The Rule: For Fathers! Building Holy Men, Strong Marriages, & Spiritual Fatherhood with Devin Schadt

About this sermon

What does a rule of life for husbands and fathers look like today? Devin joins Steve to unpack his new book, The Rule—born from years of leading the Fathers of St. Joseph apostolate—and lays out practical, deceptively simple habits that forge men in the image of Christ and St. Joseph. We cover: the four pillars of St. Joseph’s spirituality, why interior order beats exterior chaos, the “six P’s” that quietly corrupt motives, why vocation comes before occupation, and how real freedom demands self-mastery. Along the way: farming analogies, silence + sweat, Ephesians 5, “iron sharpens iron,” St. Bernard’s four degrees of love, and that unforgettable line from Rocky about getting back up. Key takeaways A father’s spirituality flows from seven areas: divine sonship, vocation, authority, marriage, silence/sacrifice/secrecy with God, fatherhood, and work. The Rule: short daily practices you can read in 60 seconds—but live for a lifetime. Get the father right → marriage → family → parish → culture. Beware the “six P’s”: prestige, prominence, power, profit, possessions, pleasure. Interior order is how you withstand exterior trials. Freedom ≠ doing whatever you want; it’s the power to do what you ought. Resources & Links Fathers of St. Joseph: https://fathersofstjoseph.org/the-rule/ Get the Book – The Rule https://fathersofstjoseph.org/the-rule/ 00:00 Intro & welcome 00:53 Name oops + warm-up banter 01:07 The new book: The Rule (why it exists) 01:47 The St. Joseph movement & four pillars 02:15 “Get the father, get the world” vision 03:01 Hitting discouragement → idea sparks 03:20 Writing 88 rules in 5 days 03:41 Why men need a rule of life 04:34 Silence + sweat: working things out with God 06:14 Harvest & apple-tree analogies 07:46 Protecting what’s fragile (fatherhood lessons) 09:01 “Deceptively simple” rules & daily practices 10:26 Interior order vs. exterior chaos 10:32 The 7 areas of a man’s spirituality 11:25 How to actually use the book (lifelong) 12:04 The “six P’s” that warp motives 13:15 Vocation before occupation 14:04 St. Bernard’s four degrees of love 15:31 “Who will be in heaven?” sobering check 16:55 Fidelity through changing seasons of marriage 17:52 Bridegroom & fatherhood as lenses to know God 19:10 Why outside guidance & a tested rule matter 20:59 The “Jason Bourne” identity analogy 21:01 Marriage as cross (Eph 5 realism) 22:08 Deny self, take up the cross—practically 23:12 Choosing crosses & the mercy of God 24:40 Compassion that actually costs something 25:37 Saints on suffering: keep silence, keep going 26:16 Practice, coaching, and masculine growth 27:01 Critique, humility, and getting better 28:16 Virtue between excess & defect 29:58 Regular of life: stability over hype 31:30 Neglecting first things → long-term fallout 32:36 The seven “cabinets” metaphor (ordered life) 33:56 Fragility, criticism, and the false self 36:23 Freedom = self-mastery (not license) 37:23 Why the Gospel is harder than it looks 38:59 Iron sharpens iron (the painful kind) 39:45 Internet outrage & real friendship 40:23 Identity, honest friends, true growth 41:24 Evil allowed to highlight God’s goodness 43:14 Rocky’s resilience & Christian hope 44:08 “Lifted up”: cross as throne 45:19 Where to find the book & closing Pinned Comment (use this under the video) 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 Support Catholic Businesses here - https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ Sensus Fidelium Press - https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ Sensus Fidelium Apps - https://sensusfidelium.tv/ Support Sensus Fidelium - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 Sensus Fidelium is your go to for sermons on the catholic church, faith, growing in holiness, study of the scriptures, anything and everything you need to be set on fire for the Lord and His Church. #StJoseph #CatholicMen #SpiritualFatherhood #RuleOfLife #CatholicMarriage #Fatherhood #Masculinity #Holiness #Vocation #InteriorLife

Topics

• Parenting
• Holiness
• Victory Over Fear