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

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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 prayer life. Fasting should not be about mere dieting but about uniting our sacrifices with Christ’s. For those unable to fast physically, he suggests fasting from judgment or envy while feasting on recognizing Christ in others. Almsgiving is closely tied to fasting, as seen in St. Teresa of Calcutta’s example, where the food her sisters gave up directly fed the poor. Lent is meant to transform us so that by Easter, we are more fully conformed to Christ, carrying the spiritual fruits beyond the season itself.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

How does Jesus’ 40 days in the desert relate to your own Lenten journey and struggles with temptation?
What does receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday mean to you personally, and how does it shape your perspective on repentance?
How can fasting become a more intentional spiritual practice rather than just a physical challenge?
In what ways can you incorporate prayer more deeply into your Lenten observance this year?
What is one area of your life where you need to “fast” from a negative habit or attitude and “feast” on virtue instead?
How does the connection between fasting and almsgiving challenge your approach to generosity?
What steps can you take to deepen your understanding of the Liturgy of the Hours or daily Mass during Lent?
How can reflecting on your mortality help you live more intentionally as a disciple of Christ?
What specific sacrifices can you make this Lent to grow closer to God and imitate Christ more fully?
How can your Lenten practices lead to a lasting transformation beyond Easter?

Pray the Liturgy of Hours

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 continues to serve 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.