Every Catholic Man Podcast
Learn more about how a man can grow in happiness at EveryCatholicMan.com, including daily Gospel devotions from the Mass for every day of the year. The EveryCatholicMan.com podcast can help a man draw closer to Jesus Christ, learn the Catholic faith and grow in happiness by becoming a better Catholic Son and Catholic Father. In every episode, a man can hear the Gospel reading from the Holy Catholic Mass, hear what Jesus is accomplishing, discover what can lead a man to be more awed by Jesus Christ, grow in happiness, learn from the Catechism, and take action to practice what Jesus and the Catholic Church is teaching in the Gospel. Matthew James Christoff is a Catholic convert and evangelist of Catholic men. Matthew's extensive work to help Catholic men draw closer to Jesus Christ and grow in happiness can be found at EveryCathoilcMan.com. At EveryCatholicMan.com can find daily Gospel devotions from the Mass for every day of the year and a comprehensive set of tools that can help a man grow in holiness and happiness. Matthew is a co-founder of the Catholic Men's Leadership Alliance and HeroicMen.com, the founder of the New Evangelization Project and CatholicManNight.com, and is featured in the Knights of Columbus Into the Breach Video Series. Matthew's professional career includes being a strategy consultant for Fortune 50 companies and a brand manager in a major consumer products company. Matthew has a Masters in Theology from the Augustine Institute, a Masters in Business and a Civil Engineering degree from Purdue University. Matthew is married to his childhood sweetheart, has four married adult children and grandchildren.
Every Catholic Man Podcast
Episode 271 - Jesus calls men to be humble and offer charity to the poor - Sunday August 31, 2025 - Lk 14:1, 7-14
Jesus calls men to be humble and offer charity to the poor. Every Catholic man can grow in happiness by building the Virtue of Humility so he can think less of himself and more of God and by pursuing the Virtue of Generosity so he can be anonymous in his generosity to others.
Go to EveryCatholicMan.com to grow further in holiness and happiness.
See the special series in growing in Catholic Manhood.
See the extensive new library of Catholic Bible Studies for Men.
Join the Eucharistic Revival by drawing closer to Jesus Christ in the daily Mass.
Jesus calls men to be humble and offer charity to the poor. Every Catholic man can grow in happiness by building the Virtue of Humility so he can think less of himself and more of God and by pursuing the Virtue of Generosity so he can be anonymous in his generosity to others.
Liturgy
22nd Week in Ordinary time – Sunday – Cycle C – Lk 14:1, 7-14
Commentary
Despite numerous clashes with the Pharisees and their ongoing schemes to trap and kill Him, Jesus accepts the invitation for a Sabbath feast from a prominent Pharisee, knowing the Pharisees and scribes are watching, hoping to catch Him in some error. Responding to the duplicitous Pharisees’ attempt to set a trap for Him by “planting” a man with dropsy at the meal, Jesus immediately goes on the offensive, and heals a man with dropsy on the Sabbath, falsely considered to be a sin by the Pharisees; Jesus silences them by using scripture to confirm they would save an oxen who fell into a well on the Sabbath, validating it is just to heal on the Sabbath because a man is more valuable then an ox.
Jesus again attempts to break through the Pharisees’ rigid rules-bound religious myopia after watching them pitifully jostling for seats closest to the host to gain honor. He proposes and critiques two seating strategies, asserting the humble approach is the better. Jesus’ summary is a glimpse of the Judgment: he who exalts himself will be humbled (least in the Kingdom of Heaven or, worse, to end up in Hell) and those who humble themselves will be exalted (great in the Kingdom of Heaven).
Having made a general rebuke of the prideful Pharisees, Jesus boldly rebukes and publicly corrects the prominent Pharisee host. Jesus directs the man to stop inviting his family and friends to his banquets and to start inviting the poor. Rather than settle for the short-term selfish benefit of getting invited to other banquets, Jesus tells the man to aspire to gain the reward of the resurrection.
Be awed by Jesus Christ
Be stunned by Jesus’ blunt criticism and correction of the Pharisees: rather than false politeness, Jesus Courageously (a part of Fortitude) provokes the Pharisees with both an act (healing on the Sabbath) and words (denouncement of their prideful jostling), even though He knows they will murder Him; despite their hatred of Him, Jesus, the perfection of Charity, Corrects and Instructs (Spiritual Works of Mercy) the Pharisees, seeking to draw them to repentance; the perfection of Humility (a part of Temperance), Jesus uses Logic (a part of Reason) to explain why embracing humility is reasonable.
Humbly think less of yourself and more of God
Realize: While men pridefully seek status, puffing up resumes, bragging about accomplishments, buying flashy vehicles and other showy material things, and trash talking, Jesus condemns pride, publicly rebuking and shaming the Pharisees for their arrogance and attention-seeking public displays.
Believe: Reflect upon Humility (CCC 299, 1450, 2219, 2540, 2546, 2554, 2559, 2631, 2713, 2753, 2779).
Pray: Jesus, Perfection of Humility, help me build the Virtue of Humility (a part of Temperance) so I can recognize the my own pride and vanity, I clearly see my many flaws and sin and my desperate need for Your salvation, and I pray for Your help to to think less of myself and more of You and the needs of others.
Give generously and avoid attention
Realize: While some men seek acclaim by conspicuous giving, Jesus is not fooled by false generosity which is really the prideful desire to be honored; He warns the prideful they may have worldly reward when they practice public giving, but lose the reward of Heaven (Mt 6:1-4).
Believe: Reflect upon Giving in Secret (CCC 1693, 1969, 2462).
Pray: Almighty Father, help me build the Virtue of Generosity (a part of Justice) so I realize all I have is Yours, and I give generously, without desire for attention, to those who suffer and to build Your Kingdom.