Category Archives: Ignatian Spirituality

Come In

Posted on January 31, 2026 by Esther Hizsa

It was comical, really.The day before my mother died,there was a clatter.Clear as a bell, my mom, who hadn’t eaten or spoken for days, called out,“Come in!”“I just dropped something on the floor, ” I said.“Come in!” she said againand went … Continue reading →

Posted in Aging, Childhood, compassion, Ignatian Spirituality, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections, Stories | Tagged ashley rose, Esther Hizsa, Heidi Frehner, Ignatian Spiritual Excercises, John 14:3, Living from the Heart, SoulStream, Spiritual Director North Okanagan, Spiritual Director Vernon | 3 Comments

What Must I Do to Be Good?

Posted on March 7, 2025 by Esther Hizsa

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus … Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, Ignatian Spirituality, Lent, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections | Tagged Christ and the Rich Young Ruler, Christ's Appearance to the Two Disciples Journeying to Emmaus, Esther Hizsa, Heinrich Hofmann, Ignatian Spiritual Excercises, John Linnell, lent, Living from the Heart, Louis Savary, Prayer of Imagination, SoulStream, Spiritual Director North Okanagan, Spiritual Director Vernon, The New Spiritual Excercises | Leave a comment

Sabbath Keeping

Posted on February 14, 2025 by Esther Hizsa

At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath; his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. When the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are … Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, Ignatian Spirituality, Poetry, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections | Tagged Esther Hizsa, Hand through wild grass, Hebrews 4:9, Ignatian Spiritual Excercises, lloyd Morgan, Look and Learn, Matthew 13:1-8, Meester van Antwerpen, SoulStream, Spiritual Director North Okanagan, Spiritual Director Vernon | Leave a comment

A Circle of Safety

Posted on January 31, 2025 by Esther Hizsa

My worrierworks tirelessly,always watching, bracing for bad news,seeing the possibility of disaster,and pushing the panic button. This fearful guardian has wearied mefor as long as I can remember.But when I discovered,as Dorothy did in The Wizard of Oz,that the one … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood, compassion, Ignatian Spirituality, Poetry, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Esther Hizsa, Ignatian Spiritual Excercises, KR Alliance, Living from the Heart, Mouse in a tea cup, Psalm 4:8, SoulStream, Spiritual Director North Okanagan, Spiritual Director Vernon | 2 Comments

Crybaby

Posted on January 10, 2025 by Esther Hizsa

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.–Luke 4:1,2 (NIV) Three mornings in a row,I wake from vivid dreamsof what … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood, compassion, Ignatian Spirituality, Poetry, Prayer, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Christian Asuh, Esther Hizsa, Ignatian prayer retreat, Ignatian Spiritual Excercises, Isaiah 40:11, Living from the Heart, Luke 4:14-21, Rivendell Retreat Centre, SoulStream, Spiritual Director North Okanagan, Spiritual Director Vernon | 5 Comments

An Irrational Fear

Posted on August 11, 2023 by Esther Hizsa

After Julian of Norwich encountered Jesus in her near-death experience, she wrote down what happened and continued to reflect on the revelations of Christ’s love that she received. Then she wrote about these “showings.” That got me thinking: what if … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood, compassion, Ignatian Spirituality, Mystical, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Alice Popkorn, Esther Hizsa, Father Elton Fernandes, Gabor Maté, James Finley, John 1:14, Julian of Norwich, Scattered Minds, Sitting in Silence, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Turning to the Mystics | 1 Comment

Take and Receive

Posted on July 21, 2023 by Esther Hizsa

What does it mean to surrender myself to Love,to ask God to take and receive my life,and follow Christ into suffering? On the road to discovering thatI’m learning that it’s not saying yes to every need that arisesyet it’s being … Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, Ignatian Spirituality, Poetry, Prayer, Reflections | Tagged David Benner, Dr. Matthias Ripp, Esther Hizsa, Isaiah 40:11, Jesus the Good Shepherd, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Surrender, Surrender to Love | 3 Comments

Moments: Part 2

Posted on July 14, 2023 by Esther Hizsa

You, my dear reader, might think that when life-changing stuff like this happens that it would be so easy to meet God in prayer on retreat,but it was not. I struggled to stay present. A couple of times I fell asleep. … Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, Ignatian Spirituality, Poetry, Prayer, Reflections, Stories | Tagged 8 day retreat, Daniel of Uranc, Esther Hizsa, Fritz von Uhde, Ignatius of Loyola, Loaves and fishes, Luke 24:13-35, Mark 6:34-44, Mark 8:27-30, Road to Emmaus, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, St. James the Greater Catholic Church, Take and Receive, Thomas Merton, Walking on water | 1 Comment

Moments: Part 1

Posted on July 7, 2023 by Esther Hizsa

When I was alone with you for eight days,there were moments I will never forget. On the first day, there was the moment you said,“Go ahead. Ask for what you want.” I asked to fall in love with you again and … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Mystical, Poetry, Prayer, Reflections | Tagged Anne Yungwirth, candle, Droplet, eight day prayer retreat, Esther Hizsa, Father Richard Soo SJ, Ignatian prayer retreeat, Irene Fennema, Mechthild of Magdeburg, praying with the imagination, Reflecting moment, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Cloud of Unknowing, Thomas Hassel, William Manaker SJ | 5 Comments

Falling in Love

Posted on June 30, 2023 by Esther Hizsa

How can I go off-grid for eight days while our priest was away? I had heard that the Jesuit Spirituality Apostolate of Vancouver was offering another eight-day retreat. I considered going, but I’m one of the churchwardens who, along with … Continue reading →