Hope you had a blessed Sunday!🙏✝️
Time for another Catholic Meme Monday.
That’s all I have this week. Stay tuned for next week’s Catholic Meme Monday. Receive updates straight to your email inbox by subscribing to The Simple Catholic blog.
P.S. If you prefer receiving quality Catholic humor in daily doses follow me on Instagram @thesimplecatholic.
The church door closed with a soft click. Empty pews stretched toward the altar. A single candle flickered near the monstrance, its flame steady. Sunlight filtered through stained glass, casting colored patterns that moved slowly across the floor. The air felt still.
An elderly woman sat in the third pew on the left, rosary beads sliding between weathered fingers. She didn’t look up.
The wooden kneeler creaked. Silence filled the space, not empty but full. The gold of the monstrance caught the light once, then didn’t again. A car passed outside, then nothing.
The clock on the wall ticked. The Host remained unchanged, white against gold. Minutes stretched. The elderly woman shifted slightly, then returned to stillness.
Somewhere, a heating system hummed briefly, then quieted. The colored light on the floor had moved an inch. The candle flame didn’t waver.
Saint Alphonsus Liguori proclaimed, “Of all devotions, that of adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the greatest after the sacraments, the one dearest to God and the one most helpful to us.”
Yet God doesn’t need our love—He wants it.
The Blessed Sacrament doesn’t demand attention with bright lights or loud sounds. It waits. The miracle sits in plain sight, ordinary and extraordinary at once. Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity behind the appearance of bread.
In Eucharistic Adoration, time changes. Not faster or slower—different.
St. Mother Teresa understood this: “When you look at the crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you then. When you look at the Sacred Host, you understand how much Jesus loves you now.”
Now. Present tense.
The elderly woman with the rosary knew this. Her weekly visit wasn’t obligation—it was appointment. Her same pew each Wednesday, surrounded by familiar silence, enveloped in His unchanging Presence.
St. Clare of Assisi said simply: “Gaze upon him, consider him, contemplate him, as you desire to imitate him.”
Some call it spiritual tanning—basking in the light of the Son. You can’t help but be changed by it. Too much exposure and your sins become visible, uncomfortable. The longer you remain, the more grace accumulates.
The wooden pew feels hard after twenty minutes. The mind wanders. The silence grows deeper. And then, sometimes, a moment arrives that wasn’t there before.
The Church doesn’t merely suggest Adoration—it recognizes our need for it. As the Catechism states, “The Church and the world have great need of Eucharistic adoration. Jesus waits for us in this sacrament of love.”
He waits.
The church remains mostly empty on weekday afternoons. The Host doesn’t mind. The monstrance holds the miracle whether witnessed by hundreds or just an elderly woman with arthritic hands.
The invitation remains open.
Find fifteen minutes this week. Ask your parish office when Adoration hours are scheduled. Walk in. Sit down. Nothing spectacular may happen.
But the candle will flicker near the monstrance. Sunlight might cast colored patterns across the floor. The silence will be waiting.
And so will He.
Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Kathleen, Mary, and Faustina Bowen via phone call on October 21st, 2024. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.
Images were provided courtesy of Kathleen Bowen.
Faustina: We attended Our Lady of Victory Homeschool and this book was part of the 9th grade curriculum. The author told the story of Saints Sebastian and Agnes differently than you heard before. Saint Pancratius is another saint you discover in the book that you don’t hear about often.
Yes, both in the book and our film adaptation.
“Fabiola draws parallels between third-century Rome and our contemporary world.”
Mary: In 2018 we made a feature film with a budget of about $5000 called “Outlaws of Ravenhurst”. In 2020, we made another feature length (Grisly Grisell) and made a short film between now and then to perfect our skills. We knew after this short film we wanted our next feature film to be Fabiola. Over the past five years we have been working on this project. We have five drafts of this film.
Faustina: Fabiola really talks about Rome when it is on the brink of collapse. I feel like a lot of people in our day feel like our culture is in a period of collapse. Fabiola ends on a note of hope. High times in history also come from the brink of low times or times of trial. And we may be on the brink of that (hope) with our society.
Mary: When we took the book and turned it into a screenplay we found some of the characters didn’t always have situations that translate to today. With some of the saints they didn’t seem to have personalities, we wanted to show that these characters are individuals and we wanted to showcase both their weaknesses and strengths to show how they can be relatable to us today.
For example, some of the saints were very lofty and aloof. When you are writing a script you are peeling the character apart like an onion to see the layers. We gave the characters a particular vice in the story to make it more relatable. The saints were focused on trying to overcome the vice whereas the other pagan characters weren’t as interested in overcoming the vices. So when we re-added the flesh/depth of the character these saints were different from what the original text portrays (which was more one-dimensional).
Faustina: I would say one of the most powerful examples of this is a fictional character (Syra), the Christian slave of Fabiola. Syra said, “She is sacrificing every moment of her life to bring the Gospel to Fabiola.
Kathleen: While the themes of sacrifice and faith are strong, I really think the audience is going to leave the theater with a strong sense of forgiveness from the film. In a lot of ways the film could be titled, Fulvius, after the villain. Our film will highlight the Catholic understanding of forgiveness which is really about asking God for forgiveness, then forgiving ourselves, and it’s really a bonus if others forgive us.
Faustina: Two of the characters in Fabiola are converted like how Peter and Paul are converted. One character is converted more through words than a dramatic way. She has a more sophisticated conversion. Another character has more of a Pauline conversion (knocked-off his horse). Something very momentous occurs to him and this causes him to change his ways.
Mary: We didn’t compromise the dialogue (the word Catholic doesn’t appear in the script- we use the term Christian). Hopefully, this film is a way to bring Protestants into a realm that these are people (the martyrs) they can find heroes in. One major sticking point might be Constantine, but he is not a major figure in Fabiola.
Faustina: The thing I wanted to add, we recently watched the old Charlton Heston The Ten Commandments and we want the quality of the film to be like that movie. While it’s a Protestant made film it still appealed to Catholics. Likewise, we see our vision for the film to be similar to that high quality of faith that it appeals to a broader Christian audience. One of the patrons is actually a Baptist.
Mary: Something we have learned over the years, that we haven’t heard criticisms from people is that the acting is bad. We have made the lines digestible, working on camera angles. Learning how to run schedules, working with a larger cast. Also, we have been able to shift our attention from filming to the more detailed things (better scripts, building the set in an existing structure that was in the Roman area).
Kathleen: Me watching Faustina and Mary directing this time I have noticed the amount of creativity and time spent in preparation has been impressive. The time dedicated to the details and preparation really made the difference with Fabiola. It has taken seven years to get to a point where the product turns out where it looks like a movie. None of us went to film school this was all self-taught.
Faustina: We have a newsletter for them to receive updates. They can also contribute or invest at Industrious Family.
Mary Bowen and sister Faustina along with their mother Kathleen have been producing and directing films for nearly a decade. Fabiola will be the Bowen family’s first film with a full budget projected to be $1.25 million.
Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Thomas Salerno, via phone call on February 7th, 2024. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.
I’ve known about Nicolas Steno for a while. In college, I took a lot of geology classes and came across him in my textbooks. The textbooks rarely mentioned he was a priest. He is not well known even in Catholic circles. He’s not as familiar to people as Gregor Mendel. But Nicolas has been a hero of mine and I wanted to write about him.
Because he is still “just” a blessed he doesn’t get as much “air-time” as a fully canonized saint.
His life represents a relentless pursuit of truth. He came into the Catholic Church from a Lutheran family. No matter what subject he was studying, he was never afraid of where that journey towards truth would lead him.
That’s a great question. I tried to keep the book as jargon-free as possible without “dumbing” it down. I thought about it as if I was a 10 year old again. How would I process these concepts at that age?
I think it would probably be during his conversion story. Steno initially tried to reason his way to the faith by studying the Church Fathers. On All Souls Day, he had a very powerful experience when he perceived God personally telling him to join the Catholic Church. It was through an ordinary experience: he was about to make a wrong turn on the street and a passerby told him to go the other way. In his heart, Steno was wavering on “which way to go” (that is, whether to stay Lutheran or become Catholic) and he took those words as coming directly from God.
Another great question! I really try to communicate in my writing that scientific inquiry is a way for God to help us learn about His creation. It’s a way to give praise back to God and to give thanks for creating the beautiful, diverse, and complex world He has made.
“Tongue-stones” is a name that people from centuries ago in Europe gave to fossils of sharks’ teeth. Steno was originally an animal anatomist. So when he dissected a shark, he noticed how their teeth were identical to tongue-stones; they were essentially petrified shark’s teeth. This allowed him to marshal evidence that fossils were actually what they were evident to be: remains of organisms from long ago.
Two things surprised me. Firstly, that he was still able to keep practicing science while performing his duties as a bishop. And the other thing that surprised me was how much trouble he got himself into in both the Protestant and Catholic areas. He was a reformer at heart so he didn’t have a whole lot of support from his congregations. At one point he was receiving death threats simply by opposing corruption in his diocese.
To be honest, I left that in the hands of my design team at Word on Fire. One thing I have learned in this experience is how much of a team effort it is putting together a children’s book.
I think that the best advice I can give is to not be afraid to learn about these things with your children. If your child shows an interest in science or nature, nurture that interest, but also find out why they are interested and show celebrate that passion. Ask questions and be engaged with your children’s interests.
I dedicated the book to my mom because she allowed me to be interested in my study of paleontology and fossils. She took me to museums and we collected various things from outside like rocks and minerals. She let me chart my own path of learning.
Two things recently have deepened my faith: Spiritual reading and a dedicated daily prayer routine. The Church provides a wealth of different types of prayer, but if you can establish that daily prayer time with God it will be a game-changer.
Learn more about Thomas and his book by visiting: his Word on Fire interview.
Thomas Salerno is a museum educator, author, freelance essayist, and podcaster from Long Island, New York. Thomas has a degree in anthropology from Stony Brook University and is the author of the debut children’s nonfiction book, The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones: How Blessed Nicolas Steno Uncovered the Hidden History of the Earth.
Hope you had a blessed Sunday!🙏✝️
Time for another Catholic Meme Monday.
That’s all I have this week. Stay tuned for next week’s Catholic Meme Monday. Receive updates straight to your email inbox by subscribing to The Simple Catholic blog.
P.S. If you prefer receiving quality Catholic humor in daily doses follow me on Instagram @thesimplecatholic.
Hope you had a blessed Sunday!🙏✝️
Time for another Catholic Meme Monday.
That’s all I have this week. Stay tuned for next week’s Catholic Meme Monday. Receive updates straight to your email inbox by subscribing to The Simple Catholic blog.
P.S. If you prefer receiving quality Catholic humor in daily doses follow me on Instagram @thesimplecatholic.
Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Theresa Ambat, Founder of Saint Sprites, via phone call on January 27th, 2024. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given. All the images about Saint Sprites, along with the headshot, are provided by Theresa and she allowed usage in this article.
I first heard about him back in October 2020. I was first drawn to him because he played video games. Reading more about his life, he was so young and exemplified the love of Christ in all aspects of his life. He is similar to Saint Therese the Little Flower in how he loved everyone so deeply.
The way Carlo used these tools (the Internet and digital art) for the good of others was inspiring. People love games and speak to them really strongly. To point people toward God through video games is a powerful thing. He is the first saint to really use the Internet for evangelization. I found how he channeled the love of Jesus through the Internet inspiring.
I think with video games it’s such a different form of media from books for movies. You are in the middle of the story. We see a part of ourselves when we play these games. I think that’s why so many people find video games so impactful. Hopefully, they are pursuing something good in the game.
When Carlo was beatified I thought it would be so cool that there would be an RPG of the life of the disciples. Video games are interactive and immersive. I don’t have the skillset (yet) to make a video game. But I hope that others can make such video games.
I see that video games can act as a bridge to help people learn about the faith. To have an RPG about Maximilian Kolbe or Joan of Arc would be amazing!
Originally, I was going to do Pixel Saints, but I think that name was already taken on Instagram.
A sprite refers to a singular piece of art in a video game. Individual pieces of pixel art. And there’s alliteration with it.
Good question! Typically, I’ll look up the sprite on Google, do some research on the saint, seeing if there are any objects associated with them. Working with a 32 x 32 pixelboard limits me, but it pushes my creativity.
For example, a lot of the religious sisters look similar. Both Hildegard and Monica looked similar so I have the former hold a Gregorian chant piece. Trying to figure how to show their character is fun too. I gave Saint Therese rosy cheeks, and St. Paul a wrinkle on his forehead. More modern saints are a bit easier because they had a more standard outfit than more ancient saints. But so far, I feel like I have been able to put enough detail and make it work to distinguish while working within the 32 by 32 board parameters.
With the Marian devotions, I like to have a bit more pizazz (she is Mary after all!). I have Our Lady of Guadalupe on the Moon.
Well, I think when I see that this is impacting people and reminding them of God it pushes me to keep going. It motivates me to make more saints and improve my products. I love reading my reviews on Etsy (shown below).
These words of encouragement motivate me.
I find parents and godparents buying these stickers for their children’s First Communion and how it impacts their faith. So something as simple as a piece of paper that sticks on another piece of paper to help people connect to God is humbling. Ultimately, knowing this project is a way to bring people to God is what motivates me.
I think I’m coming up on 82 saints. That’s a good and tough question.
Probably Maximlian Kolbe, he is one of my favorite saints, he was one of the first saints I made and was proud I was able to include so many details in that sticker. He is one of my more distinctive looking saints. For similar reasons, Saint Faustina. I was really pleased to include the Divine Mercy symbol. And thirdly probably Saint Therese. She gives me so much joy. When I put the rosy cheeks on her I knew that THIS IS Therese and she is one of my favorite saints. Those three would be my favorite (it’s soooo hard to pick!).
My biggest piece of advice is to invite the Lord into everything you create. He is the Original Creator. Every little sticker I make is God’s gift to me. Creation is so much more of a joy when you involve the Original Creator. This involves a strong prayer life and inviting the Lord into your workspace. Having a collaborative perspective when creating is an important part of being an artist.
Theresa Ambat is a 26-year-old Catholic entrepreneur based in Seattle, Washington. Theresa, first interested in music and sound design for video games, eventually found herself creating pixel-art drawings of Catholic saints in her free time. She was inspired by the beatification of Carlo Acutis and over the last four years developed a love for evangelization through Catholic pixel-art reminiscent of retro visuals from the NES and Gameboy. Thus, Saint Sprites was born.