Building Kingdom of Love Archives - Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

The Sacred Heart, Sin, and Confession – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff 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 Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions When I prepare for Confession, do I ask the Holy Spirit to show me what is separating me from deeper union with Jesus? Have I confused an examination of conscience with self-criticism, introspection, or condemnation? Are there recurring sins in my life that may point toward a deeper root or capital sin? Where do comparison and competition enter my relationships with family members, friends, coworkers, or others? Can I genuinely rejoice when another person receives a gift, opportunity, recognition, or blessing that I wanted for myself? How might regular reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation help me grow not only in freedom from sin, but also in Christ’s way of seeing and loving others? Whom am I being invited to see today through the loving gaze of Christ rather than through jealousy, resentment, or comparison? 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. The post SH11 – The Sacred Heart, Sin, and Confession – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

“Why Did You Doubt?” Growing in Faith and Trust in Jesus – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff 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. Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions: Is my service to others flowing from a real life of prayer with God? Where have I become so busy doing good things that I’ve neglected my interior life? When I want to undertake something good, do I first ask God whether it is His will for me? What does Msgr. Esseff’s experience of obedience teach me about trusting God when my plans are delayed? Are any of my activities pulling me away from responsibilities God has already entrusted to me in my family or vocation? Where am I relying primarily on my own strength rather than allowing Christ to work through me? What small act of love can I offer today as a response to God’s love for me? The post Embracing God’s Will – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

The Queenship of Mary: A Mother and Queen of Every Heart – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff 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. Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions: How does Mary’s humility help me understand what it truly means for her to be Queen of Heaven and Earth? What need or burden in my life have I hesitated to bring to Mary in prayer? How do Mary’s appearances at Guadalupe, Fatima, and Lourdes reveal her motherly care for those who suffer? What does Mary’s humility teach me about overcoming pride and resisting evil? Who are the little, lost, sick, or forgotten people God has entrusted to my care? Where is God asking me to become smaller, more humble, and more dependent upon Him? How can Mary’s example help me become more childlike and ready to receive the Kingdom of God? The post The Queenship of Mary – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

“Why Did You Doubt?” Growing in Faith and Trust in Jesus – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff 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. Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions: What does it mean in my daily life to say, “I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God”? Where is Jesus asking me to “get out of the boat” and trust Him more deeply? What fears or worries cause me to take my eyes away from Christ? How does Mother Teresa’s trust in Jesus challenge my understanding of faith and prayer? How can Eucharistic adoration, the Mass, and daily prayer deepen my relationship with Jesus? Where has worry about the future prevented me from trusting God for my “daily bread”? How might the difficulties I encounter after responding to Christ become opportunities for my faith to grow? The post Why Did You Doubt? Growing in Faith and Trust in Jesus – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

The Sacred Heart and the Contemplative Life – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff 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. Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions What distractions keep me from hearing God’s voice in the silence of my heart? How can I become more attentive to the presence of the Holy Trinity dwelling within me? What does true contemplation mean in my daily life? How does humility open my heart to receive God’s love more fully? In what ways is God inviting me to become a witness to His love through a deeper life of prayer? 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 SH10 – The Sacred Heart and the Contemplative Life – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.