大家知道約納是甚麼人嗎？他是一位先知，一位天主的代言人，天主派遣他到尼尼微城宣講悔改。尼尼微城是亞述帝國的首都。亞述帝國征服了以色列國，把十個支派流徙充軍，從人類的歷史裡抹掉了。國仇家恨，使約納對尼尼微人沒有好感。天主也認為亞述帝國做得過份了，後來亦讓巴比倫帝國，征服了他們。不過，在這事發生之前，天主給尼尼微人一個悔改的機會，所以派約納先知去宣告悔改的機會。約納先知心有不甘，不願意接受差遣。結果，天主要派一條大魚（可能是一艘潛艇），吞下約納。約納在魚腹內三日三夜後，大魚吐他出來時，已到達了尼尼微城！尼尼微人聽從約納的宣講，竟然守齋悔改，免除了天主暫時的懲罰。
在今天的福音裡，耶穌基督稱約納為「尼尼微人的徵兆」，而耶穌基督自己是「這一世代的微兆」（路11:30）。「徵兆」是一個記號。例如「紅燈」代表停，「綠燈」代表通行。樹立了國旗的地方，代表行使這個國家的法律。「彎月」代表伊斯蘭宗教，「十字架」代表對耶穌基督的信仰，代表天主的臨在。
不要害怕困難，天主不須要鋒利的兵器，或者地動山搖的神蹟，來完成祂的計劃。天主要求我們謙卑，與祂合作就足夠了。今天教會紀念的聖女大德蘭，雖然她體弱多病，但並不妨礙她成為了教會的聖師，靈修的表表者！謙卑正是靈修的不二法門。讓我們向聖女大德蘭祈禱，請她協助我們，為傳福音而扎根的靈修功夫，向天父轉禱，使我們在靈修上得以長進。
我們領洗入教做天主教徒，我們便成為了天主對蝴蝶邨慈愛的徵兆。天主對善良的人是慈愛的，同時對邪惡的人，也是慈愛的。因為人是按天主的肖像所造，本來是好的。可惜人生活在一個被罪惡所污染了的世界裡，有些人變壞了。但天主並沒有放棄作惡的人，反而想辦法醫治他們，拯救他們。於是，天主聖父決定派遣聖子降生成為耶穌基督，為所有聖人的罪過和罪人的罪過，釘死在十字架上。所以，我們領受了耶穌基督的聖體聖事，與基督一起生活，我們便成了天主慈愛的徵兆，慈愛的標記，在蝴蝶邨，在我們的生活和工作中，在所接觸到的所有人面前，顯示天主的慈愛。
天主保祐！
We are Signs of God's Mercy (Luke 11:29-32)
Do you know who Jonah was? He was a prophet, a spokesman of God who sent him to Nineveh to proclaim repentance. Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian Empire which had conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, exiled her ten tribes and wiped them off from human history. Jonah did not have any good feelings towards Nineveh because of this national animosity. God also thought that the Assyrians had overdone and later allowed the Babylonian Empire to conquer them. But before that, God gave the Ninevites an opportunity to repent. So, God sent Jonah to proclaim this opportunity of repentance. Jonah was upset about it and reluctant to accept this mission. Consequently, God sent a big fish (probably a submarine) to swallow Jonah. After spending three days and three nights inside the belly of the big fish, Jonah was spat out by the fish, landing him in Nineveh! The Ninevites believed in Jonah, fast and repented, thus averting temporarily God's wrath.
In the gospel reading today, Jesus called Jonah "a sign to the Ninevites" (Luke 11:30). A sign represents something. For example, red lights signal "stop" and green "go". Where a national flag is hoisted, the laws of that nation apply there. A crescent moon represents Islam while a cross Christianity and the presence of God.
Don't be afraid of difficulties. God does not need powerful weapons or ground shaking miracles to accomplish His plan. God wants us to be humble and to cooperate with Him. That is enough. Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Teresa of Jesus. Although she was physically fragile, that did not prevent her from becoming a Doctor of the Church, an outstanding leading light on spirituality. Humility is the only way to spirituality. Let us pray to St. Teresa, ask her to intercede for our growth in spirituality, laying the foundation for evangelization before the Father.
We were baptized Catholics. We are signs of God's mercy in the Butterfly Estate. God is merciful to the righteous as well as to the evil. It is because men were created in the image of God. They were good but some of them become bad because they have been living in a world contaminated by sins. But God does not abandon those who do evil. He wants to heal them and deliver them. Thus the Father sent the Son to incarnate and became Jesus Christ to die on the cross for the sins of saints and sinners alike. Thus, we receive the Holy Communion and live with Christ. We have become signs of God's mercy in the Butterfly Estate, in our life and in our work. We should manifest God's mercy before the people we meet.
God bless!
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