Building Kingdom of Love Archives - Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

In this First Sunday of Lent episode of Building a Kingdom of Love, Msgr. John Esseff reflects on the universal story of humanity’s fall and redemption, beginning with Genesis and culminating in the Gospel of Matthew’s account of Jesus’s temptation in the desert. He reminds listeners that every human person shares a common origin in God’s breath of life and a shared inheritance of sin, temptation, and death through Adam and Eve.

Turning to Matthew’s Gospel, Msgr. Esseff walks through the three temptations of Christ and shows how Jesus succeeds where humanity failed. By refusing bread apart from the Father’s word, rejecting the testing of God, and refusing false worship, Christ overcomes the devil, reverses the disobedience of the desert, and opens the way to freedom from sin and death. Lent becomes a forty-day journey of conversion, mirroring Christ’s own path of fasting, prayer, and trust in the Father.

The episode closes with a direct invitation to renewal. Msgr. Esseff calls listeners to examine their own temptations, pray Psalm 51 with honesty, and entrust their weakness to God’s mercy. Whether preparing for baptism or renewing baptismal vows, Lent is presented as a turning back toward God, stepping out of darkness and into the light of Christ, who alone brings redemption.

Where do I most experience temptation in my daily life during this season of Lent?

How am I being invited to trust God more deeply rather than testing or doubting him?

What does conversion look like for me right now in prayer, fasting, and self discipline?

Where do I need to ask for mercy and allow forgiveness to reshape my heart?

How can I more intentionally renew my baptismal commitment to follow Christ this Lent?

Psalm 51

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.

My offenses truly I know them;

That you may be justified when you give sentence

Indeed you love truth in the heart;

Make me hear rejoicing and gladness,

A pure heart create for me, O God,

Give me again the joy of your help;

O rescue me, God, my helper,

For in sacrifice you take no delight,

In your goodness, show favor to Zion:

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Msgr. John Esseff reflects on the significance of Lent and its deep spiritual purpose rooted in Jesus’ 40 days in the desert.  The ashes of Ash Wednesday remind us of our mortality and call us to repentance, marking the beginning of 40 days of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. Even though Lent is a penitential season, Sundays remain celebrations of the Resurrection.

He shares his personal experience with fasting in the Peruvian desert, explaining how physical deprivation heightened his spiritual clarity and deepened his prayer life. Fasting should not be about mere dieting but about uniting our sacrifices with Christ’s. For those unable to fast physically, he suggests fasting from judgment or envy while feasting on recognizing Christ in others. Almsgiving is closely tied to fasting, as seen in St. Teresa of Calcutta’s example, where the food her sisters gave up directly fed the poor. Lent is meant to transform us so that by Easter, we are more fully conformed to Christ, carrying the spiritual fruits beyond the season itself.

Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton.  He was ordained on May 30, 1953, by the late Bishop William J. Hafey, D.D. at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Scranton, PA.  Msgr. Esseff served a retreat director and confessor to St.  Teresa of Calcutta.    He continues to offer direction and retreats for the sisters of the Missionaries of Charity around the world.  Msgr. Esseff encountered St.  Padre Pio,  who would become a spiritual father to him.  He has lived in areas around the world,  serving in the Pontifical Missions, a Catholic organization established by St. Pope John Paul II to bring the Good News to the world especially to the poor.  Msgr. Esseff assisted the founders of the Institute for Priestly Formation and continues to serve as a spiritual director for the Institute.  He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests and sisters and seminarians and other religious leaders around the world.  

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Msgr. John Esseff and Kris McGregor reflect on the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple and the deep spiritual significance of this moment. He recounts the Gospel passage from Luke 2:22-40: about the faithfulness of Mary and Joseph in following Jewish law, the prophetic revelation given to Simeon, and the devotion of Anna. It draws attention to the immediacy of encountering Christ—not just in the temple, but within our own hearts, homes, and daily lives. We should recognize Jesus within ourselves first so we can see Him in our families, communities, and ultimately in the world. True relationship begins with Christ dwelling within us, transforming how we see and love those around us.

The mission that follows from this encounter is carrying Christ into the world beyond the church walls. Whether at work, in family life, or in everyday interactions, we need to be conscious of Christ’s presence within them and in those we meet.

When the days were completed for their purification

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.

“Now, Master, you may let your servant go

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine;

Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton. Msgr. Esseff served a retreat director and confessor to St. Mother Teresa. He continues to offer direction and retreats for the Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity. Msgr. Esseff encountered St. Padre Pio, who would become a spiritual father to him. He has lived in areas around the world, serving in the Pontifical missions, a Catholic organization established by Pope St. John Paul II to bring the Good News to the world especially to the poor. He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests, sisters, seminarians and other religious leaders around the world.

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In this episode of Building a Kingdom of Love, Msgr. John Esseff reflects on the Beatitudes as the true path to joy and happiness, drawing directly from the Gospel of Matthew. He explains that “blessed” does not mean successful by the world’s standards, but joyful in the deepest sense because one is living in union with Christ.

Msgr. Esseff walks through the Beatitudes as a pattern of life that runs against worldly expectations. Poverty of spirit, mourning, meekness, mercy, and perseverance in suffering are not signs of failure but places where Christ lives most fully within the soul. He draws on the witness of St. Francis of Assisi to show that joy reaches its depth when a person can remain interiorly free and joyful even amid rejection, hardship, and misunderstanding.

The reflection turns inward to the obstacles that block joy, especially anger, judgment, and unforgiveness. Msgr. Esseff speaks candidly about how bitterness toward others, wounds from parents or spouses, and the refusal to forgive oneself fracture interior union with Christ. True unhappiness, he explains, flows not from suffering itself but from separation from Christ’s way of love.

A significant portion of the episode focuses on forgiveness as essential to Beatitude living. Msgr. Esseff shares pastoral encounters with those burdened by guilt, grief, abortion wounds, addiction, and self-rejection. God’s mercy is infinite, yet joy remains elusive until the heart accepts forgiveness fully, including forgiveness of self.

The episode culminates in a profound meditation on identity. True humility is not self-condemnation but recognizing oneself as chosen, loved, and uniquely created by God. Joy flows from allowing Christ, who lives within through baptism, to shape one’s attitudes, relationships, and daily responses. The Beatitudes become not ideals to admire but a lived way of being Christ in the world.

Which Beatitude challenges my understanding of happiness the most right now?

Where do anger, judgment, or unforgiveness interrupt my interior joy?

Is there someone I need to forgive, including myself, so Christ’s joy can deepen in me?

How do I respond when suffering, rejection, or misunderstanding comes into my life?

What would change if I truly lived each day from my identity as one loved by God?

Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton.  He was ordained on May 30, 1953, by the late Bishop William J. Hafey, D.D., at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Scranton, PA.  Msgr. Esseff served a retreat director and confessor to St.  Teresa of Calcutta.    He continues to offer direction and retreats to the sisters of the Missionaries of Charity worldwide.  Msgr. Esseff encountered St.  Padre Pio,  who would become a spiritual father to him.  He has lived in areas around the world,  serving in the Pontifical Missions, a Catholic organization established by St. Pope John Paul II to bring the Good News to the world, especially to the poor.  Msgr. Esseff assisted the founders of the Institute for Priestly Formation and continues to serve as a spiritual director for the Institute.  He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director for bishops, priests, sisters, seminarians, and other religious leaders around the world.  

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In this powerful reflection, Msgr. John Esseff speaks about the urgency of Jesus’ call to every human heart. Drawing from the Gospel of Mark, St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, and the story of Jonah, he reflects on the immediacy with which Jesus calls Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John to leave everything and follow him. This call is not delayed, negotiated, or postponed. It is immediate and personal.

Msgr. Esseff explains that Jesus speaks not only to those who feel distant from God but also to those who have lived faithfully for many years. Holiness, he says, is not static. Christ continues to invite every soul into deeper union, greater surrender, and closer intimacy. Past fidelity is preparation for what God desires to give now.

Through vivid personal stories, including moments of sudden danger and narrowly avoided loss, Msgr. Esseff illustrates how urgency sharpens listening. Just as one responds instantly to fire or imminent danger, so the soul is invited to respond without delay to the voice of Christ. God’s call is not meant to create fear, but to awaken joy, freedom, and life.

He speaks candidly about sin, addiction, hardness of heart, inherited hatred, and spiritual resistance. Whether one feels unworthy, indifferent, angry, or convinced they are beyond God’s reach, the invitation remains the same. Jesus calls each person by name. Repentance is not condemnation but a doorway into healing, love, and renewal.

The episode concludes with a profound meditation on union with Christ, drawing from the life of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. Msgr. Esseff reflects on how closeness to Jesus means sharing both his joy and his sorrow, his love and his suffering. To be united with Christ is to live from his heart, now and for eternity.

Where do I sense Jesus inviting me to follow him more closely right now?

What fears, habits, or attachments delay my response to God’s call?

How do moments of urgency in my life help me recognize what truly matters?

In what ways am I being called to repentance that leads to deeper freedom?

What does union with the Heart of Jesus mean for my daily life?

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Msgr. Esseff reflects on the significance of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist.  He asks us to reflect on how our baptism has impacted our lives and does it touches those around us.

Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan

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Msgr. John Esseff reflects on the need for healing mother and father wounds, a topic that resonates with many. With his deep spiritual insight and experience, he reflects on the complex dynamics of family life and the crucial roles of understanding and forgiveness.

Through intricacies of parental relationships and the profound impact of fatherhood, Msgr. Esseff shares personal narratives that illustrate the journey of reconciling with parental figures and the transformative power of forgiveness, and how these familial relationships significantly influence our spiritual and emotional growth.

Central to the reflection is the healing from mother and father wounds, the emotional scars left by strained or absent parental relationships and how the path to healing these deep-seated wounds. We are encouraged to explore forgiveness, not just as a religious act, but as a vital step towards inner peace and spiritual maturity.

Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton. He served as a retreat director and confessor to St. Teresa of Calcutta and encountered St. Padre Pio, who became a spiritual father to him. Msgr. Esseff has lived in various parts of the world, working in the Pontifical missions, a Catholic organization established by Pope St. John Paul II to spread the Good News, especially to the poor. Msgr. Esseff continues his service as a retreat leader and director for bishops, priests, sisters, seminarians, and other religious leaders worldwide.

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In this Christmas Day reflection, Msgr. John Esseff contemplates the mystery of the Incarnation as the defining act of God’s love for the entire human family. Drawing from Isaiah, the Letter to the Hebrews, and the Prologue of the Gospel of John, he proclaims that the Creator of the universe has entered human history as a child, born of the Virgin Mary, to bring salvation to all people.

Msgr. Esseff reflects on the eternal identity of Jesus Christ as the Word through whom all things were made, now dwelling among us in human flesh. He invites listeners to gaze upon the infant Jesus and recognize that this child is the radiance of the Father, the light that shines in darkness, and the source of grace poured out upon the world. Christmas is presented not simply as a remembrance of a past event, but as a present encounter with divine love made visible.

Throughout the episode, Msgr. Esseff speaks to the universality of Christ’s coming. He proclaims that Jesus has entered the world for every person, regardless of background, belief, or past failures. He encourages listeners to approach the crib with honesty, humility, and trust, allowing the love revealed in the Child of Bethlehem to cleanse, heal, and renew the heart.

The reflection concludes with a gentle invitation to prayerful self-examination before the manger, inspired by the teachings of Pope Leo the Great and Pope Francis. Msgr. Esseff calls listeners to rest in the mercy of God made flesh, to receive grace upon grace, and to carry the joy of Christmas into the world by living in union with Christ, who has come and remains with us.

How does the Incarnation change the way I understand God’s closeness to humanity?

What part of my life needs to be brought honestly before Christ at the manger?

Where do I struggle to believe that God’s mercy reaches even the darkest places?

How am I called to carry the light of Christ into my relationships this Christmas?

What does it mean for me personally that God chose to become flesh for my salvation?

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In this final Sunday of Advent reflection, Msgr. John Esseff and Kris McGregor turn to the mystery of the Incarnation through the Gospel of Matthew and the prophecies of Isaiah. The episode traces God’s faithful promise to send a Savior, moving from the darkness that followed the fall of Adam and Eve through the long hope of Israel and into the quiet obedience of Joseph and the fiat of Mary.

Msgr. Esseff reflects on Mary as the faithful woman prepared from all ages to receive the Word made flesh. Through her obedience, God enters human history in a new and intimate way. The Incarnation is presented not only as an event in the past, but as a living reality that continues through those united to Christ. Drawing from St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans, Msgr. Esseff speaks about incorporation into Christ through baptism and the call to live as Christ in the world today.

The reflection moves from Scripture into daily life. Listeners are invited to examine how Christ desires to radiate through relationships, family life, parish communities, work, and moments of suffering. Msgr. Esseff speaks tenderly to those who are ill, grieving, anxious, or isolated, affirming that suffering united to Christ carries deep meaning and hope.

The episode closes with a call to joy, patience, and interior awareness. Christ has come. Christ dwells within. Christmas becomes not only a celebration of Bethlehem, but a rediscovery of identity and mission as Christ’s presence in the world.

Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton.  Msgr. Esseff served as a retreat director and confessor to St. Teresa of Calcutta.    He continues to offer direction and retreats for the sisters of the Missionaries of Charity around the world.  Msgr. Esseff encountered St.  Padre Pio,  who would become a spiritual father to him.  He has lived in areas around the world,  serving in the Pontifical missions, a Catholic organization established by Pope St. John Paul II to bring the Good News to the world, especially to the poor.  Msgr. Esseff assisted the founders of the Institute for Priestly Formation and continues to serve as a spiritual director for the Institute.  He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests and sisters and seminarians, and other religious leaders around the world.  

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In this Third Sunday of Advent reflection, Msgr. John Esseff proclaims the joy of Christ’s coming and the deep mystery of Jesus dwelling within those who are baptized. Drawing from the prophet Isaiah and the Gospel of Matthew, he reflects on the signs that reveal the Messiah: the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, the dead are raised, and the poor receive the good news.

Msgr. Esseff focuses on Jesus’ response to John the Baptist’s question from prison and the fulfillment of Isaiah’s promises. He explains that John the Baptist stands as the greatest born of women, yet those united to Christ through baptism share a deeper intimacy with him. This union is not symbolic. It is real, lived daily through baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist.

He speaks about light and darkness in human lives, noting that many are born into families marked by suffering, addiction, or division. Yet Christ’s light already lives within them. Rather than seeing only wounds or spiritual struggle, Msgr. Esseff urges listeners to recognize the presence of Jesus at work within their own life stories.

A central invitation of the episode is to pray through the Stations of the Cross during Advent, not as a Lenten exercise but as a way of recognizing Christ’s life unfolding within personal experiences. False accusation, betrayal, forgiveness, abandonment, suffering, and perseverance become places of union with Jesus. Each fall is not the end but a return to grace through Christ who lives within the soul.

The episode closes with a call to patience, trust, and joy. Christ is coming, not only in history or at Christmas, but ever more deeply into the lives of those who allow him to live and act through them.

Where in my life do I see signs of Christ’s light already at work, even amid struggle or pain?

How does recognizing Jesus living within me change the way I view my past experiences?

Which Station of the Cross most reflects something I am carrying right now?

Where am I being invited to return to grace after a fall?

How can I live Advent with greater patience and joy as I await Christ’s coming?

Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton.  Msgr. Esseff served as a retreat director and confessor to St. Teresa of Calcutta.    He continues to offer direction and retreats for the sisters of the Missionaries of Charity around the world.  Msgr. Esseff encountered St.  Padre Pio,  who would become a spiritual father to him.  He has lived in areas around the world,  serving in the Pontifical missions, a Catholic organization established by Pope St. John Paul II to bring the Good News to the world, especially to the poor.  Msgr. Esseff assisted the founders of the Institute for Priestly Formation and continues to serve as a spiritual director for the Institute.  He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests and sisters and seminarians, and other religious leaders around the world.  

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