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 284 – The Holy Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe - Sunday November 23, 2025 - Lk 23:35-43
The Holy Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Every Catholic man can grow in happiness by seeking the Gift of Wisdom from the Holy Spirit so he can more fully live to honor his King Jesus Christ and His Kingdom and by seeking the Gift of the Fear of the Lord from the Holy Spirit so he can regularly meditate upon the Four Last Things.
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The Holy Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Every Catholic man can grow in happiness by seeking the Gift of Wisdom from the Holy Spirit so he can more fully live to honor his King Jesus Christ and His Kingdom and by seeking the Gift of the Fear of the Lord from the Holy Spirit so he can regularly meditate upon the Four Last Things.
Liturgy
Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe – 34th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C – Lk 23:35-43
Commentary
In this reading for the last Sunday of the Liturgical Year, the Church celebrates Jesus Christ as the Universal King over all mankind. Responding to the growing secular and atheistic culture, Pope Pius XI established this great feast in 1925 to remind humanity each year of Christ’s absolute kingly reign over all mankind.
In the most evil act possible, the killing of Christ Jesus by the men He created, is in its final stage as Jesus slowly dies. Jesus has been arrested, beaten, falsely accused, tried secretly under the cover of darkness, scourged, paraded like a criminal, condemned, and made to carry and nailed to the Cross. But even in this horrific evil, the Kingship of Christ is ironically proclaimed by those who murdered Him, and Christ exercises His Kingship. Standing at the foot of the Cross and lacking any compassion for a dying man, the evil and inhuman Jewish leaders and Roman soldiers mock the suffering Christ, skeptically challenging Him to save Himself. Ironically, despite being full of evil, they speak truth; they call Jesus the King of the Jews by their words and with a written sign hung above Jesus’ head on the Cross.
Even dying on a cross, a skeptical criminal (the nameless Bad Thief), suffering without faith, hope, or repentance, also mocks Jesus, ridiculing Him for not saving them all; Jesus remains silent. The Good Thief (traditionally known as St. Dimas) rebukes the Bad Thief for their crimes and defends Christ’s innocence. Contrite for his sins, Dimas has faith in Jesus, professes He will come into “kingly power,” and asks for Jesus to remember him. Christ, confirming His Kingship, judges and grants Dimas salvation, promising him he will join Christ in paradise that very day.
Be awed by Jesus Christ
Marvel at how Jesus Christ, the Divine King, demonstrates His Kingship from the Cross: Divine Power, Jesus remains in complete control of events of His Crucifixion, including being recognized as a King (by Pilate, soldiers and the Good Thief); Divine Judge, Jesus confirms His Authority and Power to determine the eternal destinies of souls, with the standard of Vindication (a part of Justice by which a man’s thoughts and behaviors are rewarded and punished), rewarding the repentant, contrite, and faithful thief with paradise, while ignoring the evil thief, an ominous sign that his eternal destiny is in Hell.
Live to honor your King and His Kingdom
Realize: Each time a Catholic man prays The Lord’s Prayer, he proclaims his belief in the Kingdom of God and recognizes that Jesus Christ is the King of the Universe.
Believe: Review the Catechism’s teaching on Thy Kingdom Come (CCC 2804, 2816-2821, 2855-2856, 2859).
Pray: Holy Spirit, give me the Gift of Wisdom so You can draw me to Yourself, I can experience the reality that Jesus is the King of the Universe, and more fully and joyfully grasp the wisdom that I am even now a Catholic man living in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Regularly meditate upon the Four Last Things
Realize: Based directly on Jesus’ teaching, the Church has always taught men about the Last Four Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell.
Believe: Review the Four Last Things (CCC 1006-1065).
Pray: Holy Spirit, help me always to fear God’s just punishment of mortal sin in the fires of Hell and the loss of Heaven, and bless me with the Gift of the Fear of the Lord so that I recognize my sinfulness, fear being separated from You due to my freely chosen mortal sin, and always strive to please You. Amen.