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.
Hi everyone, I led our contemplative groups’ monthly retreat in June and this is what I used. For instructions and guidelines to help you lead a DIY, check here. May you be blessed as you open yourself to God in … Continue reading →
Posted in Prayer, Prayer Retreat Outline, Reflections, Resource
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Tagged Alana Levandoski, Anthony de Mello, awareness, Bark Cabin Natural Area, Coco Love Alcorn, Esther Hizsa, Felix Culpa, John Philip Newell, Nicholas A Tonelli, pilgrimage, Reza, Sounds of the Eternal: A Celtic Psalter, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Steve Bell, Sunrise, Susanne Nilsson, The River, Vulcan Stream
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It’s also helpful to realize that this very body that we have, that’s sitting right here, right now with its aches and its pleasure, is exactly what we need to be fully human, fully awake, and fully alive. — Pema Chodron … Continue reading →
Posted in Aging, Creation, Overeating, Reflections
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Tagged 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Calgary Community Services, Esther Hizsa, No Body Is Perfect, Pema Chodron, Permanence (2015/16), SoulStream, spiritual director Burnaby, Zhang Dali. Rob Oo.
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See the whole universe, not only as something to love but as something that can love you back. –Pierre Teilhard de Chardin As many of you know, I have a Christmas cactus in the room where I pray, write, and … Continue reading →
Posted in Creation, Homelessness, Reflections
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Tagged Alice Popkorn, B.C. Housing, Burnaby Now, Burnaby Task Force on Homelessness, Christmas Cactus, dgozgozz, Esther Hizsa, Lauren Boothby, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Psalm 27:14, Richard Rohr, seasons, Sitting in Silence, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver
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In my post “Releasing Reality,” I referred to Anthony de Mello’s counsel to let our suffering end our suffering. How does that work? Suffering reveals my siren gods. It reveals the alluring attachments that toss me about. Suffering helps me notice … Continue reading →
Posted in Mindfulness, Prayer, Reflections
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Tagged 2 Peter 1:3, Anthony de Mello, attachments, awareness, Coco Love Alcorn, Esther Hizsa, Herbert James Draper, Luke 5:1-11, Matthew 7:9-11, Psalm 16, Psalm 17:15, Psalm 27:13, Richard Rohr, spiritual direction, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, suffering, The Naked Now, The River, Ulysses and the Sirens
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Saturday morning at the annual SoulStream partner gathering at Sorrento, Lorie Martin, our retreat facilitator, invited us to enter the meeting room in silence. Pictures of creation were scattered over two long tables. She asked us to choose an image that … Continue reading →
Posted in Creation, Mindfulness, Prayer, Reflections
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Tagged Anthony de Mello, awareness, Choose Love, Esther Hizsa, Grace upon Grace, Invited, John 10:10, Living from the Heart, Lorie Martin, SoulStream, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Next Dawn
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I’ve been feeling out of sorts for a week or two–unmotivated to pray or read in the evenings. I just want to disappear and indulge in things that make me feel good. I feel this way whenever uncomfortable stuff gets … Continue reading →
Posted in Mindfulness, Reflections
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Tagged Anthony de Mello, awareness, Christian.Rudman, Esther Hizsa, John 3:19, Jon 12:46, Lonely Tree, Mika Hiironniemi, Nicholas A Tonelli, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, stillness
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As I kneel at the altar to receive the Eucharist, it suddenly occurs to me that when Isaiah cried out, “Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips,” he may not have been speaking generally or just identifying … Continue reading →
Posted in Reflections, Stories
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Tagged Esther Hizsa, Eucharist, Feast of Reconciliation, forgiveness, Inside Out Church, Isaiah 6:1-8, Jerry Adams, Luke 15:18-20, Matthew Johnson, Rembrandt, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, St. James Anglican, The Return of the Prodigal Son
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I think I’m doing fine until a miscommunication leads to a last-minute pick up from Sure Copy. Piles of photocopied class notes for the Living from the Heart course cover our dining room table. Hurriedly, I check, count, and paperclip each … Continue reading →
Posted in Homelessness, Ignatian Spirituality, Reflections, Wednesday Lunch Club
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Tagged compassion, Dustin Gaffke, Esther Hizsa, Leif Harboe, Living from the Heart, Pacific Ocean, Psalm 116:6, Scott Anderson, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, stormy sea, Wednesday Lunch Club
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Lately, I’ve been writing my posts on the week I publish them. But this week I was on Bowen Island co-facilitating the Living from the Heart course, so I knew I needed a stand-in. I found one, or should I … Continue reading →
“Where did you accept God’s invitation to be loving, to be grateful, to be yourself?” Father James Martin asks in his Daily Examen podcast. Wow. God wants me to be myself–unselfconsciously, unapologetically, gloriously me. What does that feel like? Like the girl … Continue reading →
Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Reflections, Stories
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Tagged Always Be Yourself, Consciousness Examen, Esther Hizsa, Examen, Funkybug, James Martin, Joy Is Measurable, Martin Hricko, Norman Foote, Pure Joy, Romans 8:31, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver
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An Everyday Pilgrim 