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