Hospitality of the Heart – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Msgr. John Esseff - Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

Hospitality of the 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 readings from Genesis and Luke, inviting listeners to rediscover the gift of hospitality and the presence of God in daily life. He begins with Abraham’s encounter with the Lord in the form of three visitors, pointing out how acts of welcome—once instinctive in many homes—have diminished in a world grown fearful and distant. Drawing from his own heritage and childhood memories, Msgr. Esseff recalls how guests were always seen as a gift from God, echoing the Benedictine phrase, “Here comes Christ.”Whether it’s a stranger at the door or a family member across the table, he reminds us that Christ often comes to us hidden in the ordinary.

He then turns to the story of Martha and Mary, where Mary quietly receives the Lord while Martha grows anxious in her serving. Msgr. Esseff warns that we can lose sight of our identity as sons and daughters of God when we focus only on doing rather than being. The heart of the Gospel is not about performance but relationship—a truth that Mary lived and Martha struggled to understand. Paul’s words in Colossians, “Christ in you, the hope of glory,” invite each of us to carry the awareness that God is with us, not just in church, but everywhere: in the hospital room, in the kitchen, in moments of silence, and in the faces of those we serve. Msgr. Esseff closes with the reminder that God longs for us not just to serve Him, but to know Him—and to let ourselves be known.

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Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions:

1. Do I welcome others into my life with the same reverence Abraham showed to the strangers at his tent?
2. Can I recognize Christ in the ordinary people I meet throughout my day?
3. Have I made space in my life to sit quietly with God as Mary did?
4. Do I define myself by what I do, or by who I am as a child of God?
5. When I go to Mass, am I truly present to the Lord who is present to me?
6. Is my relationship with God something I carry into the whole day, or just certain moments?
7. Am I allowing God to bring peace into my heart, or am I clinging to anxiety like Martha?

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Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest of the Diocese of Scranton. He served as a retreat director and confessor to St. Teresa of Calcutta and continues to offer spiritual direction and lead retreats for the Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity worldwide. Msgr. Esseff also had a profound encounter with St. Padre Pio, who became his spiritual father. He has served in various parts of the world through the Pontifical Missions, a Catholic organization founded by St. John Paul II to share the Good News, especially with the poor. . Msgr. Esseff continues to lead retreats and provide spiritual direction to bishops, priests, seminarians, sisters, and other religious leaders around the world.

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