
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


In this powerful reflection, Msgr. John Essef and Kris McGregor enter into the Gospel of Luke 16, the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Monsignor shares his own encounters with the poor, beginning with his mission experiences in Haiti, where he vividly recalls ministering to a woman named Regina as she died of AIDS. Her joy in going home to God became for him the living image of Lazarus.
Through his story, he warns of the spiritual blindness of the rich man who never truly saw Lazarus at his doorstep. Monsignor reflects on how Mother Teresa of Calcutta opened his eyes to the poor and how we too must ask the Holy Spirit for the grace to see those who are right beside us. He urges listeners to recognize both material poverty and poverty of spirit, and to examine their lives for ways to share their abundance with those in need. The episode closes with a heartfelt prayer to discover Jesus in the face of the poorest of the poor, beginning in our own families and communities
How does the parable of the rich man and Lazarus challenge us to open our eyes to the poor around us?
What prevents us from seeing the “Lazarus” who may be right at our doorstep?
How did Mother Teresa’s witness help Msgr. Essef recognize the presence of the poor in a new way?
What does Regina’s joy in dying teach us about faith, hope, and the promise of eternal life?
How can we make a personal inventory of our goods and find ways to share with those in need?
What is the difference between mailing money to the poor abroad and personally encountering the poor near us?
How can fear keep us from responding to those who are materially or spiritually poor in our own communities?
How do our choices on earth shape our eternal destiny, as reflected in this Gospel story?
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. He continues to offer direction and retreats for 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.
The post Seeing Lazarus – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
By Msgr. John Esseff with Kris McGregor4.8
4949 ratings
In this powerful reflection, Msgr. John Essef and Kris McGregor enter into the Gospel of Luke 16, the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Monsignor shares his own encounters with the poor, beginning with his mission experiences in Haiti, where he vividly recalls ministering to a woman named Regina as she died of AIDS. Her joy in going home to God became for him the living image of Lazarus.
Through his story, he warns of the spiritual blindness of the rich man who never truly saw Lazarus at his doorstep. Monsignor reflects on how Mother Teresa of Calcutta opened his eyes to the poor and how we too must ask the Holy Spirit for the grace to see those who are right beside us. He urges listeners to recognize both material poverty and poverty of spirit, and to examine their lives for ways to share their abundance with those in need. The episode closes with a heartfelt prayer to discover Jesus in the face of the poorest of the poor, beginning in our own families and communities
How does the parable of the rich man and Lazarus challenge us to open our eyes to the poor around us?
What prevents us from seeing the “Lazarus” who may be right at our doorstep?
How did Mother Teresa’s witness help Msgr. Essef recognize the presence of the poor in a new way?
What does Regina’s joy in dying teach us about faith, hope, and the promise of eternal life?
How can we make a personal inventory of our goods and find ways to share with those in need?
What is the difference between mailing money to the poor abroad and personally encountering the poor near us?
How can fear keep us from responding to those who are materially or spiritually poor in our own communities?
How do our choices on earth shape our eternal destiny, as reflected in this Gospel story?
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. He continues to offer direction and retreats for 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.
The post Seeing Lazarus – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

5,741 Listeners

25 Listeners

510 Listeners

19 Listeners

24 Listeners

4 Listeners

17 Listeners

10 Listeners

6,747 Listeners

461 Listeners

2,155 Listeners

2,579 Listeners

839 Listeners

37 Listeners

819 Listeners

1,257 Listeners

569 Listeners

951 Listeners

818 Listeners

684 Listeners

440 Listeners

5,641 Listeners

34 Listeners

20 Listeners

25 Listeners

3 Listeners

2 Listeners

7 Listeners

18 Listeners

3 Listeners

3 Listeners

18 Listeners

13 Listeners

3 Listeners