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?

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.

Unmarried men have the potential to be extremely selfish. There is no one depending on them, no child to take care of in the middle of the night, no wife to force compromise on a TV show. Single guys make their own schedule, and even when they do acts of charity or apostolic work, they make it fit into what they want to do.

Unmarried men have the potential to be extremely selfish. There is no one depending on them, no child to take care of in the middle of the night, no wife to force compromise on a TV show. Single guys make their own schedule, and even when they do acts of charity or apostolic work, they make it fit into what they want to do.

There is much talk about being a ‘real man’: the warrior man, the man without emotions or sympathies, the rival of all things deemed weak. Yet this kind of polemic is a form of extremism—and extremism is the devil’s playground. Satan thrives in extremes. He despises virtue and constantly goads us toward deficiency on one side or excess on the other.

Women who stay home do so from a natural and holy urge, but they are made constantly to feel as if they should be doing something of “actual value” out in the world.  Obviously, to a Catholic with even the slightest formation knows the dignity of motherhood is above all other vocations.  There is not a higher work.

Men underestimate the war being waged against them. The Devil doesn’t just tempt from a distance; he enters your home, seeking to pull you off your vocation as a husband and father, drown out the voice of God, and divide your marriage. Scripture, the saints, and even modern exorcists confirm it: this is how the enemy works. Yet the vast majority of men are unarmed and frankly unaware. Only 5–10% of Catholic men are even praying daily. Is it any wonder the family is crumbling? In this episode, John Heinen and Devin Schadt break open The Rule to expose three subtle but devastating ways demons attack men. We’ll name what’s really happening, why it matters for husbands and fathers, and how you can resist.

He was a successful trial lawyer, fighting every day in the courtroom and climbing the ladder of prestige, until God spoke two simple words to him: “Just leave.” God also spoke to his wife as well! In this episode of The Catholic Gentleman, John Heinen sits down with Mike Pacer to uncover the No. 1 lesson every husband needs to hear. From leaving behind worldly success, to praying daily for his wife, to finding strength in weakness, Mike shares the raw story of how a man becomes more than a provider.