Category Archives: Reflections

What Am I Waiting For?

Posted on August 26, 2016 by Esther Hizsa

As I mentioned last week, stillness is not something I easily gravitate toward. When I do try to be still, fleeting and few are the moments when I’m “walking on water,” blissfully free from distraction. Even though I know (and teach) that God is … Continue reading →

Posted in Mystical, Poverty of Spirit, Prayer, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Another day in paradise, Anthony de Mello, Arne Hulstein, Candles, Carlo Scherer, centering prayer, Christian Exercises in Eastern Form, Esther Hizsa, Geertgen tot Sint Jans, Imago Dei, John the Baptist, Sadhana, silent prayer, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver | 3 Comments

Peace, Be Still

Posted on August 19, 2016 by Esther Hizsa

Mark’s gospel says that one evening Jesus got into a boat with his disciples to cross the Sea of Galilee. He was exhausted after a day of teaching and healing and fell asleep on a cushion at the back of … Continue reading →

Posted in Mindfulness, Mystical, Reflections, Stories, Stories of an Everyday Pilgrim | Tagged Benedictine Sisters of Turvey Abbey, Esther Hizsa, Jeff Imbach, Jesus calms storm, McCrimmon Publishing, Soren Kierkegaard, SoulStream, SoulStream founders, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Steve Imbach, Stories of an Everyday Pilgrim | 2 Comments

Held

Posted on August 5, 2016 by Esther Hizsa

This picture called to me from the table covered with photos at a silent retreat earlier this year. I wasn’t sure why until I sat with it in prayer. What stood out for me at first was the bronze colour. It … Continue reading →

Posted in False Self, Reflections, Spiritual Direction, Stories | Tagged A Thousand Splendid Suns, Banff, camping, Esther Hizsa, Falling Upwards, Khaled Hosseini, Richard Rohr, Seyed Mostafa Zamani, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver | Leave a comment

Rescued

Posted on July 22, 2016 by Esther Hizsa

As I looked back on my eight-day retreat, I saw the through-line of a story. It began with God’s whispers of love and a gentle awareness that I had been guarding and protecting my heart from God. At the beginning of the retreat, … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Reflections, Spiritual Direction, Stories | Tagged Aftab Uzzaman, Creation of Adam, David L. Fleming SJ, Esther Hizsa, Ignatian prayer, Ignatian prayer retreat, Ignatian Sprititual Exercises, Living from the Heart, Matthew 11:38; Psalm 115:4-8, Michelangelo, Soul of Christ, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Teresa of Avila | 1 Comment

What a Good Person Looks Like

Posted on July 15, 2016 by Esther Hizsa

I left my outer robe at the bottom of the sycamore and climbed into its branches. I had heard Jesus was coming this way and wanted to see what a good person looked like. Up in the tree with my bare … Continue reading →

Posted in Homelessness, Ignatian Spirituality, Poverty of Spirit, Reflections, Spiritual Direction, Stories | Tagged Bill Barber, Canada Day, Carmel Hill, David L. Fleming SJ, Esther Hizsa, Jessie Wilcox Smith, John 21:20, Little Flower Monastery, Matthew 27:43, Moonbeams, Psalm 22:8, Soul of Christ, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Victor Chapa, Zacchaeus, Zacchaeus Tree | 1 Comment

Cracked Open: Part Two

Posted on July 8, 2016 by Esther Hizsa

After the pharisee listed my faults publicly and loudly, I began to weep. It was all true. I prayed, “Lord God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” My heart cracked open. I was now painfully aware of the extent to which … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Poverty of Spirit, Prayer, Reflections, Spiritual Direction, Stories | Tagged Christ washing disciples feet, Dirck van Baburen, Esther Hizsa, Father Lawrence Lew, hope, John 13: 1-11, Kevin Lee, Luke 7:38-50, Newcomers Choir, Publican aand the Pharisee, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, suscipe, Take and Receive, Ted | 5 Comments

Cracked Open: Part One

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Esther Hizsa

“I’d like you to begin the retreat by praying with Psalm 139,” said Edmund, the young Jesuit who was my spiritual director for the eight days I spent alone with God. My room at Carmel Hill Formation House in Deroche opened … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Poverty of Spirit, Prayer, Reflections, Spiritual Direction, Stories | Tagged California Golden Poppy, California Poppy, Carmel Hill, Deroche, eight day prayer retreat, Esther Hizsa, Father Alwyn, Helen Chua Tiampo, Ignatian prayer retreat, Little Flower Monastery, Luke 18:9-14, Nan C. Merrill, Philip Bouchard, prayer retreat, Psalm 139, Psalm 51:17, psalm 91, Psalms for Praying, Publican and the Pharisee Icon, spiritual director Burnaby, Thea Rose | 6 Comments

Come

Posted on June 24, 2016 by Esther Hizsa

I returned from my eight-day retreat carefully cradling my tender heart. In the coming weeks, I will talk about what happened. It’s changed how I see and hear God, myself and scripture. Yesterday I read Matthew 7:21-27 and heard it in a new … Continue reading →

Posted in Mystical, Popular Posts, Poverty of Spirit, Prayer, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Esther Hizsa, Henri Nouwen, Justin Kern, kingdom of God, Matthew 7;21-27, Pescadero, Rembrandt, Rolling Tempest, Show Me the Way, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, tender heart, The Return of the Prodigal Son, vulnerability | 6 Comments

Anointed

Posted on June 17, 2016 by Esther Hizsa

“Wow, what a powerful quote! It would be awesome if the world could live like this,” said a friend after reading this quote from last week’s blog post. You stand with the least likely to succeed until success is succeeded by … Continue reading →

Posted in Overeating, Reflections, Stories | Tagged 1 John 4:21, Acts 2:1-4, Andrei Rublev, Daniel Ladinsky, Esther Hizsa, Greg Boyle S.J., Hafiz, Pentecost, pilgrimage, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, standing with, Steve Bell, Tattoos on the Heart, three angels hosted by Abraham, Trinity, Wednesday Lunch Club | 1 Comment

Brave Thoughts

Posted on June 10, 2016 by Esther Hizsa

So I went as I was to the annual gathering of SoulStream, our dispersed contemplative community. In an afternoon session, Andrea, one of SoulStream’s founding partners, read this quote from Gregory Boyle‘s Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion. You … Continue reading →