Inspirational thoughts
The need for silence
Thy Kingdom Come!
Dear Friends in Christ,
“Souls of prayer are souls of great silence. This silence takes a lot of sacrifice, but if we really want to pray, we must be ready to take that step now. Without this first step toward silence, we will not be able to reach our goal, which is union with God.” St. Mother Teresa
The hardest aspect of my first years in the seminary was the radical silence. My “jam box” was no longer blasting, the television was not blaring, the hallways were quiet and we had long hours of study and prayer. In the beginning, this was very difficult, because I had to confront myself and look into myself…but with time, I learned to relish these moments and actively try to create these spaces in my day. There truly is no other way to union with Christ other than this purgative path of internal and external silence.
God bless,
Fr. Michael Sliney, LC
Attachments?
Thy Kingdom Come!
Dear Friends, in Christ,
“God doesn’t ask that we succeed in everything, but that we are faithful. However beautiful our work may be, let us not become attached to it. Always remain prepared to give it up, without losing your peace.” Blessed Mother Teresa Everyone has attachments, and some eventually have to given up. Sending your kids off to college or losing a loved one, letting someone else take your position in a charitable work, retiring from a career or being moved to a new job or city…this is often all part of God’s plan and we need to focus more on fidelity to whatever new state of life that God may be asking of us. God bless, Fr. Michael Sliney, LC |
Holy Spirit driven
Thy Kingdom Come!
Dear Friends, in Christ,
“…and regarding yourself completely as an instrument, so that you treat your most frequently demanded talents not as something that you use, but as God working through you.” St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
Before hearing Confessions or beginning a spiritual direction, I pray to the Holy Spirit. He is the protagonist and his gifts and perspective go well beyond my limited human capacity and expertise. Lean into him!
God bless,
Fr. Michael Sliney, LC
Christian Hope
TKC!
“To Christians, the future does have a name, and its name is Hope. Feeling hopeful does not mean to be optimistically naïve and ignore the tragedy humanity is facing. Hope is the virtue of a heart that doesn’t lock itself into darkness, that doesn’t dwell on the past, does not simply get by in the present, but is able to see a tomorrow.” Pope Francis
No matter how dark and nasty the storm clouds are in your life, try to see the sun breaking through, offering hope for a better day ahead!
God bless,
Fr. Michael Sliney, LC
Getting to know Jesus
TKC!
“We become what we love and who we love shapes what we become.” St. Clare of Assisi
Make time to discover Christ in Scripture and in his real presence in the Eucharist…you can’t love him if you don’t know him!
God bless,
Fr. Michael Sliney, LC
Are you in this boat with Jesus?
TKC!
“The Holy Spirit is our wind, and hope is our sail.” Pope Francis
Are you in THIS boat with Jesus?
God bless,
Fr. Michael Sliney, LC
Joy
TKC!
“Joy is one of the best safeguards against temptation. The devil is a carrier of dust and dirt; he uses every chance to throw what he has at us. A joyful heart knows how to protect herself from such dirt. Jesus can take full possession of our soul only if it surrenders itself joyfully.” –St. Teresa of Calcutta
Simply embrace God’s plan with love and joy will come…try it!!
God bless,
Fr. Michael Sliney, LC
Focus on Christ
TKC!
“Occupy your minds with good thoughts, or the enemy will fill them with bad ones. Unoccupied, they cannot be.” St. Thomas More
As long as our focus stays on Christ and on his loving plan, all will be well. Thoughts of discouragement, despair, negativity…cannot come from God and they need to be peacefully fought.
God bless,
Fr. Michael Sliney, LC
Intimacy
TKC!
“A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other.” Charles Dickens
God bless,
Fr. Michael Sliney, LC