Category Archives: Poverty of Spirit

The Other Voice in My Head

Posted on June 5, 2015 by Esther Hizsa

I’m doing it wrong. The voice in my head didn’t mince words. What “it” referred to wasn’t something innocuous like following a recipe; it was my whole spiritual life. Sometimes I’m so confident. I write confidently; I live confidently. Other times … Continue reading →

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Life in the Slow Lane

Posted on May 29, 2015 by Esther Hizsa

After eight slow days on the “mountain” with God, I wanted to maintain a more leisurely pace back in the valley of the shadow of life. I took a hard look at my calendar and wondered how I was going to do everything without rushing. … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Poverty of Spirit, Stories, Wednesday Lunch Club | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop

Posted on May 15, 2015 by Esther Hizsa

I can’t spend a whole week on retreat with a holy God and not be confronted with my sins, I thought. Yet every time Sylvester assigned scriptures for me to pray with, it never came up. I started to believe I was going … Continue reading →

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As Good as It Gets

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Esther Hizsa

I don’t get to enjoy my spiritual growth spurt for long before I’m made aware of more shortcomings. And not imaginary ones either. I’m talking significant habits that drive people up the wall. My first reaction is to cocoon, my second is to draw … Continue reading →

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She Who Hesitates

Posted on February 20, 2015 by Esther Hizsa

I was ten kilometres into my ride on a sunny January day, when I got a flat tire. I searched my bike’s panniers, but the levers weren’t there. Without them, it would be impossible to fix the flat. I hate … Continue reading →

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The Invisible Gardener

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Esther Hizsa

What feelings emerged for you when you read last Friday’s post? Perhaps you were drawn to that idyllic picture of God and prayer, yet frustrated because it’s nothing like your experience. Perhaps for you, prayer is as dry and unattractive … Continue reading →

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The Gardener

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Esther Hizsa

How powerless the soil is to produce anything on its own. I am praying with Jesus’s parable of the sower and the seed. I can relate. No matter how hard I try, those three unreceptive soils are in me, impeding … Continue reading →

Posted in Mystical, Popular Posts, Poverty of Spirit, Prayer, Praying with the Imagination | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

We Are Not as Strong as We Think We Are

Posted on January 30, 2015 by Esther Hizsa

I’m thinking about the things I do that hurt others and how I wish I wouldn’t do them. Thankfully, I have come to believe that God doesn’t despise me when I sin. Before I catch myself doing something wrong or … Continue reading →

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God, Here?

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Esther Hizsa

John the Baptist looks forlorn. I can almost hear him sigh. He is so discouraged by the Messiah, who isn’t what he expected, that he cannot see the beauty around him or the Lamb of God beside him. This painting has been … Continue reading →

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The Cost of Love

Posted on February 14, 2014 by Esther Hizsa

All this talk about embracing our weaknesses is fine until someone gets hurt. I’m less inclined to romanticize the notion when I see how my failings have wounded others or how theirs have wounded me. When that happens, I’m tempted … Continue reading →

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