Trusting Jesus in an Age of Fear - Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff

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Trusting Jesus in an Age of Fear – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff

Msgr. John Esseff reflects on widespread anxieties about the end of the world by drawing from Malachi, the Gospel of Luke, and the lived suffering of Christians across the globe. Scripture speaks plainly about upheaval, persecution, natural disasters, and global conflict, yet Christ assures His followers that this world is not the final destination. Those who face violence or loss for Christ bear witness to a life that cannot be destroyed, because their destiny is anchored in the Resurrection. He recounts examples from history and from contemporary persecution to illustrate that the death of the body is not the death of one’s true life in God.

In the second part of the discussion, he highlights St. Paul’s teaching to the Thessalonians: the proper way to prepare for the world’s end is not through predictions or fear but through faithful, ordinary daily work. Just as Jesus lived quietly in Nazareth for most of His earthly life, and Paul labored as a tentmaker, Christians are called to fulfill their daily duties with integrity. The passing nature of earthly possessions, status, and comfort becomes clear in the face of mortality, and the only lasting tragedy is to miss the path to holiness. Perseverance in one’s vocation—united to Christ’s suffering, death, and rising—is the steady way to live in readiness for whatever comes, whether global upheaval or the moment of personal death.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

How does remembering that this world will pass change the way I approach suffering, conflict, or fear in my life?
In what ways am I living as though this world is my final home rather than preparing my heart for eternal life?
How do the stories of persecuted Christians around the world invite me to examine my own witness to Christ?
What daily responsibilities or ordinary tasks might God be calling me to carry out with greater faithfulness and love?
Where am I tempted to seek security in possessions or status instead of trusting in Christ’s risen life?
How does the promise that “not a hair of your head will be destroyed” deepen my confidence in God’s care?
What fears about the future or the “end times” do I need to bring honestly to prayer?
How might God be inviting me to persevere more patiently through trials or uncertainty?
When confronted with sudden loss, tragedy, or global disasters, how can I root my response in Christ’s victory over death?
What concrete steps can I take this week to grow in holiness and live more fully “with, in, and through” Jesus?

Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton. 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 Pope St. 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.