Lent 2026 - Msgr. Esseff Archives - Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

A Special Holy Thursday Reflection – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff

Msgr. John Esseff reflects deeply on the meaning of Holy Thursday, focusing especially on Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet and the institution of the Eucharist. He describes the foot-washing as a sign of humility and love that all Christians are called to imitate, not just toward family and friends, but especially toward enemies and those most difficult to serve. This act, performed by Christ before his Passion, is framed as his last will and testament—a mandate to serve others with pro...

Palm Sunday: Entering the Passion of Christ – Building a Kingdom of Love w/ Msgr. John Esseff Podcast

In this Palm Sunday reflection, Msgr. John Esseff invites listeners into the beginning of Holy Week, where the Church holds together both the triumph of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem and the suffering that will soon follow. The crowds welcome Jesus as king, yet misunderstand the nature of his kingship. He comes not as a worldly ruler, but as the suffering servant whose mission is fulfilled through the cross and the resurrection.

Msgr. Esseff reflects on how...

The Fifth Sunday of Lent: Resurrection and New Life – Building a Kingdom of Love w/ Msgr. John Esseff Podcast

In this Fifth Sunday of Lent reflection, Msgr. John Esseff turns to the Gospel of the raising of Lazarus and the promise spoken through the prophet Ezekiel that God will open the graves and restore life to his people. He proclaims that apart from Christ, humanity lives in a state of spiritual death, but through faith in Jesus, the resurrection and the life, new life is given even now.

Msgr. Esseff reflects on Jesus’ ques...

The Fourth Sunday of Lent: Spiritual Blindness – Building a Kingdom of Love w/ Msgr. John Esseff Podcast

In this episode of Building a Kingdom of Love, Msgr. John Esseff reflects on the Gospel of the man born blind and the deeper meaning of spiritual sight during Lent. Humanity enters the world marked by original sin, unable to see clearly without the healing grace of Christ. The Gospel account reveals that Jesus is the one who opens the eyes of the human heart, leading souls out of darkness and into the light of truth.

Th...

The Third Sunday of Lent: The First Scrutiny – Building a Kingdom of Love w/ Msgr. John Esseff Podcast

In this Third Sunday of Lent reflection, Msgr. John Esseff invites listeners into the mystery of the Transfiguration from the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus reveals his glory on the mountain as he prepares to face suffering and death. The mountain of light is inseparable from the mountain of Calvary. Jesus stands between glory and the cross, revealing that resurrection is reached only through suffering freely embraced in trust and obedience to the Father.

Msgr. Es...

The Second Sunday of Lent: The Transfiguration and Listening to Christ – Building a Kingdom of Love w/ Msgr. John Esseff Podcast

In this Second Sunday of Lent reflection, Msgr. John Esseff invites listeners into the mystery of the Transfiguration from the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus reveals his glory on the mountain as he prepares to face suffering and death. The mountain of light is inseparable from the mountain of Calvary. Jesus stands between glory and the cross, revealing that resurrection is reached only through suffering freely embraced in trust and obedience to the Father.

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 huma...

Preparing for Lent – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff

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 praye...