The Great Confirmation Sign**

         Communion experience. After I believed in Christ, the Holy Eucharist was the great confirmation sign.

**Christ Is Our Sign**

         In today's Gospel reading from Mark 8, the Pharisees demanded to see a sign from Jesus to test him. The unbelievers of our generation see many wonders and signs and still do not believe; they are basically atheists. To me, the greatest sign is Christ the Lord himself. He alone is enough for me to believe in and follow him..

***Perfectionist Not Perfect*

        Some people are perfectionists; they keep all their material things in perfect condition and expect all their plans to go exactly as planned. This is already an imperfection in itself. It's ironic that they are not bothered in the slightest by their many moral imperfections.

**Serious Business**

         God is merciful but strict, for we need to be holy in order to be saved.

**God Doesn't Kid Around!**

         In today's Gospel reading from Mathew 5:17-37, Jesus taught about the law, anger, adultery, divorce, and oaths. Again and again, he said, "You have heard that it was said . . . but I say to you . . . ." What he said was direct and clear. Anyone who does not take the Lord seriously, but thinks that he's good enough to get into heaven is kidding himself. If you don't take him seriously, can you expect him to take you seriously?

**Reward for Loving God**

        It's nothing short of eternal happiness in heaven. (You probably already know, but haven't accepted that yet.)

**Breaking Free from Self-Imprisonment**

         To follow your own will is to lead yourself by a leash around your neck. Let the Lord cut that and you'll be able to follow him freely!

**Condition for Salvation**

         We must be able to pray to Christ from the heart, "Lord, have pity on me, a sinner." This will open the gate for God to pour his infinite mercy on you.

**Only Memento Worth Keeping

         I attended the celebration of someone's birthday yesterday. Of course, we had group pictures taken to commemorate the occasion. When people travel, they also take pictures of themselves to show that they've been there. Then I see that all such memorabilia will pass. The only memento worth keeping is our friendship with Christ the Lord, which will last for all eternity.

***Most Precious Love***

         Today is Valentine's Day and people think of love. The love of God, agape, is so pure and powerful that it can transform us an make us heaven bound—it is really the Lord himself! So let us treasure this love with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind.

*God Cares About Us**

         In today's Gospel reading from Mark 8, Jesus had a great crowd around him. He summoned the disciples and said, "My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a great distance." The Lord solved the problem by multiplying the seven loaves of bread his disciples had more than enough to feed about four thousand people. I am so happy our God knows every situation, cares about us, and will alleviate whatever problem we face.

**To Be Self-Centered the Right Way*

         It's perfectly fine to focus upon ourselves this way: recognizing that we are sinners who need God's mercy to be saved, that we must be holy and blameless before the LORD, and that we must surrender ourselves to him to get all that accomplished.

**Spiritual Progress Achieved in Silence**

        To be set free spiritually, we need to understand ourselves thoroughly. The best way to achieve that is to delve deep into your own inner self. There, you ask the Lord to help you examine what's truly in your heart, and you'll be amazed and delighted by the many things he reveals to you that you never thought existed. It's time for inner house-cleaning, all done in silence.

**Duty We Easily Forget**

         Today's Entrance Antiphon based on Psalm 95:6—O come, let us worship God and bow low before the God who made us, for he is the Lord our God. Perhaps you believe that God exists, then are you aware that he actually made you? If you are, then shouldn't you seek to know him and develop a most special personal relationship with him? To ignore your own maker is just plain wrong!

***Urgent Notification***

         The relationship we have with God, the God of Christ, must be straightened out before we leave this world. You can make it as easy or as hard as possible, depending upon how cooperative your are to the Lord. This basically involves fighting a battle against yourself. If you have a lot of pride, you may likely lose, but if you are a most humble person, you'll surely be a winner. This message is critically important for all of us to know, for the stake can't be any higher! Remember never to die in sin.

**Two Guiding Principles**

        (1) When we follow God's will, we are set free. (2) When we follow ourselves, we enslave ourselves. This is how the Lord has made us.

**God Is Forever**

         The Lord God is our beginning and our end, but he himself has no beginning nor end, for he exists forever. His plan for each of us is for all eternity. And I know that the joy I received from him this morning at Mass will last forever! 

***Putting All Your Heart into Prayers***

         The Lord loves hearing us talking to him from the heart. If means a lot more to him than reading some written prayer which may not be easily comprehensible to us. Unfortunately, many Catholic are so used to reciting written prayers that they have trouble saying prayers from the heart. If the heart is not involved, you just don't get to experience the Lord. Should you not feel free saying your own prayers before others, you can always do it alone with the Lord. It's such a good feeling to be able to share all that's in your heart with him, for it can truly be life-changing!