Msgr. John Esseff - Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

In this episode of Building a Kingdom of Love, Msgr. John Esseff turns to the reality of sin and the healing power of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The battle between the Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness isn’t only visible in war, violence, and suffering throughout the world. That same struggle reaches into every human heart. Msgr. Esseff asks how we recognize what separates us from Christ and recover the grace and union with Him that God desires for us. His answer leads directly to Confession, a sacrament he believes is greatly needed in the Church and the world today.

But preparing for Confession requires more than making a mental inventory of mistakes. Msgr. Esseff distinguishes a Christian examination of conscience from simple introspection or self-judgment. The Holy Spirit helps us see where our thoughts, words, actions, and omissions have interrupted our communion with Christ. Humility isn’t self-condemnation. It is the recognition that without Christ, we can do nothing and that our lives depend completely upon His grace. The examination of conscience, therefore, takes place before the merciful gaze of God, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal what keeps us from loving with the Heart of Christ.

Msgr. Esseff then considers jealousy and envy as examples of how the Sacrament of Reconciliation can lead us beneath individual sins to a deeper spiritual wound. Gossip, comparison, competition, resentment, and division may all grow from the same root. Rather than continually “cutting off the tail of the snake,” Confession can help expose the capital sin at its head. As Christ heals that root, we become freer to rejoice in the gifts of others, recognize Christ in our neighbor, and see others with His eyes of love. The sacrament becomes a place not simply for naming sins, but for deeper conversion and growth in union with Jesus

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 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 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 serves as a spiritual director for the Institute. He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests, and 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 need for a Christian life in which prayer and action remain deeply united. The ache and emptiness experienced by so many people can’t be healed simply by greater activity. Ministry, service, and works of charity must flow from an interior relationship with God. When doing becomes separated from being with God, even good work can lead to exhaustion, self-reliance, and eventually losing sight of the One who called us to serve.

Drawing from Jesus’ warning about external religious observances and St. James’ call to become doers of the Word, Msgr. Esseff explains that authentic Christian life begins in the heart and bears fruit in concrete love of neighbor. He recalls young people transformed through serving the poor in mission countries and witnesses such as St. Teresa of Calcutta, whose extraordinary service grew from a solid life of prayer. Yet even good works require discernment. Msgr. Esseff shares his own experience of repeatedly asking to serve in Latin America while his bishop required him to remain where he was. His eventual mission came through obedience rather than simply following his own desire to do something good.

Kris McGregor brings this discernment into family life, where the desire to serve the Church can sometimes pull a person away from the responsibilities God has already entrusted to them as a spouse or parent. Msgr. Esseff returns to the first commandment: love God with your whole heart, soul, strength, and mind. From that relationship, Christ can love others through us. The Christian life becomes less about accomplishing something through our own strength and more about allowing God to act through us, whether our work seems great or very small.

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In this episode of Building a Kingdom of Love, Msgr. John Esseff reflects on the Queenship of Mary, revealing a queenship rooted not in earthly power or grandeur, but in motherhood, humility, and love. Mary is Queen of Heaven and Earth because she is the Mother of God and the mother given to us by Jesus from the Cross. From Guadalupe and Fatima to Lourdes and the Miraculous Medal, Msgr. Esseff shows Mary continually reaching toward the poor, the sick, the suffering, and those most in need of mercy with the tenderness of a mother.

Mary’s greatness is found precisely in her lowliness. Msgr. Esseff recalls an image of the Immaculate Conception in which Mary crushes the serpent beneath her heel, connecting her victory over Satan with her profound humility. She is the lowly servant who hastens to care for Elizabeth, the mother who intercedes for her children, and the Queen who desires to bring God’s gifts to those who ask. Her queenship reveals something essential about the Kingdom of God: the first shall be last, the last shall be first, and true greatness is found in becoming small.

Msgr. Esseff connects Mary’s queenship with the Sacred Heart of Jesus and God’s particular love for the little ones, the lost, the sick, and the forgotten. Ezekiel’s warning to shepherds who care for themselves rather than their sheep becomes a challenge for priests, parents, grandparents, and everyone entrusted with another soul. Mary shows us another way, to become humble, dependent, and childlike before God. She teaches us to “grow down,” becoming small enough to receive the Kingdom and allowing ourselves to be held in the loving arms of God.

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In this episode of Building a Kingdom of Love, Msgr. John Esseff reflects on what it truly means to say, “I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.” Drawing from the Gospel account of Peter walking on the water, he asks whether faith remains something we profess with our lips or becomes a living reality that changes the way we act, pray, trust, and respond when Christ calls. Peter gets out of the boat because Jesus says, “Come.” When fear takes hold, he begins to sink, revealing the struggle between faith and doubt that can arise in every Christian life.

Msgr. Esseff recalls his experiences with St. Teresa of Calcutta as a powerful witness to this living faith. In war-torn Beirut, Mother Teresa prayed before the Blessed Sacrament for the shelling to cease so abandoned children could be rescued. He also remembers her radical trust in Albania, where she insisted that stored food be given to the hungry, trusting God to provide what would be needed the following day. For Msgr. Esseff, these encounters transformed an intellectual understanding of faith into a deeper awareness of the power of prayer, the Eucharist, and trust in Jesus Christ.

Msgr. Esseff returns to Peter’s decision to leave the safety of the boat. Faith requires a response to Christ’s invitation, even when the winds of fear, uncertainty, worry, and the voices around us tempt us to turn away. Mother Teresa’s life shows how this relationship is nurtured through continual prayer, Eucharistic adoration, and the Mass. The challenges that arise after stepping out in faith can become opportunities for deeper trust as Christ draws us beyond a merely cultural Christianity into a life rooted in Him.

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In this reflection, Msgr. John Esseff explores the Sacred Heart through the lens of the contemplative life, asking why so many people fail to recognize God’s immense love. He explains that God continually calls every person into a deeper relationship with Him, yet the noise of self-centeredness often prevents us from hearing His voice. The contemplative, whether living in a monastery or in the ordinary circumstances of daily life, becomes a living bridge between heaven and earth by listening to God and responding with love.

Drawing from the witness of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Ignatius of Loyola, and above all the Blessed Virgin Mary, Msgr. Esseff describes contemplation as a gift of the Holy Spirit rather than simply the study of theology. True prayer begins by recognizing God’s presence within, where the Holy Trinity already dwells through baptism. As the soul turns inward in humility and attentive listening, it discovers that every grace, every act of love, and every response to God flows from Christ living within.

The reflection concludes with a call to recover contemplation as the foundation of Christian life and evangelization. Msgr. Esseff teaches that the world’s deepest need is not more activity but more souls who truly know God through prayer. Only those transformed by the love of the Sacred Heart can become authentic witnesses, bringing Christ’s light to a world longing for hope, mercy, and communion with the Father.

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 serves 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 reflects on the deep and transformative love of Jesus’ Sacred Heart. The invitation Jesus extends to unite our hearts with His, embracing love and its consequences, including suffering for the sake of others. Esseff explains that Jesus withholds certain material blessings if they hinder spiritual growth, aiming to cure self-centeredness and foster divine love.

True love involves giving selflessly, reflecting God’s eternal love, using examples like St. Francis of Assisi and the Virgin Mary, who embody this divine love.

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 serves 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 on Discerning Hearts addresses the spiritual battle between good and evil, emphasizing the role of Satan, the enemy of humanity. He discusses the inherent sinfulness in every person, the temptation that Satan uses to lure souls away from God, and the ongoing conflict within every human heart between the kingdom of light (Jesus) and the kingdom of darkness (Satan).

Msgr. Esseff explains that Satan’s primary tactic is temptation, which aims to lead people away from God’s kingdom and towards self-centeredness. He highlights the significance of the prayer “lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one” in the Lord’s Prayer, as it directly addresses this spiritual battle. He further explores the origin of Satan’s hatred towards humanity, tracing it back to his refusal to serve and his subsequent fall from grace.

The preciousness of each soul to God and the lengths to which God goes to save it include sending Jesus to conquer sin, Satan, and death through his crucifixion and resurrection. The importance of recognizing and combating the subtle influences of Satan in modern society, such as through pornography and media manipulation, which gradually lead individuals away from spiritual truth.

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 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 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 serves as a spiritual director for the Institute. He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests, and sisters, seminarians, and other religious leaders around the world.

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In this reflection, Msgr. John Esseff contemplates Jesus as the divine Sower who plants the seed of the Kingdom of God throughout the world. Through the parables of the wheat and the weeds, the mustard seed, and the yeast, he reveals that Christ continually sows goodness while the devil seeks to sow evil. Rather than becoming discouraged or quick to judge, Christians are called to trust God’s wisdom as his Kingdom quietly grows within human hearts and throughout the world.

Drawing on the insights of St. Augustine and Archbishop Fulton Sheen, Msgr. Esseff explains that the visible Church contains both saints and sinners, while the true Kingdom of God is found wherever Christ reigns within the soul. Through moving stories of a child strengthened by suffering, a father who grew steadily in holiness, and a seminarian who discovered Christ after years away from the faith, he shows how God’s grace often works in hidden and unexpected ways.

The reflection concludes with a message of hope and perseverance. The Kingdom frequently begins like a tiny seed and grows slowly through faith, suffering, prayer, and daily conversion. Rather than despairing over the darkness of the world or the struggles within our own families, we are invited to continue praying, trusting that Christ never stops sowing the good seed and that his Kingdom will reach its fullness in God’s perfect time.

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“He shall proclaim peace to the nations!”  Peace begins inside the hearts of each baptized Christian.  Do you know who you are?  Have you truly encountered Jesus?

At that time Jesus exclaimed:

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,

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. 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.  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 discusses the profound devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, particularly for priests. He shares the story of a devoted priest who promoted this devotion and received the grace to touch the most hardened hearts. Despite his dedication, the priest ended up abandoned and forgotten in a refugee camp, experiencing profound suffering. Esseff reflects on how this priest’s experience mirrors Jesus’ own abandonment on the cross and highlights the spiritual union with Christ through suffering.

The Sacred Heart promises not only the ability to touch hardened hearts but also eternal salvation and union with Jesus. He addresses various forms of suffering, illustrating that true devotion to the Sacred Heart involves sharing in Christ’s suffering. He recounts a poignant encounter with a devoted priest in a refugee camp, noting how this experience deepened his own priesthood.

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 serves 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.

The post SH7 – The Sacred Heart and Abandonment – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.