Sliney Central

Fr. Michael Sliney, LC

Inspirational thoughts

Taming the tongue

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Thy Kingdom Come!

Dear Friends in Christ,

     “Violence of the tongue is very real- sharper than any knife, wounding and creating bitterness that only the grace of God can heal.”  Blessed Mother Teresa

     When your passions are boiling, when you have just suffered a terrible injustice, when you “feel” you need to get it all off your chest…stop and ask Jesus for help!  Silence is the better option and “prayerfully” waiting a bit will allow a “calmer” mind to choose “wiser” words.

God bless,

Fr. Michael Sliney, LC

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Swimming upstream

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Thy Kingdom Come!

Dear Friends in Christ,

     “It is necessary to swim against the stream. Faith is no longer taken for granted, as it might have been in other times.  It is a decision in which each of us is required to invest himself with his personal convictions, defying the surrounding environment.”  (Blessed Pope John Paul II)

   During my seminary days in Spain, I made the mistake of jumping into the “Rio Tormes”,  thinking that I could muscle my way upstream with my buddies.  After 20 minutes without progress, I realized the current was simply too strong and I needed to get out.  This is the reality of our culture today, and we need to be prepared for constant battle.  Without daily prayer, frequent Mass and Confession, you simply will not last long.  “Lean into” Christ!  Stand up for your core convictions with prudence and charity, but don’t back down!  Christ needs our help to fight back!

God bless,

Fr. Michael Sliney, LC

Read Scripture daily

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Thy Kingdom Come!

Dear Friends in Christ,

     “Amid our questions and difficulties, and even our bitter disappointments, the divine wayfarer continues to walk at our side, opening to us the Scriptures and leading us to a deeper understanding of the mysteries of God.”  (St. John Paul II)

     Christ knows you inside and out.  He made you, and he has a full understanding of your past and your particular circumstances.  When you read his word in Sacred Scripture, he tries to whisper inspiration that applies directly to your current reality.  Read Scripture daily and be attentive to his voice!

Motherly love

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Thy Kingdom Come!

Dear Friends, in Christ,

     “A sign that we love truly love God is that we love Him the same in all occasions.”  St. Francis de Sales

    Cold, winter, dark days with a little cough and a little cold…I have seen so many moms slug through these difficulties with great fortitude and a gentle smile on their face.  I know this meant so much to me as a kid…it really helped to see a happy and peaceful mom as I was eating my oatmeal at 7 AM before walking to school.  Good times and bad…all for Christ!  A shout out to all of the moms out there who selflessly give of themselves everyday with a smile and lots of love!

God bless,

Fr. Michael Sliney, LC

Embrace your cross

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Thy Kingdom Come!

Dear Friends in Christ,

     “It is a lesson we all need – to let alone the things that do not concern us. He has other ways for others to follow Him; all do not go by the same path. It is for each of us to learn the path by which He requires us to follow Him, and to follow Him in that path.” (St. Katharine Drexel)

     One night, our whole family was driving back from a Christmas party, and my dad made a comment as we entered our neighborhood, “Behind every one of these doors, there is a lot of suffering.  You may not see it, but trust me, it is there.”  I have heard so many spouses tell me how they wish they were like so and so, “if only”,…etc.  After nearly 19 years of priesthood, I could not agree more with the wisdom of my dad’s comments.  We all have our path and we need to lovingly embrace the cross as an essential part of that path.

God bless,

Fr. Michael Sliney, LC

Tips on Forgiveness

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Tips for Forgiveness

1. You can’t forget, you can’t deny the injustice that was done to you, and you do not necessarily need to become that person’s best friend.

2. Sincerely pray for that person…part of your healing process and you never know the hidden suffering and history of the one who hurt you!

3. Let it go and give it to God…do not allow valuable time and energy to be wasted on a past hurt: “Forgiveness is giving up hope for a better past.”

God bless,

Fr. Michael Sliney, LC

Patient endurance

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Thy Kingdom Come!

Dear Friends in Christ,

     “I have found that the greatest power is hidden patience. I see that patience always leads to victory, although not immediately; but that victory will become manifest after many years. Patience is linked to meekness.” St. Faustina

   My mom stuck with me during my childhood years.  I was stubborn, manipulative, at times disrespectful, and always wanted it done my way.  She put up with a lot of suffering over a long period of time (from me and my 2 brothers…my sister was a saint), and her patient endurance and loving discipline paid off.   Her Faith and virtue are the main reason I am here as a priest today.

God bless,

Fr. Michael Sliney, LC

Life’s lessons

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Thy Kingdom Come!

Dear Friends in Christ,

“A mother helps her children look at life’s problems realistically, and not dwell on them, but to face them with courage, and not to be weak and to know how to overcome them.”  (Pope Francis, May 6, 2013)

   The first time I played pond hockey with my older brothers, I got really banged up.  My knees were strawberries and my shins were all black and blue…when I came home, I showed my legs to my mom and I started to cry.  She looked at me with love, and said with a smile, “Michael, this is part of hockey and really, this will part of your whole life.  It’s ok to get a little hurt, just make sure you always get back up and keep playing.”  Tough words but a good life lesson for me!

God bless,

Fr. Michael Sliney, LC