but my story is one of mercy and I just feel like I've been given another chance. So after that, I returned to the church, you know, after a few year discernment, I made a complete life change, surrendered everything, left everything to serve God. And I just passed my eighth year anniversary in evangelism for the church, just independent, you know, speaking and acting and producing films and stuff for the glory of God.

Christina Sabo (06:35)
That's amazing.

That's amazing. I, while reading your book, our team, we did lot of reading about you and just your story. And it's just a beautiful testament to just how centering your life around the Lord just continues to produce more and more fruit. just seeing how you live your life and in the limelight, like you live in the media as well, that's such a hard place to live a life that way, I would

feel. So it's just it's a beautiful thing to experience.

Joelle Maryn (07:14)
Yeah, I want to say now with God in the center of it, because I actually, I'd made a vow like I was never going to go back on camera again. Being in Hollywood, I thought it was all like bad, but it was after I surrendered my life to God that he's like, no, like that really is where you're supposed to be, you know, camera personality. And I love it, but it was misdirected.

in the past and now it's for the glory of God. So I would say like this time around and that's the message I have for everyone is just when you're connected with God and you're praying and you're going to the sacraments and you've put Him first, you start to really see such a good Father.

you know, and actually has good plans for your life. No, they don't come without trials or suffering or more fires. It's just like you learn a way to just keep your eyes on Jesus and to move forward and realize that this time it's like it's more about passion and purpose. And that is what fills us, know, so to just like God might give us something and if we don't, if we bury it, right, there's a parable on that. And then like nothing can get done, but God wants to bless and multiply.

what he's already given us, but he wants us to say that prayer, Lord, please, bless and multiply what's already right in front of me and help me to use what you've given me for your glory.

Christina Sabo (08:29)
That's beautiful. agree. I feel like oftentimes I use the, I say that the fire, light, the fire within us and something that I'll talk about in a moment kind of in regard to sharing the light. I feel like when the Holy Spirit

pushes us in that direction, you get the feeling of that you have a fire lit within your heart. It's this warmth. It's a feeling of warmth. I don't really know how else to explain it, but it just is that comforting feeling of the Lord just warming you and creating that fire and just helping in pushing you to do his will and what he has planned for you. I often say that.

Joelle Maryn (08:54)
Yeah.

you

Christina Sabo (09:15)
So great. No, thank you so much for sharing that. I wanted to take a little bit of time just to read a little portion of what you know, kind of our view on your on your beautiful book. Our lead editor, Frankie Echensberger wrote a nice write up on the newest novel. before I do that, though, can you tell us a little a a little bit on the first novel that you wrote and how that differs from Become the Fire?

Joelle Maryn (09:43)
yes, sure. So Master of the Pieces is my first book. It's an autobiography, but it's really about the wounds that we all experience in life. And so there's the wood of rejection, fear, broken dreams, like all kinds of things that we all go through. And then I connect at the end of each chapter, like.

reflection questions in a prayer so the reader can kind of go let God go and be the master of their pieces. The second book's the workbook that goes with that that just you know gives you a place to write all that as well as has identity lies to each broken piece and then these scriptures the truth that fights those lies. I think scripture is just a huge part of healing and becoming the fire like in order to go out there and make a change in the world and have that fire lit we need to keep remembering.

who we are and whose we are in moving forward in confidence in God, like God confidence, right? And yeah, so the third book, Become the Fire is kind of like taking all that healing that's happened and putting it into action. And all of them could be read standalone, but they do build on each other. So of course, like, if you have the time, I would say to do master the pieces in the workbook to just go so deep.

Christina Sabo (10:37)
Beautiful.

Joelle Maryn (10:59)
so that you're ready to become the fire. But if you just don't have time and you just want to become the fire, you know, there's also details in there of how to just like let God go in real quick and let's just get out there and moving. And there's different questions for the person that goes throughout the book in different sections to try to apply to their life to find their deepest why. Like my deepest why is I'm fighting for my sister's legacy. Like I'm not going to let her die for no, you know, for no reason. Like I'm going to use this pain for a purpose.

and just helping people to find like, what's their why? Like, why are you gonna get out of bed when you wanna just, trust me, I wanna hit snooze every morning. I wanna be on vacation every day, but I get more fulfillment actually from serving others. So what is my why that reminds me of that, that puts me into motion to actually do what I'm supposed to do on Earth and go on vacation, you know, when it's warranted, but to really just get you out of bed every day, to say, you know, there's something to fight for.

Christina Sabo (11:36)
Right.

Joelle Maryn (11:54)
on this life, in this life, and we have a purpose to fulfill. And when we meet our Creator, I want to be able to have Him say, well done, good and faithful servant. So it's just kind of like striving for that, but also knowing that it's all grace and God is with us and how do we let the Holy Spirit unite so deeply so that we are animated by what God wants to do.

Christina Sabo (12:18)
I love that about the snooze button. I can relate in so many ways and it's so easy and not, know, relating that to just life in general, it's just so easy to say, you know, it just, you know, it's hard to follow Christ. It's not easy. But pushing the snooze button, say, no, I'm not going to, you know, I'm not going to do that today. I'll wait until tomorrow. Well, tomorrow turns into, you know, next week. And then it just continues to go on and on. And if you don't start now, what, you know, what better, what better time than now?

Joelle Maryn (12:36)
Yeah.

Yeah, and to that, you know, God could work with any personality. I've learned to get up early or I'm not really a morning person. I'd love to hit snooze, but I give myself like three main goals a day, like prioritize things. And then it feels so good. Like once they're done, okay, then you could do more, but like to try not to too much on your plate at once, prioritize, be focused, but like happy about it, you know?

Christina Sabo (12:47)
So that's beautiful.

Yeah. Right.

That's great. That's great. Yeah, that's a great reminder for me too, because I did push news this morning and I could have gotten up a little earlier. So good. That's great. I needed that today. Well, good. Well, no, thank you for sharing about that book as well and the journal. love that. I love writing things down. There's something about writing something down with a pen and paper to me, whether journaling.

Joelle Maryn (13:35)
Yeah.

Christina Sabo (13:37)
I have moved into a time where I use my phone and the computer to type, but I feel like I always revert back to just writing on it with pen and paper in a journal. There's just something to that and how it can connect us to scripture and just physically writing it down is such a helpful tip for me anyway.

Well, great. so to go to our little our write up and our team that, you know, speaks about and writes about your your book. So so become the fire mayor. I'm sorry. I know I'm saying it wrong. Tell me again. Last name. Marin, thank you. Marin's second book is a part memoir, part exploration of the Catholic faith and part field guide for healing from tragedy, trauma and a life lived apart from God.

Joelle Maryn (14:15)
We're in.

Christina Sabo (14:27)
While Joelle exposes unruly, sometimes unimaginable pains, the book itself is an enactment of her conversion to the faith and her rise from the ashes lifted by God's arms. She neither downplays her tragedies nor saturates the reader in heartbreak. She is not in the business of posturing, pretension or condemnation. Her writing is elegant.

And her grace is displayed with admirable humility as she describes the act of forgiveness. Something that resonates within your words is grace. And that is, to go through something so, I can't imagine what that would be like with the fire and the losing, losing your sister. just.

handling all of it with grace is just so commendable. And it just it's it speaks volumes in your writing and you can you can really read between the lines in how you write. You're welcome. So in that regard, can you share more about forgiveness in your life? I know some of this may give details into your book, give it a little bit of give it away a little bit. But can you share some of the ways you have learned to forgive others with grace throughout your life and times of suffering?

Joelle Maryn (15:21)
Thank you.

Yeah.

Yeah, mean, I forgiveness, Jesus in the Bible, it's what 70 times, seven times. It's not just like forgiveness is once and done. I think when people hurt us in our human condition, it's hurtful. And so it's difficult to release that. But what I realized is forgiveness is not what the person did is okay. It's just surrendering it to the Lord. And, you know, like I said, for my dad, he wasn't a bad person at all. He just was consumed by the flames.

of his past and when he was on his deathbed, I wasn't angry at him. Instead, I was just filled with this holy love of, wow, like this was a man that God had a purpose for and it was just a sadness that he didn't get to fulfill that. So I think forgiveness is, you know, also putting yourself in the other person's shoes and kind of finding out why they act the way they do. And you'll find out if you do that most of the time, it's really not about you.

They might have had a childhood wound or something going on in their life. It doesn't make it okay You know, it doesn't make the pain not real matter of fact I think one of the most beautiful prayers we could pray is to count the cost and be like God like this really hurt me and this person said or did x y and z and I just can't bear that kind of pain on my own. I don't understand it But I unite my pain to your cross and I surrender this offense to you to deal with as you will

You know, and you kind of get to the place where if it's just so much more freeing to let go because to replay the hurt over and over again, it distracts us from our calling. And I think that's where the enemy would just love for us to live in that hurt instead of being able to be joyful or to meet the face of Christ or to go out there and like, that's right. I have a purpose. I have something that I can.

do today. So my view on forgiveness is just really just continually over and over again, surrendering it to the Lord again, not that it's okay, feeling the pain, going through the pain, having the tears, and then just releasing it to the Lord and praying for that person. So like if someone is not nice to me, I have masses said for them. And I'm like, that's how I get back at them and the enemy. And you know, I pray for their conversion, I pray for the salvation.

Christina Sabo (17:54)
you

Joelle Maryn (18:00)
of their soul I pray you know that one day we'll meet in heaven and everybody will be happy and nice.

Christina Sabo (18:05)
That's

a great outlook. I feel like we all struggle with that, with forgiveness is when you feel angry at someone or if someone is mean to you or unkind in some way. It takes so much faith to do what you said, offer a mass, pray for that person. I read something, I mean, this is somewhat comical from Mother Angelica said, it's very hard to pray for someone that you wish would slip on a banana peel.

Joelle Maryn (18:24)
Yeah.

I'm a bird.

Christina Sabo (18:34)
So it's those moments where we're like, my gosh,

I'm so angry. But when you offer it up to the Lord, it just it's a freeing feeling. it's your faith grows in those moments. I love that the offering of a mass. That's a good reminder for me too. That's great. So to dive in on the second part of your book, there's three interactive sessions that

Joelle Maryn (18:46)
Yeah.

Christina Sabo (18:57)
you have laid out. So find your fire, walk through fire, and become the fire. Again, not to give too much away from your beautiful book, but can you share a little on each of these in relation to your own life and how we as readers can use these interactive sessions to identify God's will in our own lives?

Joelle Maryn (19:13)
Yeah,

like you said, it's an interactive book. And so in the middle of the book, it starts out with find your fire, which is again, finding that why going deep, finding out what you're fighting for, what's going to get you out of bed, but then walk through fire. The second part of that is like going back to the pain.

and in those places and kind of letting examining them with God present. It's not, I'm not a counselor. Like definitely I'm all for like if you need to bring this to a counselor, but this is the spiritual component of it. Like walking through it with God, knowing that he's with us in the fires and that he loves us and has a plan and that that's a safe place, you know, to, you know, he never wanted us to hurt, but he's with us in the hurt.

And then the third sections become the fire and it's now like basically purified by the truth that God is with you, that he loves you, that he didn't want anything bad to happen. And even if you were the one that messed up, like he's the God of second chances and a million chances and just becoming the fire that makes a change in the world in him, with him, through him and for his glory.

Christina Sabo (20:18)
That's great. Wonderful. And I love how you incorporate the saints and prayers as well in your in your book. I have a strong love for intercessory prayer. I think it's so powerful. So

Joelle Maryn (20:32)
Yes.

Christina Sabo (20:34)
So first of all, and I know I've said what a big fan I am of yours, but I just have to commend you on being you not just as a fellow Catholic, but as a mom and someone who has a passion for advocating for our youth, especially young girls. I've worked in campus ministry and have seen what our young people go through, whether it's in the classroom, out of the classroom, and what they're faced with today is so different than even when I was their age or even more recently.

Joelle Maryn (20:48)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Christina Sabo (21:04)
a great example that you're setting for not just us as Catholic adults, for young girls and for our youth as well. So thank you so much for that. think our world needs more of that. And I'm just my prayer is that the media and all of, know, TVs, films continue to move in the direction of bringing Christ at the center. I think that's, I think that's wonderful. That's such a great, a great example that you're setting.

Joelle Maryn (21:15)
you.

Thank you so much. I mean, I mean, when we were youth, you know, any any generation, there's always been challenges and now there's just kind of new ones with technology and all of that. But I just I think that's we just have to remember that we're attacked at our giftings and a lot of the youth are so buried in their devices that they're not really getting to use maybe like what they've been created for and just trying to.

help them know that God sees them, God knows them, God loves them, and certain things online. That's not what defines them. The only thing that defines them is they're children of God. And God has a plan. let's just get refocused on finding our value and our worth from that truth. Because that's the eternal truth and the one that matters. Yeah.

Christina Sabo (22:18)
Sure. Absolutely.

Amen. Sure. So in speaking of films, can you share more about New Mana, an upcoming film about, I believe it's about, is it Eucharistic Miracles? Okay.

Joelle Maryn (22:24)
Thank

Yes, yeah, well, I mean,

it's really unique. It's similar to a docudrama, but I don't even know what category to put it in because it's so cinematically beautiful. Like, it's just shot incredibly beautiful, like a feature film. So I'm in the scenes of acting out the passion of Christ, which, you know, that was not, that was just a prayer. say, I prayed the role of Our Lady. I couldn't play the role.

of Our Lady because I had to just really try to get to that place and get over myself to say, you know, it was such a big undertaking. And when I realized it's not about me and to just, you know, let God work through me, became a prayer and, you know, all glory to God. the rest of the film is.

there's kind of, well, I guess there's a different part to it, but there's some scientists, there's theologians, Dr. Scott Hunt is in it, Lessa Carlo Cudiz-Mama is in it, different scientists like the Miracle Elanciano, Antigua Mexico, and just various sites of Eucharistic miracles. And now they're filming, I think,

an antagonist part or some other part of someone who's struggling with believing in the modern world of the Eucharist. So it's a very unique film. Again, like I don't know cinematically if we've seen something so beautifully shot before, so I'm excited. But they're raising money, you know, and trying to get this finished and the post-production, everything's being done like top notch. So it's not inexpensive to do, but I believe in God's way and God's timing it will get finished.

Christina Sabo (24:06)
That's amazing. I cannot wait. was doing some research on the film and it just it does it seems like it's not it's not been done before. And what a an amazing, amazing thing to accomplish when it is finished. Can't wait. Yeah.

Joelle Maryn (24:22)
Thank you.

Christina Sabo (24:24)
So lastly, so share your connection to St. Ignatius or a devotion that you may have to any other saint listeners who have read or who will read your book will notice that there is a connection to St. Ignatius throughout. How has he or any other saint played a part in your prayer life or conversion or just been a part of your life in general?

Joelle Maryn (24:43)
Yeah, so Saint Ignatius of Loyola was one of the saints I was kind of led to when I returned back to the church for spiritual direction. I got a spiritual director of priest and you know, I was led to the rules of discernment. So they're in here as well. And of course, I always tell everyone, please just go read Saint Ignatius directly. But

It's, he kind of recognized at his conversion the different movements in his mind and heart that helped him to figure out where God was calling him. And so I had to really search like starting all over again, where are you calling me? What was this all about? Why did I have this experience? And what do want me to do with it? So it took, still I do use these exercises every day along with listening, you know, to what God shares with me through scripture in different ways. So I would say,

on this topic, you know, this is that each saint has a specialty and this is St. Ignatius of Loyola's and so it's for everybody. Like if you a lot I've met so many people who are like I have no idea what God wants me to do and God doesn't speak to me and I was like my goodness he speaks to you I promise you and so there's a lot in here from St. Ignatius of Loyola in this book as well as like finding different ways that God speaks to each of us which will be

you know, more individual depending on the person's personality and how they'll receive God. But one of my criteria that I added to the book was to be desperate. When I mean to be desperate, I mean it in the most positive, beautiful way of like being desperate to hear God, being desperate to find God, being desperate to look for him everywhere because he's everywhere. He's omnipotent, he's omnipresent, you know? And so when you start to keep like your eyes open, and I think a lot of times that happens to us at the bottom,

And that's why God allows us to have bottoms. Because if we were always at the top, we would just not be talking to him as much, which is not right. We should talk to him at the top and the bottom. And that's what St. Ignatius teaches us is that even when you're in your heights of consolation, humble yourself for the desolation that will eventually come. And when you're in desolation, like you're down and out, you have to remember that God, the presence of God will return. He never, ever, ever leaves us.

And so, you know, the rules of discernment just help us to move forward with God's plan and to know what it is and help discern that even in the down and out moments so that we don't get stopped. Because the enemy just wants to stop you from doing God's plan. He just wants to be like, you know, veer you in the wrong path or keep fear in the way where you're like, I can't do this, you know. But God is saying, yes, you can. Because with him behind you, really nothing is impossible.

Christina Sabo (27:20)
So true, so very true. And you hit roadblocks oftentimes and that's what the evil one wants. So thank you. And thank you for joining us, Joelle. It's been such a pleasure today speaking with you and learning all about you and your new book, Become the Fire. If you're interested in purchasing Joelle's newest novel, Become the Fire, you can find links by visiting Joelle's website, joellemaron.com or through our website, polomanfig.com.

Joelle Maryn (27:33)
Thank you.

Christina Sabo (27:50)
As always, we will close in prayer and pray for all of your silent intentions that you hold in your hearts. Let us pray through the intercession of our Blessed Mother, in name of the Father, and of the Son, the Holy Spirit. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. In the of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Amen. Well, thank you, Joelle.

It was such a pleasure.

Joelle Maryn (28:20)
Thank you. Thank you

so much. It's awesome to be here and spend this time.

Christina Sabo (28:24)
from great,

great, thank you so much. And from all of us at a resounding yes, prod podcast, we pray that each of you have a joyful day and week ahead full of miracles. We prayfully thank each of you for listening and for your support. God bless.