I depart early tomorrow morning with 11 of my brother priests for vacation, my regular messaging will resume on July 4th. Be assured of my prayers during this time ahead!
God bless,
Fr. Michael Sliney, LC
Inspirational thoughts
God’s short cut
TKC!
“The way Jesus shows you is not easy. Rather, it is like a path winding up a mountain. Do not lose heart! The steeper the road, the faster it rises towards ever wider horizons.” St. John Paul II
Sometimes the pathway of our life can be rugged, but don’t forget that this is often a shortcut provided by God for us to reach the top faster!
God bless,
Fr. Michael Sliney, LC
Mary’s intercession
TKC!
“Mary our mother sustains us in moments of darkness, difficulty, and apparent defeat.” – Pope Francis
Our Blessed Mother was at the foot of her son’s cross and she is close by during all of our difficulties as well. Lean into her, and trust in the power of her intercession. Jesus cannot say no to his mom!
God bless,
Fr. Michael Sliney, LC
The small things done with love…
TKC!
“Without love, deeds, even the most brilliant, count as nothing.” St. Therese of Lisieux
It can be the small things, like unstacking the dishwasher when nobody is around, done out of pure love for Christ. So powerful!
God bless,
Fr. Michael Sliney, LC
Father’s Day prayer
My prayer to Jesus for the dads on Father’s day: “Jesus, please give all these dads a shepherd’s heart. A heart that truly “knows” his sheep, a heart that sacrifices himself for his sheep, a heart that prays daily for the spiritual well-being of his sheep. Please Lord, remind these men how important their role is in your eyes. Help them see that you have entrusted these children to them, and how much you are counting on them to lead them to your heart and your friendship. Finally, remind them that the greatest gift they can give their kids is to be a holy witness and to have a great marriage, to be incredible husbands who are dedicated to their wives. Grant them the wisdom to know your will, and the strength to follow it, whatever the cost. Amen.”
God bless,
Fr. Michael Sliney, LC
Happy Father’s Day
My dad had a special place in his heart for me, and the impact is still being felt today. I am most grateful for his fidelity to my mom, his deep Catholic faith, and his overall magnanimity and kindness.
Several years ago, I asked my dad to describe his 45 years of marriage. He thought for a moment, and then softly stated, “Michael, your mother and I were married in the presence of God and we have both taken this sacred commitment very seriously. There have been some difficult and beautiful times, but we both knew that we needed to make this work.” I witnessed my dad sincerely apologize to my mom for his poor behavior, I saw him bring home flowers and even rub her feet at night after a long day. Every single night after dinner, they had a heart to heart conversation, that would not be interrupted by the kids (unless it was serious), and they went dancing every Friday night at the Elks club. I witnessed a deep love and a deep commitment, and this brought peace and stability into our home.
One Saturday afternoon, as my dad was making his traditional chili on the stove, he looked at me and said, “Michael, we live in a nice neighborhood and we have a lot of things, but please don’t get caught up in this world. We are pilgrims, our true home is in heaven, so don’t forget this along the way.” We never missed Mass on Sunday, even to the point of walking 1 mile in a blizzard to our local parish, St. Hugo’s. He went to Confession every month, and even daily Mass with my mom during Lent. He was very supportive of my vocation and said, “Michael, if this is what Christ is calling you to do, who am I to get in God’s way? I give you my blessing!” While recovering from a stroke and falling off a ladder, his final words on this earth were to my mom, “Germaine, let’s pray and have a moment of silence. I feel like I am in heaven right now.”
My dad was a little rough on the outside, but warm and tender on the inside. He had a twinkle in his eye that communicated tremendous love, and this glance was often more powerful than the most eloquent speech. He took time off to accompany me on a few Boy Scout week-end trips, he hit hundreds of baseballs to me in the backyard during my Little League days, and later, we spent many hours on the golf course with him sharing nuggets along the way. He taught me the value of excellence in the small things by how I washed his car or cut the grass, and his short visit to my bedroom during those long hours of homework at night, gave me an extra jolt to finish strong.
Strong and caring fathers produce strong and caring daughters and sons. I encourage all of the men out there to step back and ask yourself, “How is my marriage? How is my Faith? How is my kindness towards my children?” Your kids need you!
Charity begins at home
TKC!
“The love of our private friends is the only preparatory exercise for the love of all men.” Blessed Cardinal Newman
Love begins at home, husband to wife, brother to sister…and from there you share it with others. The house is an incredible training ground for charity!
God bless,
Fr. Michael Sliney, LC
Walking tabernacles
TKC!
“Our body is a cenacle, a monstrance: through its crystal the world should see God.” St. Gianna Molla
When a tabernacle is opened, we see Jesus, hidden under the form of a host. When people look into your eyes, what do they see?
God bless,
Fr. Michael Sliney, LC
Confession
TKC!
“In order to bring true peace back to my soul, the only way that there exists on the Earth is Confession, because Jesus awaits me with His immense heart.” St. Gianna Molla
The simplest and most effective pathway to restoring inner peace….
God bless,
Fr. Michael Sliney, LC
Healthy friendships
TKC!
“What a great favor God does to those he places in the company of good people.” St. Teresa of Avila
Be proactive in cultivating those healthy friendships…God often places certain people in our lives to inspire and challenge us along the way.
God bless,
Fr. Michael Sliney, LC