Becoming a Happier Catholic Man: Matthew James Christoff’s Battle Plan for the Modern Soul
A practical guide to joy, virtue, and brotherhood in everyday faith.
Matthew James Christoff has the kind of voice that feels both grounded and charged — like someone who’s seen too much of the world’s noise and finally tuned into a deeper signal. His beard, as host Sean Lynn joked, might even have its own apostolate. But behind the humor is a man who has given decades to one thing: helping men rediscover brotherhood and encounter Jesus Christ in a world that’s forgotten both.
“I had a career in business where I literally met thousands of people,” Christoff said, “but when I counted my true friends, there weren’t more than a handful. I had a lot of acquaintances but no brotherhood.”
That all changed when he came into the Catholic Church. “Now I have brothers all over the place — guys I can call up and say, ‘I need a prayer,’ or, ‘How can I help you?’ It’s a better way to live.”
For Christoff, real brotherhood isn’t just a feel-good term. It’s the antidote to the epidemic of loneliness and despair that’s quietly devouring modern men. And his life’s work has become one long, hard push to remind them they’re not alone — and they’re not meant to be.
1. The Man Crisis: “We Leave No Man Behind”
Long before podcasts and men’s conferences filled social feeds, Christoff was hammering away at what he calls the “Catholic man crisis.” After his conversion, he dove headfirst into evangelization, creating simple, parish-level movements that grew into nationwide ministries.
The first was Catholic Man Night, an event that asked a simple question: Why are so many men lukewarm in their faith? “A bishop told me, ‘They don’t know Jesus,’” Christoff recalled. “That’s it. They don’t know Him.”
That conviction led to the New Evangelization Project — a broader effort to help Catholic leaders recognize the crisis of disengaged men — and eventually to Every Catholic Man, a podcast and platform now reaching tens of thousands worldwide.
“It’s for every man — not just the ones with theology degrees or a head start on holiness,” he said. “No matter where you are, Jesus wants you. And we need you.”
At the core of Every Catholic Man is a simple gospel rhythm: prepare for Sunday Mass, reflect, and act. “In ten minutes,” he explained, “you can learn, pray, and grow in happiness.” The website includes daily devotions for every Gospel reading of the liturgical year, designed to make the faith not only accessible but livable. “God can take someone who never thought he’d be Catholic, never thought he’d be an evangelist — and turn him into something He can use.”
2. The Secret Weapon: Divine Intelligence and the Power of Asking
When Christoff talks about faith, it’s with a kind of gritty practicality that men respect. “Every man has a secret weapon,” he said with a grin. “Jesus gave it to us. It’s ask, seek, knock.”
He quoted Brother Lawrence, the 17th-century monk who found holiness in washing dishes: “He just said, ‘I’m going to live my whole life in the presence of God.’ That’s our secret weapon.”
You don’t need a Ph.D. in theology. You don’t need the liturgy of the hours memorized. You need conversation. “Just ask God: ‘What do you want me to do right now?’ There’s no problem too small or too big for Him.”
Christoff drew a surprising parallel between today’s fascination with Artificial Intelligence and what he called Divine Intelligence: “Every Catholic man has access to divine intelligence — infinitely greater than artificial intelligence. He’s just waiting for us to ask.”
That theme — simplicity, humility, and daily connection — threads through all his work. Faith, he insists, isn’t about complex systems. It’s about relationship. “God’s a real person. You don’t need a supercomputer. Just talk to Him.”
3. From Son to Father to Saint
So what’s holding men back from that kind of relationship? Christoff doesn’t flinch. “They’ve gotten a heap of Catholicism, but they’re missing the most essential thing: Jesus.”
He breaks down the journey of faith into three steps.
First: become convinced that Jesus is the Savior of man.
Second: recognize that you need to be saved — and commit to Him.
Third: throw yourself into living as a Catholic man.
“If you know Jesus, you get that spiritual poverty — the humility of realizing He’s God and you’re not. And when you know you need something, you start searching for it.”
For Christoff, this isn’t about guilt. It’s about longing. Every man wants happiness — the kind Augustine called “rest for the restless heart.” He points to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount: “He starts with the Beatitudes — the path to happiness — and ends with the Beatific Vision, which is happiness. Everything in between is how to get there.”
But too many men, he said, are chasing counterfeit happiness — success, control, comfort — while quietly crumbling inside. “It’s why 80% of suicides are men,” he said soberly. “There’s loneliness. Despair. Addiction. We’ve got to talk about it.”
Then he leans forward. “If you’re not awed by Jesus, you don’t know Him. Read Scripture like a detective. Look for what makes Him awesome. And when you read, ask God to reveal Himself. Pope Benedict said, when you read Scripture, you’re actually in the presence of God. He’s speaking to you.”
That’s where Christoff’s book — Becoming a Happier Catholic Man (releasing May 2026) — comes in. Structured around Sundays and feast days, it’s meant to help men develop a rhythm of prayer, reflection, and virtue. “You can’t digest it all at once,” he admitted. “But you can get ready for Mass, meditate on the Gospel, and grow a little each week.”
The book includes litanies for 13 virtues — from chastity and fortitude to justice and prudence — and even daily prayers written specifically for Catholic men. “It’s about growing in happiness through virtue and the gifts of the Spirit,” Christoff said. “Practical holiness.”
“You Don’t Need to Do It Perfectly. Just Show Up.”
By the end of the conversation, what stood out wasn’t just Christoff’s insights — it was his invitation. Show up. For God. For your brothers. For the man next to you.
“I tell guys, it’s not about you,” he said. “Sometimes God wants you there because another man needs you.”
Sean Lynn nodded, echoing the reality that every man who’s tried to live the faith knows: half the battle is just showing up. “When I go to a men’s breakfast,” he said, “I’m not always feeling it. But then I meet a guy fresh out of RCIA, on fire for his faith — and suddenly I remember why I’m here.”
Christoff smiled. “Find one guy. Say, ‘Hey, want to grab a cup of coffee?’ You don’t need an agenda. When he shares something, say, ‘Let me pray for that.’ God loves that. That’s how discipleship starts.”
He shared one of his favorite analogies — one that every man who’s worked with his hands or protected his family can understand. “You start as a Catholic son,” he said. “You grow into a spiritual father — inviting others to know Jesus. And eventually, you become a saint. That’s the trajectory. Son. Father. Saint.”
Then he paused. “Nobody gets a pass on making disciples. At judgment, Jesus might just say, ‘Show me the disciples you brought me.’ That should wake us up.”
The Quiet Work That Changes Everything
In a world where faith is often loud, political, or performative, Christoff’s approach feels refreshingly masculine in a quieter way — not passive, but patient. He knows the transformation of the world starts with one man talking to another over coffee, one brother showing up to a parish breakfast, one father praying with his son.
“You don’t have to write a book,” he said, laughing. “You don’t have to do it perfectly. Just say yes. God can use you.”
He leaned back, his tone softening. “And one day, when we meet Jesus, He might say, ‘Remember when you prayed with that man whose wife was sick? That was the thing.’ We’ll be surprised what mattered most.”
That’s Matthew James Christoff — a man whose beard may rival his wisdom, but whose mission cuts even deeper: to call men out of isolation, into brotherhood, and toward the divine intelligence that’s been waiting for them all along.