Sliney Central

Fr. Michael Sliney, LC

Check engine!

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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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Thy Kingdom Come!

Dear Friends in Christ,

     “Know yourself, accept yourself, better yourself.”  (St. Augustine)

    During my 10 years of caddying, I had my eyes set on becoming “Caddy of the Year” at Forest Lake Country Club.  One of my older brothers, Jim, had reached this goal and for the first 9 years, I never quite “passed muster.”   This award was based on  your total number of loops (rounds) and double carries, and member recommendations based on your capacity to read putts, clubbing, hustle in finding balls and replacing divots, capacity to carry on conversations, etc…

    It was a good thing for me to attend 9 award ceremonies and not win.  Too many parents are concerned about their kids “self-esteem” and “confidence levels”…but learning how to lose and to come back stronger is a huge life lesson.   I realized that more work was needed and the details mattered….riding my bike early around the course to gather the fresh pin placements, to go the extra round when your buddies would head off to the pool, studying the member’s game so as to know the right club to recommend, getting to know the greens inside and out, etc… The 10th awards ceremony was so much sweeter as a result.

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Chivalry

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I am always edified by the deferential treatment of so many good men towards their wives here in NY and during my time in DC, in so many details.

1. Holding the door or elevator, insisting that they go first, taking off and putting on their coats…
2. Offering the seat with the best view in the restaurant, and holding their chair back before they sit down, standing up when their wife excuses herself from the table.
3. Patiently and lovingly listening to their wife’s perspective in a conversation without cutting them off.
4. Offering to cook dinner, and standing up during the meal to pick up the plates and bring out the dessert.
5. Making a real effort to arrive home on time so as to have dinner as a family.
6. Publicly expressing gratitude to their wife for a great meal and a clean house, and for all the time and attention that she spends helping the kids.
7. Privately praising their wife with their co-workers (and priests).
8. For those who have stay at home moms, perhaps to say “There isn’t anything more valuable and more important that you do, than to raise our kids”
9. Always having his wife’s back with both kids and friend alike.

God bless,
Fr. Michael Sliney, LC