Susanne Timpani's Blog, page 7

10 Minute Daily Retreat November - Gift of Reverence

Read the Word of God with a prayerful heart.By Louise Crossley (No.226)




The ‘Surrender Prayer’ by Father Dolindo Ruotolo, begins with…
‘Why do you confuse yourselves by worrying? Leave the care of your affairs to me and everything will be peaceful. I say to you in truth that every act of true, blind, complete surrender to me produces the effect that you desire and resolves all difficult situations.O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times)’


I have mentioned in a past reflection that while Saint Peter and Judas were both sinners, Saint Peter was for God and Judas was not.  Just as today’s Catholic Gospel spoke about the good thief being for God and not the bad thief. What differentiates them? What differentiates us? We too are all sinners, but some of us are God’s and some of us are not.
This is where I believe Reverence comes in. When we are deeply respectful in our intentions, even though our human flaws cause us to sin, we are for God. Reverence is the overwhelming sense of gratitude for being loved by God despite our shortcomings. While the Judas’ and bad thieves may use human flaws as propaganda to promote or justify purposeful sinful behaviour, they are missing the point of what it means to be ‘for God’.  
Reverence is to surrender, respecting that God is so much better than we are and through His Divine goodness loves us anyway. Reverence is to be sincerely remorseful, to be in awe of the incredible love that God shows us, to mean well. Reverence is to trust and respect God so purely - in spite of our impurities - and surrender, but with our whole hearts and not our mere mouths.  

6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Phil 4:6

Read the scripture slowly. Reflect on its meaning for you.Listen for God's voice in the stillness. Pray for God's blessing upon you.
Read the Daily Gospel in between Reflections
Louise Crossley

10 Minute Daily Retreat November - Gift of Reverence

Read the Word of God with a prayerful heart.By Malcolm Davies (No.225)    
Exodus 3:5 Then the Lord said, "Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."

Moses was in a remote place, a place of silence, when he saw the burning bush and heard the voice of God.
We may read the scriptures and be amazed that God chose to communicate with special people and then question why it doesn’t happen to us.
We live in a society that is full of external noise. We can go through the whole day without a minute of silence.
I once undertook an eight-day silent retreat – no TV, radio, phones or anything else to distract me. Someone said to me beforehand that they would rather lose a hand than be in silence for so long.
Every part of the eight days, reflecting on scripture, was a personal experience of being on holy ground as I allowed God to speak to me.
Every bush can be a personal burning bush if we cultivate a time of silence in our lives and say to the Lord – speak your servant is listening. Maybe just 15 minutes a day. Morning, noon or night.
Let God speak to you today.
  Malcolm Davies













Read the scripture slowly.Reflect on its meaning for you. Listen for God's voice in the stillness. 
Pray for God's blessing upon you.

Read the Daily Gospel in between Reflections

10 Minute Daily Retreat: The Gift of Knowledge

Read the Word of God with a prayerful heart.By Susanne Timpani (No.224)

God knows all things.


Matthew Henry's Commentary

'God has perfect knowledge of us, and all our thoughts and actions are open before him. 
It is more profitable to meditate on Divine truths, applying them to our own cases, and with hearts lifted to God in prayer, than with a curious or disputing frame of mind. 
That God knows all things, is omniscient; that he is every where, is omnipresent; are truths acknowledged by all, yet they are seldom rightly believed in by mankind.
God takes strict notice of every step we take, every right step and every by step. He knows what rule we walk by, what end we walk toward, what company we walk with.
When I am withdrawn from all company, You know what I have in my heart. There is not a vain word, not a good word, but You know from what thought it came, and with what design it was uttered.
Wherever we are, we are under the eye and hand of God. We cannot by searching find how God searches us out; nor do we know how we are known...'
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is so high that I cannot attain it. v6
Read the scripture slowlyReflect on its meaning for youListen for God's voice in the stillness. Pray for God's blessing upon you.  Read the Daily Gospel in between Reflections

10 Minute Daily Retreat: October - Gift of Knowledge

Read the Word of God with a prayerful heart.By Louise Crossley (No.223) “I the Lord search the heart    and examine the mind,to reward each person according to their conduct,    according to what their deeds deserve.”Jeremiah 17:10

The gift of knowledge is summed up beautifully in this passage. It is the heart, mind and body together that God expects us to use to receive and impart knowledge.But what is this gift?
My interpretation is: the collecting and sharing of wisdom. The information collected is reflected upon and used to improve ourselves and strengthen our weaknesses. The information shared is meaningfully distributed to improve the wellbeing of others and not for the sake of revenge or gossip.
The gift of knowledge is precious in another way too. It is like an heirloom of jewellery sometimes given to European children – each receive a piece that is similar in its element and age but the jewellery itself is different depending on the child’s position in the family. 
The youngest child might receive a bracelet. The middle child might receive a necklace. The eldest child might receive their mother’s wedding ring. 
In the same way, the Lord gives us various capacity of knowledge according to where he born us in society. He expects us to use this gift to the best of our ability.
Overall, the gift of knowledge is the appreciation of the heirloom that God has given to us – not wishing for the wedding ring if we were given the bracelet but using the full value of the wedding ring if we have been entrusted with it. 
Importantly, it is the willingness to spend the value the heirloom in deeds deserving of His reward.

Read the scripture slowly. Reflect on its meaning for you.Listen for God's voice in the stillness. Pray for God's blessing upon you.

Louise Crossley










Read the Daily Gospel in between Reflections

10 Minute Daily Retreat October: Gift of Knowledge

Read the Word of God with a prayerful heart.By Jane Borg (No.222)


To know and love God. What an incredible gift! Yet so often I take this gift for granted, forgetting that it a privilege to be chosen by God, to be in relationship with Him. 
We have been given the grace to say Yes when there is so much on offer in this world that would distract us from God.
In Ps 46:10, God challenges us to “Be still and know that I am God”.



This can be hard for us in our busy lives, but God wants to travel with us and help us even in our busyness. He can't do that if we don't invite Him in, and if we don't set some time aside to get to know Him better. 
The more we get to know God, the more we will love Him and trust Him and want to spend even more time with Him. 
To know that God is God, and we don’t have to be, is very comforting! He is much more capable of leading and guiding us than we are ourselves.

God longs to be known by us. Isn't that wonderful! Let us treasure this gift and use it.
Read the scripture slowly.Reflect on its meaning for you.Listen for God's voice in the stillness.  Pray for God's blessing upon you.

Jane Borg










Read the Daily Gospel in between Reflections

10 Minute Daily Retreat October: Gift of Knowledge

Read the Word of God with a prayerful heart.By Malcolm Davies (No.221)


From the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Colossians 1: 9


One great insight we have from biblical revelation is that God is manifest in the ordinary journey of our lives.
We can discover what God wants for us in the daily discipline of prayer and scripture reading along with the normal struggles of study, work, relationships and care for those who are close to us.
When I was first a Christian I was convinced that I would grow so rapidly that I would be totally mature and integrated within a few years.
The reality was that each small part of growth would be followed by a challenge where I realised that my growth would be very slow.
One book that helped me on my journey was Interior Castle by Teresa of Avila. In that book Teresa describes the journey to spiritual maturity and how long it would take.
I felt encouraged because I could see in my own life some growth that she described and challenged because there were insights that I could not embrace at this part of my journey.
I have come to realise that God is patient and I have to be patient with myself, and others, as well.

Read the scripture slowly.Reflect on its meaning for you.Listen for God's voice in the stillness. Pray for God's blessing upon you.

Malcolm Davies











Read the Daily Gospel in between Reflections

10 Minute Daily Retreat: September - Gift of Courage

Read the Word of God with a prayerful heart.By Susanne Timpani (No.220)
He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” Mark 4:40

Reflection by Willam Barclay
'God gives us peace when life's problems involve us in a tempest of doubt and tension and uncertainty. There come times when we do not know what to do; when we stand at some cross-roads in life and do not know which way to take. 
If then we turn to Jesus and say to him, "Lord, what will you have me do?" the way will be clear. The real tragedy is not that we do not know what to do; but that often we do not humbly submit to Jesus' guidance. To ask his will and to submit to it is the way to peace at such a time.
God gives us peace in the storms of anxiety. The chief enemy of peace is worry, worry for ourselves, worry about the unknown future, worry about those we love. 
But Jesus speaks to us of a Father whose hand will never cause his child a needless tear and of a love beyond which neither we nor those we love can ever drift. In the storm of life He brings us the peace of the love of God.
Read the scripture slowlyReflect on its meaning slowlyListen for God's voice in the stillness. Pray for God's blessing upon you.

Susanne TimpaniRead the Daily Gospel in between Reflections

10 Minute Daily Retreat: September - Gift of Courage

Read the Word of God with a prayerful heart.By Jane Borg (No.219)

'...we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition.'1 Thessalonians 2:2


At the vigil mass during the recent world youth day in Poland, Pope Francis called on young people today to be ‘courageous and free’ and to ‘leave a mark’ on our world. It takes courage to leave a mark!
What does courage look like for a Christian in today's society? It means standing for truth in a society where truth is reinterpreted according to one’s view; where moral boundaries have been blurred or completely removed; and where God is thought to be dead.
It means turning to God and claiming the gift of courage to live the life God has called each of us to live, exactly where he has placed us now. When we follow God’s direction and live according to his Commandments; when we witness the love and mercy of God through our relationships; when we give God the glory and not ourselves, we show courage and we will leave a mark.

Let us ask God for the courage to follow him wherever he may lead.
Read the scripture slowly.Reflect on its meaning for you. Listen for God's voice in the stillness. Pray for God's blessing upon you.
Jane Borg

10 Minute Daily Retreat: September - Gift of Courage

Read the Word of God with a prayerful heart.By Louise Crossley (No.218)
14  But Peter, standing with the eleven, [after the Resurrection] raised his voice and addressed the crowd, Acts 2:14


THE COWARD DEFINES COURAGEAs reflected by the faith-filled Malcolm Davies, at the beginning of this month, courage is to go-against-the-grain or against what is popular to stand for God.
However, courage is also to be brave enough to never give up when we falter. As demonstrated by St. Peter, who denied Jesus not once, but three times, courage is to not throw-in-the-towel with the self-talk: ‘I’m damned anyway’.  Judas was that kind of coward and look what happened to him.
Still, our mistakes must not be self-justified either. Months ago, someone told me ‘we are all sinners. Even when we think of sin, we sin’.  While this is true, the statements were used only to justify a terrible sin.
Therefore, to define courage, we must first define the coward. In my view, the coward is the excuse maker; the loop-hole finder; the buck-passer; the artificial; and courage, is the contrast of this. 
Read the scripture slowly. Reflect on its meaning for you.Listen for God's voice in the stillness. Pray for God's blessing upon you.
   Louise Crossley








 Read the Daily Gospel in between Reflections

10 Minute Daily Retreat: August - Gift of Courage

Read the Word of God with a prayerful heart.By Louise Crossley (No.218)
14  But Peter, standing with the eleven, [after the Resurrection] raised his voice and addressed the crowd, Acts 2:14


THE COWARD DEFINES COURAGEAs reflected by the faith-filled Malcolm Davies, at the beginning of this month, courage is to go-against-the-grain or against what is popular to stand for God.
However, courage is also to be brave enough to never give up when we falter. As demonstrated by St. Peter, who denied Jesus not once, but three times, courage is to not throw-in-the-towel with the self-talk: ‘I’m damned anyway’.  Judas was that kind of coward and look what happened to him.
Still, our mistakes must not be self-justified either. Months ago, someone told me ‘we are all sinners. Even when we think of sin, we sin’.  While this is true, the statements were used only to justify a terrible sin.
Therefore, to define courage, we must first define the coward. In my view, the coward is the excuse maker; the loop-hole finder; the buck-passer; the artificial; and courage, is the contrast of this. 
Read the scripture slowly. Reflect on its meaning for you.Listen for God's voice in the stillness. Pray for God's blessing upon you.
   Louise Crossley








 Read the Daily Gospel in between Reflections