Category Archives: Mystical

What Story Do You Need to Return to?

Posted on February 19, 2021 by Esther Hizsa

“Something in you gets irritated when you think about anyone being a victim,” Donna said in a focusing session hours after I wrote last week’s blog post. “Yes. It’s like a painful ball in my throat.” “You might want to … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood, compassion, Lent, Mystical, Prayer, Reflections, Spiritual Direction | Tagged Cloud of Unknowing, Donna Varnau, Esther Hizsa, focusing, Jaison Cianelli, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Hard Lesson, Thomas Hawke, Warm Embrace, William-Adolphe Bouguereau | 2 Comments

What Can I Bring Him?

Posted on December 24, 2020 by Esther Hizsa

What can I give Him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; If I were a wise man, I would do my part; –Christina Rosetti, In the Bleak Mid-Winter Oftentimes it is easier … Continue reading →

Posted in Advent, Christmas, Mystical, Poetry, Reflections | Tagged Christina Rosetti, Esther Hizsa, Illuminated Advent Retreat, In the Bleak Midwinter, Jan Richardson, Kyle Gregory Devaras, Nativity, Night Sky, Ruth Monette, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, St. Stephen the Martyr Anglican Church, violscaper | Leave a comment

Preparing the Way Home

Posted on December 18, 2020 by Esther Hizsa

From the moment I stepped into this chapel, it felt like home. Wood, stone, glass, and flame together breathed a silent welcome. . . . Advent invites us to prepare the way for the Holy One who comes to meet … Continue reading →

Posted in Advent, Christmas, community, compassion, Creation, Mindfulness, Mystical, Poetry, Reflections | Tagged 3ter Advent, 4 Advent, Advent, Anton Raphael Mengs, Esther Hizsa, grosskopf_photography, Illuminated Advent Retreat, Jan L. Richardson, John 14:20, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, St. John the Baptist | 2 Comments

In the Shadows

Posted on December 11, 2020 by Esther Hizsa

Those who have sat in the darkness know how the shadows give way to desire. Without sight, without our heads swimming with the images of what others tell us we want, we can turn our gaze inward and search our … Continue reading →

Posted in Advent, Mystical, Poetry, Prayer, Reflections | Tagged 3ter Advent, Annunciation, Esther Hizsa, Fra Angelico, grosskopf_photography, Illuminated Advent Retreat, Jan Richardson, myrealnameispete, Parker Palmer, shadow, shy soul, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver | 2 Comments

What Stillness Needs and Offers

Posted on October 16, 2020 by Esther Hizsa

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 →

Posted in Creation, Mystical, Prayer, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Bethlehem Retreat Centre, Esther Hizsa, jar of pond water, Living from the Heart, Psalm 46:10, Russell McNeil, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, stillness | 1 Comment

Imperceptibly Shaped

Posted on September 18, 2020 by Esther Hizsa

Above all, trust in the slow work of God. We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay. We should like to skip the intermediate stages. We are impatient of being on the way to something … Continue reading →

Posted in Creation, Mystical, Poetry, Reflections | Tagged All Points Land Design, chestnut tree, eltpics, Esther Hizsa, Javan Kerby Bernakevitch, Jo Tobias, permaculture, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, regenerative agriculture, Richard Powers, RootShootSoils, soil regeneration, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Need to Grow, The Overstory | 2 Comments

Being Counted

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Esther Hizsa

“I talked to a nurse practitioner about my gastric reflux,” I said to my spiritual director. “I changed my diet, don’t eat after supper and raised the head of our bed. And that’s not all I’ve been doing to care … Continue reading →

Posted in community, compassion, Ignatian Spirituality, Lent, Mindfulness, Mystical, Reflections, Spiritual Direction, Stories, Stories of an Everyday Pilgrim | Tagged Être homme, body, c'est précisément être responsable, Community meal, Esther Hizsa, Five Contemplations, Ignatian Spirituality, Ignatian Sprititual Exercises, Jean-François Millet, Millet, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, St. Stephen the Martyr Anglican Church, The Potato Planters, Thich Nhat Hanh, Vassilis Londos, vegan | 4 Comments

Fail Better

Posted on August 30, 2019 by Esther Hizsa

I ended my eight-day retreat with a keen desire to be more compassionate. But within days, I acted on a judgment and hurt someone. Soon afterward, I read Pema Chödrön’s fail fail again fail better. Chödrön says that when things … Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, Mindfulness, Mystical, Prayer, Reflections | Tagged Esther Hizsa, fail, fail fail again fail better, Heart's Desire, Isaiah 48:6-7, Last Day, Pema Chodron, Rachel Titiriga, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Ted Rheingold, Welcoming Prayer | 1 Comment

Compassion Leads the Way

Posted on August 23, 2019 by Esther Hizsa

This is my last post about what happened on my 8-day silent retreat in July. If you haven’t read the previous ones, I encourage you to do that before you read today’s. I stood with the Trinity looking down at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Mystical, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections, Spiritual Direction | Tagged 8 day retreat, Becker1999 (Paul and Cathy), compassion, Esther Hizsa, feeding 5000, impossible, John 3:1-24, March for Our Lives, Matthew 5:44, Richard Rohr, Rublev icon, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Steve Garnaas-Holmes, Trinity, Walking on water, Walter Wink | 3 Comments

Yes

Posted on July 12, 2019 by Esther Hizsa

“I tell people you need to pray as long as it takes to get to YES, a foundational yes–yes to reality, to the moment, to God present in the grass, to God present in you and in me,” Richard Rohr … Continue reading →