Rebel Saints: Catholic Faith & Spiritual Growth Podcast for Christians

Send us Fan Mail

What if the real blindness in your life isn’t physical, but spiritual?

In this episode of Rebel Saints, we reflect on the Fourth Sunday of Lent (Laetare Sunday, Year A) and the powerful Gospel of the man born blind (John 9:1–41). Jesus declares, “I am the light of the world,” and reveals that true sight comes not just from seeing—but from encountering Him.

We also dive into the life of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, whose radical sacrifice in Auschwitz became a living witness to Christ’s light shining in the darkest place imaginable.

This episode is for anyone who feels stuck, searching, or spiritually blind—and is ready to step into the light.

References & Further Reading

• Sacred Scripture: John 9:1-41; 1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a; Ephesians 5:8-14; Psalm 23 (NABRE)
• Catechism of the Catholic Church: CCC 1243 (Baptism as enlightenment); CCC 2447 (Works of mercy)
• Saint Maximilian Kolbe: Vatican canonization biography (vatican.va); eyewitness accounts from Franciszek Gajowniczek and Bruno Borgowiec (Church-approved sources)
• Liturgical: USCCB readings for March 15, 2026 (usccb.org)

Support the Journey: Help other restless hearts find us!

Follow: Hit the "+" or "Follow" button 

Review: If you enjoyed this show, please leave a review. It’s the best way to help us grow.

Connect with Rebel Saints:

• Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rebelsaintspodcast
• Reflections: https://substack.com/@rebelsaints
• Instagram: @rebelsaintspodcast
• TikTok: @RebelSaintsPodcast
• For exclusive content find us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/RebelSaintsPodcast
• Write us: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Are you drawing from broken wells? On the 3rd Sunday of Lent, we meet the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well. Nicole explores John 4, isolation, and finding living water.

In this episode for the Third Sunday of Lent (Cycle A), we dive into John 4. Jesus sits at Jacob’s well in the noon heat, tired and waiting for a Samaritan woman whom society avoided. He asks for a drink: she receives living water.

This isn't ancient history: it is our story. Where are you still thirsty? What broken wells are you drawing from? Lent asks if you are brave enough to let Him name your thirst. 

In this reflection, we unpack isolation, desire as God’s design, and the dignity of women in salvation history.

In This Episode

• The Noon Heat: Why Jesus waits for us in our moments of exhaustion and isolation.
• Broken Wells: Identifying the things we use to numb our spiritual thirst: validation, control, and distraction.
• The Samaritan Woman: How one encounter turns a marginalized woman into a saint.
• Desire as Design: Understanding that our deep longings are meant to lead us to the Creator.
• Eucharistic Living Water: Connecting the well to the grace of the Sacraments.

Liturgical and Scriptural References

• Gospel: John 4:5 to 42 (The Woman at the Well)
• First Reading: Exodus 17:3 to 7 (Water from the Rock)
• Second Reading: Romans 5:1 to 2, 5 to 8 (God’s love poured into our hearts)
• Catechism §2560: Jesus thirsts: his asking arises from the depths of God’s desire for us.

Connect with Rebel Saints

Rebel Saints is a podcast for restless hearts called to be saints. If your Lent feels messy, you are not behind: you are exactly where you need to be.

If this hit home share your "still thirsty" reflection in the comments or tag @rebelsaintspod on social.

Support the Journey: Help other restless hearts find us!

Follow: Hit the "+" or "Follow" button 

Review: If you enjoyed this show, please leave a review. It’s the best way to help us grow.

Connect with Rebel Saints:

• Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rebelsaintspodcast
• Reflections: https://substack.com/@rebelsaints
• Instagram: @rebelsaintspodcast
• TikTok: @RebelSaintsPodcast
• For exclusive content find us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/RebelSaintsPodcast
• Write us: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Did you forget it was Friday and eat meat? Nicole explains Catholic Lent rules, the difference between a slip-up and a sin, and how to handle Good Friday birthdays.

It is Friday during Lent. You forget and eat a burger. Or perhaps your child’s birthday falls on Good Friday. You find yourself holding a slice of pizza thinking: "Wait, did I just commit a mortal sin?"

In this episode, Nicole walks through what the Church actually asks of us during Lent and what it does not. If you are new to the Church, raising kids, or trying to live Lent faithfully in a world that does not observe it, this conversation is for you. The framework is simple: put Christ first, then celebrate freely.

In This Episode

• Lent Requirements: What Catholics are required to do on Fridays.
• The Intent Matters: The difference between forgetting and deliberately rejecting Church teaching.
• Fasting vs. Abstinence: What these practices are really about.
• Special Circumstances: How to handle a Good Friday birthday or family celebration.
• Freedom over Fear: Why Lent is a season of grace, not a legalistic trap.

Catechism and Church References

• CCC 1438: The seasons and days of penance in the Church.
• CCC 2043: The precepts of the Church regarding fasting and abstinence.
• CCC 1857: The three conditions of a mortal sin.

Support the Journey: Help other restless hearts find us!

Follow: Hit the "+" or "Follow" button 

Review: If you enjoyed this show, please leave a review. It’s the best way to help us grow.

Connect with Rebel Saints:

• Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rebelsaintspodcast
• Reflections: https://substack.com/@rebelsaints
• Instagram: @rebelsaintspodcast
• TikTok: @RebelSaintsPodcast
• For exclusive content find us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/RebelSaintsPodcast
• Write us: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Planning a Catholic wedding? Beyond the florals and seating charts, the Nuptial Mass is a Sacrament. Photographer Nicole joins us to discuss the theology of the Eucharist, wedding vendors, and keeping Christ at the center of your vocation.

If you are planning a Catholic wedding right now, this episode is for you. In the middle of contracts and timelines, it is easy to forget the spiritual reality of your wedding day. Marriage is more than a ceremony: it is a Sacrament.

Today we are joined by Nicole, a Catholic journalist and wedding photographer in the Metro D.C. area. She shares what she has witnessed from the back of countless Nuptial Masses and why the people you invite into your sanctuary matter. From the theology of the Eucharist to practical questions for vendors, this conversation is about starting your vocation with intention.

In This Episode

• What the Church teaches about the Sacrament of Marriage: CCC 1601, 1641
• Why Catholic weddings are celebrated within the Mass: CCC 1621
• Why the spouses, not the priest, are the ministers of the Sacrament: CCC 1623
• The role of the priest as an official witness: CCC 1630 to 1631
• How the Eucharist unites your covenant to the sacrifice of Christ: CCC 1104
• Practical questions to ask wedding vendors before you book
• Why your photographs and your spouse are what last

Catechism and Church References

• CCC 1601: Marriage as a Sacrament
• CCC 1641: Sacramental grace for spouses
• CCC 1621: Marriage within the Mass
• CCC 1623: Spouses as ministers of the Sacrament
• CCC 1630 to 1631: Role of the priest and canonical form
• CCC 1104: The Eucharist and the sacrifice of Calvary
• Familiaris Consortio 67: The connection between marriage and the Eucharist

Resources

Planning a Catholic Wedding? Nicole is a Catholic wedding photographer serving the Metro D.C. area through Olea and Co Photo. Learn more: https://www.oleacophoto.com/

Support the Journey: Help other restless hearts find us!

Follow: Hit the "+" or "Follow" button 

Review: If you enjoyed this show, please leave a review. It’s the best way to help us grow.

Connect with Rebel Saints:

• Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rebelsaintspodcast
• Reflections: https://substack.com/@rebelsaints
• Instagram: @rebelsaintspodcast
• TikTok: @RebelSaintsPodcast
• For exclusive content find us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/RebelSaintsPodcast
• Write us: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Is your Lent feeling messy? In the second week of Lent, the energy dips and cravings get louder. We dive into the Transfiguration to see why glory isn't the goal—it's preparation for the Cross.

Week two of Lent is when it gets real. The “I can do this” starts wobbling. Why does the Church give us the Transfiguration right now? This episode of Rebel Saints explores trusting God in the "middle"—when the light fades and obedience still costs something.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• The Obedience of Abraham: Drawing from Genesis 12 and the Catechism of the Catholic Church (§§144–149).
• The Transfiguration as Preparation: Why Moses and Elijah appeared to Jesus before the Passion.
• St. Thomas Aquinas & St. Leo the Great: Classical theological reflections on the nature of grace and the Cross.
• The Franciscan Perspective: Finding God in the "messy" middle of the spiritual journey.

Key Resources & References

• Scripture: Matthew 17:1–9, Genesis 12:1–4a, 2 Timothy 1:8b–10.
• Theology: Summa Theologiae (III, q. 45), Council of Chalcedon (451 AD).
• Connect: Join the Rebel Saints community for more reflections for restless hearts.

Support the Journey: Help other restless hearts find us!

Follow: Hit the "+" or "Follow" button 

Review: If you enjoyed this show, please leave a review. It’s the best way to help us grow.

Connect with Rebel Saints:

• Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rebelsaintspodcast
• Reflections: https://substack.com/@rebelsaints
• Instagram: @rebelsaintspodcast
• TikTok: @RebelSaintsPodcast
• For exclusive content find us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/RebelSaintsPodcast
• Write us: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Lent begins with ashes and the uncomfortable truth we are not self-sustaining. In this episode of The Rebel Saints Podcast, we move from Ash Wednesday into the Gospel of the First Sunday of Lent, where Jesus is led into the desert and tempted.

What does it mean to be dust? Why does the Church insist on our mortality at the beginning of Lent? And how does Christ’s obedience in the desert reshape our understanding of temptation, grace, and dependence on God?

Drawing from Catholic doctrine, Scripture, and the witness of St. Catherine of Siena, this episode explores the first week of Lent as a movement from illusion to clarity — and from self-sufficiency to trust.

This reflection is for Cycle A. in the Roman Catholic Church. 

Scripture Referenced

Genesis 2–3
Matthew 4:1–11 (or Mark/Luke depending on liturgical year)
1 Corinthians 15:20–26

Catechism References 

CCC 355–365 – The human person (body and soul)
CCC 396–409 – The Fall and original sin
CCC 538–540 – Christ’s temptation in the desert
CCC 1996–2005 – Sanctifying grace

Saints Referenced

St. Catherine of Siena – The Dialogue  = https://amzn.to/3Ouo00k

Music On this Show: 

Intro: Life Mood  & Love Machine by Hartzmann - https://musicvine.com/browse/artist/hartzmann

License code: SUWF2L8VG76UJDZS

Support the Journey: Help other restless hearts find us!

Follow: Hit the "+" or "Follow" button 

Review: If you enjoyed this show, please leave a review. It’s the best way to help us grow.

Connect with Rebel Saints:

• Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rebelsaintspodcast
• Reflections: https://substack.com/@rebelsaints
• Instagram: @rebelsaintspodcast
• TikTok: @RebelSaintsPodcast
• For exclusive content find us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/RebelSaintsPodcast
• Write us: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Nicole is back — not with a rebrand exactly, but something more like a pivot.

The Rebel Saints Podcast is no longer just for teens — it’s for anyone swimming upstream in a culture that doesn't understand why you still care about things like grace, sacrifice, and truth. It’s for Catholics (and maybe the Catholic-curious) who are trying to live an ancient faith in the middle of our contemporary world.

Expect stories, hard questions, strange saints, and the messiness of trying to be holy without pretending it’s easy.

Support the Journey: Help other restless hearts find us!

Follow: Hit the "+" or "Follow" button 

Review: If you enjoyed this show, please leave a review. It’s the best way to help us grow.

Connect with Rebel Saints:

• Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rebelsaintspodcast
• Reflections: https://substack.com/@rebelsaints
• Instagram: @rebelsaintspodcast
• TikTok: @RebelSaintsPodcast
• For exclusive content find us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/RebelSaintsPodcast
• Write us: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Meet Pope Leo XIV: the first American-born pope. Nicole reflects on this Spirit-led election, his Augustinian roots, and why this "quiet firestarter" is exactly what the Church needs right now.

Welcome back to the Rebel Saints Podcast. If this is your first time here, you picked the right moment to jump in. In this episode, Nicole shares a deeply personal reflection on the election of Pope Leo XIV: the first American-born pope, a missionary, and an Augustinian.

This is more than commentary on Church news. This is a holy reckoning that reminds us why the Church is alive and moved by the breath of the Spirit. Nicole breaks down the symbolism of Pope Leo’s first public moment, his surprising background, and why his presence is already echoing the legacy of St. John Paul II.

In This Episode

• The Election of Pope Leo XIV: Breaking down the significance of the first American Pope.
• The Augustinian Charism: How his missionary background informs his new role.
• A Quiet Firestarter: Analyzing the symbolism of his first public appearance and his choice of the name Leo.
• The Legacy of St. John Paul II: Why this papacy feels like a continuation of a roaring Church.
• The Body of Christ: Why the papacy is about the whole Church rising to meet this cultural moment.

References and Resources

• The Augustinian Order: Learn more about the spirituality that formed the new Holy Father.
• Papal History: Contextualizing the first American-born successor of Peter.
• Rebel Saints: Join our community of restless hearts called to be saints.

Support the Journey: Help other restless hearts find us!

Follow: Hit the "+" or "Follow" button 

Review: If you enjoyed this show, please leave a review. It’s the best way to help us grow.

Connect with Rebel Saints:

• Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rebelsaintspodcast
• Reflections: https://substack.com/@rebelsaints
• Instagram: @rebelsaintspodcast
• TikTok: @RebelSaintsPodcast
• For exclusive content find us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/RebelSaintsPodcast
• Write us: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Join us on the Rebel Saints Podcast where Nicole, a Catholic Youth Minister and host, reflects on the profound significance of Christ's resurrection by exploring the readings for the Feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord - Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024.

We delve into the themes of witness, anticipation, and joy that permeate the Easter narrative, from Peter's fearless proclamation to Mary Magdalene's awe-inspiring encounter with the empty tomb. Through insightful commentary and heartfelt reflection, we uncover the timeless truths of the Gospel and their relevance to our lives today. Tune in now and let the light of Christ's resurrection illuminate your path to joy and redemption.

Readings:
FIRST READING: Acts 4:32-35
RESPONSORIAL PSALM: Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24
SECOND READING: 1 John 5:1-6
GOSPEL: John 20:19-31

Music heard in this episode:
Intro: Life Mood by Hartzmann - https://uppbeat.io/t/hartzmann/life-mood
License code: SUWF2L8VG76UJDZS

Background: Two Acres by Arend. - https://uppbeat.io/t/arend/two-acres
License code: Z1FHHRHV7LNC9KCK

Support the Journey: Help other restless hearts find us!

Follow: Hit the "+" or "Follow" button 

Review: If you enjoyed this show, please leave a review. It’s the best way to help us grow.

Connect with Rebel Saints:

• Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rebelsaintspodcast
• Reflections: https://substack.com/@rebelsaints
• Instagram: @rebelsaintspodcast
• TikTok: @RebelSaintsPodcast
• For exclusive content find us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/RebelSaintsPodcast
• Write us: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of the Rebel Saints Podcast, host Nicole delves into the depths of the Gospel readings for Palm Sunday, March 24, 2024. Join us as we unpack the profound journey of Jesus Christ during Holy Week, exploring themes of humility, sacrifice, and unwavering faith. Through reflections on the triumphal entry, the ultimate sacrifice of Christ's Passion, and insights from saints such as Saint Teresa of Calcutta and Saint Padre Pio, we find guidance on how to navigate the challenges of being a teenager in today's world. Discover the transformative power of embracing our crosses with courage and trust in God's promises. Don't miss out on this inspiring episode as we continue to explore the beauty and depth of our Catholic faith on the Rebel Saints Podcast. Subscribe now for more reflections and discussions to enrich your spiritual journey.

READINGS for Palm Sunday in the Passion of our Lord - March 24, 2024

PROCESSION: Mark 11:1-10 or John 12:12-16

FIRST READING: Isaiah 50:4-7

RESPONSORIAL PSALM: Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24

SECOND READING; Philippians 2:6-11

GOSPEL: Mark 14:1-15:47 or Mark 15:1-39

Support the Journey: Help other restless hearts find us!

Follow: Hit the "+" or "Follow" button 

Review: If you enjoyed this show, please leave a review. It’s the best way to help us grow.

Connect with Rebel Saints:

• Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rebelsaintspodcast
• Reflections: https://substack.com/@rebelsaints
• Instagram: @rebelsaintspodcast
• TikTok: @RebelSaintsPodcast
• For exclusive content find us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/RebelSaintsPodcast
• Write us: [email protected]