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Author Archives: Esther Hizsa
About Esther Hizsa
Esther is a writer, spiritual director, and cofacilitates contemplative retreats and courses. She lives in Vernon, B.C. with her husband, Fred.Safe
“You are joy. You’re our hope. You are gen-tle-ness.” Then I heard the Poor Clares sing, “You are safe-ty” and teared up. I noticed the impact the word “safety” had on my body and remembered a similar sensation I’d had … Continue reading →
Posted in Advent, community, Prayer, Reflections, Spiritual Direction, Stories
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Tagged Advent Retreat, EFT, Esther Hizsa, focusing, Illuminated, Jan Richardson, Just right she sighed, Matthew 11:28, Poor Clares, spiritual direction, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Coquitlam, spiritual director Vancouver, Steve Corey, Tapping, trauma
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Joyful Mysteries and Silent Dreams
“Let there be Esther,” I heard God pronounce, speaking right into my life-long struggle to exist. During the Ignatian prayer retreat I was leading last week, I had a chance to pray with one of my “joyful mysteries.” As I … Continue reading →
Posted in Childhood, Creation, Ignatian Spirituality, Poetry, Prayer, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections
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Tagged Book of Genesis, Esther Hizsa, Father Elton Fernandes, Ignatian Sprititual Exercises, JIm Kwik, Joyful Mysteries, Kei Miller, Let there be light, Pádraig Ó Tuama, silent retreat, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Sylvia Sassen, Zephaniah 3:17
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When You Are In Over Your Head
“I’m so sorry to hear that,” I said to Sally after she shared the news that her mother was dying. “Don’t worry about the retreat. I’ll find someone to fill in for you.” She’d been looking forward to co-facilitating the … Continue reading →
Posted in community, Ignatian Spirituality, Prayer, Reflections, Stories
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Tagged Esther Hizsa, Geertgen tot Sint Jans, Ignatian prayer retreat, Isaiah 43:2, John the Baptist, Living from the Heart, Poor Clares of Arundel, SoulStream, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver
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Gifts of Joy
On the ferry from Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay, I checked my emails. Among them, was a yes in response to an urgent plea. The relief I felt was delicious. The weather held and I was able to ride the rest … Continue reading →
Posted in community, Reflections, Stories
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Tagged bike ride, Esther Hizsa, Funkybug, Ken Lane, Psalm 36:7-8, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver
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Trying to Trust
Away from home at the end of a full day, I read an email and received a problem– a big problem that I had to solve. I noticed the absence of butterflies in my stomach and “Oh Nos” in my … Continue reading →
Posted in Reflections, Stories
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Tagged A Rocha, A Rocha Talks, Alone in a World of Wounds, Anupama Ranawana, Brent Unrau, Esther Hizsa, ferry, Hannah Malcolm, Jonas Lönborg, Matthew Humphrey, Nanaimo, Nanaimo sunrise, problem, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Steve
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How the Light Gets In
On the afternoon before the opening weekend of Living from the Heart at Bethlehem Centre on Vancouver Island, I took a walk around Westwood Lake to allow my jostled soul to settle. That morning, I’d read the poem Vessel by … Continue reading →
What Stillness Needs and Offers
When this post is published, I will be at Bethlehem Centre for the opening weekend of this year’s Living from the Heart. Last year we had a new team, new format, new location, and a new intern. It was also … Continue reading →
Old-Growth Forest
An old-growth forest. Yellow cedar, Sitka spruce, Douglas fir have been around for centuries, literally. Year after year, they cycle through the seasons and grow imperceptibly taller, more solid, roots extending. That is what I’m becoming. The slow pace of … Continue reading →
Posted in Aging, Creation, Justice, Reflections
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Tagged Bella Coola, Cathedral Grove, clear cut logging, Douglas Fir Trees, Drew Brayshaw, Esther Hizsa, Forestry in British Columbia, Genesis 1:11-12, Grant Hadwin, Hadwin's Judgement, John Vaillant, MacMillan Provincial Park, Miles Green, old-growt forest, rainforest, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Golden Spruce
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Decomposing
Where do I need to stay when everything in me wants to flee? As soon as I began asking myself this question, one answer came to me, but I wasn’t brave enough to write about it. Silence. Silence is the … Continue reading →
Posted in Prayer, Reflections, Spiritual Direction, Stories
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Tagged artiplex, Brent Unrau, decomposing, Esther Hizsa, Joshua Mayer, Living from the Heart, Lois Elling, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, resurrection, Richard Powers, SJ, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Overstory, the slow work of God
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Seeking Truth and Reconciliation
September 30 is Orange Shirt Day. If Bill 369 passes in parliament, it will become National Truth and Reconciliation Day. This is a day to wear an orange shirt and renew our intention to acknowledge the violence done to others … Continue reading →
Posted in compassion, Ignatian Spirituality, Justice, Reflections, Stories
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Tagged All My Relations, Being in the Now, Bill C-262, Bill C-369, Blood Quantum, Braiding Sweetgrass, Children of God, Doctrine of Discovery, Eckhart Tolle, Esther Hizsa, Ignatian retreat, Indian Horse, Mark 12:28-31, Monique Gray Smith, National Indigenous Peoples Day, National Truth and Reconciliation Day, native re-apporopriation, Oprah, Phyllis Webstad, Richard Wagamese, Robin Wall Kimmerer, SoulStream, Speaking Our Truth, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Blanket Exercise, Twila Savigny, Walk for Truth and Reconciliation
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An Everyday Pilgrim 