Sliney Central

Fr. Michael Sliney, LC

Father’s Day prayer

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My prayer to Jesus for the dads on Father’s day: “Jesus, please give all these dads a shepherd’s heart.  A heart that truly “knows” his sheep, a heart that sacrifices himself for his sheep, a heart that prays daily for the spiritual well-being of his sheep.  Please Lord, remind these men how important their role is in your eyes.  Help them see that you have entrusted these children to them, and how much you are counting on them to lead them to your heart and your friendship.  Finally, remind them that the greatest gift they can give their kids is to be a holy witness and to have a great marriage, to be incredible husbands who are dedicated to their wives.  Grant them the wisdom to know your will, and the strength to follow it, whatever the cost.  Amen.”

God bless,

Fr. Michael Sliney, LC

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Happy Father’s Day

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     My dad had a special place in his heart for me, and the impact is still being felt today. I am most grateful for his fidelity to my mom, his deep Catholic faith, and his overall magnanimity and kindness.

     Several years ago, I asked my dad to describe his 45 years of marriage.  He thought for a moment, and then softly stated, “Michael, your mother and I were married in the presence of God and we have both taken this sacred commitment very seriously.  There have been some difficult and beautiful times, but we both knew that we needed to make this work.”  I witnessed my dad sincerely apologize to my mom for his poor behavior, I saw him bring home flowers and even rub her feet at night after a long day.  Every single night after dinner, they had a heart to heart conversation, that would not be interrupted by the kids (unless it was serious), and they went dancing every Friday night at the Elks club. I witnessed a deep love and a deep commitment, and this brought peace and stability into our home.

     One Saturday afternoon, as my dad was making his traditional chili on the stove, he looked at me and said, “Michael, we live in a nice neighborhood and we have a lot of things, but please don’t get caught up in this world.  We are pilgrims, our true home is in heaven, so don’t forget this along the way.”  We never missed Mass on Sunday, even to the point of walking 1 mile in a blizzard to our local parish, St. Hugo’s.  He went to Confession every month, and even daily Mass with my mom during Lent.  He was very supportive of my vocation and said, “Michael, if this is what Christ is calling you to do, who am I to get in God’s way?  I give you my blessing!”  While recovering from a stroke and falling off a ladder, his final words on this earth were to my mom, “Germaine, let’s pray and have a moment of silence.  I feel like I am in heaven right now.”

    My dad was a little rough on the outside, but warm and tender on the inside.  He had a twinkle in his eye that communicated tremendous love, and this glance was often more powerful than the most eloquent speech.  He took time off to accompany me on a few Boy Scout week-end trips, he hit hundreds of baseballs to me in the backyard during my Little League days, and later, we spent many hours on the golf course with him sharing nuggets along the way.  He taught me the value of excellence in the small things by how I washed his car or cut the grass, and his short visit to my bedroom during those long hours of homework at night, gave me an extra jolt to finish strong.

      Strong and caring fathers produce strong and caring daughters and sons.  I encourage all of the men out there to step back and ask yourself, “How is my marriage? How is my Faith?  How is my kindness towards my children?” Your kids need you!