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.
Here’s one of my favourite posts, originally published January 17, 2014. I hope you enjoy it. I awake at 4 a.m. with an emotional heaviness and remember what caused this feeling. I got hoodwinked by fear in a legitimate disguise: I … Continue reading →
Posted in Helpful Images, Mystical, Popular Posts, Poverty of Spirit, Praying with the Imagination, Rob Des Cotes, Stories
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Tagged Donna Geissler, Esther Hizsa, fear, God's love, Imago Dei Communities, immersed in God's love, leaky bucket, ocean of love, Psalm 139:18, Rob Des Cotes, Sandy Beach, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Wave Coast, weakness, Wonderlane
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“I’ll be darned if a 500-meter hike is going to beat me,” I said to Fred a few minutes before I crashed. There I am, flat on my back before the mountain. We began the Edith Cavell hike in Jasper … Continue reading →
Posted in Poverty of Spirit, Stories
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Tagged contemplative awakening, contemplative awareness, Edith Cavell, Esther Hizsa, hike, humility, James Finley, Japer, John 14:20, John 15:5, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver
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Imagine how refreshing the air would be in a community of open, caring honesty, without that hidden bucket of hurts fermenting under the kitchen sink. —Steve Garnaas-Holmes Recently I read these words and saw my hurt fermenting in a particular … Continue reading →
Posted in Reflections
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Tagged compost bucket, Deer Park Monastery, Esther Hizsa, First Nations, forgiveness, keeping short accounts, Matthew 18:15, Name the Hurt, scem.info, spiritual direction, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Steve Garnaas-Holmes, Unfolding LIght, walk for reconciliation
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You either walk inside your own story and own it or stand outside your story and hustle for your worthiness. –Brené Brown I don’t have to do anything to find a story from my past that has me hustling. These … Continue reading →
Posted in Childhood, Prayer, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections
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Tagged #anger, Brene Brown, Chris Feichtner, Esther Hizsa, Isaiah 43: 19, Lisa E, Looking Back, Psalm 137, spiritual direction, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Tower # 15
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“We live out of our stories,” Monty Williams, SJ said to our little group of Ignatian directors. We listened intently to this wise, amiable priest who was born in Guyana seven decades ago. Father Williams explained that each of us … Continue reading →
Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Prayer, Reflections, Spiritual Direction
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Tagged Anne Yungwirth, Droplet, Esther Hizsa, Forlorn, Ignatian Sprititual Exercises, Monty Williams SJ, Regis College, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Stories of an Everyday Pilgrim, wan mohd, Water II
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O Sapientia I cannot think unless I have been thought, Nor can I speak unless I have been spoken. I cannot teach except as I am taught, Or break the bread except as I am broken. O Mind behind the … Continue reading →
Posted in Christmas, Ignatian Spirituality, Prayer, Reflections
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Tagged 8 day retreat, Annunciation, Esther Hizsa, Fra Angelico, Franz Mayer, Malcolm Guite, O Sapientia, Plum leaves, spiritual direction, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Nativity
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The most striking image I had during my eight-day retreat came when I prayed with the Nativity. After the Holy Child was born, Joseph delivered the placenta. He held this once vital organ in his hands and didn’t know what … Continue reading →
Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Prayer, Stories
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Tagged abhijit chendvankar, Alan Levine, Closed until further notice, Esther Hizsa, Father John O'Brien, Gerard van Honthorst, Ignatian retreat, Rainer Maria Rilke, spiritual direction, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, That is the question, The Nativity
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“I’d like you to pray with #50 in the Spiritual Exercises: the sin of the angels,” my director instructed on the third day of my eight-day retreat. He also assigned three more prayer periods focussing on sin and hell, mine … Continue reading →
Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Prayer, Reflections, Stories
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Tagged 8 day retreat, Angel Reloaded, Carlo Scherer, Esther Hizsa, Ignatian Sprititual Exercises, Parks Canada, Queen of Peace, roller derby, Sea-to-Sky Sirens, spiritual direction, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver
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On July 6, I woke up oh darn early, packed my breakfast and lunch and kissed Fred goodbye. I took Gracie (my bike) onto the Skytrain then bus to Horseshoe Bay. At 7:40 am, I clicked into her pedals and … Continue reading →
Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Prayer, Reflections
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Tagged 8 day retreat, Dominican, Esther Hizsa, Queen of Peace, silent retreat, Sister Jeam-Marie, Sister Mary Regina, Song of Songs 8:14, spiritual direction, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Squamish Valley
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“What’s the surprise in the story?” That’s the question I’ve learned to ask when I read the parables of Jesus. Darrell Johnson, who taught preaching when I was a student at Regent College, explained that “parable” means something thrown alongside … Continue reading →
Posted in Stories
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Tagged Darrell Johnson, Esther Hizsa, FarbenfroheWunderwelt, James Tissot, John 10:10, Kenneth Bailey, Luke 11:5-8, Matthew 13:1-9, parable of the friend at midnight, parable of the sower, parables of Jesus, Radical Hospitality, spiritual direction, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Wheat
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