James Caldwell

Where to begin? I grew up in a non-denominational Christian home in a very loving family with my parents and two older sisters. In fact, I did not even consider myself Protestant until later on in life. I struggled with common misconceptions most Protestants have about the Catholic faith including praying to the saints and Mary, confessing sins to a priest, and questioning the idea of transubstantiation. More on that later. Looking back, I grew up very blessed to have such a strong dad as a role model on what it meant to be a true Christian man. My dad did not grow up Christian, but grew to love Jesus. He was often up early in the morning, sitting in his big chair, with the Bible open. He went to Bible Study every Monday night even with being a full-time physical therapist, running his own business, and helping out at the local high school sporting events. He was a busy man but always made time for God in the morning. Children can see that and it made a profound impact on my sisters and me.

Fast-forward through life, I attended private Christian schools. I must admit I never had a huge lapse in my faith like many young people struggle with today. To be frank with you all, sometimes I was jealous of those people. Listening to people’s conversion stories where they hit rock bottom, found Jesus or our Blessed Mother at the bottom of the well (literally, for some people), I wish I had that. Instead, I was what is described in Revelation as neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm. I never left the faith but was never on fire for it. I knew and loved Jesus but never spent much time with Him. I was coasting through life, content with not being THAT bad. Often thinking, “well, at least I am not as bad as THAT guy over there.”

Pride can be a subtle sin at times. So can being a sloth. I was both and my soul was in danger. All that changed the day I met my now-wife in graduate school. We did not date until about 2 years into graduate school, but there was always something about her that struck me. I finally mustered the courage to ask her out. She said no. But eventually, she came to her senses and we started dating. She told me right from the start that she was Catholic and her children would be baptized and raised in the Catholic church. End of story. I asked her why this wasn’t up for discussion and she said I could take it or leave it but she would never walk away from the sacraments. This was my first glimpse into the power of the sacraments. Dare I say, it started a spark?

My wife never pushed Catholicism on me. She showed it. She went to Mass every Sunday without fail. I was half-hazard at the time in going to Church every week because, you know, it’s football season. I would gently ask questions and she would answer them. Slowly, her example and firmness in her faith led me to try and figure out what the heck Catholicism was all about. What simply was an exploration of the faith turned into a bit of an obsession. I listened to Patrick Madrid’s radio show every morning as I drove to work. I also dove deep into Catholic Answers, Bishop Barron and Word on Fire, Dynamic Catholic, and the list goes on. I initially tried to tackle the common misconceptions about the faith, especially the two main objections between Catholics and Protestants, Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide. Once those dominoes fell I discovered how the Catholic Church was truly the Church founded by Christ. What is it that Cardinal Neuman said? “To be steeped into history is to cease being Protestant?” As a history buff, I could no longer deny that I needed to enter the Church to truly be at home.

Once it became clear I was going to enter the Church by enrolling in RCIA in 2017, I slowly began praying with God to allow me to be an instrument for Him. At the time, I had no idea what that meant but knew I wanted to give back in some small or large way to the Church. It would take a couple of years, but eventually I found that calling.

My wife and family moved to Grand Rapids, MI during the height of shutdowns in July of 2020. Little did I know of a priest who would be ordained that same month. Father Dominic and I met when he was an associate pastor on his first assignment at St. Robert’s in Ada, MI. We met initially for confession and he quickly became my spiritual director. We hit it off from the get-go. We had very similar interests in Church history, authentic Catholic masculinity, the sacraments, and just a general love for the Church. As I kept praying for clarity on how I could give back eventually the answer came…start a podcast.

But, what about? There are thousands of podcasts out there, each trying to fight their way to get the most downloads or the most views. To be honest, I have tried chasing that ambition as well. It didn’t end well. After more prayer and discussions with Father Dom the answer was clear. Catholic masculinity. Father Dom and I had a conversation before we even started and he said, “We must be okay with the fact that this might utterly fail in the eyes of men. But, if we can just change the soul of one man which changes the trajectory of his family, it will be worth it.” We always remind each other that our vocation must come first before anything else. If we put the podcast before our vocation, chaos results.

Masculinity has been under attack for some time now, especially in the Catholic Church. Men have failed in their duty. We have allowed Satan and his demons to infilitrate and begin to pick us apart. No more. Our mission is to equip men to be ready for the fight that is traversing the spiritual realm. Whether we are aware of it or not, it is happening. Men need to answer this call. Souls are literally on the line.

Starting the podcast has only deepened my faith to a level I never would have thought possible. The beauty of the podcast is that I am learning so much every day because when you put something out there on the internet, you need to ensure what you are saying is accurate and according to Church teaching. However, I would say the biggest takeaway from this whole experience is obedience. Obedience to a call I never would have expected. Obedience to something that makes me uncomfortable. Obedience to God’s plan over mine. If we are not obedient to God’s call, what are we really doing here?

God does not call the equipped, but equips the called. This journey has taught me so much and I continue to learn each and every day. I challenge all of you reading this and watching to open your lives to what God’s will truly is in your life. You will be surprised and your life will never be the same. He is always with you and will lead you to places you can never imagine.

God bless you all and until next time go out there and be a saint!