Category Archives: compassion

Before the Miracle

Posted on January 20, 2023 by Esther Hizsa

I close my eyes, enter into my imagination, and arrive at the wedding in Cana. I take it all in–joyful chatterolives and garlicky hummusdangling earrings and earnest facesfreshly baked bread and wafts of perfumethe earthen goblet in my hand. Who am … Continue reading →

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Let God Love You

Posted on January 13, 2023 by Esther Hizsa

“You can always come home to God, and God can always be found wherever you are, right at the centre of your soul.” I heard Danielle Shroyer say in this podcast while I was making dinner one evening. “The purpose … Continue reading →

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Arrows

Posted on January 6, 2023 by Esther Hizsa

“Have you had lunch yet?” I asked Fred, hoping he hadn’t eaten the leftover spaghetti. “Yes. I ate the spaghetti,” he said. “It was good.” Argh! Now I’d need to figure out something else to make for dinner. One more … Continue reading →

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Advent 4: Silence

Posted on December 16, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

As I began my four-day retreat last week, I became aware of how uncomfortable I was with the silence–especially in the evening when it was dark, and I couldn’t go for walk or gaze at the sea. I wanted something … Continue reading →

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Advent 1: Touch

Posted on November 25, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

I waited for You at the door of wordsbut they were little more thanletters on a pageundecipherable my feelings far away.Did I have any? I fidgeteddistractedpowerless.  Then, through the locked door,You came. “Touch my face,” You said Lost feelingsfound tears. … Continue reading →

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My Goodness

Posted on November 4, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

Of all my fears, the fear that I’m not a good mother tops the list. It came up again in a spiritual direction session after I revealed the latest incriminating evidence and added more tissues to the wet pile on … Continue reading →

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Telling the Truth

Posted on September 30, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

When I first talked about hurtful experiences in my past, the pain of it was so great, it would swallow me whole. Over the years, good friends, counsellors and spiritual directors listened and validated how awful those moments were. Their … Continue reading →

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Patches of You

Posted on September 23, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

Sometimes— let’s face it, a lot of times–I think I would be happier,if life wasn’t clouded with conflict, unsolved problems,deadlines, tension,and unpleasant feelings. Sometimes life just works.Things fall into place.We have summer days of endless skywith no dark clouds anywhere. … Continue reading →

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In the Potter’s Hands

Posted on September 9, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

“NO!!!” I cried, followed by a WTF, and my world coming to an end. In anyone else’s world, someone had simply made a mistake. No biggie. Easily fixed. But in my world, this was not supposed to happen. Someone (aka … Continue reading →

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Carried

Posted on August 26, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

Just then some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a stretcher. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but, finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the … Continue reading →

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