Michael Sliney

Thy Kingdom Come!

Dear Friends in Christ,

     “Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow. The same Everlasting Father, who takes care of you today, will take care of you tomorrow, and every day. He will either shield you from suffering or give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, then, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations!’ (St. Francis de Sales)

     College tuitions, health concerns, mortgages, the stock market, job security, kids…and the “worry” list can easily go on and become very personal for each one of you.  It might help to remember that your loving Father in heaven is aware of all of them and will help you through whatever storm or battle that lies ahead.  My dad had all of these issues very much on the forefront, but his kindness and warm sense of humor showed that he knew who was in charge.  Although he worked very hard, his confidence was in God, not totally in his human qualities or abilities to get it done.

Thy Kingdom Come!

Dear Friends in Christ,

     “Always treat ladies with the greatest respect.  Do this wherever you meet them.  Show them that you regard them not as equals, but as superiors.  Bestow upon them those little attentions at home and abroad which go so far toward making them happy.  Offer to carry their bundles along the street, to give them a seat in the crowded car, to speak to the conductor for them, and the like; they will appreciate your kindness, and vote you a splendid young man.  Do these things in an unselfish spirit, without looking for a reward.  Show the same attentions to young and old, married and single,…But aside from all this, reverence a woman for what she is in herself.”  (From Bill Bennett’s, “The Book of Man”, p. 411)

Thy Kingdom Come!

Dear Friends in Christ,

     “And going on a little further he fell on his face and prayed. ‘My Father’, he said, ‘if it is possible, let this cup pass me by.  Nevertheless, let it be as you, not I, would have it.”

(Mt 26: 39)

    Before ordination, we have the tradition of doing “month long” Spiritual Exercises.   During these long days of prayer, I experienced a batch of dryness and it was really difficult to pray.  I told Christ, “I am really struggling in my prayer right now.  In a year, I will be ordained a priest and I am starting to feel a little anxious…I really need you to be close right now.”  Christ told me in a very simple and direct way, “Br. Michael, I know this is hard for you.  But I need your help…I want to help many souls through your priesthood.  You do not have to continue, but I need your help…” It is hard to explain this moment in a simple email, but it was real and it was intense.  I felt the full force of Christ’s love and this gave me all the strength and motivation I needed to push forward.  When it gets tough, talk to Christ from the heart and listen to him!!

God bless,

Fr. Michael Sliney, LC

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Thy Kingdom Come!

Dear Friends in Christ,

     “In the life of the body a man is sometimes sick, and unless he takes medicine, he will die. Even so in the spiritual life a man is sick on account of sin. For that reason he needs medicine so that he may be restored to health; and this grace is bestowed in the Sacrament of Penance.”  –St. Thomas Aquinas

     Personally, my internal “check engine” light goes off every week.  This tells me to go into the shop and have my soul inspected by an expert mechanic (the Holy Spirit), acknowledge what has prevented my internal engine from running according to God’s plan (pride, impatience, etc…) and humbly ask the mechanic to put me back up to speed through absolution.  Don’t ignore these check engine or other warning lights for too long, or your venial sins will soon become mortal, (as I recently learned by not changing my brakes in time).   Confession is so helpful…take advantage of this amazing gift!!

God bless,

Fr. Michael Sliney, LC

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