Sliney Central

Fr. Michael Sliney, LC

Inspirational thoughts

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

Gratitude

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Thy Kingdom Come!

Dear Friends in Christ,

     “With God’s permission…hope and love are put to the test.”  St. Faustina

    During one of our home visits at the family mission in Avondale, PA., we spent time with a young mom with cancer.  Her head was completely bald, she lived in a trailer park with no air conditioning, but she had a radiant glow in her face.  She was upbeat and grateful to God for recently allowing her to have a baby in spite of many risks, and during our brief stay her focus was on serving us and making sure that we were comfortable…those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy!

God bless,

Fr. Michael Sliney, LC

Evangelizing your pond

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Thy Kingdom Come!

Dear Friends in Christ,

    Which fish in your “pond of influence” do not know and love Christ?  Make a list, pray for them and offer up concrete sacrifices for them each day…and don’t be afraid to share the treasure in a prudent, sincere and heart-felt way!

God bless,

Fr. Michael Sliney, LC

Taking your temperature

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Thy Kingdom Come!

Dear Friends in Christ,

“I always want to see you behaving like a brave soldier who does not complain about his own suffering but takes his comrades’ wounds seriously and treats his own as nothing but scratches.”

–Saint Therese of Lisieux, to her novices

     How often are we asked, “How do you feel? How are you doing?”   We all have aches, pains and real difficulties, but in general, most people do not want to be burdened by them.  I am always impressed by people who put their best face forward, don’t complain, and focus on serving the needs of others.  The more you take your own temperature, the higher it rises!

God bless,

Fr. Michael Sliney, LC