Sliney Central

Fr. Michael Sliney, LC

Michael Sliney

True charity

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Thy Kingdom Come!

Dear Friends in Christ,

    “If, then, you seek to know what path to follow, take Christ because he is the way.”  (St. Thomas Aquinas)

     Christ came to serve.   We had a big “Angel for a Day” event every year to serve the inner city Catholic school families in DC and several of the local schools, parents and kids collected toys and dropped them off.  One Senior in High School impressed me in a particular way.  In the midst of college applications and an intense sports schedule, he dedicated several afternoons to personally collect toys from a local toy store near his house.  After getting permission from the owner, he set up a table and waited for hours asking people to either buy an extra toy or give him a few dollars so he could buy some toys.  He came by with several bags of new toys every week-end for a month…this is “real” service.

Is Jesus your best friend?

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Thy Kingdom Come!

Dear Friends in Christ,

     “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends,…”  (JN 15: 5)

     A friend should be someone you can trust, someone who inspires you to be a better person, and someone who really cares about your well being.  Christ has been my best friend since my grade school days.  He has never let me down and he has gotten me through some really rough patches in life.  As I read about his life in the Gospels, he inspires me to be a more generous and selfless priest.  And nobody comes close to filling my heart with deep peace and joy, especially after receiving him in the Eucharist or spending time with him in front of the Blessed Sacrament.  He is a faithful friend who will never let you down, and he really wants to be your best friend as well!!

Limited time on earth

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Thy Kingdom Come!

Dear Friends in Christ,

    “So stay awake, because you do not know the day or the hour.”  (Mt 25: 13)

     Our time on earth is limited.  There is a fixed day and a fixed time when we will officially depart this world.  Personally, I benefit from visiting cemeteries and looking at the various tombstones.  Most of the older ones are barely legible and this serves as a clear reminder of the vanity of the world.  Eventually, we will be forgotten by this world..  What matters in the end, is our fidelity and our love, and who we were able to lead to Christ and heaven.

God bless,

Fr. Michael Sliney, LC

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Gospel of “prosperity”?

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Thy Kingdom Come!

Dear Friends in Christ,

“If you believe what you like in the Gospels, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself.”

-Saint Augustine

    The Catholic Church does not promote the “Gospel of Prosperity.”  Christ never promised success, wealth or health…”Then he said to all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Lk 9:23).  Life can be really tough.  We should not be surprised by suffering and adversity, but we can also count on Christ to sustain us with his friendship, his peace and his grace.  Embrace your cross with love!  This is the path to peace and fulfillment!