Michael Sliney

Thy Kingdom Come!

Dear Friends, in Christ,

     “Each person’s pride is in competition with every one else’s pride.  It is because I wanted to be the big noise at the party that I am so annoyed at someone else being the big noise…Pride is essentially competitive.”  CS Lewis

   My spiritual director in the seminary told me many years ago, “Br. Michael, instead of being jealous of other people’s qualities and virtues, why not try to learn from them?  Study what they are doing right and try to follow their good example…but don’t bring them down out of envy.”  Sound advice that had a huge and immediate impact on my personal and spiritual life both then and now.

God bless,

Fr. Michael Sliney, LC

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TKC!

A special thanks to Jen Arena, a young professional from NYC, who contributed to my recent LifeZette article: http://www.lifezette.com/faithzette/young-professional-learned-about-god-on-trip-haiti/

My most magnificent, marvelous mom:

Acute, artsy…amazingly aplomb,

Caring, colorful, contemplative…calm!

Incredible intuition,

Powerful premonition,

Exceptional erudition,

Delightful disposition!

Christ-centeredness?  Communicated!

Daily devotions? Demonstrated!

Awesomeness? Appreciated!

My most magnificent, marvelous mom:

Ninety one years old and still going strong!!

Thy Kingdom Come!

Dear Friends, in Christ,

     “Ponder the fact that God has made you a gardener to root out vice and plant virtue.”  St. Catherine of Sienna

    A beautiful garden, like a beautiful soul is always something special to contemplate and enjoy.   The greater the variety of flowers (virtues) and the less number of weeds (vices), make it even more appealing to the eye of the beholder.   Physical beauty attracts…but virtue INSPIRES!  What virtue have you planted recently in your “soul” garden?  Is Christ asking you to add a few new additions?

God bless,

Fr. Michael Sliney, LC

Thy Kingdom Come!

Dear Friends, in Christ,

     “Divine gift-love in the man enables him to love what is not naturally lovable: lepers, criminals, enemies, morons, the sulky, the superior and the sneering.”  CS Lewis

     I know a “Grease Monkey” owner who goes out of this way to hire ex-convicts to give them a second chance.  Several of these guys have come up to me during an oil change, to ask me about my Faith, to talk “Jesus” and simply to receive a little love.  I don’t know their backgrounds or their past crimes, but thanks to this shop owner, their dignity is clearly being restored and I noticed sincere smiles on their faces.

God bless,

Fr. Michael Sliney, LC

Thy Kingdom Come!

Dear Friends, in Christ,

     “When, however, this leaving one’s father and mother, and joining oneself to a woman, and going forward… when this love fails – because many times it fails – we have to feel the pain of the failure, [we must] accompany those people who have had this failure in their love. Do not condemn. Walk with them – and don’t practice casuistry on their situation.”   Pope Francis

     We have all been touched in some way by the ravages of divorce.  There is a lot of hurt and deep pain in the hearts and minds of these souls…and what they most need is our kindness and our accompaniment.

God bless,

Fr. Michael Sliney, LC