The word "headship" has become so loaded that most men either weaponize it or abandon it entirely. In this episode, John Heinen and Devin Schadt cut through the cultural noise to recover what male leadership actually means, not as domination or control, but as a divine paradigm rooted in the very nature of God and modeled from the beginning in Adam, St. Joseph, and Christ Himself. Why do men of goodwill still feel confused about their role? This is Satan's playbook and plan of attack. What follows is a frank, theologically grounded unpacking of what Devin calls "charitable authority", the kind of leadership that doesn't demand compliance but authors the story of a family's glory by pouring itself out. The three P's of the leader of the family are examined not as a management framework but as a way of understanding the ransom a man pays so that his wife and children can be free.

We avoid thinking about death until it forces its way into the room. But what happens when a husband and father is suddenly told he has ninety days to live? In this episode, John Heinen and Devin Schadt examine the striking story of former Nebraska senator Ben Sasse, who recently revealed a stage-four pancreatic cancer diagnosis. Drawing from his candid interview reflecting on that moment, they explore how the ancient Christian discipline of memento mori, remembering death, cuts through ambition, noise, and distraction to reveal what actually matters in a man’s life. Sasse speaks openly about regret, fatherhood, selfishness, and the urgency of redeeming time when the clock is no longer theoretical. John and Devin unpack his reflections through the lens of the Church’s tradition, from Sirach’s warning to “remember your last end” to the teaching of saints like Jerome, Augustine, and Alphonsus Liguori, while confronting the questions most men quietly push aside: what would change if you truly believed your days were numbered?

John Hienen, owner of The Catholic Gentleman, said that often men treat Lent as though it is “extra credit,” as though we are being kind to God by offering Him a little extra. How nice. Lent is not an add-on feature, a bonus segment on a liturgical app, an extra rep, or an extra lap around the track.Lent is essential.You will only have so many Lents—perhaps seventy or eighty for those who are granted a longer life. “Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.” (Psalm 90:10)Indeed, how many of these Lents have we embraced to the fullest?

How a man treats women is never a side issue. It is one of the clearest revelations of his interior life, where it is at and even where it is going. In this episode, John Heinen and Devin Schadt explore why masculinity is tested not in dominance, intellect, or achievement, but in whether a man honors, protects, and reverences the feminine. From the way a man looks at women in public, to how he speaks about them in private, to how he carries the emotional and spiritual weight of his marriage, the conversation exposes the subtle ways men either elevate women to their proper dignity or reduce them for personal use. Do you protect or consume? This episode moves beyond surface-level advice and into formation and practical use. John and Devin address lust, resentment, spiritual passivity, and the quiet temptation to withdraw when love becomes costly. They examine why a husband’s response to his wife shapes the entire atmosphere of a home, and why a man’s relationship with woman ultimately reflects something deeper about his relationship with God. The path forward is not control, but self-gift; not avoidance, but reverent strength.

You see over 5000 marketing messages every day. In 2025, hundreds of billions of emails were sent every day, notifications never stop, and research shows the average person switches attention every 47 seconds. We are conditioned to live and stay teathered to noise. But all of this keeps us separated from God. In addition, Scripture warns that men will render account for every careless word they speak (Matthew 12:36), and God Himself speaks not in the earthquake or the fire, but in the whisper. In this episode, John Heinen and Devin Schadt expose how noise is not neutral; it weakens men, fragments our attention, and keeps us from a purposeful life. Silence is not passivity. It is your strategic power. It is an interior dominion. It is the hidden strength of St. Joseph, the composure of Christ before Pilate, and the battleground where identity and mission are clarified. John and Devin break down silence within ourselves, silence before others, and silence before God, why most men resist it, and why the man who refuses silence forfeits confidence, peace under pressure, and grace.

John Hienen, owner of The Catholic Gentleman, said that often men treat Lent as though it is “extra credit,” as though we are being kind to God by offering Him a little extra. How nice. Lent is not an add-on feature, a bonus segment on a liturgical app, an extra rep, or an extra lap around the track.Lent is essential.You will only have so many Lents—perhaps seventy or eighty for those who are granted a longer life. “Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.” (Psalm 90:10)Indeed, how many of these Lents have we embraced to the fullest?

Men treat Lent as optional. However, if this were the case, Christ would NOT have begun His public ministry with the command to repent. Yet most Catholic men approach Lent as if it were extra credit, giving something up, struggling through forty days, and returning to the same patterns unchanged. In this episode, John Heinen and Devin Schadt discuss the real reason Lent exists. Penance is not a spiritual accessory, and conversion is not reserved for dramatic moments of crisis. Lent is ordered toward metanoia, a real turning away from sin and a deliberate turning toward Christ. Together, they clarify what penance actually means in Scripture and tradition, why many men resist it, and why discipline without direction produces little lasting fruit. Most importantly, they lay out a concrete three-step plan to help men structure Lent intentionally, not as a seasonal effort, but as a path toward becoming like Christ.  

Pride among Catholic men rarely looks like arrogance. What men don't realize is that it surfaces as control, self-reliance, withdrawal, or even habits that appear virtuous on the surface. In this episode of The Catholic Gentleman, John Heinen and Devin Schadt are joined by Patrick O’Hearn to examine why pride is so difficult to recognize in ourselves—and why it quietly blocks growth in the spiritual life, marriage, and leadership. They unpack why the Litany of Humility remains one of the Church’s most demanding prayers, and how it exposes attachments that many men don’t realize they’re carrying.