Spiritual Formation Library Archives

BKL#4 – Building a Kingdom of Love w/ Msgr. John Esseff – The Power of Baptism: a story of Bl. Mother Teresa, a princess, and a baby named Cecilia

Show 4 ” Building a Kingdom of Love” – The Power of Baptism: a story of Bl. Mother Teresa, a princess, and a baby named Cecilia

Msgr. Esseff reflects on the power of Christ given to us in our baptism. He tells two poignant stories about Bl. Mother Teresa, a princess and a baby named Cecilia. Do we appreciate the gift? Msgr. Esseff also addresses the fears and concerns grandparents have when their children fail to have their own children baptized. Be not afraid…call on the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Holy Rosary.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:51 — 58.3MB) | Embed

Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton. He was ordained on May 30th 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 Blessed Mother Teresa. 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 Bl. 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.

To obtain a copy of Msgr. Esseff’s book byvisiting here

Be sure to visit Msgr. Esseff’s website “Building a Kingdom of Love”

IP#152 Stephen Binz – Learning to Pray with Scripture on Inside the Pages

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:15 — 45.3MB) | Embed

Stephen J. Binz is a Catholic biblical scholar, psychotherapist, popular speaker, and award-winning author of more than thirty books on the Bible and biblical spirituality. “Learning to Pray with Scripture” is another volume in the excellent “Lectio Divina” series brought to us by Our Sunday Visitor. In it, Stephen uses the actual prayers of Sacred Scripture to help us enter a deeper relationship with God through our own prayer. This series is outstanding and an absolute MUST for those seeking a great guide to this ancient prayer form!

You can find this book here

This study shows the way that various characters in the Bible prayed and what they can teach you about prayer.

It also delves into various types of prayer and what you can learn from them.

Every chapter leads you forward through a sequence of:

Listening – Reading Scripture with expectancy, trusting that God will speak His Word to us through it
Understanding – Seeking to comprehend the meaning of the text, encountering God there and being changed by that encounter
Reflecting – Linking the truth of the Scriptures to the experience of faith in the world in which we live
Praying – A dialogue with God: we listen to God, then we respond in prayer
Acting – After prayerfully listening to God through a passage of Scripture, we should be inspired to make a difference in the way we live

St. Catherine of Siena – “Saints Speak” Holy Repentance and Holy Mary

Holy Mary

Holy Repentance

IP#151 Joe Paprocki – The 7 Key to Spiritual Wellness on Inside the Pages

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:36 — 52.4MB) | Embed

In “7 Keys to Spiritual Wellness,” best-selling author Joe Paprocki provides a prescription for spiritual health based on the rich wisdom of Catholic Tradition.

The Saints have repeatedly taught us that our souls can get spiritually sick and die.

Joe’s new book focuses on the root causes of spiritual sickness. Each chapter identifies a specific threat to the health of our souls and offers strategies for beating that virus.

His keys to spiritual wellness are:

Seeing Yourself as You Really Are
Actively Seeking the Good of Others
Thinking Before Acting
Holding on Loosely
Recognizing and Setting Limits
Channeling, Not Repressing, Your Desires
Unleashing Your Imagination

You can find the book here

Divine Mercy with Msgr. John Esseff

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:14 — 46.2MB) | Embed

Msgr. Esseff begins a series of reflections on Divine Mercy and it’s importance in the life of the Church today. He exhorts us to remember that it is not about

something that occurs outside of ourselves, but that the spirit of the Divine Mercy lives in us by virtue of our baptism and through our participation in the sacraments. And we are called to assist Jesus to reaching out to our brothers and sisters, in Him, with Him, and through Him.

Be sure to visit Msgr. Esseff’s website: “Building A Kingdom Of Love”

What is Prayer? – Discerning Hearts

This is excellent overview of Prayer as taught by the Catechism of the Catholic Church…check it out…then pray!

Prayer

What is Prayer?

This is excellent overview of Prayer as taught by the Catechism of the Catholic Church…check it out…then pray!

Prayer

The Angelus – Discerning Hearts

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:

And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us. Hail Mary . . .

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

“Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you” (Lk 1:28)

“Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb”
(Lk 1:42).

The 3 Levels of the Heart with Msgr. John Esseff – Discerning Hearts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:02:39 — 114.7MB) | Embed

Msgr. Esseff offers a teaching on the 3 levels of the heart. He begins by looking at the Sacred Heart of Jesus, then moves to

the examination of the layers of our hearts. In understanding of this is vitally important to appreciate how we make decisions and pray…if we are in our own will or God’s will.

Be sure to visit Msgr. Esseff’s website: Building a Kingdom of Love

IP#145 Bert Ghezzi – Discover Christ on Inside the Pages

It’s always a delight to talk with Bert Ghezzi, especially about Jesus. In his new book, “Discover Christ: Developing a Personal Relationship with Christ” co authored with David Nodar, Bert tackles many of the big questions:

What is the meaning of life?
—Why do I need a savior?
—Why is the Resurrection important?
—What does it mean to believe and belong?
—Why does Jesus matter?