Tag Archives: Ignatian Sprititual Exercises

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 →

Posted in Advent, autism, Christmas, compassion, Ignatian Spirituality, Prayer, Reflections, Stories | Tagged abide, Carrie Newcomer, Christopher Jamison, Esther Hizsa, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Fr Richard Soo, Frank hb, Ignatian Sprititual Exercises, John 15:1-15, O come o come Emmanuel, Parée, Parker J. Palmer, retreat, Silence, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver | 2 Comments

You Can’t Always Get What You Want

Posted on April 30, 2021 by Esther Hizsa

. . . we start to notice the dynamics of this welling up [of the longing for God] out of the most fundamental day-by-day realities of our life, in our daily intimacy or lack thereof, our physical health or lack … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Mystical, Poverty of Spirit, Prayer, Reflections | Tagged Artotem, Christopher Owen, Different, Doug Ellis, Esther Hizsa, Giving Hands, Ignatian Sprititual Exercises, Ignatius of Loyola, James Finley, Kodiak and the butterfly, Principle and Foundation, Purgation, Rachel Garrett, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Rolling Stones, The Seven Story Mountain, Thomas Merton, You can't always get what you want | 2 Comments

Joyful Mysteries and Silent Dreams

Posted on November 20, 2020 by Esther Hizsa

“Let there be Esther,” I heard God pronounce, speaking right into my life-long struggle to exist. During the Ignatian prayer retreat I was leading last week, I had a chance to pray with one of my “joyful mysteries.” As I … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood, Creation, Ignatian Spirituality, Poetry, Prayer, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections | Tagged Book of Genesis, Esther Hizsa, Father Elton Fernandes, Ignatian Sprititual Exercises, JIm Kwik, Joyful Mysteries, Kei Miller, Let there be light, Pádraig Ó Tuama, silent retreat, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Sylvia Sassen, Zephaniah 3:17 | 5 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

The Prodigal Daughter

Posted on July 26, 2019 by Esther Hizsa

“Be gentle with yourselves,” Erik, our director, told us as we began our 8-day silent retreat. After a few more instructions, he sent us off to pray with scriptures that spoke of God’s enduring, present, and attentive love for us. … Continue reading →

Posted in Prayer, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections, Stories | Tagged 8-day prayer rereat, Angel of Healing, Anne Davis, Erik Sorensen, Esther Hizsa, Ignatian prayer retreat, Ignatian Spirituality, Ignatian Sprititual Exercises, Isaiah 43:1-7, Luke 15:20, Psalm 139:1-18, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Susan Lordi | 7 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 →

Posted in Mindfulness, Mystical, Prayer, Reflections | Tagged Esther Hizsa, Genesis 2:7, HeartMath, Ignatian Sprititual Exercises, Matthias Ripp, Oprah, peace, Richard Rohr, Richard Wagamese, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver | 2 Comments

A Holy Place

Posted on April 5, 2019 by Esther Hizsa

Of course I told my spiritual director what happened, and she listened compassionately as I talked and cried. She asked me to name my feelings and notice how they felt in my body. I told her that I felt betrayed, … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Lent, Poverty of Spirit, Prayer, Reflections, Songs, Stories | Tagged betrayal, Bowen Island, Contemplative Outreach, Esther Hizsa, forgiveness, Ignatian Sprititual Exercises, Nadia Bolz-Weber, Nan C. Merrill, Psalm 18:16, rejection, Scott Erickson, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Light of Failure, Welcoming Prayer | Leave a comment

Silently Blooming

Posted on November 3, 2017 by Esther Hizsa

It’s this time of year, when the nights are long and the days cold and rainy, that I begin to accompany people through the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises Retreat in Daily Life. These retreatants embark on a nine-month journey with Christ, asking … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Poverty of Spirit, Prayer, Reflections | Tagged Audrey Assad, Christmas Cactus, Early Bud, Esther Hizsa, I Shall Not Want, Ignatian Spirituality, Ignatian Sprititual Exercises, Lonely, Michael.PortrayingLife.com, Psalm 23:1, R. Halfpaap, spiritual direction, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver | 1 Comment

Living Out of Our Stories

Posted on September 1, 2017 by Esther Hizsa

“We live out of our stories,” Monty Williams, SJ said to our little group of Ignatian directors. We listened intently to this wise, amiable priest who was born in Guyana seven decades ago. Father Williams explained that each of us … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Prayer, Reflections, Spiritual Direction | Tagged Anne Yungwirth, Droplet, Esther Hizsa, Forlorn, Ignatian Sprititual Exercises, Monty Williams SJ, Regis College, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Stories of an Everyday Pilgrim, wan mohd, Water II | 1 Comment

Sin, Hell and Roller Derby

Posted on August 11, 2017 by Esther Hizsa

“I’d like you to pray with #50 in the Spiritual Exercises: the sin of the angels,” my director instructed on the third day of my eight-day retreat. He also assigned three more prayer periods focussing on sin and hell, mine … Continue reading →